Athletic Hall of Fame

Class of 2001

Mike Exline

Mike Exline, class of 1973, is being inducted into the Upper Iowa University Hall of Fame in the officials category. He was a four-year letter winner in football, starting every game except one from 1969-1972. He earned Second Team All-Conference honors as an offensive lineman in 1972. Exline also lettered three years as a Peacock wrestler (1969-1971), and was a member of three Iowa Conference Championship wrestling teams.

Exline earned a B.A. in Elementary Education and Physical Education. He was employed in the teaching-coaching profession at Jesup Community Schools from 1974 to 1980. Since 1982, he has been a very successful New York Life Agent and Manager, located in Charles City.

Since 1975, Exline has had an exemplary career as a wrestling official on the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels. He has officiated at the state and national levels. Exline was honored in 1999 by being inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame and being named the Official of the Year by the National Federation Interscholastic Officials Association. Major highlights of his career include officiating the NCAA Division I Nationals for eight years and working the Division II and III Nationals four times. Exline has also officiated the prestigious Midland Tournament since 1985, the Big Ten and Big 12 Tournaments, the Iowa-Iowa State duals and the NAIA National Wrestling Championships four times.

A 1969 graduate of Charles City High School, he was an outstanding all-conference Northeast Iowa athlete in football, wrestling and baseball. Exline resides in Charles City and has two sons, Ben and Zach.

Dan Marske

Dan Marske, class of 1972, is being inducted into the Upper Iowa University Hall of Fame in the athlete category. He was a four-year letterman in basketball - 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972. He was an All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference performer, earning Second Team honors in 1971 and being named the First Team All-IIAC center in 1972. Marske was selected to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District 15 honor team at the center position in 1972. He followed this honor by also being named the Upper Iowa Most Valuable Player that year. The 1972 team participated in the NAIA District 15 Finals. He concluded his collegiate career by being selected to play in the Iowa Senior All-Star Game in Cedar Rapids.

Marske is a member of the Upper Iowa 1000-point club, finishing his career with 1,231 points (11th on the career list). He also added 918 career rebounds (fifth on the Upper Iowa rebound list).

A graduate of Freeport (Ill.) High School, where he excelled in athletics, Marske earned a B.A. in Business Administration. He followed his degree work by becoming a Licensed Realtor in 1974. His professional career has seen him advance from agent to Broker/Co-owner, Manager and Vice President of Banc One Mortgage Corp. He has been the Broker/Owner of Re/Max Property Source, an independently owned and operated realty firm in Rockford, Ill., since 1996.

Marske and his wife Kathleen reside in Rockford. They have three daughters, Amy, Ginger and Jennifer.

Lori Meyer

Lori Meyer, class of 1982, is being inducted into the Upper Iowa University Hall of Fame in the coaching category. She lettered in softball, basketball and volleyball during her undergraduate years at Upper Iowa. Meyer competed in womenís athletics during the time Upper Iowa was a member of the Associated Intercollegiate Athletic Women, prior to the formation of the IIAC Conference for women in 1983.

Upon graduation, Meyer became a Graduate Assistant in softball and volleyball at Mankato State University, now Minnesota State. Moving rapidly up the career ladder, she was named Head Softball Coach, Assistant Volleyball Coach and Instructor in Physical Education in 1984. Since 1984, she has been the softball coach at Minnesota State University and become the schoolís all-time winningest coach with a 525-354-2 record on the diamond.

During her career, her teams have won two North Central Conference Championships and played in four NCAA Division II Tournaments. Meyer has been named North Central Conference Coach of the Year five times (1986, 1987, 1989, 1995 and 1997) and Midwest Regional Coach of the Year three times. She has coached 10 All-Americans and her MSU teams have won 25 games or more in 12 of her 17 seasons. Now in her 18th year, Meyer has conducted clinics on the state and national levels and in Europe.

A graduate of Albert City-Truesdale High School, Meyer serves as Assistant Athletic Director and Assistant Professor of Human Performance along with her coaching duties at Minnesota State. Meyer lives in Mankato, Minn.

John Miller

John Miller, class of 1968, is being inducted into the Upper Iowa University Hall of Fame in the athlete category. A three-year letter winner for the Peacock basketball team, Miller served as a co-captain of the 1967-68 team. He averaged 16.9 points as a junior and followed that up by leading the Iowa Conference in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game, as a senior. Prior to this, Miller was a valuable member of the 1966 and 1967 IIAC champion teams, helping the 1967 team reach the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. In 1967, Miller was named to the Second Team All-Iowa Conference. He was named the First Team All-Conference center and selected to the NAIA District 15 First Team in 1968. This was followed by earning National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Honorable Mention All-American honors. He concluded his career as a member of the Upper Iowa 1000-point club, with 1,044 career points, and was named to play in the Iowa Senior All-Star Game.

Miller served two years in the United States Army. He had a very successful management-ownership business career, retiring in the fall of 1999.

A 1964 graduate of Regina High School in Iowa City, Miller earned a Business Administration degree at UIU. Coach Stan Jack recruited Miller to Upper Iowa. Jack commented, "without reservation, he was one of the most dedicated, loyal, hard-working student-athletes I had the privilege of coaching in my 31 years."

Miller and his wife Betty reside in Riverside, Iowa. They are the parents of Julie, Mike and Jennifer.

Steve Staker

Steve Staker, class of 1968, is being inducted into the Upper Iowa University Hall of Fame in the coaching category. He was a letter winner in football as a fullback. In 1966, he was named to the IIAC First Team at the fullback position. Staker presently holds the UIU football record for the longest touchdown run from scrimmage ñ a 95-yard run vs. Milton College in 1966.

An illustrious coaching record to date, Staker has served as a multi-talented coach and teacher at Fredericksburg High School for 34 years. He has been the Head Football Coach for 33 years, compiling 152 wins, four district championships and three state playoff appearances. Staker was named to the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and named the Class A Coach of the Year in 1994. As a baseball coach for 29 years, Staker has earned 341 victories, three conference championships and one IHSAA state tournament appearance. In the spring, Staker earned an IHSAA state title and was named Class A Coach of the Year in 1992 as the Head Track Coach.

A graduate of North Tama High School in Traer, Iowa, where he excelled in athletics, Staker earned his Bachelor Degree in Physical Education and History. He has served the community of Fredericksburg with dedication to various committees and organizations, along with his service to state high school coaching associations. Staker is in his 29th year as Athletic Director for the Fredericksburg School District.

He and his wife Linda are the parents of four sons, Cody, Lance, Shane and Tyler and daughter Shannon. They reside in Fredericksburg.