Hall of Fame Class 2000
Mischelle Brown, Women’s Basketball (1983-87)
Brown's records at RU do indeed speak for themselves. A forward who played four years (110 games) for former Director of Athletics, Barb Schroeder from 1983-87. Brown ranks third in all-time points in Regis’ record books having scored 1,459 points. She still remains as Regis’ top rebounder sitting atop the ranks with 1,212 boards, second in field goals with 609, and steals with 400. Furthermore, Brown was an All-Conference and All-State selection during her prep career at Denver's Kennedy High School-remains 10th on the Regis career charts in assists.
On Regis' list of single-season women's rebounding leaders, Brown holds first, second and seventh place. She hauled in 372 boards during her junior season 1985-86 which to say to this day remains the top single-season mark in program history. Brown was a rebounding machine at Regis, setting the career standard with 11.0 boards per game.
Brown posted a career scoring average of 13.3 points per game while a Ranger, ranking her third all-time. On the single-scoring list she holds both fifth (460 points in 1985-86) and sixth (440 in 1986-87) places. In addition to those marks, Brown also holds the season record for steals with 132 in 1985-86. During her illustrious career, Brown was selected NAIA All-District VII in 1985-86 and was a two-time All-Continental Divide Conference selection.
With all the records and honors Brown earned during her playing career, she will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the top women's basketball players in both the CDC and the region during her days as a Ranger.
Frank Newton, Football/Men’s Basketball (1940-43)
Newton was born in Trinidad, Colo., a town that to this day regards him as a favored native son. He came to Regis in 1940 and immediately made an impact playing football and basketball. Newton played four years on the hoops team under coach Gaston Santi and was a three-year letterwinner for the football team while playing for legendary coaches "Sarge" MacKenzie and Lou Kellogg. Newton brought considerable athletic talent with him from Southeast Colorado. In fact, he played on the varsity units in both basketball and football his freshman year. To this day, Newton holds a Regis record that, it is safe to say, will never be broken. In a game against Colorado Mines, Newton picked off a buck lateral at the Ranger two and went 98 yards for a touchdown-the longest runback in team history.
It's likely to say that Newton was already displaying his strong leadership traits when he left Regis in the fall of 1943. The United States Marines certainly noticed. Newton joined the Marines that year and served in both World War II and the Korean War. Newton attained the rank of Captain during his hitch. Following Korea, Newton served as Colo./Wyo. Regional Director of the Veterans Administration until 1978.
Newton has never been one to sit still. In addition to excelling at golf (he has eight holes-in-one in his lifetime), Newton has continued to give back to Regis and the community at-large. He currently serves as a mentor in the Oasis Program where he tutors elementary school students, is president of the Lakewood Rotary Club, is a member of the Regis University President's Council.
John Nilles, Men’s Basketball (1986-88)
Nilles was a gangly, under-sized center for Lonnie Porter's 1987-88 team who turned in a performance that was truly amazing-even by his standards. Nilles poured in 34 points-going an incredible 14-14 from the field-while leading the Rangers to an 87-71 win over Chadron State College. For many years after that, whenever we returned to the Armstrong Gymnasium, the regulars at the Chadron State games would talk about his performance with a sense of awe present in their voices.
At season's end, the Rangers posted 20 wins for Coach Porter. Nilles was the leading scorer (17.2 points per game) and rebounder (8.8 per game) on that team, and, in many ways, his quiet leadership set the tone for the success that squad enjoyed.
Nilles earned a 3.90 grade point average and, after the 1988 season, received a host of awards for his efforts. He was named First Team Academic All-American and Regis Scholar-Athlete of the Year by his peers in the Student Senate. In the spring of 1988, he became the first Regis University men's basketball player to earn a prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship.
1994 Women’s Soccer Team
In its previous five years of existence, the Regis University women's soccer team has never finished with a winning record. In 1994, however, sixth-year Head Coach Roland Sturk's team turned the program around and put Regis women's soccer on the map. That year, the Rangers not only became the first women's soccer team in school history to produce a winning season, but it came within one win of NCAA Division II National Championship.
The team began that year by winning six of its first seven matches, including a 4-0 mark in the Colorado Athletic Conference. Juniors Amy Giltner and Tatum Mohoney, along with sophomore Jen O'Brien led a potent Regis offense-one that outscored its opponents 20-6 in those first seven contests. During that span, the goal-keeping duo of Dani Campbell and Shakira Anderson-both freshman-allowed just 0.87 goals per game. The winning ways continued for the ladies as they finished the regular season 13-7-0 and won the program's first conference championship.
Regis hosted Sonoma State in the ensuing NCAA II Regional playoff game and won in thrilling fashion, claiming a 5-4 victory in a penalty kick shoot-out. The electric win advanced Regis to the NCAA II Final Four at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. In the semi-finals, Regis downed Quincy 3-1 and went on to the championship where the Rangers suffered a 2-0 loss to an undefeated Franklin Pierce squad. Campbell, who holds all of Regis' career goal keeping records, was named all-tournament at the Final Four.
Mahoney, Regis' second-leading scorer, led the sqad with 26 total points on 12 goals and two assists. O'Brien finished with 24 points on 10 goals and four assists and Giltner 22 (10 goals, two assists). The goal keeping tandem of Campbell (1.63 season goals against average) and Anderson (0.94 GAA) recorded five shutouts that year while allowing just 34 goals in 23 matches.
This team paved the road for the future success of women's soccer at Regis, as just one team has ever finished below .500 since.
