ANCHORAGE – Three former University of Alaska Anchorage student-athletes and an invaluable pair of supporters were inducted as the 2016 class of the Seawolf Hall of Fame in a public ceremony Sunday at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Athletic director Keith Hackett and UAA Chancellor Tom Case welcomed Kemmy Burgess (men's basketball), Mandy Kaempf (women's skiing/cross country/track & field) and Kamie Jo (Massey) James (women's basketball/cross country/track & field), along Tom and Vicki Packer, as this year's honorees.
Burgess was presented by former teammate Aaron Lawrence; Kaempf by former coaches Trond Flagstad and Michael Friess; Massey by her sister and former fellow Seawolf alum Tiffany; and the Packers by UAA men's basketball coach Rusty Osborne.
Here is a look at the accomplishments of the Seawolf Hall of Fame Class of '16:
Living in Atlanta, more than two years and 2,000 miles removed from his last collegiate basketball game, Kemmy Burgess [2003-06] was an unlikely candidate to one day land in the Seawolf Hall of Fame. But when he got the call from then-UAA assistant Shane Rinner – who had coached Burgess at NAIA program Vanguard University in Los Angeles – the former San Diego prep hoops legend decided to give his playing career and his education another shot. Three years later, Burgess had delivered on a record-setting career with the Seawolves that included 1,136 points, 195 three-pointers, 39 victories and two NCAA Tournament berths in his two campaigns. The powerfully built, 6-1, 185-pound guard set UAA and Great Northwest Athletic Conference records with his .474 career three-point percentage, making the 20-foot shot look as easy as a layup with his effortless, line-drive stroke. As a junior in 2003-04, Burgess earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-GNAC honors, averaging 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for a Seawolf club that went 20-10, including wins over Div. I Texas State and Canisius. His 100-of-200 three-point accuracy led the GNAC and helped the Seawolves lead all three NCAA divisions in team three-point percentage. Following a redshirt season to heal from shoulder surgery, Burgess came back to earn First Team All-GNAC and honorable mention All-America awards in 2005-06, becoming the only player in the Div. II national stats that year to finish with top-25 ranks in scoring (21.1 ppg), three-pointers per game (3.1), three-point pct. (.450) and free throw pct. (.868). With the Seawolves staring at a 13-8 record at the end of January, he stepped up his efforts with 27.4 ppg over the last nine regular-season contests – including wins over Top 10-ranked Seattle Pacific and Western Washington – to help clinch another playoff berth. The 2005-06 Bill MacKay Athlete of the Year earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from UAA in 2006 and went on to play professionally in Europe for four seasons. He returned to the States in 2011 as an assistant coach at fellow NCAA Div. II program Texas A&M-International, and he now resides in Phoenix with his wife, Nas, and their newborn twin daughters, Suren and Yara.
A heralded recruit when she arrived from her native Germany, Mandy Kaempf [2003-06] wasted little time proving she was an elite skier at the college level, finishing runner-up at the 2003 NCAA Championships in the 5-kilometer classical race. By the time she was done, Kaempf would leave as the undisputed top collegiate Nordic racer in the nation and one the best all-around athletes in UAA history, excelling in cross country and track & field as well. And while she was among the fastest on the track and running trails, Kaempf was absolutely dominant on the snow, adding two more NCAA runner-up finishes, along with two conference titles and five individual wins in her 2004 ski campaign. As a senior in 2005, she would reach the pinnacle of her sport, sweeping the NCAA national titles in the 5K classical and 15K freestyle and winning a second straight RMISA classical crown. Although limited to three years of eligibility in skiing, Kaempf suited up for four straight cross country campaigns, emerging as the Seawolves' No. 1 or 2 runner and earning All-GNAC honors every season. As a sophomore and junior she placed among the top 50 at the national meet, helping UAA to its first two team appearances at the NCAA Championships, including a 12th-place finish in 2005. She placed third at the GNAC Championships as a junior and was runner-up as a senior, helping UAA to three straight second-place finishes. In the spring of 2006, Kaempf turned her skills to the track, where she became just the second Seawolf woman to earn All-America honors in that sport, placing seventh in the 5,000 meters at the NCAAs. She was also the GNAC outdoor champion in the 5,000 and recorded the league's second-best time in the 10,000 meters. At the end of eight competitive seasons, Kaempf's six All-America awards stood as the second-most in UAA history, and she is still the only person to earn the honor in both skiing and track & field. Her other major awards as a Seawolf included the 2004-05 Bill MacKay Athlete of the Year, the 2006-07 GNAC Woman of the Year, and the 2005-06 Dresser Cup – the athletic department's highest academic honor. Still one of only six two-time Academic All-Americans at UAA, she graduated magna cum laude in Dec. 2006, carrying a 3.87 GPA as a double-major in sociology and history. Kaempf stayed with the Seawolves as an assistant Nordic ski coach until 2011, when she earned her master's in project management from UAA's School of Engineering. An avid and active traveler, she works today as a senior management consultant for a major European IT consulting company in Munich, Germany.
Although she never got to experience the thrill of a postseason victory or league title, Kamie Jo (Massey) James [2002-04] was unmatched in Seawolf history when it came to maximizing her effort and talent on the basketball court. Also a future star in cross country and track, the Snow (Utah) College transfer was undaunted by joining a Seawolf basketball program that was coming off a 5-win season in 2001-02, and she wasted little time establishing herself as a force at the Div. II level. A 5-10 small forward, she captured GNAC Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-GNAC and First Team All-West Region honors as a junior in 2002-03, helping UAA improve to 11-15 overall. With 15.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, she led the GNAC with 14 double-doubles and paced UAA to a GCI Great Alaska Shootout win over Eastern Kentucky. The following November, Massey would enjoy her crowning moment, earning the Most Outstanding Player award after powering UAA to the 2003 Shootout title with its stunning 61-58 upset of Clemson. The Payson, Utah, native posted 17.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.9 apg and 2.6 spg as UAA once again improved its record (13-14) and rose to sixth place in the final GNAC standings in 2003-04. Along with more all-conference and all-region honors, she received Second Team All-West Region and Second Team Academic All-District accolades, recognizing her 3.46 overall GPA in UAA's prestigious nursing program. As of her induction, Massey still ranks among UAA's top-5 career average leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and free-throw percentage, while her 37.7 minutes per game are 3.7 more than the next woman on that list. She is also one of just two GNAC women's players to average a double-double for her career. On the cross country trails, Massey was UAA's No. 1 or 2 runner throughout the 2004 season, finishing 16th at West Regionals and helping the women's program to its first-ever NCAA Championships berth. In track & field, she placed fourth in the 800 meters at both the 2003 and 2004 GNAC Championships, plus third place in the 1500 as a senior. The 2003-04 GNAC Sportsmanship Award winner earned her B.S. in nursing from UAA in 2004, graduating cum laude with a 3.61 GPA. She currently lives in Hurricane, Utah, where she is an active volunteer in her church and with multiple local basketball organizations. She and her husband Reed have two children, Boyd and Lillian Jo.
Just as any successful team needs selfless contributions from its members, an overall collegiate athletic department is no different when it comes to its donors. Luckily, Tom and Vicki Packer have been a part of the Seawolf family for a quarter century, with their charitable contributions and volunteer efforts giving rise to an incalculable amount of success – past, present and future – by UAA student-athletes, teams and coaches. An avid sports fan since his youth in Ohio, Tom began attending Seawolf basketball games with Vicki in the early 1980s, and the couple soon became among the team's biggest fans. Through their affiliation with the Anchor Park United Methodist Church, the Packers met then-current Seawolf players Kevin and Beth Mader in 1992. Impressed with the Maders and following the encouragement of friends and fellow supporters Bill and Judy Dresser, Tom took a leadership role with the Rebounders Booster Club as a member of the board of directors, and he and Vicki decided to make a long-term financial commitment to Seawolf Athletics. Since then, the Packers have become the department's largest individual donors and among its most active volunteers and advocates. In addition to their annual giving, some of their notable contributions have included the lead gift for the UAA Building Futures campaign, the founding gift for the Student-Athlete Medical Emergency Fund, and charter membership in the Seawolf Legacy scholarship endowment fund. They have also been benefactors for the University in general, serving as members of the UAA College of Fellows since 2005, and lending financial support to Culinary Arts & Hospitality scholarships and the library's Foucault Pendulum. Along with their financial support, Tom has contributed countless volunteer hours for the department, serving on the Seawolf Athletic Association advisory board, as head of the former Rebounders Booster Club, as chairman of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout (2006), and much more. In addition to their support of UAA, the Packers volunteer dozens of hours annually for their church, plus other ventures in the local community, such as Bean's Café, Brother Francis Shelter, Anchorage Rescue Mission, Clare House, F.I.S.H., HUGSS, Food Bank of Alaska and Airport Heights Elementary School. Avid travelers, the Packers have crisscrossed the country to follow Seawolf teams on the road, and Vicki has flown overseas multiple times to do missionary work for their church. A financial advisor and retired nurse, respectively, Tom and Vicki have three children – Heather, David and Michelle – and three grandchildren – Devon, Savanna and Christopher – all of whom live in the Anchorage area.
Seawolf Hall of Fame Classes
2016
Kemmy Burgess, men's basketball, 2003-06
Kamie Jo (Massey) James, women's basketball/cross country/track & field, 2002-04
Mandy Kaempf, women's skiing/cross country/track & field, 2003-06
Tom and Vicki Packer, boosters, 1992-
2015
No induction class
2014
Peter Bullock, men's basketball, 2000-04
Tim Molle, hockey, 1981-84
Eric Strabel, men's cross country/skiing, 2000-03
2013
Peter Hupperten, booster/volunteer, 1984-2015
Tobias Schwoerer, men's cross country/skiing, 2000-03
2012
Charlie Bruns, men's basketball coach, 1980-2004
Doug Spooner, hockey, 1987-91
2011
William 'Bill' MacKay, 1985-
Dr. William J. Mills, team physician emeritus, 1976-2011
Zuzana Razusova, women's skiing, 1995-98
Ryan Williams, men's basketball, 1995-97
2010
Linda Bruns, women's basketball coach, 1979-90
2009
Paul Crews, ski coach, 1982-2001
Jim Hajdukovich, men's basketball, 1995-99
2008
Rick Stafford, men's basketball, 1995-97
2007
Rob Conn, hockey, 1988-91
Elena (Tkacheva) Lowery, gymnastics, 1994-97
2006
Allegra (Stoetzel) Butler, women's basketball, 1992-96
Derek Donald, hockey, 1988-92
Harry Larrabee, basketball coach/administrator/athletic director, 1979-86 & 1991-2000
2005
Jason Kaiser, men's basketball, 1993-95
Pete McEnaney, hockey, 1984-88
Ron Petro, athletic director, 1984-92
Ken Ralph, swimming, 1988-90
2004
Cheryl Bishop, women's basketball, 1982-87
Tiina (Kantola) Hoffman, skiing & cross country, 1982-92
Paul Krake, hockey, 1988-92
Jack Peterson, faculty athletic representative, 1975-97
2003
Dr. Jay Caldwell, team physician, 1979-04
Wendy Sturgis, women's basketball, 1988-92
Chuck Homan, hockey booster, 1977-present
Jennie (Szczerbinski) Krupp, volleyball, 1988-92
Dean Larson, hockey, 1988-92
2002
Brush Christiansen, hockey coach, 1979-96
Jesse Jackson, men's basketball, 1985-87
Britta Kjellstrand, women's skiing & cross country, 1978-82
Jon Pauole, swimming, 1989-92
Mike Peluso, hockey, 1985-89
2001
Tom Besh, ski coach, 1977-90
Teri Frankie-Lavallee, gymnastics, 1985-90
Hansi Gnad, men's basketball, 1983-87
Robin Graul, women's basketball, 1985-89
Dr. Lee Piccard, administrator, 1976-94
Dennis Sorenson, hockey, 1980-84
Tracy Zink, volleyball, 1987-90
