Morgan Burke highlights Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame class

WEST LAFAYETTE - Morgan Burke, the longest-tenured athletic director at Purdue, is among eight new inductees into the school's Leroy Keyes Athletics Hall of Fame.

Along with Burke, the class features Camille Cooper (women’s basketball, 1998-2001), Walter Jordan (men’s basketball, 1975-78), Joe Corso (wrestling, 1974-76), Darlene (Warta) Renie (women’s swimming & diving, 1987-90), Stuart Schweigert (football, 2000-03), Lauren Sesselmann (soccer, 2001-05) and Alex Yunevich (football, 1929-31).

Burke, who was a member of the swimming & diving teams as an undergraduate, led the athletic department from 1993 through 2016. The Boilermakers won two national championships (women's basketball, 1999; women's golf, 2010) and 20 regular-season Big Ten championships during his tenure.

Burke graduated from Purdue in 1973 with a degree in industrial management and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honor society. He then proceeded to earn a master's degree in industrial relations from Purdue in 1975 and a law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1980. Burke died in 2020.

The class will be honored at Mackey Arena during the Feb. 19 men's basketball game against Ohio State.

Camille Cooper

Cooper was a standout on the 1999 national championship team and the 2001 NCAA runner-up squad and helped the Boilermakers win three straight Big Ten tournament titles. She also earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors and was named Purdue’s Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient in 2001. Cooper currently ranks 13th in school history with 1,575 career points; eighth all-time in rebounding (760), fourth in career blocked shots (195), ninth in double-doubles (14) and second in games played (137).

Joe Corso

Corso was a two-year letterwinner (1974-75), competing at both 118 and 126 pounds. In his senior season, Corso finished with a record of 42-7. He won the 1975 Big Ten title at 126 pounds and was named the Big Ten Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler and placed third at the NCAA Championships, earning All-American status. He went on to represent the United States at the 1976 Olympics Games in Montreal. He served as an assistant coach at Purdue and with USA Wrestling.

Walter Jordan

Jordan is one of four Boilermakers with at least 1,800 points and 800 rebounds alongside Joe Barry Carroll, Terry Dischinger and JaJuan Johnson. He still ranks ninth in career scoring at 1,813 points, 11th in scoring average at 16.6 points per game, and fourth in career rebounds at 882. Jordan started 102 consecutive games, which is the third-longest streak in school history, and averaged 33 minutes and recorded 27 career double-doubles. Jordan’s 394 points as a freshman in 1974-75 rank third-most in program history, while his 14.1 scoring average ranks second. Jordan was selected in the fourth rebound of the 1978 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets.

Darlene (Warta) Renie

Renie was a four-year letterwinner (1987-90) and qualified for the NCAA Championships three times in the 200 butterfly (1988, 1989, 1990), as well as the 100 butterfly in 1988. In addition, Renie earned All-Big Ten honors in 1988 and 1990, as well as All-America status in 1989 and 1990 for the 200 fly (with an honorable mention for the 400 medley relay). In both 1988 and 1990, Renie claimed the Big Ten titles in the 200 fly. She was the first Purdue woman to break the two-minute barrier in the event, and her time still ranks ninth overall in program history. Seven years later, Renie returned as the women’s assistant coach (1997-2011). Since 2011, she has served as the director of operations for both teams at the aquatic center.

Stuart Schweigert

Schweigert was a four-year letterwinner (2000-03), earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2001 and 2003, as well as second-team All-America status n 2003. He was named the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and set the program's career interception record of 17. Schweigert led the team in tackles during his freshman and sophomore seasons and ranked third as a junior and senior. In each of Schweigert’s last three years, he finished as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. He finished his storied career with 360 tackles (second all-time among Boilermaker defensive backs and ninth overall), 18 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks. After his collegiate career, Schweigert was selected in the third round (67th pick) of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.

Lauren Sesselmann

Sesselmann was a four-year letterwinner (2001-03, 05) and achieved first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2003 and 2005. She helped lead Purdue to four 10-win seasons, three NCAA Tournament berths and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2003 -- the same year she became the first Boilermaker to score 10 goals. In her four active seasons. She graduated as the program record holder in goals (34), assists (22), points (90), game-winning goals (13), shots on goal (124) and multi-goal games (7). Sesselmann still ranks in the top three in program history in goals, assists and points, with her point record standing until 2017. She continued her success with Team Canada, winning gold at the 2011 Pan American Games and earning bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games. Sesselmann has also played in various professional leagues, including the NWSL, W-League and WPS.

Alex Yunevich

An All-Big Ten fullback on the unbeaten conference championship team of 1929, Yunevich was known as one of the “four riveters” of the first Boilermaker team to win a league title. He was a three-year letterwinner (1929-31). Yunevich coached at Central State Teachers College (now Central Michigan University) for three years and Alfred University in New York for 36 years before retiring in 1976 with a combined record of 186-98-13, including six undefeated seasons. He was named Small College Coach of the Year in 1956 and again in 1971. Yunevich has also been nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue University Athletics Hall of Fame 2022 names its new class