Northwood Announces 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame Class

MIDLAND, MICH. – The Northwood University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the members of the 16th class of the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kylen Cieslak (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field), John Cooper (Lacrosse), Fred Kelly (Contributor), Stacey Klonowski (Softball) and Ivan Lowe (Men's Track & Field) join 82 other inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

The 16th annual Hall of Fame ceremony will take place September 17 in Riepma Arena following the Northwood football game at 1 p.m.  The reception for the event will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 6:30 p.m.

Admission to the reception and dinner will be $40.   Net proceeds from the event will fund a Northwood Athletic Hall of Fame scholarship in the name of the inductees.  People interested in attending the event should contact the Northwood Alumni office at alumni@northwood.edu. Tickets may be purchased at https://connect.northwood.edu/athletic-hall-of-fame

The inductees were selected based on their athletic prowess, contributions to the athletic programs, success and character as well as their positive representation of Northwood University.

	KYLEN CIESLAK Women's Cross Country/Track & Field 2006-09 Kylen Cieslak stands as the greatest distance runner in the history of Northwood University women's cross country/track & field. She holds the school records in both distances of cross country. In indoor/outdoor track & field, Cieslak holds three records while ranking in the top 10 in a total of eight different events. She was the first Northwood women's track & field athlete to earn All-America honors in 21 years when she placed sixth in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Division II outdoor championships. Cieslak also was an All-American in the 10,000 meters as well as setting the GLIAC record in the 10K in 2009.  At the 2008 GLIAC cross country championships, Cieslak earned the highest individual finish for a Northwood women's runner, placing second overall to earn First Team All-GLIAC honors. A standout in the classroom as well, Cieslak was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2009.
	JOHN COOPER Lacrosse 1997-2000 John Cooper stands as the best lacrosse player in Northwood University history. He is the school record holder in both goals (155) and assists (54). Cooper led Northwood in goals and points in three of the four years of his career. His senior season stands as one of the greatest individual seasons in any sport in Northwood history, ending the year leading all of Division II in goals per game (4.0) and points per game (6.17). For his efforts that season, Cooper earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. He is the only All-American in program history.
	FRED KELLY Contributor 2002-Present Fred Kelly has been an observer of many of the finest moments in the history of Northwood University Athletics, serving as the beat writer for the Midland Daily News since 2002. In a time when many schools around the country were dealing with little to no exposure from local newspapers, Kelly provided the Midland community with some of the best sports writing featuring the Timberwolves for two decades. He covered hundreds of games in many different sports and did numerous features telling in-depth stories on the coaches and student-athletes at Northwood. Kelly started at the Midland Daily News in 1999 and has won numerous awards from various organizations for sports writing and column writing.
	STACEY (KLONOWSKI) ROIGER Softball 2011-14 Stacey Klonowski was a standout at Northwood University in many ways. Her name is found throughout the school record book, including holding the career records for home runs (29) and doubles (47). Klonowski also ranks in the top three in program history in hits (214 – second), total bases (356 – second), batting average (.370 – third), runs (129 – third) and RBIs (121 – third). She also ranks in the top-10 on the single-season list at Northwood eight different times.  Klonowski was also an excellent defensive shortstop, turning 51 double plays in her career. A four-year starter at shortstop, she earned All-GLIAC honors all four years of her career. An NFCA First Team All-Region honoree in 2013, Klonowski was also an outstanding student, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors twice in her career.
	IVAN LOWE Men's Track & Field 1984-87 More than three decades after his career ended, Ivan Lowe remains the best long jumper at Northwood University and one of the most decorated athletes in school history. He earned All-American honors five times in the long jump over the span of three years. Lowe placed third at the NAIA Indoor Championships in both 1986 and 1987. He also earned a trio of sixth-place finishes in the event at the NAIA Outdoor Championships. Lowe still stands as the Northwood school record in the long jump outdoors with a mark of 25 feet, five inches. He was a key part of the 1985 team that won both the GLIAC Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championship, marking the only Indoor title in program history and one of two titles in the outdoor season.