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 Sept. 10-12.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2010 — Teisha (Smith ’00) Devine (fastpitch softball), George Hoder ’67 (basketball) and John Tschida ’90 (Fastpitch Softball Coach) — will be honored during a ceremony Saturday evening, Sept. 11, in the SMU gymnasium.
Along with the induction of this year’s Hall of Fame class, SMU’s 2009-10 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 2010
TEISHA (SMITH ’00) DEVINE
Chicago Fastpitch Softball
Teisha (Smith ’00) Devine was a four-year letterwinner who was instrumental in guiding the Saint Mary’s University fastpitch softball team to its first-ever NCAA Division III National Championship in 2000. A three-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection, Smith led the Cardinals to three straight MIAC regular-season titles in 1997,1998 and 1999. She was named to the NFCA All-Region Team three times — a first-team selection in 1998 and a second-team pick in 1999 and 2000. A two-time team captain and member of the NCAA Regional and National All-Tournament teams, she ranks first in school history in earned-run-average (1.04), while ranking second in career wins (58), third in complete games (35) and shutouts (18) and fifth in strikeouts (215). She also holds the single-season school records for complete games (15) and shutouts (8) and is second in wins (21), appearances (28) and games started (24). During the Cardinals’ run to the 2000 national championship, she went 21-2 and won her last 18 starts — including a perfect 7-0 mark during SMU’s seven post-season games.
GEORGE HODER ’67
Seattle Basketball
A four-year letterwinner, George Hoder ’67 is one of just 24 players in the program’s history to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier, having netted 1,260 points during his career. Hoder also ranked 10th in program history in free throws attempted (408) and rebounds (536). Hoder averaged a career-best 14.4 ppg during his junior season, when he tossed in 124 field goals on 297 attempts, while also shooting 64 percent from the free throw line (111-for-171).
JOHN TSCHIDA ’90
Saint Paul, Minn. Fastpitch Softball Coach
John Tschida ’90 spent six years as the Cardinals’ head fastpitch coach, guiding SMU to post-season appearances in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. His Cardinals won back-to-back-to-back Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crowns in 1997, 1998 and 1999, and his 2000 SMU team became the first in school history to capture the NCAA Division III national title. Following the 2000 season, Tschida accepted the head coaching position at the University of St. Thomas, where he coached the Tommies to back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005. With his UST national crown in 2004, Tschida became the first fastpitch coach to win NCAA titles at two different schools. A 1990 graduate of SMU — where he was a four-year letterwinner for the Cardinal baseball team — Tschida is the winningest Division III coach, active or retired, boasting a 573-98 record and an .854 winning percentage. Tschida has been named MIAC Coach of the Year in eight of his 15 years at the helm at SMU and UST. His teams have been nationally ranked each year, and in the last 13 seasons have posted a 273-13 record in conference regular-season play. In nine seasons at St. Thomas, his teams have swept 91 conference twinbills, split seven and were swept just once, and in all games vs. conference opponents are 208-9 (.958).
