Six individuals will be honored as part of the 32nd annual UNO Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Wednesday night at the DoubleTree Downtown Hotel. Included will be UNO's 2006-07 athletes of the year and three awards to supporters of the athletic program.

The event features the induction of three new hall of famers, football player MarTay Jenkins, softball pitcher Michelle Manthei Kankousky and softball coach Mary Yori.

Hockey All-American Scott Parse, national wrestling champion JD Naig and NCC track athlete of the year Molly Belling are the athletes of the year, selected by the area sportswriters and broadcasters.

The supporters include Dave Van Metre, the Maverick Club Man of the Year; Chris Wendlandt, the Maverick Women's Executive Board Distinguished Person of the Year and DLR Group and Ken West, the Corporate Citizen of the Year.

Athletes of the Year
Male Athlete of the Year: Scott Parse
UNO's all-time scoring leader, he was a two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist, a three-time all-CCHA first-team player and the team MVP four straight years. He scored 24 goals and had 28 assists last season before signing in the summer with the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL

Male Athlete of the Year: JD Naig
He capped his remarkable career with his third national championship in March. His senior record of 44-7 put him at No. 4 in all-time wins with 142 for his career. He was also a member of the NCC all-academic team, all-district academic team and a three-time coaches All-American academic team pick.

Female Athlete of the Year: Molly Belling
An All-American at both the indoor and outdoor national meets, she won 4 NCC events and set a league record in the 100-meter dash. She was the NCC's outstanding athlete in the outdoor meet and was the region's athlete of the year by the U.S. track and field coaches. In addition, she was a member of the coaches' all-academic team.


Maverick Man of the Year
Dave Van Metre
Long active with UNO's Maverick Club, he has been involved in athletics as a player, booster and contributor. A standout player and a graduate of Colorado College, he was drafted by the NFL's Rams before entering private business. He is also engaged in refurbishing inner city athletic facilities in the area.

Distinguished Person of the Year
Chris Wendlandt
A prime example of unrestricted devotion to UNO athletics, she has provided behind-the-scenes support for the Diet Pepsi Women's Walk, luncheons, golf tournaments, corporate sponsorships and banquets. She and husband Terry are also visible supporters at numerous men's and women's athletic events throughout the year.

Corporate Citizen of the Year
DLR Group/Ken West
Involved in the development of facilities that are integral to the success of UNO and athletics, DLR Group has established a relationship of trust. As director of the DLR Group Nebraska office, he led the development of the Qwest Center Omaha, the home of the hockey Mavericks and has served on the Maverick Council Executive Board and is also involved in the master plan for fuutre athletic facilities.