KENOSHA, Wis. - Parkside Athletics is looking forward to celebrating the Parkside Athletics Hall of Fame presented by Legend Rings on Saturday, Oct. 29. The event, which will honor the history of women's sports at Parkside and the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, will be held in Alfred and Bernice De Simone Arena.

Leading up to the event, Parkside Athletics will be spotlighting each inductee.

Individual inductees in the Class of 2022 include: Shannon Becker Dopke '12 (WSOC), Naomi Fulton '08 (WXCTF), Amanda Gibson Gwidt '10 (WBB), Jessica Lamp Monson '09 (WXCTF), Jadee Rooney Wesley '12 (WBB), and Kim Vanderbush Gauthier '90 (SB). Dr. Barbara Osborne '82 will be an inducted as an honorary member, and the 2008 women's soccer team will be inducted as a team.  

To register to celebrate the Class of 2022 and attend the Parkside Athletics Hall of Fame presented by Legend Rings, click here. 

Our next inductee spotlight is Naomi Bong Fulton.

Naomi Bong Fulton '08 (2004-08), Women's Cross Country/Track & Field 
Fulton was a 9-time NCAA Division II All-American, including five times in indoor track & field, three times in outdoor track & field, and once in cross country. A 12-time NCAA qualifier, Fulton was All-GLVC nine times and won the conference championship in the mile at the 2006 and 2008 indoor championships. In her post-collegiate running career, Fulton finished 18th overall at the 2018 Boston Marathon and qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.  

Fulton: "I am so honored to have been selected for the Hall of Fame. My years of running at UWP are filled with incredible memories and I loved every moment of being on the cross country and track teams. The camaraderie, commitment, sportsmanship, and perseverance that was part of every practice and competition molded me into the person I am today. I am so grateful for my family and coach who always supported me." 

Q&A WITH BONG FULTON
What about your time at UW-Parkside helped you transition into post graduate life?
The work experiences I had through the athletics department under Linda Draft and Don Kopriva provided me with a career path, networking and the skills to get the job!
 
What were some of your favorite things to do or spots on campus when you were a student-athlete?
Campus was much smaller when I went to Parkside -- many of the athletes took the bowling class for physical education credit, so we'd hang out in the bowling alley after class.
 
What was the most memorable sports moment you had when you were a student-athlete?
Definitely winning a national championship.  It was the first year the NAIA offered women's championships, and cross country was the first fall championship conducted. So our women's cross country team winning that championship was a first of several firsts. We drove to Salina, Kansas in a 15 passenger van, won the championship, and the ride back seemed so much sweeter and shorter!
 
What does it mean to you to accept this recognition as an official member of the 2022 Parkside Athletics Hall of Fame class, and specifically, as the only all female class in Parkside Athletics history?
Being honored with the all female class in a celebration of Title IX is so special.  I was recruited to run cross country and track when Parkside didn't even have enough female athletes to field a full team.  It was such a privilege and honor to help build the legacy of success in our cross country and track programs.
 
What do you miss most about being a student-athlete?
My teammates.
 
The Hall of Fame dinner and ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. For more information, contact Jake Sutter at sutter@uwp.edu.