Olivet College inducts five into Athletic Hall of Fame

OLIVET, Mich. -- Orlando Burton ’57, Al Knickerbocker ‘58, Jeff Kucharczyk ’94 and Isobel Saussele ’51 were inducted into the Olivet College Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday, Sept. 19. Coach Pat Vannorsdall was posthumously inducted. All five were recognized during halftime of the Comets’ football game versus Concordia University Chicago and formally inducted at a dinner following the game.

Burton was the number one player on the golf team for four years. He was an All-MIAA golfer and his team lost only one home individual match during your four years at Olivet. He also participated in basketball, track and cross country at the college.

Burton was very active on campus as president of the Kappa Sigma Alpha fraternity. He served as secretary of student council and student advisor for Shipherd Hall. Burton was also a member of the Blair Hall Board and Monogram Club.

After graduating from Olivet, Burton earned a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University. He began his career as a teacher and principal at Yates Township School for five years. From there, Burton was an administrator at Pontiac City Schools for 30 years before retiring in 1992. Upon retirement, he coached Pontiac Northern’s golf team for 10 years.

Knickerbocker was a member of the cross country, track, baseball and football teams at Olivet. He earned three letters in both baseball and track, two in cross country and one in football.

In cross country, Knickerbocker was the team’s captain and most valuable runner in 1955 and 1956. In track, he was a captain in 1957 and 1958. In 1956, Knickerbocker was the team’s most valuable runner after finishing second in the 220-yard dash and third in the 100-yard dash at the MIAA Field Day.

Knickerbocker was a re-establishing member of the Kappa Sigma Alpha fraternity and later served as president in 1957. He was also director of sports publicity and the radio station sports program.

After graduating, Knickerbocker served in the U.S. Army from 1958-60. In June 1960, he returned to Olivet, working in the athletic department for four years. Knickerbocker coached cross country for four years and golf for one year, and assisted baseball for three years. He was also the director of the collegiate center for the last year.

Knickerbocker has also held several positions in the electronics industry, including planner, planning manager, consultant and purchasing manager. From 1981-2001, he coached and set-up youth soccer programs for five- and six-year-olds.

Kucharczyk was a four-year letterwinner on the football field and baseball diamond at Olivet. As a junior and senior, he earned first-team All-MIAA honors in each sport.

For the 1992 football season, Kucharczyk was captain and Sporting News Preseason All-American. He was selected as the team’s defensive player of the year. In baseball, Kucharczyk still holds several MIAA three-game series records including total bases (18), RBI (11), stolen bases (6) and home runs (3).

For the last 13 years, Kucharczyk has worked as a wellness specialist at Starr Commonwealth. In his spare time, he officiates for the Michigan High School Athletic Association in the sports of football, basketball, lacrosse, baseball and softball.

Saussele began her basketball career at Olivet as the captain of the intramural team in 1948-49. Later, her team played intercollegiate games with other women’s teams from the Midwest. In addition to being captain, Saussele was also the team’s leading scorer.

At the end of the 1949-50 season, Saussele attended an awards ceremony in the Dole Hall Dining Room where she was presented a varsity letter. As a result, she became the first female to earn a varsity letter in a sport at Olivet.

After graduating from Olivet, Saussele received a master’s degree in education from Wayne State University. For 12 years, she taught in the Lincoln Park School District. As a parent, Saussele started a program for gifted children in a local school.

Vannorsdall served as head coach of the field hockey team from 1966 to 1977 and compiled more than 100 wins. In 1969 and 1974, her team won the WMIAA championship. The 1969 team had a 9-2 overall record and 7-0 record in WMIAA play. The 1974 team was the best in school history as it posted a 12-1-3 record, including a perfect 6-0 record in WMIAA play. Vannorsdall’s team also won the State of Michigan Small College Championship.

Vannorsdall also served as the Comets’ head volleyball and softball coach for three years. In 1980, the softball team shared the MIAA title with Calvin College with a 12-4 overall record and 8-2 MIAA record. She also spent time as the cheerleading, tennis, basketball and archery coach.

Cathie Rickert ’70 and Doris Wilson ’70 presented Vannorsdall for induction.