UW-River Falls
Athletic Hall of Fame

Paul Cudd

Cudd played football and wrestled for the Falcons. He earned four football letters and competed from 1971-74. In 1973 he was named to the All-WIAC team and was named the team's Best Blocker and Offensive Player of the Year. In 1974 he was a team captain, was named the team's Best Blocker, was named the Offensive Player of the Year and named to the NAIA All-District 14 and All-WIAC teams. He earned three wrestling letters. In 1972 he placed second in the WIAC meet at heavyweight and was a national qualifier. In 1975 he won the WIAC title at 190 pounds, placed eighth at the NAIA National Tournament and was named to the NAIA All-District 14 team. He has been very active in the River Falls community where he still resides. He started a youth wrestling program, was a charter member and president of the Kiwannis, was a member of the fire department and EMT service, and served as president and secretary-treasurer of the River Falls Quarterback Club. He spent four years as an assistant wrestling coach at River Falls High School. He graduated from UWRF in 1999.

Bob Ehresmann

Ehresmann played hockey at UW-River Falls from 1979-83 and earned four letters. In 1983 he helped lead the Falcons to the NAIA National Championship while serving as an assistant captain. In 1983 the Falcons won the WIAC championship and Ehresmann was named to the All-WIAC team. In 1982 Ehresmann was named a NAIA All-American and was voted the team's Most Valuable Player. He was an assistant captain, was named to the All-WIAC team and the Falcons won the WIAC title. While a student he earned senior academic honors and was a resident assistant. After graduating in 1983 he was a graduate assistant hockey coach with the Falcons from 1984-86. He earned his Master's Degree in 1986 from UWRF. In 1986 he was named the head hockey coach at Hamline, Minn., University and at the time was the youngest hockey coach in the MIAC.

Brian Halling

Halling earned four baseball letters from 1982-85 and his .402 career batting average is the best at UWRF. In 1985 he was the team's captain and led the team with a .487 batting average. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player, named to the NAIA All-District 14 team and to the All-WIAC squad. In 1984 he helped the Falcons advance to the NAIA Area IV tournament. He was named to the NAIA All-American, All-Area, All-District and All-WIAC teams. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player and the Falcons won the WIAC's Northern Division title and the NAIA District 14 championship. He had a .391 average. In 1983 Halling led the Falcons in hitting with a .367 average. He graduated from UWRF in 1986. In 1984 and 1985 he was president of the UWRF chapter of Athletes in Action. From 1986-93 he played amateur baseball for the Red Wing Aces which won state titles in 1990 and 1993. He was named to the all-State team in 1991.

Leon Headley

Headley was a standout track athlete and earned three letters from 1961-63. He still holds the school records in the 100-yard dash, 9.6, and 200-yard dash, 21 seconds. He set both of those records in 1962. In 1961 he ran a 21.6 in the 200-yard dash at the WIAC meet which is still a conference record. He won first place in the event. In 1962 Headley won the 100-yard dash, the 200-yard dash and was a member of the 4x100-yard relay team, which took first place. Headley is currently the chief medical technologist at Georgetown University Hospital. After graduating from UWRF in 1969, he earned his certification in medical technology with a specialty in cytotechnology. In 1987 he was named DC's Medical Technologist of the Year.

Mary Johnson Allen

Allen, a 1987 graduate, earned four letters in women's basketball playing from 1982-86. In her senior season she was named to the Kodak All-District and All-WIAC first teams and was the team's Most Valuable Player that year. Allen was named to the second All-WIAC team in 1983-84. She set 13 school records during her career and was the first women to score 1,000 points in Falcon history. Allen is still the leader in career rebounds with 838. She is third in career rebound average (8.6), third in season rebounds (262, 1984-85) and fifth in season rebound average (10.0, 1984-85). She is also one of the school's best shot blockers. She blocked five shots in three games in her career. She is second in career blocks (90), fourth and fifth in season blocks (30 in 1984-85 and 26 in 1985-86). Allen wasn't bad on the scoring end of the court either. She is sixth in career scoring average (12.5). She is fourth in field goals made in a game (15, 1984-85), fourth in career field goals (511), fifth in career field goals attempted (973), fourth in career field goal percentage (.525), sixth in career free throws (192) and sixth in career free throws attempted (294). She scored 1,214 career points. Allen graduated from UWRF in 1987.

Brian Kreibich

Kreibich earned four letters as a football player, competing for the Falcons from 1966-69. He was named to the first All-WIAC teams in 1968 and 1969 and he was given honorable mention in 1967. Kreibich was named to the NAIA All-District 14 team in 1968 and 1969. He was given honorable mention to the NAIA All-American team in 1969. He was named the Falcons Most Valuable Player in 1968 and 1969. Kreibich still holds the WIAC record in career interceptions with 24. He graduated from UWRF in 1970.

Donna Lundeen Knauber

Knauber, a 1982 graduate, earned four track and field and four cross country letters. In 1978 she was named the team's Most Valuable Performer after she placed second in the 1,000 and fourth in the mile at the indoor championships, and third in the mile at the outdoor championships. In 1979 Knauber placed sixth in the mile and fourth in the two mile at the indoor championships. She had an outstanding meet at the outdoor championships when she won the two mile, helped the two mile relay team to a second place finish and she finished third in the three mile. In 1980 at the indoor meet she placed third in the mile and sixth in the two mile. Knauber helped the mile relay team to a fourth place finish. At the outdoor meet she placed second in both the 800 and 1,500 meter runs and was a member of the two mile relay team which placed fourth. At the 1981 outdoor meet she helped the two mile relay team to a sixth place finish. In cross country, she was the team's Most Valuable Runner in 1978 and 1979 when she was named to the All-WIAC team. In 1979 she placed 15th at the AIAW National Championships and earned All-American honors.

Gene Meyer

Meyer earned four letters in football playing with the Falcons from 1977-80. After the 1980 season he earned NAIA honorable mention All-American honors as an offensive tackle. He was twice named to the first All-WIAC and NAIA District 14 teams. Meyer was named the team's Most Valuable Player in 1980 and was the team's Best Blocker in 1979. He helped the Falcons to win two WIAC championships in 1979 and 1980. The 1979 team earned a berth in the NAIA Div. I playoffs. Meyer also wrestled three years for the Falcons and earned one letter. After graduating from UWRF in 1982, Meyer coached football at Unity High School and led his teams to a 22-15 record, a 1986 conference championship and a berth in the state playoffs. He became the football coach at Amery in 1992 and led the team to a conference title in 1996.