NORFOLK, Neb. – It seems many of the lasting memories for the newest inductees into the Northeast Community College Hall of Fame didn’t happen in games.
Northeast inducted two former student-athletes, one contributor and one former team into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Friday, March 28, at the Lifelong Learning Center on campus.
Athletic Director Jerrett Mills presented the inductees while Northeast President Leah Barrett welcomed the roughly 180 people who attended.
The 1975-76 Volleyball Team was inducted. The team finished fourth at the NJCAA National Tournament in Catonsville, Maryland.
Head Coach Marcy (Matties) Schiffgen had a recorded message from her home in Texas. She discussed how much women’s athletics have changed from 50 years ago, including the team qualifying for the national tournament.
There was uncertainty if the team would be able to go when Coach Matties had a family emergency and was unable to attend.
Luckily, another faculty member volunteered so the team could honor its commitment after raising funds to do it. The faculty member didn’t know much about volleyball, but the players coached themselves and ended up finishing fourth.
Donna (Grosc) Hausmann, one of the players, said she has many memories of long trips – usually one to six hours – and how everyone got to know each other during them. The players still had to keep up with their studies and were expected to be on time and in class the next day.
Cyrus Tate, who was inducted for men’s basketball, said one of his memories was how much his coach, Dan Anderson, instilled in him the importance of how he conducted himself off the court. Tate said he was a “knucklehead” who experienced culture shock his first summer in Norfolk after growing up in Chicago. Tate appreciated Anderson’s dedication to developing his athletes in life, along with basketball.
Janelle Gerharter, who was inducted for her support and contributions to athletics, said she had appreciation for the athletes who kept up with their studies while also playing, practicing and taking long bus rides. Gerharter said one of her best memories was the day before graduation when Cyrus Tate stepped into her office to say goodbye. Little things, especially by athletes, can make a big difference to others, she said.
Kaaren (Gustafson) Huber, who came from South Dakota, was inducted for women’s basketball. She credited her coach, Judi Faunce, with helping her to become a better shooter, especially free throws. They were considered a must because nobody was trying to block the shot. Faunce made the players run a lot, including “down and backs” when missing free throws during practice.
The inductees in the 2025 Northeast Athletics Hall of Fame class were:
Kaaren (Gustafson) Huber – Women’s Basketball
A true scoring threat for the women’s basketball team in the early 1990’s, (Gustafson) Huber ranks No. 3 all-time in total points with 1,343. She averaged 25.6 points per game as a sophomore from 1990-91 and 23.9 points per game as a freshman from 1989-90. As a sophomore, she led her team to a 24-6 record and a perfect 12-0 conference record. The 1990-91 women’s basketball team averaged 85 points per game. During her freshman season, (Gustafson) Huber helped her team to a 16-9 record as she scored 45 points in a single game. She also made 26 consecutive free throws and shot 38 percent from the three-point line and 87 percent from the free-throw line. As a freshman, she was named team MVP and as a sophomore she earned the Jim Hall Award and team MVP. (Gustafson) Huber went on to play at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and graduated in 1993. In July of 2024, (Gustafson) Huber received the Ole Odney Alumni Coach of the Year for her success as a track and field coach at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls.
Cyrus Tate – Men’s Basketball
A native of Chicago, Cyrus Tate was a dominant force for the Northeast men’s basketball team during the 2004-05 season. Tate started 29 of 31 games and was named a Third Team NJCAA All-American after averaging 19.6 points and 11 rebounds per game. He shot 60.4 percent from the field and recorded 36 blocked shots in 31 games. He was also named All-Region and All-Conference. Tate went on to play at the University of Iowa where he was a three-year starter and team captain during his senior season. He was third in the Big Ten Conference in rebounding and led the Big Ten in field goal percentage for two consecutive seasons. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Iowa in 2009 and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University in 2023. He went on to play 10 years of professional basketball overseas in Japan, Israel, Turkey and Germany. Tate was previously the Director of Player Development at Southern Illinois for two seasons and is currently an assistant coach at Northern Illinois University.
Janelle Gerharter – Contributor
A strong supporter and advocate of Northeast athletics, Janelle Gerharter served in multiple roles throughout her time at Northeast. She began her employment with Northeast as a community relations assistant in June of 2000 and retired as director of public relations in October of 2012. With assistance from Northeast Athletics Hall of Fame members Dr. Bob Cox and Jerry Holmberg, she was the main author of a 240-page book, ‘Success Started Here,’ a history of Northeast and its predecessor institutions from 1928-2018. For those efforts, she was recognized with the 2020 Distinguished Service Award by the College. For 25 years, Gerharter and her husband Dave have been strong supporters of the Hawks and Northeast Community College, attending multiple events every year. When she worked at the College, she always said she loved her job, but the students even more. She also says she has particularly enjoyed supporting the student-athletes at Northeast because they work so very hard as both students and athletes. Gerharter was a member of the Hawks Booster Club and played an instrumental role in bringing events to campus to raise money for the fundraising arm of athletics. A notable event at Northeast in 2011 was a sold-out appearance by the internationally-known Harlem Globetrotters while they were on their spring tour, which raised $35,649 for the Hawks Booster Club. Another notable, sold-out event was the University of Nebraska vs. North Dakota State University spring volleyball game at the Cox Activities Center in April of 2012. Head coach John Cook hosted a mini-clinic for elementary school volleyball players before the spring game.
1975-76 Volleyball Team – Team
Led by head coach Marcy (Matties) Schiffgen, the 1975-76 Northeast volleyball team finished fourth at the NJCAA National Tournament in Catonsville, Maryland. The team finished with an overall record of 23-9 and won the Region IX Tournament prior to advancing to the national tournament. The fourth-place finish is the highest in the history of Northeast volleyball at the NJCAA level. The team members were Coni (Benson) Kersch, Ginger Elm, Donna (Grosc) Hausmann, Debbi Miller, Sandy (Quinn) Zoubek, Joy (Roewert) Fields, Donna (Schlender) Benson, Susie (Staub) King, LuAnn (Wagner) Prahl.
Northeast Volleyball Team
The 1975-76 Northeast volleyball team that finished fourth at the NJCAA National Tournament in Catonsville, Maryland, featured several teammates who returned to Norfolk for induction into the Northeast Community College Hall of Fame. (Northeast Community College)
###