Four individuals and three teams will be inducted into the Lindenwood Athletics Hall of Fame on October 1. (Image courtesy: Lindenwood Athletics)

DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer

ST. CHARLES, MO — The Lindenwood University athletics department revealed the names of the seven inductees into the Lindenwood Athletics Hall of Fame on Wednesday morning. Connor Harris, Patrick Ross, and Janel Teiken are three former players or coaches to earn the honor, while the 2012 men’s rugby team, the 2017 women’s rugby team, and the 2016-17 Lionettes dance squad will also be enshrined. Lindenwood alumnus Randy Karraker will be honored with the Meritorious Service Award.

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled to be held on campus at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, 2022. Earlier that day, Lindenwood football will host its annual Homecoming Game against Southeast Missouri State at Hunter Stadium.

The football game is scheduled to kickoff at 1 p.m., and will be Lindenwood’s first NCAA Division I home game in program history.

Connor Harris | Student-Athlete | Football | 2012-16
Connor Harris was a three-time All-American and four-time all-MIAA selection during his career as a Lion from 2012-16. The Lee’s Summit, Mo., native started all 48 games in which he appeared in at Lindenwood and finished his career as the NCAA All-Division record holder for career tackles with 633.

Harris, who played linebacker at Lindenwood, averaged over 13 tackles a game in his career, while posting double-figure tackles in 38 games, and posting five games with 20 or more tackles.

Following the 2016 campaign, Harris was recognized as the winner of the Cliff Harris Award as the National Small College Defensive Player of the Year.

Harris went on to sign a free agent contract with the New York Jets in 2017 before spending time with the Arizona Cardinals and the Cincinnati Bengals organizations during 2017 and 2018.

Patrick Ross | Head Coach | Football | 2004-16
Patrick Ross directed the Lindenwood football program from 2004-16 and remains the winningest head football coach in program history with a record of 93-57 (.620 winning percentage).

Ross led the Lions to four Heart of America Conference Championships and five NAIA postseason appearances. From 2007-11, Ross and the Lions managed a staggering 51-10 record (.836 winning percentage), which included a 28-2 mark at Hunter Stadium.

Following his first season at Lindenwood in 2004 which resulted in an 11-1 record, Ross was recognized as the Schutt Sports National Coach of the Year. Ross would earn a similar honor after a 13-1 season in 2009 when he was honored as the NAIAfootball.net National Coach of the Year.

Ross helped to cement Lindenwood’s place as a national power with back-to-back NAIA National Semifinal appearances in 2008-09, which included a trip to the NAIA National Championship game in 2009.

Janel Teiken | Student-Athlete | Cross Country/Track and Field | 1990-94
Janel Teiken was a standout within the Lindenwood cross country and track and field program from 1990-94. By the end of her time as a Lion, Teiken had claimed 15 all-district awards between outdoor track, indoor track, and cross country.

Teiken, a native of Kearney, Mo., qualified nine times for the NAIA National Championships combined in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. She became the first female runner in program history to receive recognition as an NAIA All-American, earning the distinction for the 3,000-meter run at the 1993 NAIA Indoor National Championships.

Teiken’s legacy endured over two decades as the program record holder for the outdoor 1,500M from 1993-2013 with a time of 4:43. As of 2022, Teiken remains in the top 10 times for two running events for Lindenwood Track and Field records.

Randy Karraker | Meritorious Service Award
Randy Karraker graduated from Lindenwood University in 1984 with a degree in communications. Since that time, Karraker has built a career as one of the premiere sports voice within the St. Louis region.

Karraker has become synonymous with St. Louis sports in roles that include everything from talk radio host to play-by-play broadcaster on the most recognizable networks in the area. He has helped blaze a continuous trail for countless sports personalities and on-air talent who have attended Lindenwood University.

Karraker continues his involvement at Lindenwood University in a variety of ways that include time spent as a charter member of the President’s Council, a member of the Alumni Advisory Board, and as the emcee of numerous athletics events, including several Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies.

2012 Lindenwood Men’s Rugby | Team
In just the first season of competition for the Lindenwood men’s rugby program, the Lions captured the 2012 USA Rugby Men’s Division II College National Championship.

The Lions took down Salisbury University by a final score of 50-12 to claim the title. To reach the title match, Lindenwood first had to knock off Utah Valley, which they did in convincing fashion with a 57-10 triumph in the semifinals.

Following the Championship, Lindenwood’s Trevor Locke was selected as the MVP. Lindenwood finished the 2012 campaign with a collegiate record of 20-0 and topped the 100-point mark six times during the regular season. Lindenwood became the first men’s rugby program to win a collegiate national championship in its first year of existence.

2017 Lindenwood Women’s Rugby | Team
The Lions won the 2017 USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens National Championship with a 31-12 victory over rival Life University at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado.

It was the first national title of any kind for the Lindenwood women’s rugby program. The Lions raced through pool play with a perfect 3-0 record on Saturday, outscoring their opponents 110-10.

Over the course of six matches, 12 different players posted points for Lindenwood, led by 45 from Hannah Gauthreaux on nine tries, which earned her MVP honors.

2016-17 Lionettes | Team
The 2016-2017 Lindenwood Lionettes Dance Team cemented their legacy by winning the first National Championship title program history. The team of 20, which included 10 freshmen, competed at the NDA College Cheer and Dance Championship Competition in Daytona, Florida in April of 2017.

The Lionettes entered the event having never achieved an overall finish above third place. However, following their dance to “Give Me Love”, the Lionettes were awarded the title of D2 Jazz Champions.

Lindenwood sports information contributed to this story.