Six individuals and a trailblazing pair of teams are included in the 2024 Class for the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame. Jessica (Beech) Bograkos (softball), Anson Carter (hockey), Darqueze Dennard (football), Laura (Kueny) Smith (women’s golf), Beth (Rohl) Saylors (women’s track & field), and Paul Terek (men’s track & field) will be joined by the 1965-1966 football teams, who become the first teams inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Congratulations to the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024,” said Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller. “The individuals in this year’s class represent some of the very best Spartan athletes in each of their respective sports. Every individual earned All-American and all-conference honors, with four of the six being recognized by the Big Ten Conference as the very best in their sport or at their position. Beyond their record-setting performances at MSU, they would go on to enjoy success both at the professional level and in international competition.
“I’m thrilled to congratulate the 1965 and 1966 Spartan football teams on their induction. While the athletic accomplishments, including back-to-back Big Ten Championships and national titles, place them among the very best teams in Spartan history, it’s the transcendent impact on their sport, our university and society that drives their inclusion as the first teams ever inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame. These were young men from different states and different races who came together to form a brotherhood around a singular goal. In doing so, they became trailblazers who would help break down racial barriers in college football, leading to a more diverse and inclusive sport nationally. They are the very fabric of who we are and who we strive to be as an institution.”
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Celebration will take place on Friday, Sept. 13. There will also be a special recognition of the 2024 MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class during the Michigan State-Prairie View A&M football game at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14.
The MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, located in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, opened on Oct. 1, 1999, and displays plaques of the 180 previous inductees. The charter class of 30 former Spartan student-athletes, coaches and…
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