UAA RELEASE
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The University Athletic Association (UAA) announced its first full class of the Richard A. Rasmussen UAA Hall of Fame on June 17. The Hall of Fame came to fruition in June 2024 when former UAA Executive Vice President Dick Rasmussen, whom the Hall of Fame is named after, was inducted as the first-ever member.
The first class includes 25 student-athletes, seven administrators, three coaches, and one coach/student-athlete. Each UAA sport is represented in the first class with each current institution being represented with at least two inductees, including those who played a key role in the formation of the UAA, chosen by the UAA Hall of Fame Committee.
A total of eight former Bears have been named in the first full class – Teri Clemens, William H. Danforth, Nancy Fahey, Alia Fischer Keys, Harry Kisker, Amy Albers Laczkowski, Laurel Sagartz, and John Schael.
"The induction of these Hall of Fame greats into the inaugural Richard A. Rasmussen UAA Hall of Fame marks a significant milestone for WashU Athletics," said Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics
Anthony J. Azama. "Teri Clemens, William H. Danforth, Nancy Fahey, Alia Fischer Keys, Harry Kisker, Amy Albers Laczkowski, Laurel Sagartz, and John Schael have collectively played pivotal roles in building and elevating our athletics department to where it stands today. Their dedication, achievements, and legacy continue to inspire our student-athletes and the entire WashU community. We are honored to celebrate their contributions and recognize the lasting impact they have made on our programs."
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Teri Clemens (Coach, Volleyball)
At the time of her retirement in 1998, Teri Clemens was the winningest coach by percentage in NCAA volleyball history, still ranking second nearly three decades later. Clemens guided her team to seven NCAA Division III national championships, including six consecutive, in her 14 years at the helm. During her time at WashU, Clemens recorded a 539-77 career record and lost just a single conference match for a 136-1 UAA record. Clemens coached the Bears to the program's first-ever national title in 1989 and went on to win an unprecedented six national titles from 1991 to 1996. The 1992 team that went 40-0 was the first-ever team to go undefeated in Division III volleyball history. Clemens was a five-time national coach of the year selection and won 11 of the first 12 UAA volleyball championships. Clemens is a member of both the WashU Athletic Hall of Fame (1998) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Hall of Fame (2004).
William H. Danforth (Administrator/Chancellor) –
Awarded PosthumouslyÂ
William H. Danforth was the 13th Chancellor in WashU history, serving in the role from 1971-95. Danforth played a key role in the construction of WashU's $15 million Athletic Complex, the formation of the UAA, the development and growth
of women's sports, and the reinstatement of basketball in 1981. WashU's campus was renamed the Danforth Campus in honor of William H. Danforth in 2006. Danforth and his wife Elizabeth were inducted into the WashU Hall of Fame in 1994.
Nancy Fahey (Coach, Women's Basketball)
Nancy Fahey coached the WashU women's basketball team from 1986 to 2017, winning five Division
III national championships. Fahey is the lone coach in Division III history to lead a team to five national titles, and the Bears are the only team to win that many. WashU won four straight titles from 1998 to 2001 and won the fifth one in 2010. The Bears posted back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, becoming the second program in NCAA history to post back-to-back undefeated national championship seasons. On Nov. 26, 2011, Fahey became the fastest coach in NCAA women's basketball history to reach 600 career wins, doing so in 706 games. In 31 seasons at the helm for the Bears, Fahey posted a 737-133 (.847) overall record with a 355-58 (.860) mark in conference play. In 31 years, the Bears won the UAA title 23 times under Fahey's coaching. Fahey was inducted into the WashU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Alia Fischer Keys (Women's Basketball, Class of 2000)
 Alia Fischer Keys is the most decorated women's basketball player in WashU history, winning Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division III Player of the Year three times (1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-00). She was a three-time Kodak/WBCA First-Team All-American, a three-time First-Team selection to the Division III Basketball On-Line Team of the Year, a two-time Division III News Player of the Year (1998-99, 1999-00), a two-time Division III News First-Team All-American, the 1998-99 Columbus Multimedia Player of the Year, a three-time Columbus Multimedia All-American, a three-time Columbus Multimedia All-Central Region selection, a four-time NCAA and Final Four All-Tournament selection, and the 1999-00 CoSIDA (now CSC) Academic All-American of the Year. Fischer still holds the program records for career points (1,974), blocked shots (219), and single-season points scored (626). Fischer Keys was inducted into the WashU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
Harry Kisker (Administrator/Founding Contributor) –
Awarded Posthumously
Harry Kisker was the Dean of Students at WashU from 1978-97. During his time at WashU, he created a vision that helped spur the growth of WashU's intercollegiate athletic programs, the development of sports facilities on campus, and the creation of the UAA. Kisker was inducted into the WashU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Amy Albers Laczkowski (Volleyball, Class of 1995)Â
Amy Albers Laczkowski is one of just two players in WashU volleyball history to be named the AVCA Division III Player of the Year (1993, 1994) as well as one of two to earn Asics/Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year twice (1993, 1994). She is a three-time AVCA First-Team All-America selection, a three-time Asics/Volleyball Magazine First-Team All-America selection, and was the first in program history to win the Honda Award (Division III Female Athlete of the Year) for volleyball. Albers Laczkowski was a three-time selection to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, a two-time All-Region selection, a two-time CoSIDA (now CSC) First-Team Academic All-America selection, a two-time UAA Most Valuable Player, and a three-time First-Team All-UAA selection. She ranks fourth all-time for kills (1,591), third all-time for blocks (520), first for career hitting percentage (.530), first and second for single-season hitting percentage (.551, .546), and first and second for single-season solo blocks (103, 84). After winning three national titles during her time at WashU, Albers Laczkowski went on to be the first Division III athlete to compete at the 1994 Olympic Festival, was a "Today's Top Eight" (now Top 10) honoree by the NCAA, and was the 1995 NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Missouri. She was inducted into the WashU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
Laurel Sagartz (Softball, Class of 2007)
 Laurel Sagartz is the only four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American in program history (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), which includes two first-team nods. She is also the lone player in program history to be named UAA Most Valuable Player four times and led the Bears to their only World Series trip as a senior. Sagartz holds the program records for earned run average (0.73), wins (84), shutouts (46), and strikeouts (863) while sitting in second for saves (5), complete games (70), innings pitched (620.2), and third for appearances (112). Additionally, Sagartz finished her career with five perfect games and seven no-hitters. Sagartz ranks seventh all-time in Division III history for single-season shutouts (19). She was inducted into the WashU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
John Schael (Administrator/Athletic Director)
After 36 years as Director of Athletics, John Schael retired following the conclusion of the 2013-14 school year. During his time at WashU, he oversaw a department that won 169 UAA titles and 19 national championships. Schael was instrumental in adding six women's programs – women's cross country (1979), women's basketball (1979-80), women's indoor track and field (1987), women's soccer (1989), softball (2000), and golf (2008). In 1989, Schael was one of the WashU administrators that played a key role in forming the UAA. That same year, Schael was involved in the creation of the W Club, and in 1992, he established the WashU Sports Hall of Fame. Schael oversaw the addition of the McWilliams Fitness Center to the Athletic Complex (1995), the WashU Hall of Champions (2002), the installation of turf at Francis Field (now Francis Olympic Field) (2004), and the renovation of the Tao Tennis Center (2006). Schael was inducted into the WashU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
