USD Announces 2010 Coyote Sports Hall of Fame Class

The 2010 USD Coyote Sports Hall of Fame class includes, from left, front row: Matt Hoyt, Jodi Altenburg, Kris Crosson, PJ Maloney; back row: Bill Bruns, Matt Chatham.
(Photo by Aaron Packard)

2010 Hall of Fame Photo Gallery

VERMILLION, S.D. -- The University of South Dakota has announced that five former student-athletes, along with special contributor P.J. Maloney, will be inducted into the Coyote Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 18 at noon at the Muenster University Center in Vermillion, S.D.

Former Coyote athletes Jodi (Pipes) Altenburg of DeSmet, S.D., Bill Bruns of Sioux Falls, S.D.; Matt Chatham of Bellingham, Mass., Kris (Breuer) Crosson of Des Moines, Iowa, and Matt Hoyt of Vermillion, S.D., will join Maloney (Sioux Falls, S.D.) as inductees for the Class of 2010.

The U will also recognize the 1972, 1973 and 1974 Coyote football teams, which tied for the North Central Conference title for three straight years, as part of the Hall of Fame’s Special Achievement’s category.

The induction ceremony will begin at noon on Sept. 18. The U will also honor the inductees during halftime of the Coyotes’ home game with Northwestern Oklahoma State at the DakotaDome (4:05 p.m. kickoff). For more information, please contact Dianna Olson at (605) 677-5943.

Jodi (Pipes) Altenburg
Originally of Armour, S.D., Altenburg was one of the best point guards in USD women’s basketball history. She ranks third in all-time assists with 507 and is second in all-time steals with 249. Altenburg earned first-team All-NCC honors in 1990-91, when she averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 steals per game, along with shooting 41 percent from the floor and 75.3 percent from the free-throw line. Altenburg finished her career with 888 points. At Armour High School she was a three-time all-state selection and was a finalist for the Miss South Dakota basketball award in high school. Altenburg graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1993 and currently works as a middle school reading teacher in DeSmet, S.D. She lives in DeSmet with her husband Jim and two children, Chase and Sydney.

Bill Bruns
Bill Bruns was one of the great basketball players in Coyote history. A native of Sioux Falls, Bruns finished his career with 1,048 points and 521 rebounds and is one of 20 USD players to have eclipsed 1,000 points and 500 rebounds for his career. Bruns accomplished those feats in just three seasons at USD. Bruns was a two-time All-North Central Conference selection and averaged an impressive 17.1 points for his career. Bruns scored a career-high 34 points against St. Olaf in 1964, and posted a career-high 23 rebounds against Oshkosh State in 1964. Bruns, a native of Sioux Falls, is a 1966 USD graduate with a degree in education, and went on to build a long, successful career in the sales industry. Bruns and his wife, Carolyn, who live in Sioux Falls, have three children – Kathy, William and Julie -- and 10 grandchildren.

Matt Chatham
Before winning three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, Matt Chatham enjoyed a successful football career at USD. Chatham, a Sioux City North graduate, was a second-team All-NCC pick as a junior after recording an impressive 95 tackles. As a senior, Chatham enjoyed another strong season with 74 tackles, including 41 solos, to go with an interception. Chatham finished his career with 228 tackles, 10 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. Chatham was a three-time All-Academic selection by the NCC. After graduating from USD in 1999 with a double major in Criminal Justice and English, Chatham went on to play in the NFL with the New England Patriots (2000-05) and the New York Jets (2006-08). Chatham was part of Super Bowl-winning teams with New England in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Chatham and his wife, Erin (a former Coyote softball player and USD graduate) live in Bellingham, Mass., with their son Lex.

Kris (Breuer) Crosson
Kris (Breuer) Crosson, a native of Armstrong, Iowa, is one of the great softball pitchers in Coyote history. She is USD softball’s all-time leader in wins with 57, and is third in career ERA at 2.41. Crosson was a two-time All-NCC selection. Breuer also was a second-team All-Region selection in 1998, when she set a USD record with 20 wins in a season. She is second in career strikeouts (504) and innings pitched (701.1) and is third in career compete games. Breuer is also USD’s all-time leader in saves and her 175 strikeouts in 1998 is third most in a season in USD history. Crosson graduated from USD with a degree in elementary education in 1999 and works as a certified child-life specialist in Des Moines, Iowa, where she lives with her husband, Trevor (a former USD football player and 1997 graduate) and four children – Ryan, Mac, Macie and Cain.

Matt Hoyt
One of the best cross country and track and field performers in USD history, Matt Hoyt was an eight-time All-American. The native of Burlington, Wyo., was named the NCAA Division II Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 2000 and the NCAA Division II Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1998. At the 2000 track and field nationals, Hoyt had one of the most brilliant and gutsy performances ever in South Dakota school history. Hoyt finished in the top five of three of the most grueling events in track and field (second, 10,000m; third, 5,000m; and fourth, 3,000m steeplechase). He also finished second in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA Division II Meet in 1998 and was a member of the 1997 national champion cross country squad at USD. He was the NCC and North Central Region cross country champion in both 1997 and 1998, the only time that has been accomplished in school history. Hoyt is a 2000 USD graduate and works as a physical therapist at Sanford Health in Vermillion.

PJ Maloney
Maloney has been a long-time supporter of USD athletics and the university as a whole. A 1959 USD graduate with a degree in business and industrial management, Maloney has been active in various fundraising efforts and has provided unwavering support to USD Athletics. Maloney has served on the USD Athletic Board of Control, the USD Foundation Executive Committee and USD Hall of Fame Committee along with being a member of the USD Alumni Association Board of Directors. Maloney and his wife, Kathie, reside in Sioux Falls and have four children, including two of whom graduated from USD.

1972-74 Football Teams
The 1972, 1973 and 1974 Coyote football teams enjoyed one of the most successful three-year runs in school history under Coach Joe Salem. All three squads tied for a share of the North Central Conference title. During that three year stretch, USD finished 25-7 overall and 17-4 in NCC play. The 1972 team finished 9-1, which is tie for second for the best winning percentage in a single-season in USD history. The 1972 Coyotes finished 6-1 in the league. The 1973 team was 8-3 overall and also finished 6-1 in league play and qualified for the Division II playoffs. The 1974 team finished 8-3 with a 5-2 league record. In the three year span, USD had 16 All-NCC players and two All-Americans (Gary Kipling, 1972 and Dwight Duncombe, 1974). Four USD players were named NCC MVPs at their position, including Gary Kipling (OL, 1972), Henry Heider (DB, 1972), Vern Henderson (OL, 1973) and Dave Garner (DL, 1973).

The induction of the Class of 2010 will increase the Coyotes Sports Hall of Fame membership to 264. The first Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1972.