William Penn Athletics Hall of Fame Inducts 2011 Class Saturday‏

William Penn University Athletics

The four William Penn University Athletic Hall of Fame inductees of 2011 feature a football player called “a nice guy, until he took the field”, a softball pitcher who hurled the Lady Statesmen to their first national tournament, a golfer who ignited a resurgence in Penn’s spring sport and a basketball player who didn’t score much, but helped others so much the team won a conference championship.

Those four athletes would be football player Frank Martucci, softball pitcher Stephanie Christner, golfer Wayne “Sky” King, and basketball player Ken Spielbauer.

Frank Martucci

Frank Martucci

Frank Martucci came to William Penn in 1966 as a member of a large contingent of players recruited by new head coach Bill Johnson. The Statesmen were coming off a three-year losing streak, with a three-year record of 1-27.

And that first year wasn’t a lot better with the Statesmen going 0-9. However, the talent was being brought to William Penn and those players gained quick experience on the field that initial Johnson season, so much so, that the following year the team compiled a 4-5 record with the four wins equaling the team wins if the past five seasons.

In 1968, Penn again went 4-5 and Ron Randleman replaced Johnson as head coach. With a group of experienced seniors, Randleman turned the corner for the Statesmen program going 6-3 his initial season that launched the most successful run of football seasons (7 years; 54-16-1 with two Iowa Conference championships) in Penn history.

Randleman, who went onto to become one of the collegiate coaches top career winners, always credited his line as a key factor. None stands out more than his first season as head coach and Martucci’s senior year. Randleman had recruited a blue chip running back named Frank Guthrie and in his first game, Guthrie broke off a long scoring run that sparked the Statesmen to a 1-0 win over Graceland.

The key to the play? A crisp block, 30-yards down field that took out two defenders and cleared the way to the goal line. That block was one of many Martucci would deliver that year. Randleman said of Martucci, “He is one of the nicest guys you’ve ever met off the football field, but put on those pads and take the field he is just the opposite. A hardnosed, aggressive player.” Teammates shared those feelings and although Martucci was only accorded one conference recognition (all IIAC in 1969, he was and is recognized as one of the school’s top, all-time offensive linemen.

Martucci earned a M.S. in Philosophy in 1996 from Fordham University and he and wife Katherine were awarded honorary Doctorates from William Penn in 1994, following his commencement address. In addition to a highly successful career in business, Martucci has been an active in community service serving The Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute (1997–99), later chairman of the board (2000–03) and he remains a board member today. Martucci was vice chairman of the Montclair (NJ) Art Museum (1993–99), and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City served as Bryant Fellow, American Wing 1993 to present, member of the visiting committee, Department of Printing, 1993–present. He served on the National Academy of Design board 2003– present, Scenic Hudson board 1996– present, Smithsonian National Board 2000– present and the William Penn Board of Trustees 1982–1995.

Martucci said, “One of the highest honors I ever received was when my wife Katherine and I were asked to give the 1994 Commencement Address at William Penn and were both awarded an honorary Doctorate. The athletic recognition for me has a special relevance for, as you know, linemen very seldom get awards.”

Stephanie Christner

Stephanie Christner

The softball accomplishments of Stephanie Christner are long enough to fill a record book by themselves, but the accomplishment that stands out is she pitched the Lady Statesmen to their first national NAIA tournament. In addition to her pitching, she batted exceptionally.

In two years, Christner compiled a 49-19 record for Penn while the team racked up records of 41-25 in 2004 and 51-22 in 2005. Not only did she pitch her way to school records, but look at what she did on the regional and national scene.

In 2004 she was first team All MCC, Region XII All-tournament team, NAIA Academic All-American. During her senior year in 2005, she was NAIA pitcher of the week (plus conference pitcher of the week numerous times), first team All-MCC, Regional XII All Tournament team, set an NAIA and school season strikeout record (364), school career strikeout record (644), school wins in a season (28), pitching starts in a season (36) and season innings pitched (247).

While she was fanning opponents from the mound, she was doing her share of damage at the plate. In 2004, she batted .332 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs, followed by her senior season with a .335 average, 11 homers and 51 RBIs. Those accomplishments earned her NAIA All-American honors her senior year and both her junior and senior seasons she was an NAIA Academic All-American. Prior to her two years at Penn, Christner earned Regional XII honors at Indian Hills Community College and NCAA Region 2 All tournament honors at Michigan State.

Off the playing field, Christner turned her softball knowledge to coaching and guided Cardinal of Eldon High School to conference, district, and regional titles and topped it off with the state championship (48-4) all during the 2003 season. She was named Coach of the Year and District Coach of the Year.

In 2004, Cardinal repeated as conference., division , district, regional and state champs and she was again named Coach of the Year. In 2005, Cardinal won its third straight conference, division, district and regional crowns and finished eighth at state.

Christner currently is head softball coach at Knoxville High School and is an assistant at William Penn University.

Wayne “Sky” King

Wayne “Sky” King

Golf at William Penn had a late start on the collegiate scene beginning in 1959 and although Penn golf teams held their own in competition, it was the arrival of Wayne “Sky” King and several talented teammates, which propelled the Statesmen into golf prominence.

King, from Milburn, New Jersey, came to Penn off the Milburn High School squad that won state championships three straight years and finished second in a fourth season. King was captain of two of those championship teams.

At Penn, King lettered all four years and helped establish a program that just a few years down the road would dominate the Iowa Conference and NAIA regionals. He served as team captain on the Penn squad from 1964 through 1968. During that four-year period, the Pennmen finished in the top three in conference golf tournaments and produced key golfers who either took medalist honors or battled for the honor.

King proudly points to his final collegiate match in the Iowa Conference tournament in which he shot a round of 66 to tie for conference medalist honors. The feat has significant importance since the golfer he tied with had won medalist honors the previous two years and would win that honor a year after King left school. Talk to members of the golf teams from those years and they will tell you King was number one on the squad each and every one of his four years.

Following college, King became an assistant golf professional at Braidburn Country Club in Florham Park, New Jersey, until his induction into the Army and a year in Vietnam. In 1973, he met and married his wife Penny, and they have raised four daughters and have seven grandchildren. From 1971 through 2005, King was program director and instructor at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey.

Ken Spielbauer

Ken Spielbauer

He did not score a lot and others got most of the publicity on a championship basketball team that each team member says, “had no stars”, yet Ken Spielbauer’s name is in the record book with at least one record coaches say will never be broken.

Ken played high school ball at Guttenburg High and attend Richland Junior College for a year before coming to William Penn. In his initial season at William Penn, he saw limited action due to a broken foot and the Statesmen, without that valuable floor leader, crawled through a 9-15 season. In 1982, Spielbauer was healthy and his floor leadership guided the Pennmen to a record of 19-7 and a spot in the NCAA Division III regional playoffs.

What were Spielbauer’s contributions to that title season? He compiled 208 assists, which still stand in second place on the season assist listing, and had an accomplishment current Penn coaches say will never be broken —18 assists in one game.

Spielbauer was team captain his junior and senior years, named first team All-Conference his junior and senior seasons, ended his career with 376 assist (currently fourth on the school all time list), and was Statesmen MVP during the 1983–84 season.

Following college Spielbauer became head basketball coach at Wapello High School in Wapello (Iowa) where he has coached for 27-years. He has also coached volleyball for 14 years and has over 300 career wins in both prep sports.

Ken and his wife Karen, both teach at Wapello and have three children: Jacob, a Penn grad (’00) who played Statesmen basketball in 2003–2007; Davis, a current Penn student who is being red shirted on the Penn squad; and daughter Emily, a senior at Wapello High School this fall.

Ken becomes the third member of the Spielbauer family inducted into the Penn Athletic Hall of Fame, joining sister Patty (‘00) (softball) and Sue (‘00) (softball and basketball).