Three Saint Mary’s athletes to be honored during Cardinal ‘M’ Club Weekend
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Cardinal ‘M’ Club, in association with the Alumni Office, will induct three members into the SMU Sports Hall of Fame during Cardinal ‘M’ Club Weekend Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-13.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2009 — Tom Pepper ’74 (basketball), Sue Otto ’90 (soccer) and Chad Doerre ’96 (baseball) — will be honored during a ceremony Saturday evening, Sept. 12, in the SMU gymnasium.
Along with the induction of this year’s Hall of Fame class, SMU’s 2008-09 postseason award-winners, as well as last year’s outstanding male and female athletes, and outstanding scholar athletes, will also be recognized. The weekend festivities begin on Friday with a men’s hockey alumni game, continue Saturday morning with a golf outing at Cedar Valley Golf Course and conclude on Sunday with a picnic and various alumni games on the SMU campus.
SMU HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 2009
Tom Pepper, Chicago
A three-year letterwinner and an NAIA All-District performer his senior season, Tom Pepper still remains one of the premier scorers in SMU men’s basketball history. His 1,281 points and 16.9 career per-game scoring average rank him ninth all-time, despite having only played three seasons at Saint Mary’s, after transferring from NCAA Division I Loyola Marymount University. Upon graduation, Pepper traded in his sneakers for a coach’s whistle, coaching high school basketball at St. Mel’s and Farragut Academy in Chicago.
Sue Otto, Santa Monica, Calif.
A four-year letterwinner, Sue Otto was a stabilizing force for the Saint Mary’s University women’s soccer team — a team that won three Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and made three trips to the NCAA Division III national tournament, including a semifinal appearance in 1986. An All-MIAC First-Team selection in 1988 and 1989, Otto and the Cardinals lost just two conference games in her four-year career, going 47-2-0. Along with her all-conference honors, Otto was also a two-time First Team All-West Region pick in 1988-89, as well as a Third-Team All-American during her junior year, and a First-Team All-American and team MVP during her senior season. Otto appeared in 77 games during her four-year career, compiling 17 goals and 27 assists for 61 points. Her 27 assists rank No. 5 all-time in SMU women’s soccer history, while her 61 points are 11th and her 17 goals put her 12th.
Chad Doerre, Joliet, Ill.
A four-year letterwinner, Chad Doerre is one of the most accomplished pitchers to come through the Saint Mary’s baseball program. As a freshman, Doerre helped pitch the Cardinals to their most recent Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and a second-place showing in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. A two-time First-Team All-MIAC selection in 1995 and 1996, Doerre closed out his career with a 22-7 record with 11 complete games. He threw 197 innings, compiling a 2.38 earned-run-average, while walking 43 and striking out 143. His 22 wins and 197 innings pitch rank No. 1 all-time in SMU baseball history, while his 11 complete games and 143 strikeouts are No. 5 all-time. Doerre is also among the top 10 in ERA, ranking ninth at 2.38, while also proving productive at the plate, boasting a .330 career batting average and a .346 slugging percentage in 188 at-bats.
