ALLIANCE, Ohio - The University of Mount Union M Club Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 class and special award winners.

The eight-person hall of fame class includes Boo Hock Khoo '91 (Swimming), Justin "Judd" Lutz '10 (Track and Field), Joel Nowicki '89 (Swimming), Annie (Patton '11) Lenigar (Track and Field), Zach Perry '11 (Tennis), Bill Schindel '11 (Wrestling), Laura (Somoles '03) Hall (Track and Field), and Eric Tremmel '85 (Track and Field).

In addition, the Hugh Jae Award will be awarded to Paul Cotton '83, while the Duke Barret Award of Excellence will be given to Daniel Diaz '97 and James Tsilimos '76.

To be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame, a student-athlete must have earned a degree from Mount Union and received two letters in one sport or one letter in two or more sports. Athletes are eligible for selection 15 years after graduation or 15 years after their last competition. Consideration will be based solely on Mount Union varsity participation preceding graduation. Coaches and administrators had to have served at least five years prior to consideration or have been gone at least five years since they left the institution.

• Boo Hock Khoo '91 (Men's Swimming and Diving) earned three All-American honors during his illustrious career at Mount Union, including eighth in the 100 breaststroke at the 1988 NCAA Championships. At the 1989 NCAA Championships, Khoo earned two All-American citations with a 16th-place finish in the 100 breaststroke and was part of the 200 medley relay that finished 15th. As a senior, Khoo won was the OAC Champion in the 100 breaststroke.
   
• Justin "Judd" Lutz '10 (Men's Track & Field) specialized in the discus and shot put, earning four All-American honors during his standout career. Lutz's progression on the national stage was highlighted by an 8th-place finish in the discus in 2007, followed by a dual-threat performance in 2008 where he placed 4th in the discus and 3rd in the shot put, and then finished as the National Runner-Up in the discus in the 2010 NCAA Championships. He secured an OAC Championship in the shot put in 2009.
   
• Joel Nowicki '89 (Men's Swimming and Diving) was a three-time All-American, including earning two All-American citations at the 1987 NCAA Championships as he was part of the 400 medley relay that finished fifth and an individual ninth-place in the 200 breaststroke. He was also part of the 1986 All-American medley relay team that placed 15th.
   
• Annie (Patton '11) Lenigar (Women's Track & Field) was a two-time All-American in javelin (fifth place in both the 2008 NCAA Outdoor and 2009 NCAA Outdoor). She was an OAC Champion in javelin (2008) and runner-up in both the shot put (2010) and javelin (2011). Additionally, she was an Academic All-American (2009) and helped lead Mount Union to two OAC Outdoor Championships (2010, 2011).
   
• Zach Perry '11 (Men's Tennis) anchored the Purple Raiders at the #1 singles and #1 doubles positions for his entire collegiate career. He earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honors in all four seasons, highlighted by three consecutive First-Team All-Conference selections in 2009, 2010, and 2011. In 2009, he led the team to an OAC regular season and tournament championship, securing an appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Tournament. During that historic run, Perry helped guide Mount Union to a school-record 21 wins and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Over his four years, Perry averaged 28 wins per season and finished his career with 113 victories, ranking him fourth all-time in career wins at Mount Union.
   
• William "Bill" Schindel '11 (Men's Wrestling) was a three-time All-American at 197 (2009, 2010, 2011), including a third-place finish in 2011. Schindel was a three-time individual OAC Champion. He was also a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American (2010, 2011) and an All-OAC Academic honoree. He is only one of four Mount Union wrestlers to earn All-American three times. He currently ranks 18th all-time in career wins at 197 with a record of 83-17. After graduating, Schindel was the head coach at Mount Union for five seasons (2012-2016), compiling 46 career wins and being named the OAC Coach of the Year in 2015. Mount Union won the OAC title three times under Schindel's leadership. Three of his teams finished runner-up at regionals (2013, 2014, 2015), while three finished top-8 at the NWCA National Duals (2012, 2014, 2015). Schindel was a key member of the 2011 OAC Championship team.
   
• Laura (Somoles '03) Hall (Women's Track & Field) was a two-time All-American in the long jump (2002 Indoor – 5th, 2002 Outdoor – 8th). She helped lead Mount Union to a runner-up finish at the 2002 OAC Outdoor Championships. She's part of the school-record 4x160m relay team (2002).
   
• Eric Tremmel '85 (Men's Track & Field) was a specialist in the 500M, 600M, and 800M events. Tremmel was a two-time All-American honoree, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in the outdoor 800M in 1984 and a 6th-place finish in the indoor 800M in 1985. At the conference level, Tremmel amassed an incredible seven individual OAC Championship titles.

The Hugh Jae Award is an award to recognize M Club members who have distinguished themselves in service to M Club or athletics at Mount Union.  The award is named for Hugh Jae, a 1954 Mount Union graduate, who was an M Club Hall of Famer, professor, and administrator at Mount Union.

• Paul Cotton's '83 leadership was displayed during his multi-year tenure as President of the M Club. His term was marked by a period of significant growth and transformation for the organization, as he navigated the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Cotton's guidance, the M Club modernized its operations, fundamentally changing how the organization meets to ensure greater inclusivity and broader member engagement. Cotton has left an indelible mark on the M Club.

The Duke Barret Award of Excellence is named for the 1951 graduate who was a long-time supporter of Purple Raider athletics. He was an avid M Club member, former chair of the Hall of Fame committee, and Mount Union football coach from 1956 to 1961. The award honors a member of M Club for career experiences or activities that have brought honor and recognition to the individual and, in turn, Mount Union.

• Daniel Diaz '97, a former swimmer for the Purple Raiders from 1992 to 1997, translated his passion for the sport into a legendary coaching career at Port Clinton High School. Over 24 seasons at the helm of the Port Clinton program, he built a dynasty, leading his teams to seven SBC championships and two district titles, while earning District Coach of the Year honors three times (2010, 2022, and 2023). Under his guidance, Port Clinton sent at least one swimmer to the state meet for 22 consecutive seasons—that includes coaching two individual state champions.
   
• James "Jim" Tsilimos '76 has 50 years of coaching experience, including over three decades as a head coach with over 200 career victories. He is best known for leading Lisbon to the 1995 Ohio Division V state championship — the only one in Columbiana County history. He was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2025. Tsilimos retired from Lisbon in 2018 as the school's winningest football coach with 147 wins.

The 2026 Mount Union M Club Hall of Fame Class and the Special Award winners will be recognized on Saturday, November 7, at halftime of the football game against Baldwin Wallace at Kehres Stadium. The ceremony will take place that evening, November 7 at 7 p.m. at the Giese Center for Performing Arts.