Tempe, Ariz.—The Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame will welcome six Sun Devil greats to its ranks Saturday, Oct. 18, at halftime of the ASU vs. Stanford football game.
The 2014 induction class includes athletes from six varsity sports. Lisa Aguilera (Cross Country/Track), Kara Brun (Softball), Maggie (Germaine) Ethier (Gymnastics), Andre Ethier (Baseball), Amy LePeilbet (Soccer), and Grey Ruegamer (Football) will be honored at the Hall of Fame football game on Oct. 18, when the Sun Devils take on the Cardinal at Sun Devil Stadium.
This year’s Hall of Fame class is unique in that this is the first time in ASU history that a husband and wife—Andre Ethier and Maggie (Germaine) Ethier—are inducted into the SDA Hall of Fame. Their induction captures the spirit of ASU’s campus-wide Family Weekend, which takes place from Oct. 17-19. The three-day celebration features a family reception, faculty meet-and-greet opportunities, campus tours, and the traditional Family Weekend tailgate before the ASU football game.
The Hall of Fame Luncheon and Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 17, at the Phoenix Country Club from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The luncheon will include a formal induction ceremony into the SDA Hall of Fame by the ASU Athletic Heritage Committee. Tickets are $50 per person or $500 for a table of 10. Register for the luncheon here.
Lisa Aguilera – Cross Country & Track / 1998-2003
(B.S.E., Computer Systems Engineering; B.S., Finance, 2003)
One of the nation’s elite female distance runners, Aguilera was an eight-time All-American and the first ASU female to become a two-time cross country All-American. The 2000 NCAA West Region Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Aguilera was the first ASU female to win an individual title in a championship race, placing first (20:25) at the West Regionals and earning all-region honors. Aguilera earned All-Pac-10 Conference honors in cross country in 1999, 2000, and 2001, and was the Pac-10 Athlete of the Year in 2000. That same year, she led the women to their best national finish ever (sixth) with her school-record fifth-place finish (20:46.3) at the NCAA Championships. Aguilera received the Pac-10 Medal of Honor in 2003, was the ASU Student-Athlete of the Year in 2001, and set the then-ASU indoor record in the mile (4:44:44) in 2000. A two-time USA Outdoor Champion (’06, ’10), Aguilera set the then-American record in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:28:75) at the 2007 KBC Night of Athletics.
Kara Brun – Softball / Shortstop / 2000-2003
(B.A., Communications, 2004)
One of ASU softball’s most decorated athletes, Brun smashed records during her time as a Sun Devil and left as the school’s all-time leader in home runs and RBIs. She is currently in the top 10 on five different career leader lists in the ASU softball record book. Brun sits at third in doubles (50), fourth in hits (266), sixth in RBIs (165), eighth in batting average (.350), and 10th in homeruns (34). Brun made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors and receiving the team’s Freshman-of-the-Year and Defensive Player-of-the-Year awards. Her sophomore year, Brun was named the team’s co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year and co-Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year, while also earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors for the second consecutive season. Brun twice earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors and first-team Academic All-American honors, and she was a finalist for National Player of the Year in 2002, when she struck out only 14 times in 206 at bats and turned a Pac-10 and team-high 17 double plays. She was selected to participate in the USA Women’s National Team Camp her junior year.
Maggie (Germaine) Ethier – Gymnastics / 2001-2004
(B.S., Kinesiology, 2005)
Maggie (Germaine) Ethier was one of the most successful gymnasts in ASU history. She achieved All-American status in 2001 on the vault and again in 2003 for floor exercise. She also received first-team All-Pac-10 Conference accolades on the floor and in the all-around in 2003. She scored nine perfect 10.0s in her career, the most in Arizona State history—including two on the vault, one on the beam, and six on the floor. In 2004 alone, she recorded five perfect scores. In 2003, Ethier posted the second-highest all-around score in ASU history, a 39.775 versus UCLA. She was also a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic honoree. Overall, Ethier posted seven of the top-18 all-time all-around scores in Sun Devil history. Ethier returned to ASU in 2005 as an assistant coach for long-time head coach John Spini, and helped coach Nicole Harris to All-American status on the balance beam in 2006. Ethier is married to former ASU baseball player and current Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier, with whom she has two sons, Dreson and Retton. They have become the first husband/wife duo to enter the SDA Hall of Fame.
Andre Ethier – Baseball / Outfield / 2002-2003
(Justice Studies)
A two-time first-team All-Pac-10 performer, Ethier finished his career hitting .371 with 113 runs, 27 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs, and 118 RBIs. In 2003, Ethier earned All-American honorable mention honors, was named to the Tempe Regional All-Tournament team, and was honored as ASU’s Outstanding Defensive Player. Ethier ended his junior season and ASU career with a 23-game hitting streak, the eighth-longest in ASU history. Ethier was selected in the second round (62nd overall) by the Oakland A’s in the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft. In 2005, Ethier was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ethier set career-highs in 2009 and won the Silver Slugger Award with 160 games played, 162 hits, 31 home runs, 106 RBIs, 92 runs scored, 42 doubles, and 72 walks, while hitting .272 with a .508 slugging percentage and a .361 on-base percentage. In 2009, Ethier had six walk-off hits (including four walk-off home runs), which was the most by any player in the MLB since 1974. Ethier’s four walk-off homers tied the Major League record for most in a season. In 2010, Ethier was selected to start on the National League All-Star Team, and in 2011 he won a Gold Glove Award. He and his wife, Maggie (Germaine) Ethier, became the first married couple to enter the SDA Hall of Fame.
Amy LePeilbet – Soccer / Defender / 2000-2003
(B.A., Sociology, 2004)
LePeilbet is ASU’s first Olympic soccer player, as she was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2012 Olympics in London. While at ASU, LePeilbet was one of the cornerstones of the Sun Devil Soccer program as ASU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament three times during her four years. LePeilbet was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac-10 Conference first-team selection. She never missed a start in her four years at ASU, playing in 74 career games. As a junior, LePeilbet earned NSCAA second team All-West Region acclaim and helped the team tie the then-school record of five straight shutouts. LePeilbet was a key component in helping carry the Sun Devils into the second round of the NCAA Championships in 2003. As a senior, LePeilbet scored three goals, including two game-winners, while leading a defense that allowed 1.05 goals per game and posted eight shutouts. Excelling off the field as well, LePeilbet was a two-time Academic All-American as well as a Maroon and Gold Scholar-Athlete. After ASU, LePeilbet was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that finished second to Japan in the 2011 Word Cup. LePeilbet is also a member of FC Kansas City, which won the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League Championship in August.
Grey Ruegamer – Football / Center / 1995-1998
(B.L.S., Liberal Studies, 2009)
A four-year starter for the Sun Devils and a two-time Super Bowl winner (New England, ’02; New York Giants, ’08), Ruegamer was a member of the 1996 team—one of the greatest in program history—that went 11-0 in the regular season, played in the 1997 Rose Bowl, and came within 100 seconds of a national title. A two-time All-American, Ruegamer was a pivotal part of ASU’s offensive line and was a co-captain his senior year. He twice earned first-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors. In 1998, Ruegamer was a semifinalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which annually honors a college football lineman—offense or defense—who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi. Ruegamer was picked for the Playboy Magazine All-American squad in 1998, and he received an invitation to the 1999 East-West Shrine game. Following his days as a Sun Devil, Ruegamer was drafted in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. During his stint with the Green Bay Packers, Ruegamer was part of a line that set single-season team records for fewest quarterback sacks allowed (14), first downs (354), net yards (6,357), and net passing yards (4,449).