The Southeast Missouri State athletics department announced the 2015 Hall of Fame Class on Nov. 12. This year's class members include Trae Hastings, Mark Hogan, Davis Means, Lindsay Pickering, Willie Ponder and Jane Stacy.
"It is the ultimate honor that you can receive as a [former] student-athlete," interim athletic director Brady Barke said. "Knowing that your time spent is recognized after you're gone as one of the best that has ever been at Southeast; it is the culmination of a tremendous career."
Ponder was a standout wide receiver at Southeast for two seasons [2001,2002] and set many of the school's receiving records that still stand. In 2002, Ponder made 87 catches for 1,456 yards and 15 touchdowns, all of which are single-season records at Southeast.
Ponder also had set the school's all-time receiving touchdown record with 27, a record that was broken this season by senior wide receiver Paul McRoberts. Ponder coached McRoberts and the team's other wide receivers during the 2014 season as an undergraduate assistant.
"He's a great kid overall," Ponder said. "On the field, he's a great talent that, come next year, he'll be playing on Sundays."
After leaving Southeast, Ponder was picked in the sixth round of the 2003 National Football League Draft by the New York Giants. He has also coached in youth football and started a mentoring program in Oklahoma.
Pickering will become the first women's soccer player to be inducted into the Southeast Hall of Fame. She was a two-sport athlete, who played goalkeeper for the soccer team and center field for the softball team.
"I was fortunate enough to have two coaches who were willing to share me," Pickering said. "I think a big part of it was the positions I played complimented each other really well to be able to stay quick and sharp doing both sports."
Pickering will be the 18th multisport athlete to join the Southeast Hall of Fame.
"We don't see too many two-sport athletes anymore because of how specialized everything is," Barke said. "To be able to do that at the Division I level is one thing, but to be able to excel in two sports is a completely different thing. Her being able to have success in both of those is a testament to her work ethic and talent."
Pickering won OVC Defensive Player of the Year twice for the soccer team [2005, 2007], and ended her soccer career as Southeast's all-time leader in shutouts, wins and minutes played.
She came back to Southeast as a coach for the women's soccer team, and she worked with the goaltenders. She now works at the University of Missouri-St. Louis as an academic recruiter.
"As an assistant coach, she worked with the goalkeepers, and I think because of her it was something those student-athletes had -- the mindset of wanting to be as good as she was," Barke said.
Hogan was the Redhawks baseball coach for 18 season, from 1995 through 2012, and is the all-time winningest coach in the history of the program with a record of 526-456-1. Under Hogan, the Redhawks made the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament 18 consecutive seasons, winning the tournament championship twice.
Hogan, a Cape Girardeau native and Southeast graduate, played for the Redhawks prior to becoming the team's coach.
"It was great to be able to come back to my hometown and have an 18-year career," Hogan said.
Hogan will join Joe Uhls as the only baseball coaches to be in the Hall of Fame.
"It's the ultimate honor as a student, athlete or coach at Southeast Missouri State, so it means a lot to me," Hogan said. "It represents each player and coach, manager and trainer, it goes a long way, it took everybody."
These six will be the 14th class of the Southeast Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Feb. 19.
