MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois Athletics Department announced six members make up the 2011 Hall of Fame Class. Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine announced the newest members on Friday (Sept. 9).

The 2011 class consists of: Patty Cutright (Softball), Amber (Hunt) Kindt (Swimming/Diving), Dave Miller (Coach, Track and Field), Mike Pendergast (Athletic Training), Rich Seubert (Football), and Rick Short (Baseball).

The ceremony will take place on Friday, September 30th, at the Western Illinois University Union. Social hour begins at 6 with the dinner and presentation at 7 p.m. Inductees will also be honored at halftime of the Leathernecks' football game the following day against Southern Illinois.

"This is a very impressive class of inductees. Clearly their accomplishments while at Western, in addition to their professional and career successes, validate their induction into our Hall of Fame," said Van Alstine. "Our Hall of Fame is the highest honor we can bestow upon any individual. It's reserved for the best of our best, and these six individuals are most deserving of this honor and recognition."

Patty Cutright (Softball): Cutright lettered four years with the Western softball team from 1975-78, starting every year in right field. She helped the team to an AIAW Illinois state tournament championship and fifth-place finish at the Women's College World Series in 1975. During the 1977 season WIU softball won another state of Illinois title, Midwest Regional championship and advanced to the College World Series.

Cutright's impressive collegiate career still has her listed among the season 'Top 10' leaders more than 30 years later. Cutright currently ranks: eighth in home runs (10 in 1977), 10th in RBI (37 in 1977) and fourth in slugging percentage (.752 in 1977). Cutright still ranks among the Western career 'Top 10' leaders in four categories. Her .348 career batting average is tied for fifth-best. She stands fifth in triples (12) and slugging percentage (.598) and seventh in home runs (15).

More than a softball standout at Western, Cutright played a year of freshman volleyball in 1974, JV field hockey in 1975 and two years of varsity basketball. Upon graduation from Western with a bachelor's and master's degree in Physical Education, she played semi-professional fastpitch softball.

In 1978 the Pekin Lettes won the Illinois ASA state tournament championship. For seven years she played on the Macomb Magic women's premier team. The 1979 team advanced to the national tournament, then in 1980 and 1981 Macomb took fourth place in the nation. Cutright was a First Team All-American in '81 and finished as the national tournament batting champion with a .391 average. She toured Japan for two weeks with the All-American softball team and was part of the first China-USA-Japan women's softball championship.

Macomb returned to nationals in 1982 and placed fifth. She was an alternate for the Pan-American softball team in 1983 as the team was the Midwest Region runner-up, then made a return appearance to nationals in 1984. She was named to the Illinois Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2000, Illinois Valley Central HS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and in 2008 the Macomb Magic was named to the Illinois Amateur Association Hall of Fame.

Cutright taught physical education for 12 years at the Decatur (IL) public schools and Illinois Valley Central school district. She spent three years as an ESE reading teacher Kissimmee Middle School (Osceola, Florida).

Cutright returned to Western from 1984-86 as an assistant softball coach, and the 1987 season at Colorado State. For eight years she worked as an addictions counselor in Pekin and Decatur, and release and re-entry case manager at the Decatur Women's Correctional Center.

In 2001 she earned her master's of education degree in Counselor Education from Eastern Illinois University. She has spent the last three years as an ESE Reading teacher at Lake Alfred-Addair Middle School with the Polk County schools in Florida. Cutright and her father currently reside in Winter Haven, Florida.
 

Amber (Hunt) Kindt (Swimming/Diving): (Hunt) Kindt was a four-year letterwinner for the Western swimming and diving team from 1984-87. She swam distance, freestyle, butterfly and IM events, and still has times listed among the all-time best in Western history.

In the current top times record book, Hunt ranks: second in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:35.10 in 1984), second in the 1,650 freestyle (17:37 in 1984) and eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:56.07 in 1984). Her record in the 1,000 meters stood for 17 years, and her 1,650 record was broken in 2009, a span of 25 years.

In 1984 Hunt participated in the National Open Water Swimming championships where she won three titles and had one second-place finish. Hunt finished third in the 1,650 free and fifth in the 500 free at the 1987 Midwest Championships. She was part of the 1987 All-Gateway Conference team. That year she helped the 800 free relay team to a third-place conference finish, and individually was second in the 1,650 and fifth in the 200 butterfly.

Before she joined the Western program, Hunt was a two-time state qualifier at Decatur Central High School. She transferred to Avon (IN) HS, and during her senior year was named team MVP and a state finalist. She held every program record at one point in her career.

She graduated from Western in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in Community Health Education. From 1996-2002 she worked as an oncology nurse at Community Hospital. Hunt earned her certification as an oncology nurse in 2003 and since 2002 has worked as a clinical trials nurse with the Community Hospital Cancer Research Foundation.

A past board member of the Munster Junior Women's Club, she was named 2002 'Member of the Year'. Hunt is also a board member of the Oncology Nursing Society, Dyer Girls Softball, and co-facilitator of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society Blood Cancer Support Group.

She and her husband Kurt have two children, Olivia and Natalie. They reside in Dyer, Indiana.

 

David Miller (Coach, Track and Field): A legendary figure in the Leatherneck track and field program, Miller competed for the Leathernecks as a student-athlete then later served as head coach from 1976 until 2000.

His Western career began during his undergrad years as a four-year letterwinner in cross country (1961-64) and track/field (1962-64, 1967). Miller received his bachelor's degree in education in 1967. He taught in the Peoria school district from 1967-70, and for 10 years was the head coach for the Peoria Track Club/Peoria Pacettes Track Club.

The Pacettes team began an impressive streak of placing at nationals, starting with a runner-up finish at the Young Women's track and field national championship in 1974. The program took second in the 1975 Women's cross country and fifth in the 1975 Young Women's cross country nationals. The following year Peoria turned in a sixth place finish at the Young Women's cross country national championship.

Miller coached three Peoria national champions: Kim Schofield in the long jump (1972, 1973) and Madelyn Manning Jackson in the 800 meters (1976). Ivory Crockett set a world and national record in the 100-yard dash in 1974 and two years later Manning Jackson set the United States 800-meter standard. Schofield qualified for the 1973 national junior women's team, and Manning Jackson qualified for the 1976 Olympics.

The success he enjoyed at Peoria was brought to the Western Illinois program immediately. Western won five straight Illinois State Intercollegiate cross country titles from 1977 through 1981, and three straight Illinois State Intercollegiate track and field titles from 1978-80.

Western placed 11th nationally at the 1977 AIAW cross country nationals and finished 25th at the 1978 national meet. After joining the Gateway Conference, the program captured an outdoor track and field title in 1985, cross country in 1985, indoor track and field in 1986, and the 1996 Mid-Continent Conference outdoor track and field championship.

One of the most decorated track and field athletes in Western history competed for Coach Miller. Patty Murray won the 10,000 meters title at the 1987 NCAA Championships and placed fourth at the TAC Nationals later that year. Murray won the World Junior Women's 10K title in 1987 and took third at the Pan Am Games. She also participated in the 1988 Olympic trials.

Miller and his wife Linda (1989 WIU graduate) are the parents of: Matthew (WIU graduate), Alex, Beth, Theresa (deceased), Will, Christy (WIU graduate) and Sara. Miller and his wife reside in Macomb.

Mike Pendergast (Athletic Training): Mike began his Western Illinois career in 1977 as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. He took over the following year and served as the department's Head Athletic Trainer from 1978-2007. He has worked locally at Advance Rehab and Sports Medicine as an athletic trainer since December 2008.

Pendergast began his career working for the Chicago Winds professional football club in 1975, then worked two years at North Dakota State as an assistant athletic trainer. During his years at Western, Pendergast looked after the well-being of thousands of Leatherneck student-athletes, including numerous of his fellow Hall of Fame members.

In football alone, Pendergast worked with five different head coaches, witnessed the move to Division I, five conference championships, seven conference runner-up finishes and eight appearances in the Division I playoffs - a span of 336 games worked. During the first two years the men's basketball program was in the Mid-Continent Conference (Summit League), Western won the 1983 regular season title and 1984 tournament championship.

A standout prep athlete at Fargo Shanley High School, Pendergast was a four-year player in football and basketball. As quarterback he helped Shanley HS win four consecutive state titles, the starting quarterback during the final two. The team also earned a No. 1 national ranking. A basketball team captain, Pendergast helped his team to the state quarterfinals in 1970-71.

The induction into the Athletics Department Hall of Fame will be the second such honor Pendergast will earn in as many weeks, as he will be inducted into the Shanley HS Hall of Fame as part of the 1968 state championship team.

Pendergast received his Master's degree from Western. He and his wife Susanna (1982-Bachelor's; 1994-Master's from Western Illinois) have one son, Michael Jr. (junior at Western Illinois and member of the Dean's List). They reside in Macomb.

 

Rich Seubert (Football): A four-year letterwinner from 1997-2000 for Leatherneck Football, Seubert earned All-America honors his senior year. During his time at Western, Seubert played tight end, guard and tackle.

In two of his four years, he helped pave the way for the Gateway Conference 'Offensive Player of the Year' - Aaron Stecker in 1997 and Charles Tharp in 2000. Three of the top four season rushing performances occurred during Seubert's time on the offensive line, including a record 2,293 yards by Stecker in 1997.

Western qualified for the Division I playoffs in three of his four years, advancing to the second round in 1997, semifinals in 1998 and first round in 2000. The '98 team's semifinals appearance still stands as the best postseason performance in program history. During his four-year career, Western posted a 38-12 record (.760 winning percentage) and won three conference titles.

He was a two-time winner of the Wes Stevens MVP Offensive Lineman award for the Leathernecks. Seubert was a three-time All-Gateway Conference selection, including First Team honors his senior year.

Following his collegiate career, Seubert joined the New York Giants and would become one of the most respected players on the squad. He played in two games during the 2001 season, but moved into a starting role in 2002 and did so in every game that year. Injuries limited him to only 10 games played during the next three seasons. During his final five years with the Giants, Seubert missed only two regular season games. The highlight of his professional career came when the Giants knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII.

Seubert was the 2002 Ed Block Courage Award winner, 2007 Offensive MVP, won the 2008 Team MVP award and in 2009 received the Wellington T. Marra Award. The Giants named him the team's 2010 'Man of the Year'.

In recent years, he has established the Rich Seubert Celebrity Trapshoot to help The Celine Seubert Cardiac Research Fund. He is also involved with the Ronald McDonald House of New York and various schools in the New Jersey area. Seubert also holds his annual youth football camp at Marshfield Columbus High School.

He and his wife Jodi have three children: Hunter, Hailey and Isaac. They reside in Wayne, New Jersey.

 

Rick Short (Baseball): Short was a three-year member of the Leatherneck Baseball program from 1992-94. As a freshman, Short started in 39 of his 41 games played batting .322 with four doubles, 30 runs scored and more walks (14) than strikeouts (10) in 143 at-bats.

During the 1993 season he was named First Team All-Mid Continent Conference batting a team-leading .333 with 28 runs scored, 17 RBI, 14 doubles, three stolen bases and a .418 on-base percentage.

Selected a team captain in 1994, he set a then-season record with 60 hits in addition to his team-leading .373 batting average, 45 runs scored, 34 RBI, .439 on-base percentage and 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts.

His 156 career hits currently stands one shy of appearing the Western Illinois career 'Top 10' list. Short posted a career .344 batting average, also at the time among the career leaders but currently just shy of the 'Top 10'.

After his junior year, Short was a 33rd-round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles. He would capture the 1997 Carolina League batting title with a .319 average. Short hit .356 during the 2002 season to win the Triple-A PCL batting title.

In 2005 while playing in New Orleans (Triple-A) he was a Midseason and Postseason All-Star in the Pacific Coast League, and named MLB.com Triple-A Offensive Player of the Year posting a league-leading .383 batting average. He also played professionally with Rakuten in Japan, winning the league's 2008 batting title at a .332 clip.

One of six Leathernecks all-time to play in the majors, Short made his Major League Baseball debut with the Washington Nationals on June 10, 2005. In 11 games he batted .400 (6-of-14) with two doubles, two home runs, four runs scored and four RBI.

Following his 15-year professional baseball playing career, Short has worked the past two years as a scout with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has been involved in coaching his children, serving as a Junior Football League coach at Peoria Notre Dame and helping fundraise for St. Thomas school.

A 1998 graduate of Western with a bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement Justice Administration, Short and his wife Karyn (1996 WIU graduate in recreation, parks and tourism administration) have three children: Annabelle, Alan and Holly. They reside in Peoria.