DeKALB – On the eve of the 117th Homecoming Football game, former NIU men’s track and field star Matt Byrnes stood at the podium. Still wearing the same handlebar mustache he rocked in his athletic hayday in the 1970s, Byrnes regaled the audience with experiences and exploits from his younger years. One in particular involved a chaotic daytime drive on a pedestrian-filled sidewalk in Detroit, Michigan.

Byrnes was lost in downtown Detroit on his way to Cobo Hall, where he was to drive a teammate to an important track and field meet. The “not very friendly” drivers didn’t help his predicament. That’s when the recently-graduated Byrnes recalled the geometric principle that dictates the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

So, he took the large, white sedan he was driving – said to be identical to the famed Ecto-1 from “Ghostbusters” – off-road.

“I honked my horn, jumped the curb and drove down about a 100-yard block, honking at people to get out of the way,” Byrnes said. “What really impressed me was nobody seemed too bothered about it. Some just waved. Our other roommate was in the back seat with the window down yelling ‘we love Detroit!’ I think that helped somewhat.”

Byrnes’ story was one of many told Friday night at the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame 36th Induction Ceremony. About 200 Huskies past and present gathered in the Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center to celebrate the hall’s newest inductees. 

The 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Class included Byrnes, Debbie Huston-Hodges (women’s soccer), Jordan Lynch (football), Kate McCullagh-Sahagian (volleyball), Holly Reichard-Knight (gymnastics), Pete Waite (head coach – volleyball) and Jimmie Ward (football).

Each of the seven inductees garnered numerous awards and accolades during their NIU careers. Reichard-Knight, for one, was the second Huskie to be named the Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Year – receiving the honor in 2009 – and the first NIU gymnast to win individual Mid-American Conference championships on two different events. She was also the second Huskie to earn two first-team All-MAC selections.

Even so, Reichard-Knight never expected to reach the highest echelon of NIU sports.

“This was never even something that was on my radar,” Reichard-Knight said. “I was just so lucky and thankful to even be given an opportunity to come here at all. I wanted to get a college scholarship and I wanted to compete in gymnastics when I was doing this. I never thought in a million years that I would end up with this award.”

Byrnes shared Reichard-Knight’s sentiment, not believing he’d make the cut nearly half a century after his athletic career came to a close.

“It’s absolutely overwhelming, because I had no idea that I was ever going to be considered for this,” Byrnes said. “I knew I’d been nominated, but I never thought it would happen.”

FROM START TO FINISH

After a two-hour cocktail reception, the ceremony commenced at about 7 p.m. with a video montage of the greatest moments in NIU Athletics history – including highlights from football’s historic upset of the University of Notre Dame last month – to commemorate its 125th anniversary. 

After a celebrity welcome video from famed sports commentator Joe Buck, the Huskie Marching Band directed by Thomas Bough performed the Huskie Fight Song.

Master of ceremonies Brad Hoey and NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics Sean Frazier delivered the welcoming remarks, after which NIU President Lisa Freeman joined them on stage to introduce the five attending members of the 2024 class – Byrnes, Huston-Hodges, McCullagh-Sahagian, Reichard-Knight and Waite – as well as the returning members of the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame. Lynch and Ward were unable to attend Friday’s festivities due to scheduling conflicts.

Inductions began shortly thereafter. Each inductee was presented with a medallion before delivering a speech. Though Lynch and Ward weren’t available to speak in-person, both gave brief remarks through pre-recorded videos shown on screen.

After Byrnes said his piece, Huston-Hodges spoke. The former women’s soccer phenom worked to keep her composure as she credited her first coach and late father for his role in her success. 

McCullagh-Sahagian reflected on the time she stormed out of the gymnasium after being scolded by then-head coach Ray Gooden, before eventually realizing her fault and apologizing – a moment she now calls pivotal for her life.

An “In Memoriam” video was played midway through the ceremony remembering the Huskie greats who passed away since the last induction ceremony in 2022. Names of late NIU legends like Mary M. Bell, Mark Kellar and Fritz Peterson were shown on screen as Aaron Neville’s and Linda Ronstadt’s “Goodbye My Friend” played behind them. NIU’s acapella group, the Huskie Hunks, followed up with the singing of the NIU Alma Mater.

Reichard-Knight continued the ceremony with a recounting of her gymnastics career, adding that her induction came at a “really meaningful time” in her life.

Waite was the last to take the podium, where he looked back on his near decade-long stint in DeKalb 25 years ago. During his speech, Waite read off a list of favorite memories given to him by his former players.

One read, “I remember freshman preseason. I thought I would die.” Many had fond memories of trick-or-treating with his sons Ryan and Eric. Another recalled Waite tossing bags of Tostitos chips to the Dawg Pound student section during volleyball games inside Chick Evans Field House, as the rowdy fans chanted “CHIPS! CHIPS! CHIPS!”

While each inductee had different stories to share, all expressed thanks and gratitude to their family, friends, teammates and coaches who helped along the way.

For the older inductees like Byrnes and Waite, a lot has changed in DeKalb since their respective stints at NIU. Both noted the city’s and campus’ expansion. While present-day DeKalb is sizeable, the significance of joining the ranks of NIU’s greatest is larger still.

“When I was here back in the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, I’d hear all these names, and then I’d hear them going to the hall of fame, or some had already been inducted,” Waite said. “To be part of that group is a huge honor.”