DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle Athletics administration announced the 2021 Hall of Fame Class on Monday. The Eagles' seventh Hall of Fame roster includes six individuals and matches the 2017 group as having the most inductees in a single class. Perhaps the most decorated class in ERAU Athletics Hall of Fame history, the 2021 class boasts 12 national titles, not to mention, multiple team and individual conference championships and All-America honors.
The 2021 Hall of Fame class features Nicole Bonk (women's cross country/track & field), Liam Goodall (baseball), Mislav Hizak (men's tennis), Stetson Nelson (baseball), Ellie Staker (women's cross country/track & field) and Reta Woodard (women's track & field).
The induction ceremony for the 2021 class will take place at a time and place to be determined.
Nicole Bonk started out as a member of the Embry-Riddle women's soccer team in the fall of 2009, playing in eight matches for the Eagles as a freshman. In the spring of 2010, she moved to the track and in the fall of that year she made the decision to give up soccer and focus on cross country and track.
Prior to Embry-Riddle, Bonk had never competed in racewalking and took up the discipline at the suggestion of Assistant Track & Field coach
Peter Hopfe. It turns out she was a natural in that event.
In just her first season of racewalking competition in 2011, Bonk won gold at The Sun Conference championships and qualified for the both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championship racewalking events.
The 2012 season proved to be a breakout year for Bonk. She was crowned National Champion in the 3000m Racewalk at the NAIA Indoor National Championships and became just the second ERAU track & field student-athlete to win multiple national titles in the same year, claiming her second national championship in the 5000m Racewalk at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships.
Bonk qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 20,000m Racewalk after posting a time of 1:46:49.00 at a special racewalk event at the ERAU Track & Field Complex. She placed 11
th out of 15 competitors at the Trials and followed that performance by representing the United States at the 2012 North America, Central American and Caribbean Islands Under-23 Championships. She brought home a bronze medal for the US in the 10,000m Racewalk.
Bonk secured her third national title in 2013. She won the 3000m Racewalk at the NAIA Indoor National Championships in 13:53.63, which was an NAIA and collegiate record at the time.
Bonk capped her career as a three-time national champion and a four-time All-American. She also garnered second team All-Sun Conference recognition twice in cross country and earned track and field All-Conference honors in the 5000m run and as a member of the 4x800m relay team.
At the time of her induction, Bonk still held both the ERAU indoor and outdoor records for the 5000m Racewalk.
Bonk graduated from Embry-Riddle with a degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science. She is now the Head of Flight Testing at Skydio in Redwood City, California.
"It was my privilege to coach Nicole on both the ERAU cross country and track teams. Some of Nicole's championship characteristics are perseverance, competitive drive, intelligence, hardworking, focus and the ability to adapt to change. These characteristics separated her from the rest, and she became a National Champion. Her mental toughness in workouts and competition ranks her as one of the top athletes I have ever coached, not just for her unbelievable athletic resume but the fact that she made me expand my horizons and become a better coach."
- Peter Hopfe
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2005-present)
"Nicole has always been a team player. On the track, both at practice and at competitions, Nicole carried a positive outlook and was always full of infectious energy. This had a direct impact on the rest of the team. She had a way of uplifting and making the team better. While excelling individually in racewalking, she remained committed to supporting the team in relays and other events through the cross country and track seasons."
- Erika Langhauser
Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2007-11)
"I remember being a senior in high school sitting with my team nervous for an upcoming race because I knew the coaches of ERAU were there and watching. An upbeat girl came over to my tent and asked to speak to me. She was dressed in an Embry-Riddle uniform and introduced herself as Nicole Bonk. Nicole came over just to wish me good luck and encourage me that her team was going to be cheering me on. Nicole's leadership pushed me to run a personal best that day and receive an athletic scholarship to ERAU. I was blessed to be able to spend two years training with Nicole on and off the track. She pushed me not only in our sport but in academics; I looked up to her for so many reasons. Track and cross country are not mentally forgiving sports so to have a teammate/captain that can remain positive, keep workouts fun but professional is an attribute any Hall of Fame inductee should possess."
- Lauren Eschbach
Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2012-15)
"Nicole was the definition of servant-leader. She was a kind, spirited individual who was always very inclusive, especially to the younger girls on the team. She took many of them under her wing and showed them what it meant to be a successful woman on and off the track. She showed compassion to everyone equally. To me, she was the kind of person you could look up to and depend on. As a young freshman trying to grasp at a new reality, her consistency in kindness and compassion was vital to our growth."
- Paul Meesala
Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2012-16)
"Nicole is the total package, the Student, Person, Player, but when I was thinking about what to write for this letter I kept coming back to her fearlessness in the face of challenges and how she has always managed to shine through them. As a student, she was one of the first graduates of the Unmanned Systems program. As an athlete she was totally unafraid of conquering a new event. As a person she was the life of any conversation you walked into with her. She has a delightful off-kilter sense of humor and is welcoming of everyone."
- Ellie Staker
Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2011-15)
Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021
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In a storied program with an abundance of great stories, Liam Goodall's is one of the best. Goodall came to Embry-Riddle in the fall of 2012 as unheralded as they come, a native of Nanaimo, British Columbia, looking for a place to get his engineering degree while also playing some baseball. Fast forward to the spring of 2016 and Goodall left the Blue and Gold as the best statistical position player in Embry-Riddle baseball history.
Only baseball's second primary position player to be inducted into the ERAU Athletics Hall of Fame, Goodall held five career records and ranked in the top-10 of 11 other statistical categories at the time of his induction, including program records in games played (234), starts (233), at-bats (869), multi-hit games (80) and hits (294). Goodall currently ranks second in three career categories: triples (14), total bases (349), and outfield assists (15), while his 313 runs created rank third.
During a five-game stretch from April 10-16, 2016, Goodall reached base in 15 consecutive plate appearances with hits in 10 straight at-bats. These numbers would have been NCAA II records had the Eagles' been eligible during their NCAA transition.
The Eagle left fielder was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2015, a two-time first team All-Sun Conference (2014, 2015) outfielder, and a Sun Conference All-Tournament Team selection (2013). Goodall was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, becoming the program's first-ever first team Academic All-America honoree in 2016. He was twice an NAIA Scholar-Athlete (2014, 2015) and twice an Academic All-Conference selection (2014, 2015), as well as a four-time Sun Conference Player of the Week.
Goodall led the Eagles to two Sun Conference regular season titles (2013, 2014), two Sun Conference Tournament crowns (2013, 2015), and two trips to the NAIA World Series (2013, 2015) where they finished in the national semifinals both times.
Goodall graduated magna cum laude in 2016 with a 3.835 GPA in Civil Engineering, also earning a master's degree in Structural and Earthquake Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
"Liam Goodall is THE standard that we want all of our players to strive for, on and off the field. He developed himself into arguably the greatest statistical player this program has ever seen. Liam was just above average in the 'five tools' of baseball, but what he was the absolute BEST in was heart and desire.
Liam gave you everything he had. No matter the score, the game, or the time of the year, he was all-out, all the time. He made everyone around him better by just simply trying to be the best person and player he possibly could be."
- Randy Stegall
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-present)
"Liam is what every single student-athlete at any university should aspire to be. He wasn't just a great baseball player, he was one of the best students we have ever had in our program. As a person, he was the dream of any coach that has worn a baseball uniform. His hard work and dedication shone through everything he did and he became one of Embry-Riddle's most decorated student-athletes."
- Chuck Stegall
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-present)
"I have not seen a more diligent worker in my career than Liam Goodall. He was tireless, relentless on a daily basis. He led by example and never took a day off. He represents Embry-Riddle at the very highest level."
- Dave Therneau
Associate Head Coach, Stetson Baseball (2016-present)
Pitching Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-15)
"Liam was successful due to his hard work. He was always the first one on the field and the last one to leave. Liam is one of the most genuine people you could meet and if any teammate ever needed him, he would be there."
- Corey Tufts
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2012-16)
"Liam completely and wholeheartedly embodied what it means to be a Student, Person, Player. Since the moment he stepped foot on campus, he exceeded all expectations by dedicating himself to being the best version of himself he possibly could be. Liam was the type of teammate that we could truly rely on in all types of situations."
- Dylan Demarest
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2013-16)
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The most decorated player in Embry-Riddle tennis history, Mislav Hizak competed for the Eagles from 2005-08. Hailing from Varazdin, Croatia, Hizak joined the Eagle lineup in the spring of 2005 and was undefeated in his freshman campaign at 20-0 in singles and went 17-2 in doubles.
At the end of his first year wearing the Blue and Gold, Hizak was ranked fifth in the ITA/NAIA national singles poll. By the end of the fall of 2005, he showed that he was a force to be reckoned with at all levels. After blazing through the field at the ITA Regional Tournament, Hizak became the first ERAU student-athlete to win an individual national title as he brought home the ITA/NAIA singles crown. But he didn't stop there. He went on to win the ITA "Super Bowl" title which earned him a spot in the NCAA Division I ITA National Men's Singles Indoor Championship.
In the first round of the tournament, which featured Hizak and the top 31 players in NCAA I, Hizak posted a huge upset, taking down defending indoor champion and top-seeded Ryler DeHeart of the University of Illinois in straight sets in the first round. He advanced to the tournament quarterfinals before suffering a tough 4-6, 7-5, 4-6 loss to Stanford's KC Corkery.
Following his fall performance, Hizak vaulted to the top of the ITA/NAIA rankings. He remained at the top spot in the nation for the rest of his collegiate career.
Hizak graduated from Embry-Riddle with an unprecedented three ITA "Super Bowl" titles, three ITA/NAIA national titles and an ITA/NAIA national doubles title. His impressive resume includes a 107-6 record in singles, which includes a 60-0 ledger against NAIA opponents, and a 93-15 mark in doubles. His 107 singles wins tops the ERAU record book and of his six career losses, five were to NCAA I opponents and the other came when he was forced to retire due to injury against an NCAA II foe.
He excelled both on the court and in the classroom and was recognized for his achievements in both areas. His list of accolades includes:
• Top-ranked NAIA player for three consecutive seasons
• Three ITA/NAIA national singles titles
• Three ITA Super Bowl singles titles
• 2006 ITA/NAIA doubles champion
• Three-time first team NAIA All-American
• Four-time ITA All-American
• Three-time Florida Sun Conference Player of the Year
• Three-time NAIA Region XIV Player of the Year
• 2008 ITA/NAIA Senior Player of the Year
• Two-time NAIA Outstanding Player
• Two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team (2007, 08)
• ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America third team (2006)
• Two-time ITA Scholar Athlete
• Two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete (2007, 08)
• 2006 ITA/James O'Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award
• 2007 ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship
• Two-time NAIA Dr. Leroy Walker Sportsmanship Award (2007, 08)
• 2007 NAIA A.O. Duer Award
• Embry-Riddle Champions of Character scholarship recipient
• Steve & Vicky Ridder scholarship recipient
• Inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2015
In addition to his individual accolades, Hizak led the ERAU men's tennis team to four undefeated seasons in Florida Sun Conference play, four conference titles, four regional titles, and four NAIA National Championship semifinal appearances.
Hizak completed his undergraduate degree in Aviation Business Administration in 2008 and is currently a tennis coach specializing in performance and player development at All-In Academy in Nice, France.
"What really separated Mislav from other players is that he came to practice every day wanting and demanding to get better. When a team's best player is also the hardest worker, It makes for a great training atmosphere. Mislav challenged himself on the court, during conditioning, and in obtaining knowledge on how to compete at an even higher level.
"I really consider Mislav as one of those players that a coach gets once, maybe - if lucky - twice in a career. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be his coach. Mislav was a fantastic player, however, he even surpasses his tennis abilities with his desire to build his character and the character of those around him."
- Dave Paschal
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Men's Tennis (2004-present)
"Mislav was not only the best college tennis player, but he also led our team relentlessly and motivated all of us through his talent, focus and work ethic on the tennis court. Mislav was the perfect example of what a true champion is: someone who becomes the best at what they do, and they stay at the top by consistently working harder than the rest. And that's exactly what Mislav did throughout his entire college career and why he was the best."
- Carlos Bes Comeras
Embry-Riddle Men's Tennis (2005-09)
"I was honored to have a great relationship with Mislav. I admired and respected him as much as ANY student-athlete that I have observed during my 30-year tenure. His work ethic was relentless; he was disciplined with his decisions, dedicated as a leader and teammate and humble and gracious in his demeanor. He was the greatest ambassador for our University, as well as the intercollegiate athletic program."
- Steve Ridder
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball (1989-present)
Director of Athletics, Embry-Riddle (1993-2013)
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Stetson Nelson was a competitor. Perhaps no other word perfectly embodies the Leesburg, Florida native than that. Nelson came to Embry-Riddle in the fall of 2012 with three years of eligibility remaining. He left as one of the most decorated pitchers in program history.
The left-hander ate up innings and always gave the Eagles a chance to win, earning 28 victories for the Blue and Gold. Nelson registered 11 complete games and five shutouts with a 1.97 career ERA and 278 strikeouts. His 361.2 innings ranked second all-time in program history at the time of his induction, despite only pitching three seasons with ERAU.
Nelson was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2013, and a member of the 2015 NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team. One of only four Eagles to be a three-time All-Conference selection, earning first team honors each season, Nelson was also a two-time Sun Conference All-Tournament Team honoree as well as a five-time Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Perhaps the best example of Nelson's impact for ERAU was his dominance in the postseason. Nelson pitched an entire season's worth of innings in the playoffs, throwing 91.2 frames, allowing just 22 earned runs for a 2.15 ERA. As a senior, Nelson threw 41 innings, holding his opponents to just 13 hits and four earned runs as the Blue and Gold went 5-0 in his five postseason starts.
Nelson also recorded the fifth no-hitter in program history against NCAA II Stillman on February 22, 2014.
Nelson led the Eagles to two Sun Conference regular season titles (2013, 2014), two Sun Conference Tournament crowns (2013, 2015), and two trips to the NAIA World Series (2013, 2015) where they finished in the national semifinals both times.
Academically, Nelson excelled in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in both 2014 and 2015, as well as becoming a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-Sun Conference awardee. He graduated Cum Laude in the fall of 2016 with a 3.639 GPA and a degree in Homeland Security.
"Very few players that walk through our doors impact the program the way Stetson did, and even fewer impact the program and the school the way Stetson did. When you think of greatness in the sport of baseball, the first thing that comes to mind is the ability for one player to lift all his teammates up in a game they need to win and carry them to victory. That is the definition of Stetson Nelson."
- Randy Stegall
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-present)
"Stetson embodies everything our department preaches: Student. Person. Player. His grit and determination made him what he was at Embry-Riddle. Stetson was a true leader on and off the field, leading by example, and was an extension of our coaching staff on the diamond."
- Chuck Stegall
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-present)
"Stetson became a program-changing player. He set the bar for what it meant to be a student, a person, and a player. His competitive fire was shown in all three areas. He is one of the best pure pitchers and competitors I have ever had the pleasure to coach."
- Dave Therneau
Associate Head Coach, Stetson Baseball (2016-present)
Pitching Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-15)
"I've had the privilege to know Stetson my entire life. In everything he has done in his life, he has been a true leader, someone was and is always looking up to him as a leader. When he toed the rubber as an Eagle, we knew we had the upper hand that day. He was always trying to make himself better, both on and off the field."
- Jake Cavender
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2014-15)
"Stetson was an absolute bulldog on the mound and one of the fiercest competitors you will ever meet. He was extremely influential in making me feel like I was part of the baseball program from day one. Stetson treated everyone he encountered with the utmost respect. He was a true model of the Student, Person, Player philosophy that Embry-Riddle Athletics strives to achieve."
- Ryan Maxon
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2014-17)
"I have never met someone with so much humility. His humility is no mistake, neither is his confidence. Stetson does not have loud confidence, he does not have fake confidence, he has hard earned confidence. If you need a crash course on passion, press play on any game that Stetson pitched."
- Tyler Cyr
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2014-15)
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The most individually decorated student-athlete in Embry-Riddle Athletics history, Ellie Staker was one of the most dominant cross country and track runners in Embry-Riddle and NAIA history from 2011-15. The Seattle, Washington native was named an NAIA All-American a school-record 18 times and still holds 10 school records.
In cross country, Staker left the program as the best female runner in school history. She owns six of the fastest 5K times, including the top two, and three of the top-four. Her school-record 17:18.32 came at the Sand Shark Invitational on Oct. 20, 2012 in her junior season. She became the program's first and only NAIA All-American as a senior in 2013. She is the program's only two-time Conference Runner of the Year, earning the honor in both 2012 and 2013, as well as a three-time first team All-Sun Conference honoree.
On the track, Staker was even better. She earned the NAIA Indoor National Championship in her preeminent event, the 800m in 2015, and claimed an unheard of 17 NAIA All-America honors over nine different disciplines. At the time of induction, she still owned nine school records on the track, including four indoor marks: the 1,000m, Mile, 4x400m relay, and 4x800m relay; as well as five outdoor records: the 1,000m, 1,500m, Mile, 4x400m relay, and 4x800m relay.
Staker broke the NAIA record in the 1,000m at the USATF National Championship on March 1, 2015, running a 2:43.56. It was a record that stood in the NAIA until 2020.
Staker captured 11 conference titles on the track and was a 16-time All-Conference performer, ultimately being named Sun Conference Track Athlete of the Year three times (2012, 2014, 2015), a conference record.
Her combined excellence in her sports and in her studies was highlighted in 2015 when she was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in Track & Field, the highest academic and athletic honor in the country. Staker's four Academic All-America honors are tied for the most in Embry-Riddle Athletics history as she earned first team accolades in 2014 and 2015, second team honors in 2013, and third team honors in 2012.
In cross country and track, Staker was a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and a five-time Academic All-Conference selection. Staker is a two-time ERAU graduate, graduating with a 3.7 GPA in Computational Mathematics in 2015 and earning her master's degree in Software Engineering and boasting a 3.89 GPA in 2018.
"There is no one in our program who has been a better combination of student, athlete, and person than Ellie Staker. She would be the first person I would select as the prototype for a model of Student, Person, Player. She was truly one-of-a-kind when it comes to the combination of student and athlete."
- Mike Rosolino
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2003-present)
"Not a day went by where I did not see Ellie embrace the core value of Servant Leadership. She is an overachiever at the highest level in all areas of her life. When Ellie came to practice, her purpose was to help her teammates. Ellie accomplished our hard workouts by encouraging her teammates and leading them to performances that exceeded what we asked. She was the reason that both our cross country and track teams excelled.
- Peter Hopfe
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2005-present)
"Ellie encompassed the five core values of integrity, sportsmanship, respect, responsibility, and servant leadership and she demonstrated them on and off the track throughout her time at Embry-Riddle. Her attitude, her demeanor, and her positivity spread throughout the team and showed other athletes what it meant to be a good sport. She demonstrated excellence every day."
- Nicole Bonk
Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2010-13)
Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021
"Ellie is one of the best leaders Embry-Riddle has ever had. Her work ethic and drive were contagious, she was the epitome of 'lead by example.' Ellie is the benchmark other Hall of Fame candidates should be judged by."
- Zack Kraus
Embry-Riddle Men's Cross Country/Track & Field (2010-15)
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Spring Hill, Florida, native Reta Woodard came to Embry-Riddle in the fall of 2009. She didn't compete during her first year with the Eagles, but she used that first year to build herself into a first-class thrower for ERAU Track and Field.
In her first season of competition as a redshirt freshman, Woodard qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships and returned to Daytona Beach as an All-American in the weight throw. During the outdoor season, she was the conference champion in the discus, hammer and javelin -- and winning those events garnered her Florida Sun Conference Field Athlete of the Year honors, a title she did not relinquish in her four years of competition for the Eagles.
The following year, Woodard qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships again, but this time, she brought home the gold. She easily won the event with a throw of 18.50, 0.68m further than the second-place finisher to win the first field national championship in Embry-Riddle track & field history. Her performance that year helped the Eagles to a fourth-place finish at the national meet, which still stands as the best team finish on the national stage.
Woodard's second national title came during her junior campaign when she set a meet record in the hammer throw at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships with a mark of 61.64m. That mark still stands as the NAIA national indoor record. She also qualified for the USA Indoor Championships that year and placed eighth overall.
In 2014, Woodard doubled up on her national titles with wins at both the national indoor and outdoor events. At the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Geneva, Ohio, she took home her second weight throw crown with a mark of 18.89m. A few months later, she secured her second national title in the hammer throw with a toss of 55.46m at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama, to become the first four-time NAIA National Champion in ERAU history.
Woodard left an indelible mark on the ERAU Track & Field program, graduating as a four-time national champion, an 11-time All-American, a nine-time conference champion, and a four-time Sun Conference Field Athlete of the Year. A 15-time Sun Conference Field Athlete of the Week, Woodard owned four ERAU records at the time of her induction into the ERAU Athletics Hall of Fame, including indoor weight throw (19.92m), and outdoor hammer (62.57m), weight throw (19.24m) and discus (48.33m).
Woodard earned her bachelor's degree in Air Traffic Management with a minor in Psychology in 2014 and is currently a Flight Operations Analyst at XO Jet Aviation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"As a teammate, Reta always put the team first. Rather than focusing on her best events hammer, weight throw and discus, Reta learned all four throwing events so that she could help the team win conference championships. She was a role model for others to follow with her work ethic and she helped to teach younger throwers as she matured.
"Reta had a rough first semester, which led to her not being eligible her first year at Embry-Riddle. She took up this challenge, changed her habits, learned from her mistakes and got stronger through that experience. She also used that experience to help mentor younger teammates so they didn't make the same mistakes. Her teammates looked up to her for what she accomplished but also because she put them first."
- Mike Rosolino
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Cross Country/Track & Field (2003-present)
"Reta was an exceptional athlete, but she also embodied the "Student-Person-Player" attitude. She always kept her priorities in line with her classes, but also had a passion and love for her friends and family off the field. You could not ask for a better candidate to embody this honor than Reta. She truly is a one-of-a-kind individual."
- Jeremy Longshore
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Track & Field (2011-13)
"I could go on and on about the records she holds at both the school and the NAIA…but to me she was so much more than these titles. She was also a great friend and teammate. She was always joyful during practice; it was where she belonged and she wanted everyone around her to feel the same. You could always count on her being there to make you laugh or to help. She was always providing suggestions or little tricks to get a few meters in the throws, reviewing videos, and helping with the difficult steps or techniques.
"With just her athletic accolades, she should be put into the Hall of Fame, but she was so much more to her teammates, coaches and friends. She is an exemplary person."
- Peter Benoit
Embry-Riddle Track & Field (2012-14)
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