The Buena Vista University Athletics department is pleased to announce that five new individuals and one team will join its BVU Athletics Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024.
Keven Besch ’87, Mike Wilson ’92, Rick Schweitzberger ’00, Jennifer (Lange) Mavis ’02 and Brad Blum ‘11 join the 2004 BVU Women’s Basketball Team as the newest members to be formally enshrined into the BVU Athletics Hall of Fame during a banquet held on campus on Friday, Sept. 27.
Keven Besch ‘87 wrestled his final two collegiate seasons at Buena Vista after transferring in from Waldorf College. Under Hall of Fame Head Coach Al Baxter, Besch, added to his All-American status after joining the Beavers by placing third at the NCAA Tournament as a junior and seventh as a senior – both at 177 pounds. He was also an Iowa Conference runner-up each of those years. A team captain during his senior campaign, Besch finished his career for BVU with an impressive overall record of 64-18, including 24 of those victories coming by pin.
Mike Wilson ‘92 was a multi-sport athlete for the Beavers during his time on campus, primarily in football and track & field. On the gridiron, he was a letterwinner all four seasons and finished his career ranked second on the program’s all-time total offensive charts while also holding seven program records. He generated nearly 6,000 yards of total offense as a quarterback which still ranks in the top-five. Wilson also excelled in track & field where he competed for three seasons and won a pair of conference individual titles and became an All-American in the javelin. He still remains the school record holder in the javelin at 212’ 4” which he set his senior season. Wilson also played two seasons of basketball for the Beavers and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player as a senior.
Rick Schweitzberger ‘00 also excelled on the wrestling mat for Coach Baxter by chalking up 114 career wins which is still tied for sixth in program history. His 39 wins as a senior remains tied for eighth. As a sophomore, Schweitzberger placed seventh at the NCAA Tournament at 133 pounds before wrapping up his career with a runner-up national finish at that same weight his senior campaign, giving him two All-American honors. Only two other BVU individuals have reached the national championship match since that 2000 season. Schweitzberger was a member of a team that recorded three top-15 national finishes (11th in 1998, 4th in 1999 and 8th in 2000).
Jennifer (Lange) Mavis ‘02 was also a multi-sport athlete for the Beavers where she competed in both track & field and basketball. While competing during the outdoor track & field season for BVU all four years, Mavis was a two-time All-American in the shot put, placing fifth in 2000 and eighth in 2002. Additionally, she claimed two Iowa Conference titles, winning the javelin in 2000 and then earning a championship in the shot put in 2001. To this day, she remains listed on the program’s current top-10 list in both shot put (third) and javelin throw (seventh). Mavis was also a four-year member on the hardwood and was a career 50-percent shooter and still ranks in the top-15 all-time for BVU in field goal percentage.
Brad Blum ’11 put together one of the more decorated baseball careers under current Head Coach Steve Eddie. Blum started all 170 games in which he played and became the first player in program history to reach 200 career hits. He was an instrumental piece on a team that captured the 2010 Iowa Conference Championship (the program’s first since 1981) while it became the first team in program history to win both the regular season and conference tournament title in the same season. During his four seasons, BVU posted an overall record of 110-62 while going 57-34 in conference play. As a senior in 2011, Blum and the Beavers qualified into their second straight NCAA Tournament and would secure a Regional Championship and advance deep into the College World Series. Blum finished his career with 222 hits, a .371 batting average, 176 runs scored, 68 stolen bases and 54 hit-by-pitches.
The 2004 Buena Vista women’s basketball team was one of the most dominant in program history. The Beavers finished the year at 27-3 overall with a 15-1 mark during conference play and captured both the regular season and conference tournament championship. It’s the program’s lone conference tournament title. The winning ways didn’t stop there as BVU earned the automatic bid into its first NCAA Tournament since 1997 before coming up short in the Sweet 16 with a 70-66 loss to Puget Sound. Current BVU Hall of Famer Amy (Meggers) Divis ‘04 was among the group to help lead the way as she was named the Iowa Conference MVP and an Honorable Mention All-American. Fellow BVU Hall of Famer Katie (Maguire) Campbell ‘06 was a First Team All-Conference selection while both Kristina (Kapler) Robinson ‘05 and Kelli (Taylor) Noble ’04 ME ‘07 were voted Second Team All-Conference selections. Head Coach Janet Berry was named the IIAC Coach of the Year.
This illustrious Hall of Fame class will be recognized publicly during a halftime ceremony of the BVU vs. Central College football game on Saturday, Sept. 28, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
