Six to be inducted into Athletics Hall of Fame
Lakeland University will induct six standout athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame this fall as part of Homecoming weekend.
The class includes:
An induction banquet will be held on Friday, September 29, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Event details and registration are available online at Lakeland.edu/homecoming.
The incoming class increases membership in Lakeland’s Hall of Fame to 186.
Clark was a standout cornerback and strong safety, earning NAIA honorable mention All-American honors in 1985. He’s one of just 16 All-Americans in Lakeland football history.
A four-time All-Illini-Badger Football Conference honoree, Clark graduated No. 2 in career interceptions (18), and his nine interceptions in 1985 is tied for the most in a single season and among the nation’s best as he led several defensive-minded teams. He also has the two longest punt returns in school history, the longest being 109 yards off a missed field goal as he was regularly among the nation's best punt returners.
As a junior, he was named to the NAIA District 14 All-District Team, was Illini-Badger Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and the team’s MVP.
Clark, a three-time team captain, helped lead the Muskies to two straight IBFC championships in 1985 and 1986. The 1986 team finished 9-1 overall and was ranked 13th in the nation at one point playing for then-head coach Monte Cater, who was part of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class.
Clark, who owns Akira Construction, lives in Chicago with his wife, Yvonne. They have three children: Cleveland Jr., Quandra and Candice.
Chambers re-wrote the rushing record book as the Muskies rolled up the points and yards during his career.
Chambers graduated as the program’s career rushing leader with 2,733 yards (he’s now third), and he was second in career scoring (266 points) and touchdowns (44). He’s currently fifth on the career list in both categories.
A three-time All-IBFC honoree, Chambers rushed for 1,101 yards in 1995, then good for second all-time, and he scored 86 points in 1998, then good for sixth all-time. He was the Muskies top scorer in 1995, 1997 and 1998, with 14 touchdowns in 1995 and in 1997.
He was a key component on two IBFC championship teams, including the 10-0 finish in 1997.
Chambers lives in Muskegon, Mich., with his wife, Andrea. He is a cook at Sanctuary at the Oaks Senior Living and he has his own business. He has two adult children, Tykeesha and Kimani, Jr.
Plucinski was a dominating pitcher that helped lead the Muskies to three conference championships, the 2002 NCAA Division III World Series and a fifth-place finish nationally.
He’s a fixture on the career pitching record book with the top spots in career strikeouts (311) and earned run average (2.84), second in innings pitched (237.2) and shutouts (5), third in starts (32), fourth in wins (17) and fifth in complete games (15). He is first in single season wins (9), innings pitched (92.2), starts (12) and strikeouts (111), where he also owns the No. 2 and 3 spots.
His 22 strikeouts against Edgewood on April 29, 2003, is a school record, is tied for an NCAA Division III record and netted him a mention in Sports Illustrated magazine.
Plucinski was a first team All-Lake Michigan Conference honoree in each of his three seasons playing for Lakeland. He was 2002 LMC Rookie of Year and 2003 conference Player of the Year.
He played in the Northwoods League for two years earning All-Star recognition both seasons.
Plucinski is a project manager at Prairie Construction and lives in Deforest, Wis., with his wife, Tina, and their three children, Kaden (16), Zander (14) and Easton (4).
Vandlen is among the football program’s most decorated offensive linemen that helped lead the Muskies to the program’s first NCAA Division III postseason playoff berth.
As a senior in 2005, Vandlen was IBFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, first team All-IBFC and Football Gazette North All-Region second team offensive line as the Muskies won the conference championship and lost at Augustana in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs.
He was also IBFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, first team All-IBFC and Football Gazette North All-Region third team offensive line as a junior, helping the Muskies share the conference title.
He was second team All-IBFC as a sophomore, and during his career was a fixture on a line that set the table for one of the nation’s top running games.
Vandlen is a Washington County deputy sheriff and lives in Kewaskum, Wis., with his wife, Sarah, and two sons, Logan and Gavin.
Hall’s name dominates the softball program’s pitching records the way she dominated opponents for four seasons.
She has career records in five of the six program pitching categories: games started (101), wins (72), innings pitched (616.3), strikeouts (382) and shutouts (21). By the end of her junior year, she had set three single-season records: games started (29), wins (21) and shutouts (8) the same year she became the program’s career strikeout leader.
A four-time First Team all-conference honoree, she is in the top five in five categories in the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference record book: Starts, appearances, wins, shutouts and innings pitched.
Hall pitched a perfect game and two no-hitters as a freshman, earning conference Rookie of the Year honors. She was 2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III second team All-Region as a junior, and as a senior she led the conference with 46 runs batted in.
She works as business office manager at Jeff's Glass & Window and lives in Gladstone, Mich., with her husband, Darren, and their four children, Mason, Brooklyn, Dylan and Carolyn.
Schwarz is among the basketball program’s most accomplished and decorated players.
He is the career scoring leader for Lakeland and the NACC (2,199 points) and his 936 rebounds tops the NACC career list and is fourth all-time for Lakeland. He’s the NACC’s career free throws made leader (447) and second in career field goals made (787).
He capped off his career by playing in the 2013 Reese's Division III College All-Star Game. He was a 2013 All-Region honoree by the National Association of Basketball Coach and D3hoops.com and was NACC Player of the Year.
A three-time First Team All-NACC honoree, Schwarz has was second team all-region by the NABC and Third Team All-Region by D3hoops.com as a junior, First Team All-Midwest Region by D3hoops.com as a sophomore and Honorable Mention All-NACC and All-Freshman team in 2009. He did not play the 2010-11 season due to an injury.
