Story Links GUNNISON, Colo. Western Colorado athletics is proud to announce the Class of 2025 for induction into its Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame.Mundell’s career at Western spanned 26 years. For many of those years operating as the only full-time athletic trainer, Mundell relied on student athletic trainers whom he taught, mentored and provided an […]
GUNNISON, Colo. Western Colorado athletics is proud to announce the Class of 2025 for induction into its Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame.Mundell’s career at Western spanned 26 years. For many of those years operating as the only full-time athletic trainer, Mundell relied on student athletic trainers whom he taught, mentored and provided an environment that encouraged professional growth in the field. He developed the athletic department’s sports medicine/athletic training room in Paul Wright Gym and was an integral part of establishing a connection for Mountaineer student-athletes with local health care specialty services that helped facilitate more advanced care to expedite their return to active participation in their respective sports.Athletes Chaumont Bouknight, Alicja Konieczek and Lane Stuht are joined in the induction class by Don Mundell as a Friend of Mountain Athletics inductee, and the 1966 ski team.The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, October 24 in the University Center Ballroom.
Konieczek won nine NCAA Division II titles in track and field, was the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) DII indoor track women’s athlete of the year (2018), the CoSIDA DII Academic Athlete of the Year (2018) and the NCAA DII Academic Athlete of the Year (2018). Western’s indoor record holder in the mile, the 3,000-meter run and as a member of the distance medley relay, Konieczek also owns Western’s – and her native Poland’s – record for the 3,000m steeplechase, an event in which she competed for Poland at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.Stuht was a two-sport athlete for Western, competing on both the football and wrestling teams. An honorable mention All-American in 2013 (Don Hansen Gazette), Stuht was named Western’s Paul Wright Award winner in his senior year (2013-14) and a first-team All-RMAC selection. He led Western and DII with 28 tackles for loss in the 2013 season, which remains a single-season program record. On the mat, Stuht was named the wrestling program’s Most Inspirational Wrestler (2013-14) in his final season, was a 2014 NCAA qualifier and the West Region and RMAC runner-up in the heavyweight division.Bouknight earned recognition in the Mountaineers’ football record book with an outstanding 2003 season after which he was named a first-team All-American by both the College Sports Report and by D2Football.com. A first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection in 2003 and 2004, Bouknight would finish his career with 3,253 yards rushing, which remains fourth most in program history. His single-season rushing total of 1,543 yards in 2003 ranks third in the program’s record book.The Western ski team placed second in the 1966 NCAA skiing championships, an event that combines Divisions I, II and III to name a single NCAA champion. Hall of Fame inductee (1995) Sven Wiik led a team that consisted of several skiers who competed on the 1964 U.S. Olympic team and others who would go on to make the 1968 U.S. Olympic Team. The team’s second-place finish amongst DI competitors is the highest finish by any RMAC team in any sport in Western and RMAC history.
