Drury University has finalized its 31st Athletics Hall of Fame induction class, which will include six legendary fixtures on the DU Athletics landscape who will be enshrined as members of the class of 2026-27 on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Findlay Student Center Ballroom.
This year's induction class will include Magen (Brunson) Blades (women's basketball, 2000-04), Steven Gum (men's basketball, 2004-08), Steve Hesser (men's basketball, 2004-21 ), Jared Rennick (wrestling, 2017-21), Katya Rudenko (women's swimming, 2013-18) and the Fanthers student spirit group.
Tickets for the event are available through Drury.edu for $35 per person. Fans purchasing tickets for the induction will also receive admission to Drury's basketball games against Illinois Springfield
following the ceremony. The DU women will tip off at 1 p.m., followed by the men's game at 3 p.m. inside O'Reilly Family Event Center.
One of the original Lady Panthers, Blades starred for head coach Nyla Milleson's 2000-04 squads that racked up a 101-22 four-year record while advancing to Drury's first two NCAA Tournaments. The Republic product helped lead DU to a 36-2 season that culminated in a national runner-up finish in 2003-04.
Gum was a four-year letterwinner in men's basketball (2004-08) who ranks fourth on DU's 3-point field goals made list (277) and 28th on Panthers' all-time scoring list (1,205). The Willow Springs native was a part of three consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament-qualifying teams, helping DU log four straight 20-win seasons and a total of 88 victories over the same stretch.
Hesser left an indelible imprint on the men's basketball program, compiling a 354-145 career record in his 17 seasons at the helm that included Drury's first NCAA Division II national championship in 2013. He was the NABC Division II National Coach of the Year that season as the Panthers finished the year 31-4 with a 74-73 victory over Metro State in the title game. During his tenure at DU, the Panthers amassed a 213-91 record in conference play and captured nine regular-season conference titles.
Drury's first wrestling All-American, Rennick was a two-time national qualifier and first-team All-GLVC selection during his standout career (2017-21) for the Panthers. As a senior in 2021, the Washington, Missouri product carried an unblemished record into the postseason, where he won the NCAA-II Super Regional IV heavyweight title, before claiming an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
A three-time Olympian from Astana, Kazakhstan, Rudenko captured 11 NCAA Division II national championships in women's swimming during her Drury career (2013-18). In all, she garnered 25 All-America honors and was a part of Drury relay squads that broke national records in the 200 Medley and 400 Medley. She was a key performer for the Panthers' most recent national title-winning team in 2014.
Formally formed in 2011, the Fanthers have helped establish Drury's standard for student support at home athletic events and made waves across the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the nation. The Fanthers and their group within the group, the "Front Row Refs," were awarded the NCAA Division II Excellence for Game Environment Award in 2012.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Drury announces 2026-27 Athletics Hall of Fame induction class
