Weber State University Athletics
Four To Be Honored at 20th Annual Weber State Hall of Fame Banquet Friday
10/14/2008 6:00:00 AM | Athletics, Women's Track & Field
The 20th Annual Weber State University Athletic Department Hall of Fame Banquet, sponsored by the Wildcat Club, is set for this coming Friday, October 17 at the Ogden Marriott Hotel (247 24th Street). Cost is $30.00 per person. Those wishing to attend can RSVP the Wildcat Club at (801) 626-6576. ... The social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 and the induction ceremony at 8:00. ... Those being honored include: DALE GARDNER, former Weber State Athletic Director and Director of the Dee Events Center. Gardner is being honored with the Reed K. Swenson Distinguished Service Award. MATTHEW GODFREY, currently serving as the mayor of Ogden City. Godfrey was a standout cross country/track&field runner. ANNA GUNNARSSON, women's tennis, who led the Wildcats to three straight conference titles from 1985 through 1987. Gunnarsson is coming to the presentation from her native land of Sweden. TODD HARPER was a four-year lettermen for the men's basketball team under Coach Neil McCarthy form 1978 through 1982.
DALE GARDNER
The Reed K. Swenson Distinguished Service Award honors those persons who have given service to the Weber State Athletic Department above and beyond the call of duty, and have made significant contributions to the success of Weber State Athletics.. DALE GARDNER is being honored with this award in 2008. . . . Dale served as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Weber State from 1968 through 1977. During his nine-year tenure he oversaw tremendous growth in the department taking it from a "mom and pop" operation to the mainstream of NCAA Division I athletics. . . . During that nine-year span the Wildcats captured five Big Sky Conference men's basketball titles and made five appearances in the NCAA Division I post-season tournament. Overflowing crowds of 5,000 or more became the norm at the old Swenson Gym where the Wildcats were nearly unbeatable. ... The Wildcats were recognized nationally but could not get any of the "big three" in-state school's to play them. Gardner was the one who brokeraged a deal with his alma mater, Utah State, and the Wildcats and Aggies first met on the hard court in 1970-71 (by the way, the Wildcats won that first meeting, 69-67 in Logan). He also got the Aggies to begin a football series with the Wildcats in 1972. . . . Soon after, Utah and BYU appeared on the football and basketball schedules and Weber State's athletic department blossomed. . . . When BYU, Utah and Utah State all build new basketball arena's which opened in the early 1970s, Gardner put the wheels in motion for a new arena. Gathering local community and civic leaders, along with Wildcat fans, plans were put into motion in 1974, and in 1975 the new Dee Events Center was on the drawing boards, Gardner carefully oversaw details in the planning and building of the structure to fit needs of coaches, administrators, media and fans. . . . On November 2, 1977, the doors opened to the new domed arena which has become a focal point of WSU athletics and for campus gatherings. . . . After nine-years as serving as athletic director, Gardner was asked to become the first Building Manager of the structure he made a reality, and served in that capacity for 10 years before retiring on June 30, 1987. . . . Gardner's roots to Weber State go back to Weber Junior College where he was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball after a sterling prep career at Bear River High School. Gardner attended Weber Junior College in 1949-50 and 1950-51. At the completion of his sophomore year, Gardner was presented the Ogden Standard-Examiner Gold Watch as the Outstanding Male Athlete at Weber Junior College for the 1950-51 athletic season. He went on to play two seasons of football, and one season of basketball, at Utah State. . . . In addition to his duties at the college, Gardner found time to serve in the Ogden Lions Club for 16 years and as a South Ogden City councilman for 11 years. From 1987 through 1990, he and his wife, JoAnne, served as mission president for the LDS Church in Louisville, Kentucky and served for many years as president of the Ogden LDS Temple.
MATT GODFREY
Matt Godfrey, or is he now known, Mayor Matthew Godfrey, has been successful in all phases of his athletic, business and political career. . . . Godfrey signed with Weber State in the Spring of 1988 after winning the state 4A 1,600 and 3,200 meter titles at Weber High School. . . . Under the watchful eye of veteran head coach, and Weber State Hall of Famer, Chick Hislop, Godfrey blossomed into an outstanding collegiate runner. , , , As a freshman during the 1988-89 season, Godfrey showed he was a good work in progress running on the cross country team, running the Mile in Indoor Track and the 1,500 meters in Outdoor Track. He placed 2nd in the 1989 Big Sky Conference indoor Mile Run in a season best time of 4:10.95 and was 6th in the Big Sky Outdoor 1,500 meters in a season best of 3:54.75. ... In the Summer of 1989, Godfrey won the National Junior T.A.C. 3,000 Meter Steeplechase. . . . After his freshman season, Godfrey left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission. . . . Returning back in 1991, Godfrey sat out the entire 1991-92 season as a red-shirt, working himself back into top running shape to prepare for the 1992-93 campaign. . . . In the 1992-93 season, he placed third in the Big Sky Conference indoor meet in Mile run and was fourth in the Big Sky Conference outdoor meet in the 1,500 meters. He helped the Wildcats to their first ever Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field title with that fourth place finish. . . . In 1993-94, his junior year, he established himself as a top flight collegiate runner finishing second in the Mile Run at the Big Sky Indoor championships and third in the outdoor 1,500 meters. Again, his finish in the 1,500 members helped the Wildcats to their second straight Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championship. . . . Though he was a Mile and 1,500 meter specialist, Matt qualified for the 1994 NCAA Outdoor Meet in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase by running a career best 8:48.31 at the University of Wisconsin Twilight Meet. At the NCAA Meet, he earned All-American honors placing 12th overall. . . . His senior year in 1994-95 saw him reach the pinnacle of his collegiate career winning the Mile Run at the Big Sky Conference Indoor Meet and the 1,500 Meters at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor meet. His time of 3:50.30 in that 1,500 meters was a career best. . . . Matt was not only successful on the track, but in the classroom as well. He was a four-time member of the Big Sky Conference All-Academic Team in Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field. In 1994, he was named to the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic Team as well. ... He graduated, at the end of his senior year with a not only a bachelors, but a Master's degree in Business Finance/Marketing with a sterling 3.61 grade point average. . . . In 1999, Godfrey, who worked in the private business sector and for Ogden City after leaving Weber State, threw his hat into the political ring and ran for Mayor of Ogden City. ... Nine years later, he is in the middle of his third term.
ANNA GUNNARSSON
In 1982-83, Weber State added women's tennis to increase female sports participation and begin to comply with Title IX regulations. Women's sports at the time were not yet under the umbrella of the NCAA and were not part of the Big Sky Conference. The women's teams in the Big Sky Conference were given their own conference designation of the MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE, not to be confused with the current league. . . . The Wildcats already had a strong up and coming men's program under Coach Keith Cox and he was given reigns to develop the women's program as well. With scarce tennis talent available Utah, or the United States for that matter, Cox looked overseas to bring talent in and give the program a hot start. . . . One of the first players he brought in was a tall, talented Swedish player named ANNA GUNNARSSON who joined the team for the 1983-84 season. Bringing a powerful serve and volley game to Ogden, Anna quickly established herself as a solid collegiate player. . . . Playing at the number one singles position as a freshman, Anna faced many of the top collegiate tennis players in the West and held her own posting a 16-10 record overall. She advanced to the finals of the Mountain West Conference number one singles final, losing to Idaho State's Laura Slade. She and doubles partner, Jan Sanford, played at the number one doubles where they were 15-10 overall. . . . As a sophomore, Anna began the season at number one singles, but was moved to number two early in the season. She dominated, winning 12 of 13 matches and capturing the Conference number two singles title and helping the Wildcats to their first Mountain West Conference team title. That year, she teamed with Melanie Puddefoot to post a 12-9 record at Number One Doubles. . . . Her junior season she dominated everyone she played becoming the first player in WSU men's or women's tennis history to go UNDEFEATED in a season playing in 20 or more matches. Anna posted a perfect 22-0 record in 1985-86. She played the season at Number Three Singles. She won the Mountain West Conference individual title at that spot and led the Wildcats to a second straight Mountain West Conference title. She teamed with fellow Swede, Christina Beer, to win the Mountain West Conference Number One Doubles title as well posting a 15-6 overall record. . . . Her senior year, playing again at number three singles, she posted a 19-2 record and winning her last 17 matches in a row. She successfully defended her number three singles title and led the Wildcats to a third straight Mountain West Conference title. . . . For her career, Anna posted a singles record of 73-18, winning 80 percent of her matches, and a 64-32 mark in doubles competition. She was also a four-time member of the Mountain West Conference All-Academic Team as well.
TODD HARPER
A "rainbow jumper" is a basketball term which describes a high arcing shot taken from long distance. No player in Weber State men's basketball history had a better one than number 44, Todd Harper. . . . Harper, a 6-4, 180 shooting guard, came to Weber State after an illustrious high school career at Santana High School in San Diego. As a senior, he was named the greater San Diego "Player of the Year". He averaged 23.5 points a game with a career best of 52. His 1,612 career points established a new league record which was held by former UCLA and NBA great, Bill Walton. . . . Harper came to Weber State for the 1978-79 season where he played in 30 games as the top reserve on that Big Sky championship team which posted a 25-9 mark. He showed his tenacity and abilities by scoring 18 points off the bench in his first collegiate game on the road @Alaska-Fairbanks. . . . His sophomore year, Harper was the top player off the bench on the team which featured Bruce Collins, Mark Mattos, David Johnson, Richard Smith and Gerald Mattinson. He played in all 29 games averaging 7.4 points and shooting 54 percent from the field helping the Wildcats to, at one point in the season, 18 straight wins, and a 26-3 overall record. For his efforts, Harper was named the TOP RESERVE in the Big Sky Conference for the 1979-80 season. . . . The next season as a junior, with those veterans departed and a new wave of Wildcats coming in, Harper took over the role as team leader. He led the team in scoring at 18 points per game and was the Big Sky leader in Free Throw percentage making nearly 86 percent of his tosses and was the "Iron Horse" averaging 38.5 MINUTES of playing time per game! . . . He scored a career high 31 points in WSU's 77-73 home court win over Nevada. ... In Big Sky Conference games only, Harper led the league in scoring at 19.4 points per game and was named First Team All-Big Sky Conference. . . . His senior season the Wildcats rebounded from an 8-19 campaign to post a 15-13 record, nearly knocked off league champion, Idaho, in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament losing 57-55 in Moscow. Harper ended the season averaging 17.9 points per game and for a second straight season was named First Team All-Big Sky Conference. . . . He ended his career with 1,382 points in 113 career games for an average of 12.2 points per game. He currently ranks SEVENTH on the all-time Weber State scoring charts and ranks second at WSU in Career Free Throw Percentage, with 300 or more career attempts, at 79.5% making 306 of 385 free throws.
