Five Inducted Into Athletic Hall of Fame

Four former BYU athletes and one athletic administrator were inducted into the Brigham Young University Athletic Hall of Fame Wednesday, July 17, 2002, joining more than 150 other athletes, coaches, and administrators who have been recognized since the first induction banquet was held in 1975.

Vai Sikahema (football), Tito Steiner (track and field), Anna Mosdell Jack (track and field), Susanna Lee Noot (tennis) and Dale McCann (former Cougar Club director) were inducted in ceremonies held in the Cougar Room at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Hall of Fame inductees were honored for the quality of their athletic achievements, their determination, hard work and example, as well as their community service.

"This is another incredible class for our BYU Athletic Hall of Fame," said Mike Middleton, director of the BYU Cougar Club. "We are pleased to recognize the accomplishments of these remarkable individuals and are grateful for the legacy of success and excitement they created at BYU."

Robbie Bosco introduces Vai Sikahema as a new member of the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame. (BYU Photo)

Vai Sikahema

BYU running back and return specialist Vai Sikahema first caught fans attention in the 1980 Holiday Bowl when he returned a punt for a touchdown in BYU's 46-45 come-from-behind victory over Southern Methodist University. Following a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to South Dakota between his sophomore and junior year, Sikahema returned to BYU and redshirted in 1983. The next season, Sikahema was a key member of the 1984 National Championship team. He was named named All-WAC and ranked seventh nationally in kick-off returns.

As a senior, Sikahema was named All-WAC as a return specialist and completed his BYU career as the all-time career punt return leader with 153 returns. Sikahema went on to play eight seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. Sikahema was a two-time NFL Pro Bowl selection and set the NFL Pro-Bowl single-game punt return record with seven returns in the 1987 game. He was also named to the 1992 All-Madden Team.

Following his playing career Sikahema began a career in broadcasting and is currently the sports director and anchor for NBC's Channel 10 in Philadelphia. He graduated from BYU in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Vai and his wife, Keala, are the parents of three sons and a daughter: Landon, L. J., Trey, and Lana.

Tito Steiner

As a young boy in his homeland of Argentina, Tito Steiner spent hours practicing his high jump. Inspired by Bill Toomey's 1968 performance at the Mexico Olympics, Steiner began serious decathlon training when he was 16. Years later, with encouragement from another great BYU decathlete, Raimo Pihl, Steiner accepted a scholarship and came to BYU.

Before coming to BYU he participated in the 1975 Pan American Games, where he finished fourthin the decathlon; he also competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where he placed 12th. Six months later in 1977, Steiner won his first NCAA title as a Cougar -- and All-America honors -- with 7,659 points.

His second year at the NCAA Championships brought a third-place finish and another All-America honor. In 1979, Steiner also won his second NCAA championship, with a score of 7,918. Fittingly he was named Deseret News Athlete of the Month (April) and--for the third time--All-American. Steiner redshirted in 1980 to train in Germany for the Moscow Olympic Games, but when Argentina joined the Olympic boycott, he spent the remainder of his redshirt year undergoing and recuperating from a knee operation.

Back at BYU for his final year, Tito had two goals in 1981: another NCAA title and a new NCAA record. He fulfilled both ambitions by winning his third NCAA decathlon title with a record 8,279 points. That mark surpassed the NCAA meet record of 8,079 set by Raimo Pihl in 1976. Steiner became one of only a handful of Cougar athletes ever to earn All-American status in every year they competed.

Tito resides in Argentina with his wife Hildegard Malgay and has three children Hermann, Sabrine and Christofer.

Anna Mosdell Jack

Anna Mosdell Jack came to BYU in 1989 after a summer full of success and honors -- Canadian Summer Games champion, Canadian Junior National champion and fifth in the Pan American Championships held in Argentina.

Her first season on the track team she placed second in the discus and shot put at the 1990 High Country Athletic Conference Championships and was named a Cougar Club Scholar-Athlete.

The following year, Anna claimed the discus crown at the 1991 NCAA Championships with a BYU record of 183 feet 10 inches, a triumph that gave her All-American status and gave her the distinction of becoming the first Canadian thrower to win an NCAA competition. During that same season, Anna won the discus throw at the Western Athletic Championships and was named to the All-HCAC and All-WAC track and field teams.

Participating as a member of the Canadian National Track team, Anna found that her summers were as busy as the academic school year. In 1991 she won Canadian discus titles in both junior and senior divisions and competed with the team in foreign meets. She also placed first in the discus at both the Canadian Provincial and National Championships and finished ninth in the discus at the 1991 World University Games.

Back at BYU, Anna repeated her victories in 1992 as she placed first in both the WAC and NCAA Championships. She was also named WAC Track Athlete of the Week twice in 1992, and earned Cougar Club Scholar-Athlete honors. In 1994 she became the Canadian National Discus champion and earned her place on the Alberni District Senior Secondary Wall of Fame.

Anna graduated from BYU in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in physical education; she also earned a bachelor's in education in 2000 from Malaspina University-College. She has been honored for her educational achievements and is currently a teacher in British Columbia, where she lives with her husband, Al; son, Ethan; and foster children, Cassandra and Shaun.

Susanna Lee Noot

Hard work, excellent tactics, and a "no-fear" attitude led BYU tennis ace Susanna Lee Noot to two All-America titles, three All-HCAC titles in singles and doubles, and countless other awards and tournament recognitions.

Susanna enrolled at BYU in 1985 where she was quickly nicknamed "Ice" by her teammates for her composure in high-stress situations. As a freshman, Susanna won five matches at the ITCA-Rolex Central Regionals, qualifying for the national tournament in both singles and doubles. She also played in the NCAA Championships in both singles and doubles, advancing through elimination matches to compete among the final 16.

During her sophomore year, Susanna was named All-HCAC in singles and doubles and was selected to play in the singles and doubles NCAA Individual Championships. She also won the first Deseret News singles title in 1986. At the end of the season, the final tennis poll ranked her 29th nationally in singles. The next year Susanna received the Cougar Club's female athlete Crowd Pleaser Award and was invited to play both singles and doubles in the National Collegiate Tennis Classic. She was also selected for both singles and doubles in the individual section of the NCAA Championships, where she reached the singles quarterfinals.

As a senior Susanna reached the singles semifinals at the ITCA-Rolex Nationals and was named All-HCAC in singles. She and her partner, Patti Urban, also won the tournament's No. 2 doubles title. For her hard work and positive attitude, Susanna received the ITCA Sportsmanship Award for the Central Region.

Susanna graduated from BYU in 1995 in Korean. Currently she lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah, with her husband, Arnoud Noot, and their two children, Chanel and Christiaan. She works with her husband as his dental office manager and volunteers her time to assist their children's swim team. She and Arnoud are expecting their third child in late July.

Dale R. McCann

Dale R. McCann's contributions to the BYU Athletic Department were given through decades of dedicated service to the Cougar Club, and his influence will be felt in BYU athletics for many years to come. McCann became the director of the Cougar Club in it's infancy and expanded the scope of athletic fundraising at BYU.

He was instrumental in the growth of the Cougar Club as BYU's official athletic booster organization and its development into one of America premier booster clubs.

His vision, hard work, and innovation are reflected in the Cougar Club and the loyalty of its membership. Under his direction, the Club grew from a few members raising thousands of dollars in 1975 to more than 4,000 members raising more than $1 million annually by the 1990s.

Never asking for credit or seeking the spotlight, Dale's often-overlooked efforts aided in the creation of the Cougar Room; assisted in the financing for LaVell Edwards Stadium; laid the foundation of the Legacy program; and provided annual donor funding of recruiting and media guides for all of BYU's teams. He was also responsible for developing programs to recognize the outstanding achievements of BYU's student-athletes including the Academic Athlete Banquet, Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Club's Reception for Female Athletes.

Dale's dedication to the Cougars and his athletic department colleagues endured countless bouts with cancer, polyarthritis, and other symptoms and side effects. Through it all, Dale was constant, kind, and uncomplaining.

His commitment to BYU and to the Cougar Club was unparalleled in his life, with just two exceptions: his abiding love for his family -- his wife, Andrea, their children (Dale, Darin, David, Kristen, Melissa, Marcy, Molly, Devan, Macy, and Marc), and 26 grandchildren, and his strong devotion to his religious beliefs. Club members, colleagues, and coworkers will always remember Dale's life and his accomplishments at BYU.

About the BYU Hall of Fame

The Brigham Young University Athletic Hall of Fame was established by the BYU Cougar Club in 1975 as a special part of BYU's Centennial Commemoration. Although it is impossible to recognize all of BYU's noteworthy athletes, the Hall of Fame honors some of the university's greatest athletes, coaches, and administrators for their athletic skill and their distinctive service.

Less than two percent of BYU varsity athletes are ever nominated for the Hall of Fame, with less than one percent being inducted. To be eligible, former athletes must have completed their athletic eligibility 10 years prior to their nomination and must be exemplary members of their community. With selection based on playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship and character as well as contributions to their sport, their team, their community and the university, these inductees are models of performance on and off the playing field.

The Hall of Fame Gallery is located in the Cougar Club Stadium Room. More than 150 athletes, coaches and administrators, as well as two teams have been inducted since 1975.