NORTHEAST ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES 2023 HALL OF FAME CLASS

NORFOLK, Neb. – For the first time in 23 years, the Northeast Athletic Department will be honoring three former student-athletes, two contributors and a team during its Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Jan. 28, 2023 in Norfolk. 

The following inductees are: 

Martin Keane – Men's Basketball 

Martin Keane was a First Team All-American for the men's basketball team during the 1989-90 season. He went on to compete at the University of Oklahoma and then transferred to the University of Washington. Keane played with the Canadian National Team from 1989-2001 and was featured in the 1990 FIBA World Championship. He also played in the 1991 Pan American Games and then received a silver medal in the World Student Games. He ultimately played in three consecutive FIBA World Championships for the Canadian Men's National Team. In 1996, Keane was invited to try out for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. Overall, Keane played for more than 15 years in professional basketball in Spain, USA, Japan, Germany, India and Uruguay. Keane is an Honorary Advisor to basketball boards in Canada, China and Spain and has served as a foster parent with the Canadian Children's Aid Society. He is also involved in the disability community with The Disability Channel after suffering a brain aneurysm. 

Cathy (Bassett) Amoss – Women's Basketball 

The all-time leading scorer in the history of Northeast women's basketball, Cathy (Bassett) Amoss played for the Hawks from 1987-1989 and currently holds the single-game scoring record of 49 points. At Northeast, she was an NLCAA First Team All-American and an NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American and averaged 28.1 points per game, while collecting 1,480 points and 737 rebounds in her career. She led her teams to a 24-4 record as a freshman and a 21-4 record as a sophomore, respectively. The Minnesota native, also received All-Conference and All-Region honors and continued her academic and athletic careers at the University of Oklahoma. 

Melanie Bremer – Women's Basketball 

Norfolk High School graduate Melanie Bremer was a two-time All-American for the Hawks from 1998-1999 and 2000-2001 and is currently the second all-time leading scorer with 1,447 points. She averaged 18.2 points per game as a freshman and 24.7 points as a sophomore. She scored a single-game high of 40 points which ranks No. 5 in the women's basketball record book. Bremer is also the No. 4 all-time leading rebounder with 530 rebounds. She led her teams to a 27-3 record in her first season and a 29-4 record in her second season, respectively. Bremer also received All-Conference and All-Region honors and was named the NJCAA DI Most Valuable Player after her sophomore season. She went on to play at Iowa State University where she led the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament. 

Debbie (Reed) Benish – Contributor 

A Title IX trailblazer, Debbie (Reed) Benish was a scholarship golfer on the men's golf team from 1973-1974 at Northeast. Prior to joining the Northeast men's golf team, on April 12, 1972 a judge ruled in favor of allowing Debbie to compete on the boy's golf team at Norfolk High School. The judge referenced the 14^th Amendment and equal protection. The issue was not whether Reed had a 'right' to play golf; the issue was whether she can be treated differently from boys in an activity provided by the state. Her right was not the right to play golf, her right was to be treated the same as boys. Ultimately, two months prior to President Nixon signing a landmark law that guaranteed gender equity in education, (Reed) Benish had already began creating the path. 

Dr. Bob and Helen Ann Cox – Contributors 

Dr. Bob and Helen Ann Cox are names that are synonymous with Northeast Community College. Over the years, the Cox's have been instrumental in helping shape Northeast Athletics. The Cox Activities Center, home of Northeast volleyball and basketball games, is rightly named after the Cox family. Dr. Cox served as Northeast president from 1972 to 1995. 

1986-1987 Northeast Men's Golf Team 

The 1986-1987 Northeast Men's Golf Team were NLCAA (National Little College Athletic Association) National Champions. Barry Brown and Mark Bender were both named NLCAA All-Americans. Members of the golf team include: Matt Bauer, Mark Bender, Barry Brown, Craig Daubman, Kent Gardner, Stacey Madsen, Sean Rogers, Troy Sullivan and David Dolph. 

The inductees will be announced during halftime of the men's basketball game on Jan. 28. The women's game against Kirkwood Community College is slated for 1 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 3 p.m. at the Cox Activities Center in Norfolk. An induction ceremony with a social hour will follow for the inductees and their families. 

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