Hall of Fame Choose a Hall Of Fame Member: Allen, Ken Allen, Ryan Anders, Terry Anderson, Ken Arneson, Scott "Arnie" Barth, John Beardsley, Arlene (Meinholz) Bennett, Dick Bennett, John "Jack" Berezowitz, Bob Blair, Lynn "Red" Blank, Becky Boelk, Randy Bollinger, Jim Braden, Mark Briwa, Dr. Helen Brunson, Merrill Butler, Tom Cardinal, Merilee (Healy) Caufield, Paul Chinnock, Dwight Chryst, George H. Church, Jason L. Coleman, Mel Collins, Dr. Patricia Conlin, Paul L. Corning, Greg Crandall, Jill Culver, Craig DeLong, Nate Doden, Jim Drews, Jim Edwards, Casey Eloranta, Gary "Stump" Endres, Chelsea (Hoff) Erickson, Paul Esten, Phil Evans, Dale M. Farley, Mike Fiedler, Tom Fisher, J.P. Foster, Connie Gantner, Jim Gibson, Barbara Gilmore, Stephanie (Sullivan) Graichen, David Guthrie, Mark R. Harring, Roger N. Healy, Pat Heineke, Wendy Herb, Lisa Hicks, Alex Hoffmann, Ben Ignacio, Jennifer (Tischaefer) Jacob, Michelle James, Byron Jamieson, Amy Jeter, Rob Jianette, Jim Johnson, Ray C. Jones, Dr. Dianne Jorgensen, Terry Jorgensen, Tim Kachel, Dave L. Karges, Dr. R.A. Karner, Dr. Gary F. Knepper, Ben Knudsen, Laura (Verdegan) Krautscheid, Patti (Franckowiak) Kriewaldt, Clint Kruckman, Judy Kurth, Dr. Steve Kuss, Roger Maki, Julie McKoy, Andre Meka, Wendy (Wangerin) Melzer, Rich Miech, Sheila Miller, Jack Mintz, Dwain Mortorelli, Americo "Mertz" Moselle, Dominic Mueller, Mel Mulligan, Karen (Guckenberger) Myers, Willie Nelson, Emogene Nelson, Nancy Neubauer-Muesing, Tori Newberry, Thomas O'Brien, Frank Page, Don Pein, PhD, Richard L. Perkins, Forrest Petermann, Tim Peterson, John Pitt, Jr., Lou L. Porter, Terry Prior, Tom Puls, Otto Ratliff, Michael D. Rock, Andrew Ross, Camille Russell, Kris Ryan, William "Bo" Salzmann, Leah (Juno) Schierl, Sara (Smith) Schulman, Deb Schumacher, Sandy Schwager, Ed Sims, Ralph Sparger, Max R. Steinhagen, Kelsey (Duoss) Stephens, Martha Stone, Lisa Sutherland, Doug Taddy, Marcia Taylor, Mary (Leivian) Thering, Lydia C. Thomas, Mark Tiedemann, Dr. Russell G. Turk, Matt Van Gorden, Jim van Steenderen, Marty Van Wie, T.J. Vander Meulen, Dave "Augie" Varsho, Gary Vercauteren, Deb Walston, Kristi (Griggs) Washburn, Jarrod Whereatt, Ted Wilson, Judy Wingenbach, Rebecca (Jordahl) Wrigglesworth, Frank Yanna, Carol Zdroik, Kari Zimmermann, Jordan Zuerlein, John Zupanc, John Dr. Gary F. Karner Class Induction 2022 Sport(s) Conference Office Induction Video (Written: July 2022) Dr. Gary F. Karner was named commissioner in June 1996 following eight years as a member of the NCAA national office staff and retired as the longest serving commissioner in conference history. The most immediate task undertaken by Karner in 1996 was to merge the men’s (Wisconsin State University Conference) and women’s (Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) conferences into a single conference, resulting in the formation of the WIAC in July 1997. During Karner’s tenure, the WIAC captured 76 NCAA Division III team national championships – a number that surpasses the total number of championships won by all but one of the other 43 Division III conferences in their respective histories. An additional 500 WIAC student-athletes secured NCAA individual titles. Equally impressive, were the hundreds of WIAC student-athletes who earned Academic All-America recognition, 16 NCAA Elite 90 Award winners and the conference’s commitment to community service, particularly in support of Special Olympics. Following Karner’s arrival in 1996, five of the seven NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award honorees from the State of Wisconsin were WIAC student-athletes. Karner served on the NCAA Division III Interpretations/Legislation and NCAA Division III Baseball Committees, as well as innumerable NCAA and Division III commissioner ad hoc committees, task forces and working groups. Other notable accomplishments by Karner were the establishment of the WIAC Corporate Partner Program generating over $1 million in revenue for the conference, the WIAC Hall of Fame, the WIAC Centennial Celebration, the WIAC Foundation, the WIAC Student-Athlete Leadership Institute, the annual men’s and women’s basketball exhibition games vs. the Wisconsin Badgers and the WIAC Administrative Internship Program. Karner served as the president of the National Association of DIII Athletics Administrators in 2002-03, and on the board of directors of the DIII Commissioner’s Association from 2000-03. Karner was selected as an Outstanding Commissioner of the Year by the All-American Football Foundation in 2007. He is also the 2011 recipient of the DIII Commissioner’s Association Meritorious Service Award, as well as the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of DIII Athletics Administrators in 2003 and 2011. Karner was named a Sports Ethics Fellow in 2005 by the Institute for International Sport. In addition to his commissioner duties, Karner served as an adjunct facility member at UW-Madison and Edgewood College, and on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation and Special Olympics Wisconsin. Karner earned his bachelor’s degree in education from UW-Stevens Point, and master’s degree in educational administration and doctorate degree in higher educational administration from UW-Madison. Karner resides in Durango, Colo., with his wife Judy. They have two sons Josh and Sam, a daughter Saree, and three grandchildren.