WAVERLY, Iowa — The Wartburg College Athletics Hall of Fame Committee has announced the class of 2021 inductees –
Akeya Aimable (women's track & field, volleyball),
Justin Beatty (football),
Blake Gillis (wrestling),
Wil Kelly (wrestling)
Molly (Eslick) Kremer (women's tennis),
Ryan Moorman (baseball),
Jacob Naig (wrestling),
Monica Severson (coach/administrator), and
Nick Weber (football).
Akeya Aimable '09
Women's Track & Field, Volleyball
Kansas City, Mo.
Akeya Aimable, a 2009 Wartburg graduate, competed in track & field and volleyball, excelling on the track as a two-time triple jump national champion and five-time All-American. She wrapped up her career in 2009 winning the triple jump at both the indoor (39-6) and outdoor (39-10.25) national championships, helping guide the Knights to indoor and outdoor team national titles. Aimable was also a member of three All-American relay squads; 2006 indoor 4x400-meter relay, 2006 outdoor 4x100, and the 2008 indoor 4x100.
At the conference stage, Aimable was a 13-time All-Conference performer and was a part of four consecutive indoor conference championship teams from 2006-09 and three-straight outdoor from 2006-08. She won the 2009 conference indoor triple jump and was a member of a pair of conference champion relay teams, including the 2009 indoor conference record-setting 4x200 team with that clocked a time of 1:41.54.
Aimable resides in Greenwood, Indiana, and is a Linux IT specialist with the TSO in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Justin Beatty '03
Football
Independence, Iowa
A four-year member of the Wartburg football team from 1999-02, Justin Beatty graduated in 2003. A two-time All-Conference and once All-Region running back, Beatty owns the third-most rushing yards in Wartburg football history with 3,700 and ranks among the top 10 in the Knights' record book in several categories, including the fifth most rushing touchdowns with 39.
In 2001, he tallied 12 touchdowns and 1,377 rushing yards en route to earning First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-Region accolades. He played in 41 career games, helping guide Wartburg to a record of 37-6 with conference titles and NCAA playoff appearances in 1999 and 2002. Beatty owns a Wartburg NCAA tournament game-high with three rushing touchdowns versus Lake Forest College in 2002.
Justin currently resides in Independence and works as an activities specialist with the State of Iowa.
Blake Gillis '08
Wrestling
Spencer, Iowa
A 2008 Wartburg graduate, Blake Gillis was a four-time All-American and NCAA Finalist, winning the heavyweight national title during his senior season in 2007. He led Wartburg to four consecutive conference championships, two national runner-up finishes, and national championships in 2004 and 2006.
Gillis was an Iowa Conference heavyweight champion in each of his four seasons in Orange & Black and was a three-time conference wrestler of the week award winner. He compiled 23 career technical falls, 12 falls, and totaled a career record of 139-11 to rank fifth on Wartburg's all-time wins list.
He was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Hall of Fame in 2018. Gillis and his wife, Krystal, have three children, Grayson, Avery, and Elle. He received a master's degree in Sports and Exercise Science Administration at the University of Central Missouri in 2014. Currently, Gillis is the general manager for the Gillis Family Dentistry in Clinton, Mo.
Wil Kelly '04
Wrestling
Dubuque, Iowa
William "Wil" Kelly was a two-time All-American wrestler at Wartburg from 2002-03, headlined by a national title at 141 lbs. during his senior season, tallying a 21-4 record. He also won the conference crown at his respective weight class during his final season in Orange & Black and placed third nationally in 2002. While compiling career record of 47-10, Kelly was a vital member of four-straight conference championship teams along with the 2003 national title squad that tallied 166.5 points, setting a new NCAA record for most points in a championship tournament.
From 2006-2009, he served as an assistant coach at Wartburg, helping lead the Knights to three national championships before taking the head coaching job at Cedar Falls High School. He led the Tigers for seven seasons from 2009-16. Kelly is also a member of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame and Dubuque Wahlert High School Hall of Fame.
Currently, Kelly is the property and casualty insurance – commercial auto liability claims representative for Cottingham and Butler. Him and his wife Ashley live in Dubuque, Iowa with their child Parker.
Molly (Eslick) Kremer '11
Women's Tennis
Fort Dodge, Iowa
The most decorated player in Wartburg women's tennis history, Kremer is the Knights' all-time wins leader in singles (86), No. 1 singles (63), doubles (60), and No. 1 doubles (50). A 2011 Wartburg graduate, she was a four-year member of the Wartburg women's tennis team and appeared on the All-Conference singles team in four-straight seasons, including the singles and doubles All-Conference teams in 2010. She also won a doubles flight at the conference tournament in 2010 with teammate Leanna Nelson.
A 2011 CoSIDA Academic All-District award winner, Kremer was a three-time Academic All-Conference and ITA Scholar Athlete. The Knights also received ITA Academic Team awards during her tenure from 2007-10.
Molly earned a master's degree from Morningside College and now resides in Newton, Iowa, with her husband, Mike, and two children; Easton and Ivory. She works as a second-grade teacher in the Newton Community School District.
Ryan Moorman '06
Baseball
Boone, Iowa
Ryan Moorman, a 2006 graduate, was a four-year starting pitcher for the Wartburg baseball team. While collecting a career record of 23-8 with 10 complete games, 203 strikeouts, and a 3.27 earned run average in over 250 innings pitched, Moorman earned four consecutive All-Conference selections, including three First Team All-Conference honors and a pair of All-Region laurels.
A member of four consecutive Iowa Conference championship teams, Moorman ranks among the top 10 in many pitching categories in the Wartburg baseball record book, including the second-best opponent batting average (.171) recorded in 2005 to help lead the Knights to a regional title and college world series appearance. During his senior season in 2006, Moorman tallied four complete games with two shutouts in 83.2 innings, finishing second in the conference with 61 strikeouts.
Ryan works as the Vice President at The Rolfes in Boone, Iowa, and has two children, Stella and Hendrix with his wife, Melissa.
Jacob Naig '09
Wrestling
Emmetsburg, Iowa
A 2009 graduate, Jacob Naig was a four-year member of the Wartburg wrestling team from 2004-09, playing a key role in four consecutive conference championships and national championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
Competing at the 149-pound weight class, Naig was a four-time All-American, headlined by a national championship in 2008. He placed 6
th at nationals in 2005, second in 2006, and third in 2009. At the conference level, Naig was a three-time conference champion, including a conference MVP honor in 2006. He registered a career record of 80-11 with 21 pins, nine major decisions, and four technical falls, inclusive of a school record 43-win season during his national championship year in 2008.
He resides in Ankeny, Iowa, with his wife Danielle (Fullerton) '10 and children Natalie and Luke. Jacob works as a real estate agent with Realty ONE Group.
Monica Severson
Women's Basketball/Golf Head Coach, Associate Athletic Director, Senior Woman Administrator
Waverly, Iowa
Monica Severson contributed to Wartburg Athletics for over nearly three decades as a coach and administrator, serving as the women's basketball and women's golf head coach along with duties as the Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator before her resignation in 2016.
She started her career at Wartburg as the women's basketball head coach in 1988 and was at the helm until 2006, compiling the most wins in Wartburg coaching history with a career record of 335-131 in 18 seasons. Her teams were consistently among the top 20 nationally on the WBCA Academic Honor roll and won five conference titles and made nine trips to the national tournament which included three Elite Eight appearances. She was named the IIAC Coach of the Year in 1992 and 2001 and coached a two-time All-American in Kathy Roberts and two IIAC MVPs (Roberts and Holly Mohs, a two-time honoree). The 2000-01 team set the program record in wins (26) and had a 21-game winning streak. She ranks in the top 50 all-time in Division III in career wins (335) and winning percentage (.719). Seven of the 12 members of the women's basketball 1,000 career point club played for Severson, including the all-time leading scorer (Roberts, 2,146 points).
In 2007, Severson took on the role as head coach of the women's golf team and turned the Knights into an Iowa Conference powerhouse, winning nine straight conference titles in her nine years at the helm of the women's golf program. Three individuals won five IIAC Golfer of the Year awards, seven competitors received 12 All-Region honors and Kate Thompson received Second-team All-American honors in 2008. Severson was awarded the 2016 Midwest Region Coach of the Year and IIAC Coach of the Year six times. Wartburg also made nine straight appearances in the NCAA Championships and finished as high as 10th in the team standings in 2008. The 2014-15 team set a school record with five tournament wins in a single season, and all-season scoring records, both individual and team, occurred during her tenure.
From 1998 to 2016, she was Wartburg's Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator. She served on many NCAA Division III committees during her career: women's golf (1995-2000), cross country and track and field (2000-04), softball (2004-08) and Championships (2011-15).
Severson graduated from Dakota State University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in physical education and in 1987 from South Dakota State University with a Master of Science in exercise science.
Currently, Severson works in Waverly as a financial advisor for Thrivent. She is married to Scott Severson and has one son Ryan, a 2015 Wartburg graduate.
Nick Weber '08
Football
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
A four-year member of the Wartburg football team from 2004-07, Weber graduated in 2008. A dual-threat athlete and outstanding return specialist, Weber was a four-time Iowa All-Conference honoree including two straight First Team honors from 2006-07 and a three-time All-American. The Knights won a conference championship with a NCAA playoff appearance in 2004.
During his senior year in 2007, Weber tied for the team lead with four interceptions and finished second in the conference with a punt return average of 14.5 yards. He also finished second on the team with 801 all-purpose yards, including 264 receiving yards and was named an AFCA First Team All-American. In the Wartburg record book, he ranks second with 775 career punt return yards and sixth with 14 interceptions.
Weber resides in Solon, Iowa, with his wife Andrea and two kids Hadley and Reagan. He works as a sales representative for Medtronic.
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