The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Athletics announced May 29 the awardees for the Class of 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame.
Twelve former athletes and staff members earned the Hall of Fame title through their service and achievement during their time at UW and will be formally inducted during the Hall of Fame weekend, Sept. 5-6.
This year’s class includes Mohammed Ahmed, Dorcas Akinniyi, Molly Engstrom, Travis Frederick, Frank Kaminsky, Matt Lepay, Mary Massei, Joe Pavelski, Tom Shipley, Martin Smith, Cara Walls and James White.
.sno-6883c9506c464 {
background-color: #ffffff;border: 5px solid #888888;box-shadow: -1px 0 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%), 1px 0 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%), 0 1px 1px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 24%);margin: 30px auto; float: none;}
.sno-6883c9506c464 h5 {
color: #000000;
}
Mohammed Ahmed (2009-2014) and Martin Smith (1983-1997) – Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field
Ahmed ran for the Badgers over five seasons, winning four All-Big Ten nominations for cross country and five Big Ten events — the 2010 outdoor 10,000m, the 2011 cross country championship, the 2012 outdoor 5,000m event and both the indoor and outdoor championships in the 5,000m.
Ahmed also competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games during his UW career, finishing 18th in the 10,000m run. After graduating, he would go on to participate in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, earning Canada’s first Olympic medal for long-distance running with a second place finish in the 5,000m.
Smith, already a Hall of Famer for the US Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association in 2023, earned his spot in the UW Hall of Fame after an illustrious career as a Badger spanning 14 consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. He also led the Badgers to two national championships in 1985 and 1988 and earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors twice.
Dorcas Akinniyi (2009-2013) – Women’s Track and Field
Akinniyi dominated the heptathlon and pentathlon during her time at UW, winning three straight Big Ten pentathlon championships from 2010-2012 and two Big Ten heptathlon championships in 2010 and 2013.
She also earned a spot on Team USA for the 2010 North American, Central American and Caribbean U-23 Championships, winning silver in the heptathlon for the US.
In 2012, Akinniyi finished second in the NCAA track and field championships for the pentathlon, cementing her legacy in a wide range of track and field events at all levels of the sport.
Akinniyi would go on to earn her Master’s and PhD in counseling psychology from UW.
Molly Engstrom (2001-2005) – Women’s Hockey
Engstrom laid a robust foundation for the Badger women’s hockey program, earning two All-WCHA first team awards, and an All-American award and Patty Kazmaier Top-Ten finalist in 2005.
As a two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and the top defenseman at the 2010 Olympic Games as part of Team USA, Wisconsin Prep Hockey began presenting the Molly Engstrom Award in 2011 to a Wisconsin preparatory school’s top defenseman.
Travis Frederick (2009-2012) and James White (2010-2013) – Football
Both Frederick and White were part of the Badgers football teams that dominated the Big Ten during the early 2010s, winning three-straight Big Ten Championships from 2010-2012.
Frederick started his Badger career in 2009, becoming the first true freshman to start on the offensive line for the Badgers opening game of the season, later becoming the starting center and captain in 2012.
In 2013, Frederick earned his spot in the NFL as the 31st pick of the Dallas Cowboys and became the first rookie in franchise history to start every game at center. Since then, Frederick has earned five Pro Bowl nominations and earned a First-Team All-Pro spot in 2016 before retiring from professional football in 2020.
White enjoyed a similarly successful career in Madison, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2010 and currently sits sixth in all-time rushing yards for the Badgers with 4,015. After graduating in 2013, White made his way to the NFL as the 130th pick of the New England Patriots in the 2014 NFL Draft.
White would go on to win three Super Bowls with the Patriots alongside Tom Brady and a spot in the Patriots All-2010s Team. White currently holds the record for most points scored in a single Super Bowl game with 20, which came during the 28-3 comeback for the Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017.
Frank Kaminsky (2011-2015) – Men’s Basketball
Also known as “The Tank”, Kaminsky enjoyed a prolific career as a Badger, winning the 2015 Naismith College Player of the Year award on the way to UW’s first March Madness final since 1941. Kaminsky also holds the single-game scoring record of 43 points against North Dakota during the 2013 season and the single-season points record with 732 points during the 2014-15 season.
After graduating from UW, Kaminsky went on to be drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the ninth pick, becoming the first top-10 pick in the draft since Devin Harris in 2004. After eight seasons in the NBA averaging 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, Kaminsky left the NBA and currently plays for the Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors G-League affiliate team.
.sno-6883c9506d0d3 {
background-color: #ffffff;border: 5px solid #888888;box-shadow: -1px 0 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%), 1px 0 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%), 0 1px 1px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 24%);margin: 30px auto; float: none;}
.sno-6883c9506d0d3 h5 {
color: #000000;
}
Matt Lepay (1988-present) – Special Service
Lepay, or “The Voice of the Badgers,” is the only non-athlete or coach in this year’s Hall of Fame class, but that does not make his spot any less deserved.
He has served as the radio play-by-play announcer for all Badgers men’s basketball games since 1988 and football since 1994, winning 11 Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 2024, Lepay was accepted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his service to Badgers athletics over five decades.
Mary Massei (2010-2014) – Softball
Massei fulfilled a record-setting career during her time in Madison, finishing as the leader in all-time runs with 142, best batting average with .370 and most doubles with 53. She also currently leads the Badgers in at bats with 673, hits with 249 and triples with 14.
On top of her individual contributions, Massei helped lead the team to their first-ever Big Ten Tournament win in 2013 and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2013 and 2014. She cemented her legacy on and off the field with the recognition of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2014, becoming the first UW softball player to do so.
Joe Pavelski (2004-2006) – Men’s Hockey
Pavelski’s story as a Badger is non-traditional. Drafted in the NFL in 2003 without having played a collegiate game, The San Jose Sharks selected Pavelski, the 205th pick, and he began his NHL career after two impressive seasons with the Badgers.
He tied the 2004-05 freshman points tally with 45 points, and followed that up with 56 points his following season, reaching 100 career points with only 84 games played.
Following his career in Madison, Pavelski would join the star-studded Team USA at the 2010 Olympic Games, winning silver. Pavelski also holds the record for most playoff goals by an American in the NHL with 74 goals in 201 games.
Tom Shipley (1970-1974) – Baseball
While UW has not organized a Division 1 baseball team since 1991, Shipley was a big part of the Badgers during the 1973 and 1974 seasons, serving as the team captain and student representative to UW’s Athletic Board. He also tied the Badgers record for all-time hits with 148 during the 1974 season.
Cara Walls (2011-2014) – Women’s Soccer
Walls stood out as a freshman in Madison, making the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2011 before leading the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and 2014. Walls scored 42 goals in her four seasons, putting her second most all-time, and currently holds the record for most multi-goal games with 10.
In 2015, the Chicago Red Stars drafted Walls with the 23rd pick, becoming the first player from UW to be selected.