Northwest Missouri State athletics will hold its annual ‘M’ Club Hall of Fame induction ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom located on Northwest’s campus. The event is free and open to the public. The 2009 induction class will include Jill (Quast) Hansen (volleyball, softball), Onofrio Monochino (football, basketball, track/field), Bill Sobbe (baseball, basketball), Allan Borkowski (wrestling) and the 2001-02 men’s basketball team. With the 2009 class, the ‘M’ Club Hall of Fame includes 94 individuals and 37 teams. The first year of individual inductions was 1980, and teams were inducted beginning in 1989.
A brief description of each inductee follows:
• Jill (Quast) Hansen – Hansen is the all-time digs leader at Northwest with 1,924, which is nearly 200 more than any other player in program history. Hansen also ranks second in career blocks (487), third in kills (1,638) and fourth in service aces (234). Hansen is one of two Northwest players to be named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player, having earned the award following the 2000 season.
A native of Goodhue, Minn., Hansen now lives in Savage, Minn., where she is an auditor in an accounting firm.
• Onofrio Monochino – Monochino earned 10 varsity letters in three sports during a collegiate career in the 1950s. He played both offense and defense on the gridiron, was a two-time, first-team All-MIAA choice and earned All-America honors following his senior season. Monochino also earned All-MIAA honors on the hardwood and competed in the shot put, among other events during two seasons on the track and field team.
A native of Elba, New York, Monochino spent 40 years as an educator following his graduation, starting as a teacher and coach in Iowa and completing his career as a superintendent of schools in Missouri. He currently lives in Laddonia, Mo.
• Bill Sobbe – Sobbe was a three-time all-district and two-time, first-team All-MIAA catcher for the Bearcats from 1977-79. He was named the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1977 and earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1978. Sobbe also played basketball for two seasons and averaged nearly five assists per game.
Sobbe, a native of Kansas City, Mo., signed a professional contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers following his career at Northwest. Following the Dodgers, Sobbe returned to the Kansas City area where he spent many summers as the bullpen catcher for the Kansas City Royals. Sobbe currently serves as an educator, serving as an assistant principal and the activities director at Park Hill High School in Kansas City.
• Allan Borkowski – Borkowski was a three-time MIAA champion for the Bearcat wrestling team in the late 1960s. He amassed a career record of 63-18-1 and his 271 points are second on Northwest’s all-time chart. He’s the only Bearcat to earn All-America honors at both the Division I and Division II levels.
Borkowski grew up in Audubon, Iowa. His life ended prematurely when he passed away in the early 1970s.
• 2001-02 Men’s Basketball Team – Head Coach Steve Tappmeyer’s 2001-02 squad finished with a 29-3 record and was the first Northwest team to win a regional championship to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. The team won the MIAA regular-season crown with a 16-2 mark and beat Missouri Western to win the MIAA tournament. The 29 wins remain a program-high since 1931.
Scott Fleming was a first-team All-MIAA selection after leading the team in scoring, assists and steals and ranking second in rebounds and blocked shots. Jerry Hudson, Kelvin Parker and Matt Rowan earned honorable mention honors.
Story courtesy of Northwest Missouri State athletics.
