PERU - Peru State College announced its 2024 inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame in December.

The 32nd Hall of Fame class included the 1994 Bobcat baseball team that was the college’s winningest team in 40 years with 34 wins.

1969 graduates John Creamer and Jerry Eickhoff were honored. Creamer, a Nebraska State College all-star football end,  was a letter winner in football and baseball.
Jerry Eickhoff was a Nebraska coaching legend. At the time of his retirement, he was the state’s all-time leader in boys’ basketball victories with 670. He was also inducted into the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame for his record at Hampton, including 51 straight victories from 1972 to 1974.

 

Pat Mertens was an all-district football player.
The Lincoln Southeast graduate was an accounting major and linebacker.
Sarah Murray was the first Bobcat in nearly 30 years to compete in national cross country championship.

The Bobcat baseball team was near the top of the NAIA pitching charts in April of 1994 with an earned run average of 3.61 after 31 games. The team batting average was .327.

 

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Peru State College

Here is the college’s press release

Nearly 150 alumni, family, and friends gathered in the Student Center November 1 to recognize the 2024 Peru State College Athletic Hall of Fame honorees.

 The 32nd Hall of Fame Class included individuals John Creamer, Jr. (Hampton, Conn.), Jerry Eickhoff (Lincoln), Pat Mertens (Hastings), and Sarah (Williams) Murray (Tarkio, Mo.). Also inducted were the coaches and players from the 1994 baseball team.

Creamer, a 1969 graduate, was a four-time letterwinner in football and a three-time letterwinner in baseball who earned the Swenson Award at the end of his career. Also a 1969 graduate, Eickhoff was a Nebraska high school coaching legend who at the time of his retirement was the state’s all-time leader in boys’ basketball victories with 670.

A 1986 graduate, Mertens excelled both on the football field and in the classroom. He was twice named to the NAIA District 11 First Team Defense and later was the first Peru football player to be name to the then-GTE College Division Second Team, which is commonly known as an Academic All-American. Murray, a 2014 graduate, was Peru’s first women’s cross country competitor to compete in a national championship in nearly 30 years. She still holds all the major race records to this day for Peru State.

Each of the individuals thanked those who helped make their selection happen and all had a common theme which they shared: high regards for the education and support they received while at Peru State.

A Worcester, Mass., native, Creamer noted Peru State College gave him his start to his life-long career in psychology and education. He told the current students in attendance that there are opportunities on the campus they need to take advantage of at any time they can.

Eickhoff, a Verdon, Neb. native, talked about how his college life shaped his career including his experience with Coach Jack McIntire and his Theory of Basketball class. He added that while he has received many different accolades, this one really got to him as it come from Peru State College.

A Lincoln native, Mertens thanked his coaches and teammates who all helped him become a better player and student. He also shared that three of his sons came to Peru State to receive an education and play football. One of his ending comments was, “Every time I come to Peru, I just feel like I’m home.”

 Murray thanked her former Bobcat coach and later, husband, the late Dr. Johann Murray and current Bobcat cross country coach James Cole (‘07) for their support and motivation in her past and current running career. She noted “running is not only about your successes, but it is also about your failures.” Murray had her daughters Jaina and Aia join her during her speech.

The 1994 Bobcat Baseball team was Peru’s winningest team in 40 years with 34 victories. Its final winning percentage of .680 still stands as the second-best in 77 years of play. The coaches and players in attendance were head coach Dan Johnson, assistant coach Jerry LeFever, Greg Bentz, Tony Duffek, Shawn Exner, Matt Grewe, Scott Kier, Greg Larsen, Mike Maroney, Chris Michael, Matt Miller, Duncan Patterson, Andy Plummer, and Chris Raabe.

Coach Johnson and Matt Grewe spoke on behalf of the team. Coach Johnson noted that the opportunity for this team to help build their facilities was the piece that brought the young men together and to be successful. He added that he had not been back since 1996, and the evening was special as they bonded together as a team again.

Grewe thanked many people for the team’s honor. He noted everyone knew how good Peru State football was in the 90s, but he wasn’t sure how many knew how good Peru State baseball was. Grewe stated that being recognized was a tremendous honor and it gave him and his teammates a ton of pride.

In addition to the Friday night banquet, the inductees were recognized at halftime of the Bobcat football game with Culver-Stockton which Peru State won 52-21.

The Peru State Hall of Fame gallery is located on the second floor of the Al Wheeler Activity Center.