Central Michigan Announces 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Class
6/18/2024 7:00:00 AM | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Gymnastics, Track & Field, Volleyball, Wrestling, Our Stories
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Six former Chippewas will be inducted into the Marcy Weston CMU Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024: retired wrestling coach Tom Borrelli, gymnastics’ Sarah Dame, football’s Eric Fisher, men’s basketball/baseball player Chad Pleiness, volleyball’s Kaitlyn Schultz, and men’s track & field’s/cross country’s Ryan Watson.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A Super Bowl winner and former No. 1 NFL Draft pick and one of the nation's most highly respected wrestling coaches headline an outstanding 2024 class of Central Michigan University Marcy Weston Athletics Hall of Fame inductees.
Eric Fisher, who played football at CMU from 2009-12 before going on to a 10-year NFL career, and legendary wrestling coach Tom Borrelli headline the class, which will be inducted in a ceremony in McGuirk Arena on Friday, Sept. 20 (6 p.m.), one night before the CMU-Ball State football game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium (Saturday, Sept. 21). Admission to the induction ceremony is free and the public is welcome to attend. The inductees will also be honored during the football game.
The remaining inductees are two-sport standout (baseball, basketball) Chad Pleiness, gymnast Sarah Dame, track & field/cross country runner Ryan Watson, and volleyball player Kaitlyn Schultz.
"We are extremely proud and honored to introduce these great Chippewa athletes into our hall of fame," said Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan. "Each inductee had a fantastic collegiate career at Central Michigan; not only as athletes, but as students as well. This group represents the best of all Chippewa athletes."
TOM BORRELLI
Wrestling (coach) • 1991-2024 • Goose Creek, S.C.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Led CMU to a combined 30 Mid-American Conference championships, including regular season and tournament … earned the MAC Coach of the Year Award a record 15 times … led CMU to a 368-179 dual-meet record including a remarkable 154-36 in MAC duals … twenty-eight times in his 33 seasons did the Borrelli-led Chippewas finish .500 or better, a ledger made all the more extraordinary by the fact that Borrelli's teams annually went head to head in duals with top-25 programs, including the likes of Penn State, Iowa and Michigan … coached one national champion, 45 All-Americans, 10 MAC Wrestler of the Year honorees, 10 wrestlers who earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award, seven who earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the MAC Championships, 93 MAC champions and 174 NCAA national qualifiers … was named the National Coach of the Year in 1998 by both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.) … in 2004 he earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award, which goes annually to one coach in recognition for his contributions to the sport … coached 61 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans, 79 Academic All-MAC honorees, and two Academic All-Americans.
SARAH DAME
Gymnastics • 2000-03 • Maple City, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mid-American Conference all-around champion in 2001 … two-time All-MAC honoree (2001, 2003) … one of just six CMU gymnasts to qualify for the NCAA National Championships as an individual, earning a berth in 2003 in the all-around … helped lead CMU in 2003 to its best NCAA regional finish (tie for second) in program history … helped lead CMU to three MAC titles, including its first regular season championship in 2003 and to first-place finishes in the MAC Championships (2000 and 2003) … led CMU to three NCAA Regional appearances.
ERIC FISHER
Football • 2009-12 • Rochester, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Drafted No. 1 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 NFL draft, the only player in Mid-American Conference history to be the top pick … in 2012, selected by Pro Football Weekly as a First Team All-American; by Sports Illustrated as a second-teamer; and by the Associated Press as a third-teamer … All-MAC First Team in 2012; third team in 2011 … helped Chippewas win the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and the 2010 GMAC Bowl … played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Miami Dolphins … won Super Bowl LIV with the Chiefs … two-time Pro Bowl selection (2018, 2020) … played in 132 NFL games, starting 128.
CHAD PLEINESS
Men's Basketball/Baseball • 1999-2002 • Scottville, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Earned All-MAC First Team honors and All-Mideast Region honors as a pitcher in 2002 while leading all NCAA Division I pitchers in strikeouts per inning (1.47) … was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002 … compiled a 16-9 career mark an a 4.17 earned run average with 185 strikeouts in 175 innings … struck out 15 in tossing a one-hitter against Northern Illinois on April 27, 2002 … the 15 strikeouts is tied for the most by a CMU pitcher in a seven-inning game … earned All-MAC honorable mention in 2001 after helping the CMU men's basketball team to the conference championship … named to MAC All-Freshman Team in 2000 … made 88.4 percent of his free throw attempts in 2000-01, a percentage that ranks as the third best for a single season in program history … remains No. 2 in CMU history in career free throw percentage (.830).
KAITLYN SCHULTZ
Volleyball • 2008-11 • Highland, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The first Chippewa volleyball player to earn All-Mid-American Conference honors four times … was named to the all-conference first team in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and to the second team in 2009 … earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and to the MAC All-Freshman team in 2008 … led CMU to the MAC Tournament championship in 2011 and to the program's first, and only, NCAA Tournament bid … named the 2011 MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player … remains the program's all-time leader with a .366 career hitting percentage and season hitting percentage (.407 in 2011) and ranks in the top 10 in program history in career kills, career kills per set, career block solos, career block assists, career blocks and career points.
RYAN WATSON
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country • 1998-2000 • Cedar Springs, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Placed 33rd at the 1998 NCAA Cross Country Championships to earn All-America honors … led CMU to a 20th-place finish at the NCAA Championships that season … led Chippewas to 1999 Mid-American Conference cross country title … placed fifth in the MAC Cross Country Championships in both 1998 and 1999, earning First Team All-MAC honors in both years … won the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter run to earn the Most Outstanding Performer Award at the 2000 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Eric Fisher, who played football at CMU from 2009-12 before going on to a 10-year NFL career, and legendary wrestling coach Tom Borrelli headline the class, which will be inducted in a ceremony in McGuirk Arena on Friday, Sept. 20 (6 p.m.), one night before the CMU-Ball State football game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium (Saturday, Sept. 21). Admission to the induction ceremony is free and the public is welcome to attend. The inductees will also be honored during the football game.
The remaining inductees are two-sport standout (baseball, basketball) Chad Pleiness, gymnast Sarah Dame, track & field/cross country runner Ryan Watson, and volleyball player Kaitlyn Schultz.
"We are extremely proud and honored to introduce these great Chippewa athletes into our hall of fame," said Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan. "Each inductee had a fantastic collegiate career at Central Michigan; not only as athletes, but as students as well. This group represents the best of all Chippewa athletes."
| Athlete/Team | Years | Hometown/School | Sport(s) |
| Chad Pleiness | 1999-2002 | Scottville, Mich./Mason County Central H.S. | Baseball/Men's Basketball |
| Eric Fisher | 2009-12 | Rochester, Mich./Stoney Creek H.S. | Football |
| Sarah Dame | 2000-03 | Maple City, Mich./Glen Lake H.S. | Gymnastics |
| Ryan Watson | 1999-2000 | Cedar Springs, Mich./Cedar Springs H.S. | Men's Track & Field/XC |
| Kaitlyn Schultz | 2008-11 | Highland, Mich./Milford H.S. | Volleyball |
| Tom Borrelli | 1991-2024 | Goose Creek, S.C./The Citidal | Wrestling Coach |
🏆 2024 @cmuathletics Hall of Fame inductees announced! Ceremony scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20, 6 p.m., at McGuirk Arena!
— CMU Athletics (@CMUAthletics) June 18, 2024
✔️ Tom Borrelli, wrestling 🤼♂️
✔️ Sarah Dame, gymnastics 🤸♀️
✔️ Eric Fisher, football 🏈
✔️ Chad Pleiness, baseball/men's basketball ⚾️🏀
✔️ Kaitlyn Schultz,… pic.twitter.com/TYWgQjeYwG
TOM BORRELLI
Wrestling (coach) • 1991-2024 • Goose Creek, S.C.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Led CMU to a combined 30 Mid-American Conference championships, including regular season and tournament … earned the MAC Coach of the Year Award a record 15 times … led CMU to a 368-179 dual-meet record including a remarkable 154-36 in MAC duals … twenty-eight times in his 33 seasons did the Borrelli-led Chippewas finish .500 or better, a ledger made all the more extraordinary by the fact that Borrelli's teams annually went head to head in duals with top-25 programs, including the likes of Penn State, Iowa and Michigan … coached one national champion, 45 All-Americans, 10 MAC Wrestler of the Year honorees, 10 wrestlers who earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award, seven who earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the MAC Championships, 93 MAC champions and 174 NCAA national qualifiers … was named the National Coach of the Year in 1998 by both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.) … in 2004 he earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award, which goes annually to one coach in recognition for his contributions to the sport … coached 61 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans, 79 Academic All-MAC honorees, and two Academic All-Americans.
SARAH DAME
Gymnastics • 2000-03 • Maple City, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mid-American Conference all-around champion in 2001 … two-time All-MAC honoree (2001, 2003) … one of just six CMU gymnasts to qualify for the NCAA National Championships as an individual, earning a berth in 2003 in the all-around … helped lead CMU in 2003 to its best NCAA regional finish (tie for second) in program history … helped lead CMU to three MAC titles, including its first regular season championship in 2003 and to first-place finishes in the MAC Championships (2000 and 2003) … led CMU to three NCAA Regional appearances.
ERIC FISHER
Football • 2009-12 • Rochester, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Drafted No. 1 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 NFL draft, the only player in Mid-American Conference history to be the top pick … in 2012, selected by Pro Football Weekly as a First Team All-American; by Sports Illustrated as a second-teamer; and by the Associated Press as a third-teamer … All-MAC First Team in 2012; third team in 2011 … helped Chippewas win the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and the 2010 GMAC Bowl … played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Miami Dolphins … won Super Bowl LIV with the Chiefs … two-time Pro Bowl selection (2018, 2020) … played in 132 NFL games, starting 128.
CHAD PLEINESS
Men's Basketball/Baseball • 1999-2002 • Scottville, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Earned All-MAC First Team honors and All-Mideast Region honors as a pitcher in 2002 while leading all NCAA Division I pitchers in strikeouts per inning (1.47) … was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002 … compiled a 16-9 career mark an a 4.17 earned run average with 185 strikeouts in 175 innings … struck out 15 in tossing a one-hitter against Northern Illinois on April 27, 2002 … the 15 strikeouts is tied for the most by a CMU pitcher in a seven-inning game … earned All-MAC honorable mention in 2001 after helping the CMU men's basketball team to the conference championship … named to MAC All-Freshman Team in 2000 … made 88.4 percent of his free throw attempts in 2000-01, a percentage that ranks as the third best for a single season in program history … remains No. 2 in CMU history in career free throw percentage (.830).
KAITLYN SCHULTZ
Volleyball • 2008-11 • Highland, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The first Chippewa volleyball player to earn All-Mid-American Conference honors four times … was named to the all-conference first team in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and to the second team in 2009 … earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and to the MAC All-Freshman team in 2008 … led CMU to the MAC Tournament championship in 2011 and to the program's first, and only, NCAA Tournament bid … named the 2011 MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player … remains the program's all-time leader with a .366 career hitting percentage and season hitting percentage (.407 in 2011) and ranks in the top 10 in program history in career kills, career kills per set, career block solos, career block assists, career blocks and career points.
RYAN WATSON
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country • 1998-2000 • Cedar Springs, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Placed 33rd at the 1998 NCAA Cross Country Championships to earn All-America honors … led CMU to a 20th-place finish at the NCAA Championships that season … led Chippewas to 1999 Mid-American Conference cross country title … placed fifth in the MAC Cross Country Championships in both 1998 and 1999, earning First Team All-MAC honors in both years … won the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter run to earn the Most Outstanding Performer Award at the 2000 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
—CMU—