During Homecoming weekend festivities Oct. 6-7, Monmouth College will induct three new members into its M Club Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony for football/track star Michael Blodgett '11, volleyball standout Kendra James '08 and All-American Luke Reschke '09 will be held at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, in the Huff Athletic Center fieldhouse. All three will then participate in the Homecoming Parade and be honored before the kickoff of the 2 p.m. football game against Grinnell.
Michael Blodgett '11 - Football/Track & Field
From 2007-11, the Fighting Scots terrorized defenses with one of the most prolific aerial attacks in Division III history. Future NFL quarterback Alex Tanney threw the passes, and Michael Blodgett caught a record-setting amount of them.
Twelve years after catching his last ball, Blodgett still holds most of the Scots major receiving records, highlighted by career marks of 297 receptions, 4,087 yards and 43 TDs. His season bests, all school records set in 2011 as he earned Little All-American honors, were 126 catches, 1,867 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Scots were 31-4 during his three All-Midwest Conference seasons, never losing a league game.
Blodgett doubled as a returner, leading to his all-purpose school records of 2,480 yards for a season and 5,007 for his career. His elite athleticism and extraordinary work ethic played in track and field, too, as Blodgett won MWC titles in the long jump and triple jump, soaring over 23 and 45 feet, respectively.
Kendra James '08 - Volleyball
Kendra James was an integral part of one of the most successful eras in Fighting Scots volleyball history. She helped Monmouth reach the coveted 20-win milestone three times and made the All-Midwest Conference team all four seasons, including three first-team selections.
As a freshman, James earned second team All-MWC honors as the Scots went 22-12. Her sophomore and senior years saw Monmouth win 22 and 20 matches and reach the MWC tournament final.
James pounded 1,347 kills, good for fourth on Monmouth's career list. Few attacked as efficiently as the 5-foot-11 middle hitter, who posted a school-record hitting percentage of .346 in 2007. Her career percentage of .287 ranks third. Most of James' kills were set by her former Fulton High School classmate, Colleen Wilkin.
James could also defend, posting a school-record 343 block assists. Her 457 total blocks are No. 2 on the all-time list, and she's sixth on the career ace serve list with 139.
Luke Reschke '09 - Track & Field/Football
Nine-time All-American sprinter Luke Reschke played a major role in the two highest national finishes for any sport in the storied history of Monmouth College athletics.
With Reschke running the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay against an historically outstanding field at the 2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, the Fighting Scots took second in the meet-ending race to secure a third-place team finish and the program's first-ever national trophy.
At the 2008 indoor meet, Reschke placed second in the 400-meter dash and anchored the fourth-place 4x400 squad as Monmouth finished second in the nation. In all, Reschke earned five All-American honors in the 400 and four in the 4x400. Also a standout defensive back for the Scots' playoff team in 2009, Reschke established.
Monmouth's and the Midwest Conference's 400 record of 46.75 seconds at the 2010 outdoor meet, a race he never lost at the meet. For his career, he won 17 individual and relay conference titles.