By Josh Hughes
Each year, Western inducts new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing previous student athletes that exemplified and served a historic role in their respective sport. Taking place on Saturday, May 20, at 1 p.m., this marks the 42nd Hall of Fame induction for the school. This year’s ceremony includes four alum athletes, Grant Dykstra, Tim Feenstra, Karla Landis and Nicola Parker, all of whom will be honored in the PAC during this weekend’s Back 2 B’ham event.
Grant Dykstra, a men’s basketball player at Western from 2002 to 2006, overcame a life-threatening accident at the age of two to hold the highest number of points scored over his career in the school’s history until 2017. After nearly losing his right arm as a child, Dykstra spent ten years dealing with intensive surgeries and physical therapy to strengthen and nurse the arm back to health. During this period, he learned to shoot with his left hand, and how to manage dribbling and passing with arms that had different lengths. Over his four year career at Western, Dykstra started in every game he played in, and was also named to all four Division II All-America teams as a senior.
Brad Jackson was the head basketball coach at Western during Dykstra’s time as a student.
“For him to play at the level he did for four years is a phenomenal achievement for anyone,” Jackson said. “But given the severity of his injury, it becomes astounding.”
Tim Feenstra, a men’s golf player at Western, also from 2002 to 2006, set a number of records during his time as a student athlete for the school. A four-time West Region All-Star, and Western athlete of the year in 2005, Feenstra tied 16th nationally in 2004 on a team that reached nationals for Division II. Feenstra has also continued his golf career past Western, playing in the PGA Professional Championship in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, and he became a PGA member in 2011.
“When I began my golf career at WWU, I had the goal of becoming a consistent contributor to the program.” Feenstra said when speaking on his success within the team and his individual career. “What I found was not only the ability to contribute to the success of the program, but a team of players and coaches who were instrumental in teaching me so much about the game and instilling my love and passion for the game.”
Karla Landis, a women’s rower at Western, served as the rowing captain during her junior and senior years, from 2001 to 2003. A Collegiate Rowing Coaches of America Division II All-American during her senior year, Landis helped her team rank first nationally in the US Rowing poll and place second at the inaugural NCAA II National Championships in 2002.
After graduating in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, Landis served as the assistant rowing coach for six years after her graduation. During her time as a coach, she helped the Vikings win four consecutive national titles and was considered a helpful, enjoyable coach by the teams with whom she worked.
The last Hall of Fame recipient for this year is Nicola Parker, a women’s volleyball player at Western from 2001 to 2004 who became Western’s first libero when that position was added nationally in 2002. A First Team Daktronics All-American and honorable mention American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American in 2003, Parker also helped Western win three consecutive GNAC titles and was awarded the Western Female Athlete of the year award in 2004. Additionally, Parker won Western’s Most Inspirational Award not once, but four times throughout her career at school in volleyball. After graduating, she went on to be the graduate assistant coach for the Vikings from 2004 to 2006.
All four will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at this weekend’s event, which has no admission charge and includes free parking for those coming to campus just for the event.