Homecoming Honorees Announced

Several Truman alumni will be recognized at the Alumni and Friends/Hall of Frame at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 as part of the Homecoming 2014 celebration. Each week the Truman Today will profile different award honorees. This week looks at the Hall of Fame inductees.

Truman’s Athletics Hall of Fame will induct Kristi Bredbenner, softball All-American; Sam Lesseig, women’s golf coach; Sam Nugent, baseball coach and assistant athletics director; and Cory Parker, men’s basketball All-American.

Bredbenner played for the Truman softball team from 1998 through 2001 and broke nearly all-batting records during the process. After playing four seasons for the Bulldogs, and on three straight NCAA tournament teams, she was named interim coach for the 2002 season and has since built an impressive coaching career.

 
Lesseig helped start Truman’s women’s golf team and continued to coach for 28 years until his untimely passing in 2013. He coached two All-Americans and 14 academic All-Americans while leading the Bulldogs to 11 postseason appearances at the National Golf Coaches Association Division II National Championships and the NCAA Division II and III Women’s Golf Championships. Lesseig served on the NCAA Women’s Golf Committee for nine years and was Truman’s interim athletics director during the 1988-89 school year.


Nugent served in the roles of head baseball coach, head football athletic trainer and assistant athletics director in the 34 years he was employed by the University. Nugent retired from coaching in 1989 and served as assistant athletics director for facilities and operations until his retirement in 1995.

 
Parker finished his basketball career as the program’s all-time leading scorer at 1,835 points, while being a three-time first team all-MIAA selection and a two-time honorable mention All-American. He was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick as a freshman, earned three straight first-team honors, three MIAA Player of the Week awards and three all-South Central region selections.