NORTH NEWTON, Kan. - The Bethel College Hall of Fame selection committee is pleased to announce the Bethel College Athletics Hall of Fame Class for 2023. 

The new inductees are the 1996-97 Women's Tennis team and two-sport athlete Doug DeGroot.

The 2023 induction ceremony will be held on the evening of October 13th at the Sand Creek Event Center as a part of Bethel's annual Fall Festival celebration. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

"Being selected to the distinguished Bethel College Athletics Hall of Fame is a special honor. The '96-97 women's tennis team and football/track and field star Doug DeGroot were some of Bethel's finest overall athletes," Interim Athletic Director Collin Loutensock said. "I look forward to inducting this tremendous class this coming fall."

The 1996-97 Women's Tennis Team

The 1996-97 Bethel College Thresher women's tennis team ranks among the all-time best at Bethel and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC). The Thresher women were ranked 19th in the NAIA fall ratings, the first-ever NAIA national rankings earned by women from the KCAC in the fall. The Threshers' undefeated fall season was highlighted by a 5-4 victory over NCAA DII Washburn University, a first-place finish in the Bethel Invitational, and their fifth consecutive KCAC championship.

En route to a fourth consecutive national qualification, Bethel turned in some strong performances during the spring season and extended their KCAC dual winning streak of 42. Bethel compiled an overall dual record of 16-2. At the KCAC National Qualifier Tournament in May, the Threshers produced their most dominant conference tournament result in years by winning 15 of 18 matches. The Bethel women made finals in all nine flights, winning number two through six singles and number two doubles. The 1996-97 year concluded in Tulsa with the NAIA national championships.  All six members of the team were victorious, a first for a Thresher team at nationals, as they swept their first round of doubles matches. The Threshers ended their season with a 26th-place finish at nationals.
 
Doug DeGroot - Football, Men's Track and Field 1997-2001

DeGroot was a two-sport athlete during his four years at Bethel College leading the Thresher defense in Football and running multiple events for the Track and Field teams. He was a team captain and four-year letter-winner for football from 1997-2000. In 1998 and 2000 DeGroot was named an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. Following those two seasons he was named a Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American. In every season but his freshman year Doug was named a unanimous First Team All-KCAC Defensive selection. In 2000 he won the College Football Hustle Play of the Year award. In 1998 he led the KCAC in interceptions. He recorded 210 tackles, 14 interceptions, 3 block punts and 3 blocked field goals (two of which would have been game-winning field goals).
 
On the track DeGroot was named an All-American for the 400M hurdles in 2001. He was a three-time Outdoor National Meet qualifier in the 110M high hurdles in '99-'01, improving by one position each year (11th, 10th, and 9th). He was a two-time Outdoor National Championship qualifier in the 400m hurdles in '00 and '01 finishing 11th and 5th. He was a four-time All-KCAC Sprinter/Hurdler, a three-time KCAC Champion in the 110M hurdles and a one-time KCAC Champion in the 400M hurdles in '01. He earned 13 All-KCAC selections between 110M high hurdles, 400M hurdles, 4x100M relay and 4x400M relay in his four seasons on the track. He was a member of the 4x100m relay that set a school record in 2000 and a member of the 4x400m relay team that set a school record in 2001 that still stands today. He was Bethel College's Male Athlete of the Year in 1999 and was a finalist for the Greater Wichita Sports Commission Male Athlete of the Year in 2001.