12 inducted to Mount Union's M Club Hall of Fame

University of Mount Union honored the new 12 members of its M Club Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Purple Raiders’ home game at Kehres Stadium.

Two others were honored Saturday along with those enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

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Mount Union athletes honored with membership to the M Club Hall of Fame:

Eric Belancic, Class of 2007, track and field

John Biacofsky, Class of 2006, track

Willie Dawson, Class of 1986, track and field

Tammy Dougherty Durham, Class of 1995, track

Pierre Garcon, Class of 2010, football

Kyle Karpinski, Class of 2005, basketball

Vince Kehres, 1998, football coach

Christopher Kern, Class of 2020, football

Jason Lewis, Class of 2008, football

Jeffrey Powles, Class of 1992, track

Nic Saluppo, Class of 2008, track

Natalie Lambert Williams, Class of 1998, cross country

Honorary awards were given to Jason Candle and Dean Marini. Candle, a member of Mount Union’s Class of 2003, received the Duke Barret Award of Excellence, while Marini, a longtime broadcast producer and videographer, was given Honorary M Club membership.

Candle played football for the Purple Raiders, and was First Team All-OAC in 2001, when he led the team in receptions (41), yards receiving (778) and touchdowns (nine). He was a member of Mount Union’s 2000 and 2001 National Championship teams.

Afterward, he spent six years as a coach for the Purple Raiders, coaching for the teams that won NCAA Division III National Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2008, and finished as runner-up in 2003 and 2007. Candle began his coaching career at Mount Union in 2003 as the receivers coach. He was offensive coordinator in 2007, and also assumed the duties as the program's recruiting coordinator. Candle is currently the head coach at the University of Toledo, where he's had great success.

Marini has been the school's top videographer, including for all 13 National Championships for football, and the lead producer for one of the top football broadcasts in the nation. He's had multiple highlights receive national coverage, including being showcased on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. Additionally, Marini has helped with Meet the Team videos for all 24 Mount Union varsity sports.

The Duke Barret Award of Excellence honors a member of M Club for career experiences or activities that have brought honor and recognition to the individual and, in turn, Mount Union.

To be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame, a student-athlete must have earned a degree from Mount Union and received two letters in one sport, or one letter in two or more sports. Athletes are eligible for selection 15 years after graduation or 15 years from last competition. Coaches and administrators had to serve at least five years prior to consideration or been at least five years since they left the institution.

Two others honored Saturday at Mount Union

The late Lenny Reich, a former University of Mount Union assistant athletic director, received a posthumous honor Saturday at Kehres Stadium from the College Sports Communicators Association.

Reich and another association member were honored before the Purple Raiders' game Saturday against Baldwin Wallace.

Reich, who died Oct. 17, 2022, after a long battle with cancer, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CSCA. Reich is a former board member with the CSCA, and was added to the group's Hall of Fame in 2022.

At the time of Reich's death, he was serving as athletic director for Alliance City Schools.

Also honored posthumously Saturday by CSCA was Mike Scala of Montclair State University. Scala died in August 2022 after a long battle with cancer. He was director of sports publicity for Montclair State when he died.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union adds 12 athletes to its M Club Hall of Fame