The following individuals have been selected for induction into Northern Kentucky University’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The seven inductees will be honored on Feb. 12 from 6-9 p.m. in a ceremony to be held on the NKU campus in Regents Hall.
Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning will be the guest speaker. The cost to attend the induction ceremony, which includes dinner at 6:30 p.m., is $25 per person, or $250 for a table of 10.
Contact associate athletic director Kurt Moeller at (859) 572-6632 for ticket information. The 2003 inductees are:
*Paul Steenken (1983-86), men’s tennis – Steenken compiled a record of 50-17 as No. 1 singles player for NKU and was the team’s most valuable player in 1985 and 1986. As a senior, Steenken posted a 10-1 record and led the Norse to the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship. Steenken earned All-GLVC honors and the Paragon Award in 1986.
*Brady Jackson (1979-83), men’s basketball – Jackson finished his career with 1,980 points – which currently ranks No. 2 in NKU history. Jackson holds a number of NKU records, including most career field goals made (796) and most consecutive games scoring 20 points or more (11).
*Julee Hill (1975-78), volleyball/women’s basketball – A two-sport athlete while at NKU, Hill led the Norse to a pair of Kentucky Women’s Intercollegiate Conference Small College basketball state titles. She set an NKU freshman record with 281 rebounds. Hill led NKU in serving percentage (98.4 percent) in 1978 for a volleyball team that won the KWIC Major College Championship. She also recorded 131 kills and 110 blocks in 1977 as NKU posted a 41-15 record.
*Barbara Harkins (1978-82), women’s basketball – Harkins scored 1,585 career points and grabbed 876 career rebounds at NKU to rank No. 3 all-time in both categories. Her best game was a 29-point, 21 rebound performance against Kentucky State in 1980.
*Dave Krebs (1981-82), men’s soccer – During the early years of the soccer program, Krebs was a standout defensive performer who became the first NKU player to earn NAIA McDonald’s second team and NSCAA All-American honors in 1982. He also earned All-Mideast Region and NAIA District 32 honors in 1982 and was NKU’s MVP in 1981 and 1982.
*Bill Aker, baseball head coach (1972-2000) – Aker retired with 806 wins in 29 seasons as Norse baseball coach. He led NKU to a pair of World Series appearances (1979, 1985), and he was named GLVC Coach of the Year in 1992 and 2000. His 1977 team won a school-record 49 games, and his 1989 squad posted a 45-9 record and came within one out of qualifying for the NCAA Division II World Series.
*Dr. James Bilbo, team physician (1986 to present) – Dr. Bilbo has been a volunteer member of the NKU athletics program for the past 16 years serving as the team physician. He has also served as a Board of Director for the Norse Athletics Club for the past 10 years and given countless hours of his time to provide medical care for NKU student-athletes.
