LIVONIA, Mich. - - Wrapping up what many will call the most successful year in department history, the Madonna University Athletic Department inducted its first full class into the program's Hall of Fame Saturday night (June 13) in front of a capacity crowd at the University Center.
Joining 2004 inductee and NAIA Hall of Fame volleyball coach Jerry Abraham were: Women's soccer All-American Jen Barker, volleyball All-American Kelly McCausland, baseball All-American Aaron Shrewsbury and former university president Sister Francilene Van de Vyver to comprise the 2009 induction class.
"The whole event was a success," commented Athletics Director Bryan Rizzo following the event. "We could not have been more pleased with the turnout to honor five of the best that the Madonna University Athletic Department has ever seen. This is the start of another great chapter in the history of the department as a whole."
Below are brief biographical sketches of the 2009 Hall of Fame class:
Jen Barker - Women's Soccer - 1998-2001
* Member of the first women's soccer team in school history
* Named Defensive Most Valuable Player of the 2000 NAIA Women's Soccer National Tournament
* 2000 First Team All-American
* Two-time NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete
Kelly McCausland - Volleyball - 1993-96
* Named NAIA First Team All-American twice (1995, 1996)
* Three-time All-Region selection
* Third all-time at Madonna in kills
* Appears in the Top-10 of 15 different volleyball records at Madonna
Aaron Shrewsbury - Baseball - 1996-99
* Named to the All-WHAC First Team twice (1998, 1999)
* Holds six MU all-time records including home runs (48), batting average (.397), runs scored (195), hits (240), doubles (58) and runs batted in (195)
* Two-time NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete (1998, 1999)
Sister Francilene Van de Vyver - University President - 1976-2001
* Longest serving president in university history
* Brought conference and nationally affiliated athletics to the university community, starting with volleyball in 1987
