Michigan State Athletics announces eight-member 2021 Hall of Fame class

Michigan State will induct eight new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 24 as part of the annual “Celebrate” weekend.

MSU’s 2021 Hall of Fame class includes: Franklin Gomez (wrestling), Anthony Hamm (men’s cross country/track and field), Carol Hutchins (softball/women’s basketball), Lynn Janson (men’s golf), Elizabeth (Shimek) Moeggenberg (women’s basketball), Floor Rijpma (field hockey), Charles Rogers (football) and Ron Scott (hockey).

In addition to the induction ceremony on Sept. 24, there will also be a Varsity Letter Jacket Presentation on Sept. 23, and a special recognition of the 2021 MSU Athletics Hall of Fame class during the Nebraska versus Michigan State football game at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The late Charles Rogers headlines the class. Rogers, who played football for the Spartans in 2001 and 2002 and earned All-American and All Big-Ten honors, is still Michigan State’s all-time leader in touchdown catches with 27 — despite only playing in 24 games during his college career. He also ranks third in school history in receiving yards with 2,821 and eighth in receptions with 135. He still owns the top-two MSU single-season marks for receiving yards (1,470 in 2001 and 1,351 in 2002) and touchdown catches (14 in 2001 and 13 in 2002).

After a turbulent off-the-field life, Rogers — a first round draft pick of the Detroit Lions in 2003 — tragically passed away of liver failure in 2019 at the age just 38 years old. But Rogers and his legacy in East Lansing will never be forgotten.

Carol Hutchins is another notable inductee. Hutchins, a Lansing native, lettered in softball and basketball for Michigan State in the mid and late 1970s, and helped the Spartans win an Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National championship in softball in 1976.

Hutchins is currently the head softball coach for the Michigan Wolverines. She is the winningest active softball coach in the NCAA with close to 1,700 victories, and has won 22 Big Ten Championships, made 12 College World Series appearances and won a national championship in 2005.

Franklin Gomez was a standout wrestler for MSU from 2006 through 2010. He is the last wrestling national champion for the Spartans, winning the 2009 NCAA title at 133 pounds. He was also a two-time Big Ten champion in 2008 and 2009. Overall, Gomez recorded 119 career wins for MSU and is tied for sixth all-time on the career wins list at Michigan State.

Anthony Hamm was a six-time All-American for the Spartans from 1987 through 1982. He captured two outdoor track and field Big Ten Championships in the 10,000 meters In 1991 with a time of 29:11.83 and then again in 1992 (30:02.38). Hamm is one of only six athletes in the Big Ten to repeat titles in the 10,000 meters. Hamm was also successful in cross country.

Lynn Janson, an East Lansing native, excelled for Michigan State’s men’s golf team from 1968 through 1970. He was a three-time All-American and two-time All-Big Ten selection. He also helped lead MSU to its first Big Ten Championship in 1969. He went on to play in several PGA Tour events.

Elizabeth Moeggenberg played for the Michigan State women’s basketball team from 2002 through 2006. Moeggenberg helped the Spartans reach the Final Four and national championship game in 2005. She left Michigan State as the all-time leading scorer with 1,780 points and now stands third all-time in points scored, but still tops the list in field goals made with 719. She is a two-time All-American and earned All-Big Ten honors all four seasons she was in East Lansing. She is just the fifth women’s basketball player to make it to MSU’s Hall of Fame.

Floor Rijpma, hailing from the Netherlands, played field hockey for the Spartans from 2006 through 2009. She was a two-time All-American and helped lead MSU to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the regional finals in both 2008 and 2009.

Ron Scott had an incredibly successful career as a goaltender with the MSU hockey team in the early 1980s. He helped MSU win Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Tournament titles in 1982 and 1983, as well as helping lead the Spartans to NCAA Tournament appearances those years. Scott earned two first-team All-America selections and two first-team All-CCHA honors. He was also a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award twice, earned three team MVP awards and was named the George Alderton MSU Male Athlete of the Year twice. He went on to play five seasons for the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.

The MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, located in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, opened on Oct. 1, 1999, and displays plaques of the 154 previous inductees. The charter class of 30 former Spartan student-athletes, coaches and administrators was inducted in 1992.