IOWA CITY, Iowa — The National Iowa Varsity Club and the University of Iowa Athletics Department announced its 2021 Hall of Fame class Tuesday.
The 32nd Hall of Fame class includes Dan Bachman, Kari Hamel, Kristi Hanks, Frank “Kinney” Holbrook, Kristen Holmes, Roy Marble, Fred Mims, Diane Nukuri, Brad Penrith and Ed Podolak.
The 10-person class will be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021 — the evening prior to the Iowa football team’s season opener against Indiana (2:30 p.m., BTN).
All Hawkeye athletes who have earned at least one varsity letter award at Iowa are eligible for the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Athletes must have completed their eligibility 10 years, and coaches/administrators five years prior to their induction.
2021 Hall of Fame Class
Dan Bachman, Men’s Gymnastics (1982-86)
Dan Bachman was a three-time All-American and seven-time Big Ten champion. He led Iowa to the 1986 Big Ten team title, winning gold all-around, floor exercise and parallel bars. He was an All-American in each of those three events in 1986. He won four conference titles in floor exercise and earned a gold medal in vault as a freshman in 1983.
Kari Hamel, Volleyball (1985-89)
Kari Hamel led Iowa to its first ever NCAA Championships appearance in 1989 and was named to the Big Ten 1980s All-Decade Team in 1992. She was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 1988 and 1989 and earned all-conference honorable mention in 1987. She graduated as the school’s all-time leader in blocks and kills and her 37 kills against Indiana in 1988 tie the single-match school record. She ranks second all-time with 477 blocks and third all-time with 1,676 kills and is in the all-time top 10 in career services aces and digs.
Kristi Hanks, Softball (1999-2002)
Kristi Hanks was a two-time All-American from 2000-01, earning first-team honors in 2001 while leading Iowa to the College World Series. She was named Big Ten pitcher of the Year in 2001, her second consecutive honor, and was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2000 and 2001 and a second-team honoree in 2002. Hanks earned All-Region honors in 2000 and 2002 and graduated in 2002 as the program’s all-time leader in strikeouts. Her 98 career wins is one shy of the school record.
Frank “Kinney” Holbrook, Football (1895-97)
Frank “Kinney” Holbrook was the first Black athlete to compete for the University of Iowa and the first Black college athlete in the history of the state of Iowa. He was a football letterwinner in 1895 and 1896 and a track and field letterwinner from 1896-97. He led the Hawkeye football team with 12 touchdowns in 1896, scoring four rushing touchdowns in a 32-0 win over Drake in the season opener. His touchdown against Missouri in 1896 helped Iowa clinch a share of the Western Interstate University Football Association Championship, the first conference title in school history.
Kristen Holmes, Field Hockey (1992-96)
Kristen Holmes was a two-time first-team All-American and four-time All-Big Ten honoree. She was named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player in 1996, helping Iowa win its second straight Big Ten regular season championship and advance to its second straight NCAA Elite Eight. Holmes was a member of the 1993 and 1994 Final Four teams and earned All-Region honors in 1993, 1994 and 1996. She was an alternate on the 1996 United States Olympic Team and a member of the U.S. National Team from 1995-98 and again in 2000 and 2005. Holmes was a member of the United States World Cup Team in 1998.
Roy Marble, Jr., Men’s Basketball (1986-89)
Roy Marble, Jr. was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and ranks second in program history in career points, scoring 2,116 from 1986-89. He is one of 27 players in Big Ten history to score more than 2,000 career points and he ranks 10th in conference history in career free throws. Marble ranks second all-time at Iowa in points, field goals and field goal attempts, and ranks in the top 10 in career steals, free throw attempts and games played. He left Iowa as its all-time leading scorer and was selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
Fred Mims, Administration
Fred Mims was a University of Iowa athletics administrator for 38 years, leading Iowa’s student services and compliance departments for more than two decades. Mims joined the Iowa athletics department staff in 1977 and held the title of Associate Athletics Director for 25 years before retiring in 2015. Prior to joining the Hawkeye staff, Mims was a two-sport letterwinner in both basketball and baseball. He was a two-time first-team all-Big Ten Conference selection in baseball, leading Iowa to a Big Ten title and College World Series berth in 1972. He was selected and played for the U.S. National Team at the 1971 Pan-American games.
Diane Nukuri, Track & Field/Cross Country (2006-08)
Diane Nukuri was a three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion, winning the 2007 cross country title and the 2008 track and field 5,000 meters. She was named Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2007 and University of Iowa Female Athlete of the Year in 2008. She set school records in eight events and holds the Ashton Course marks in the 3,000 and 4,000 meters. A 2007 Honda Sports Award finalist, she received the 2008 Wilma Rudolph Award. Nukuri competed in the 2000 (Sydney), 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro) Olympic Games.
Brad Penrith, Wrestling (1984-88)
Brad Penrith won the 126-pound NCAA championship in 1986, leading Iowa to its record-tying ninth straight team title. Penrith was a three-time All-American and three-time Big Ten champion, winning honors and titles from 1986-88. He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year in 1986 and made two United States World Championship Teams, winning a World silver medal in 1991.
Ed Podolak, Football (1966-68)
Ed Podolak was named first-team All-Big Ten and team MVP in 1968. He ranks in the top 20 in school history in career rushing yards, passing yards and total offense. In 1968, he set a then-school and Big Ten record, rushing for a record 286 yards on 17 attempts against Northwestern. He was selected in the second round of 1969 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and won Super Bowl IV in 1970. Podolak is a member of Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor and the University of Iowa Media Hall of Fame. He has been a radio commentator for Hawkeye football since 1982.
