Courtesy: Wisconsin Athletics
MADISON, Wis. – Twelve outstanding athletes, staff and supporters of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department will be inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2021, Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced on Tuesday.
“Every year it gets harder and harder to select our inductees into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame and this year was no different,” Alvarez said. “This year, we will induct 10 individuals who had outstanding athletic careers as Badgers as well as two individuals who have served the Wisconsin Athletic Department with their time and dedication. I am very excited for all of these individuals and can’t wait for them to join our prestigious Hall of Fame.”
The 2021 UW Athletic Hall of Fame will hold its induction ceremony on Friday. Sept. 10. All inductees will also be recognized during the Eastern Michigan football game on Saturday, Sept. 11 in Camp Randall Stadium.
Contemporary-era athletes (after 1974) Gabe Carimi (Football, 2017-10); Meghan Duggan (Women’s Hockey, 2006-11); Yasmin Farooq (Women’s Rowing, 1984-88); Blake Geoffrion (Men’s Hockey, 2006-10); Grant and Ross James (Men’s Rowing, 2005-09); Ron Jeidy (Wrestling, 1974-78); Jon Leuer (Men’s Basketball, 2007-11); and Maggie Meyer (Women’s Swimming & Diving, 2008-11) as well as heritage-era athlete Lloyd Cooke (Men’s Track & Field and Cross Country, 1934-37) will be inducted. They will be joined by longtime sports information director Tamara Flarup in the Coaches/Administration category and former football player and longtime supporter Ron Leafblad for Special Service.
Contemporary Era (1971-2011)
Gabe Carimi – Football (2007-10)
- 2010 Outland Trophy winner
- 2010 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year
- Unanimous consensus first-team All-American as a senior
- Two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection
- Helped lead the Badgers to the 2010 Big Ten Conference Championship
- Four-year starter at left tackle (49 career games)
- Wisconsin’s 2011 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
- Four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection
- Chosen in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears
Meghan Duggan – Women’s Hockey (2006-09, 2010-11)
- 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner
- 2011 First-team All-American
- Aided the Badgers to three NCAA Championships
- Captain of the 2011 NCAA championship squad
- Ranks second in UW history in assists (130), third in points (238) and third with plus minus rating (+164)
- Captain of the 2018 U.S. Olympic team that won gold
- Captain of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team that captured silver
- Member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic team that won silver
Yasmin Farooq – Women’s Rowing (1984-88)
- Coxed the Badgers’ junior varsity eight boat to the 1986 national championship
- Team captain and MVP as a senior
- Two-time Olympian, finishing sixth in the eight in 1992 and fourth in the eight in 1996
- Member of four World Championship teams, winning the USA’s first-ever gold in 1995 and silver in 1990, 1993 and 1994
- Head coach of Washington women’s rowing program (2016-current), winning the NCAA title her first year
- First coach to win a NCAA title in first season
- Head coach of Stanford women’s rowing program (2006-16), leading the Cardinal to their first NCAA title in school history in 2009
- First coach to lead two NCAA programs to national championships, Stanford in 2009 and Washington in 2017
- First coach to sweep the NCAA Championships in 2017 and 2019
- Six-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2008, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
- Three-time National Coach of the Year (2009, 2017, 2019)
- Inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame in 2014
- Coach of the 2012 US. Under 23 women’s eight that won gold at the World Championships
- Has worked as a rowing commentator for four Olympic games for NBC
Blake Geoffrion – Men’s Hockey (2006-10)
- 2010 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner, the first Badger honored
- 2010 First-Team All-American
- 2010 First-Team All-WCHA
- 2010 ESPY nominee for male college athlete of the year
- 2010 Wisconsin Male Athlete of the Year
- 2010 USA Hockey College Player of the Year
- 2010 NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player
- 2010 WCHA Final Five All-Tournament Team
- 2008-09 co-captain; 2009-10 tri-captain
- Helped team to 2010 NCAA runner-up finish
- Played for NHL’s Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens
- Florida Panthers assistant to the general manager
- First fourth-generation player in NHL history
- Managing Director of BHMS Investments
Grant James – Men’s Rowing (2005-09)
- 2008 IRA National Champion in the men’s eight, finishing off an undefeated season
- 2008 varsity eight champion at Eastern Sprints, aiding the Badgers to the team trophy
- 2008 World Champion in the U23 Rowing Championship in the men’s eight
- Gold medalist at the 2008 World Under 23 Rowing Championships
- 2006 Alan Geweke Award recipient
- 2012 Olympian in the men’s eight, placing fourth
- From 2005-09 was undefeated in collegiate dual racing
- 2012 Olympian in the Men’s Eight, placing fourth
- 2013 World Cup Gold Medalist and World Championship Bronze Medalist in the Men’s Four
- 2014 World Cup Bronze Medalist and World Championship Silver Medalist in the Men’s Four
- 2014 USRowing Male Athlete of the Year
- As a freshman was a member of the sixth-place eight boat at IRA National Championship
- Walked on to the Badgers in 2005
- 2006 national champion in High Power Rifle Marksmanship
- Nine-time U.S. National Team member
- Eagle Scout
- Lifelong engineer
Ross James – Men’s Rowing (2005-09)
- 2008 IRA National Champion in the men’s eight, finishing off an undefeated season
- 2008 varsity eight champion at Eastern Sprints, aiding the Badgers to the team trophy
- 2012 Olympian in the men’s eight, placing fourth
- 2008 World Champion in the U23 Rowing Championship in the men’s eight
- From 2005-09 was undefeated in collegiate dual racing
- 2013 World Cup gold medalist and World Championship bronze medalist in the men’s eight
- Gold medalist at the 2008 World Under 23 Rowing Championships
- As a freshman was a member of the sixth-place eight boat at IRA National Championship
- Walked on to the Badgers in 2005
- Nine-time U.S. National Team member
- 2006 national champion in High Power Rifle Marksmanship
- Eagle Scout
Ron Jeidy – Wrestling (1974, 1976-78)
- 1978 NCAA Champion at 190 pounds, defeating the reigning national champion
- 1978 Big Ten Champion and winner in the USSR Dual
- Senior year record 33-3-1
- 1978 UW Co-Captain
- Finished fifth in the 1977 World University Games
- 1976 and 1977 NCAA qualifier
- Finished second in Big Tens in 1977 and fourth in 1976
- Career record of 99-30-3
- Twice was award the George Martin Scholarship
- Member of the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame
- Hometown of Fennimore, Wisconsin, celebrated Ron Jeidy Day on April 6, 1978
Jon Leuer – Men’s Basketball (2007-11)
- Led UW in scoring and rebounding as a junior and senior
- Set UW’s third-highest single season point total with 621 in 2011
- Ended his career ranked 12th in scoring with 1,376 points
- One of just eight players in UW history with 1,300 points and 500 rebounds
- Ended his career ranked 10th in career blocks with 85
- Part of a class that totaled 100 career wins and qualified for four-straight NCAA tournaments, including two Sweet 16 appearances
- Member of the 2008 Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament championship teams
- Honorable Mention AP All-American as a senior
- 2011 NABC All-District 11 and USBWA All-District 5
- 2011 First-team All-Big Ten selection
- Member of the 2010 USA Basketball Men’s Select team (one of only 10 college players selected)
- 2009 and 2010 Academic All-Big Ten
- 2011 Team captain
- 2011 second-round NBA draft pick by the Milwaukee Bucks, playing eight seasons in the NBA
Maggie Meyer – Women’s Swimming & Diving (2007-11)
- Wisconsin’s first women’s swimming NCAA champion, winning the 2011 NCAA title in 200-yard backstroke
- Wisconsin’s 2011 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
- 2011 Big Ten Conference Swimmer of the Year
- 2009-10 UW Female Athlete of the Year
- 11-time first-team All-American; seven-time honorable mention All-American
- 10-time Big Ten champion
- 16-time All-Big Ten honoree
- Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection
- Set school records in six events
- Set Big Ten records in 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relays
- 2009 U.S. Open champion in 200-meter backstroke
- U.S. National Team member from 2009-2010
Heritage Era (Prior to 1971)
Lloyd M. Cooke – Men’s Track & Field (1935-37); Men’s Cross Country (1934-36)
- Member of the 1936 co-Big Ten championship cross country team
- First Black student-athlete to run cross country for the Badgers
- Helped UW to a combined 9-2 record in 1935 and 1936
- Second-leading scorer for Wisconsin in 1936, posting two first-place and three second-place finishes
- Member of Phi Lambda Upsilon, a national chemistry honor society
- Graduated with honors in 1937
- Member of the American Chemical Society from 1938-2001
- Had a career as a highly respected chemist, ending up as a top research chemist for Union Carbide
- Received the William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement in 1970
- Member of the National Science Board from 1970-82
- Also served on the Economic Development Council of New York City, National Council for Minorities in Engineering, and New York State Science and Technology Foundation
Coach/Administration
Tamara J. Flarup – Women’s Sports Information Director; Director of Website Services
- First women’s sports information director at Wisconsin from 1977-2001
- Director of Website Services from 2001-16
- Recognized nationally for her innovative ideas, technological advances and promotion of women’s intercollegiate athletics
- Served on the board of directors of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from 1998-2001; chaired numerous CoSIDA committees over her 40-year career
- Inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2007
- 2004 Mel Greenberg Award winner by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association
- Served for 16 years on the NCAA Women’s Final Four Communications Committee from 1995 – 2010
- Upon her retirement in 2016 was granted Emerita status following a record of distinguished service to the UW
Special Service
Ron Leafblad
- Member of the 1962 Big Ten Championship football team that competed in the 1963 Rose Bowl
- 1964 football team captain
- Student representative on the UW Athletic Board in 1963
- 1965 Wisconsin graduate
- CEO and founder of Gold Country Inc., a holding company with five separate companies involved in retail, license apparel manufacturing, website development and fulfillment, and corporate uniforms and sportswear
- Owner and CEO of Leaf Industries Inc., a manufacturer of precision parts for the computer and medical equipment industries
- Active in Young Presidents Organization and World Presidents Organization
- Co-chair of the 1990 Twin Cities Campaign for Wisconsin
- Involved in National W Club, serving as president in 1999, and Wisconsin Alumni Association
- Member of the UW Athletic Board from 2008-12
- Donated $1 million which helped build the Ron Leafblad Family Football Team Suite
- Established the Ron and Diane Leafblad Family Scholarship Fund, providing scholarship support to a student-athlete on the Badger football team
- Donated to the Letters and Science Career Initiative Fund (SuccessWorks) in 2016
- Donated to the 150th Anniversary Campaign for Alumni Park in 2014
