Sept. 9, 2004

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Six outstanding individuals will be inducted into the University of Louisville Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 1 at the Brown and Williamson Club in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

The list includes Brendan Burke, U of L's first NCAA qualifier in men's tennis; Lee Corso, who coached the U of L football team to two conference championships and is currently an analyst for ESPN; Joe Jacoby, an standout offensive tackle for the Cards who earned three Super Bowl rings in his 13 NFL seasons with the Washington Redskins; Marilyn Reckelhoff Dippel, the ninth-leading career scorer in women's basketball at U of L; Milt Wagner, starting guard on U of L's 1986 NCAA Championship team and the Cards' No. 5 all-time scorer; and Mary Wessell Schmeing, a field hockey standout who is second in career goals.

The event will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony to follow. Tickets are $35 per person and may be obtained by calling U of L Athletics at (502) 852-2473.

The inductees will also be recognized at the Cardinals' Oct. 2 home football game against East Carolina. Previously organized by the U of L Alumni Association, this is the second year that the Athletic Hall of Fame has come under the auspices of the Cardinals' athletic department with revamped criteria for inclusion.

"This is an exceptional group of individuals who each made outstanding contributions to Cardinal Athletics," said U of L Director of Athletics Tom Jurich. "We're proud of the new direction we have taken with our Athletic Hall of Fame and the strict criteria we've established to honor our truly exceptional athletes and coaches who have made impressive contributions during their careers at U of L."

Brendan Burke (1984-87) was Louisville's first NCAA Singles Tournament qualifier, reaching the Region III event in 1985 by defeating three players in the top 10 and six others in the top 100. Burke played No. 1 singles and doubles all four years at U of L and currently holds the career record for doubles wins (95) and is second in career singles wins (105). The four-time MVP and three-time captain was nationally ranked three of four years, rising as high as No. 43 in singles and No. 22 in doubles. Before arriving at U of L, he was a finalist in singles and won the doubles in the prestigious Australian National Junior Championships. He remains the Cardinals' only alum to play in a professional Grand Slam event maindraw -- the Australian Open.

Lee Corso guided the Cardinals to two Missouri Valley Conference Championships in his four seasons at U of L (1969-72), his first head coaching assignment. The colorful and energetic Corso had a 28-11-3 record at U of L, leading the Cards to a 9-1 record in 1972 while ranking among the nation's top 20 teams (No. 16 UPI, No. 18 AP). His 1972 defensive unit, led by Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Tom Jackson, gave up just 91 points. Under his direction, the 1970 Cardinals reached only the second bowl game in U of L history, winning the Pasadena Bowl 27-24 over Long Beach State to cap an 8-3-1 season. Corso currently serves as a college football analyst for ESPN.

A native of Louisville, Joe Jacoby was a three-year letterman at offensive tackle for the Cardinals (1978-80), serving as a co-captain his senior year. Undrafted after college, he played 13 NFL seasons on the Washington Redskins offensive line, earning four consecutive Pro Bowl selections (1983-96) before his retirement in 1993. Jacoby was a founding member of the famed "Hogs" offensive line that helped the Redskins to four Super Bowls (1983, 1984, 1988, 1992), winning three titles -- the most of any former U of L player. He is honored as one of the 70 greatest Redskins of all time and he is one of 12 former U of L players to have their jerseys honored in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

Marilyn Reckelhoff Dippel was a proven scorer for the Cardinals. She finished her four-year career at U of L (1984-88) ranked ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,198 points. She earned second team All-Metro Conference honors as a senior when she averaged 13.3 points per game and 5.1 rebounds, leading the Cardinals in scoring as a junior and senior. She was an also led the team in field goal percentage her sophomore (48.3 percent) and senior (48 percent) seasons. She was accurate at the free throw line, connecting on 73.7 percent for her career while leading the team in free throw percentage her final three seasons.

One of the most prolific scorers in U of L history, Milt Wagner ranks fifth in all-time scoring with 1,834 career points. A starter on the Cards' 1986 NCAA Championship team, Wagner helped U of L to a 113-32 combined record and three NCAA Final Four appearances over his career. He played in 144 career games -- the second most in U of L history -- and started the last 111 games in which he played. One of the most clutch performers in U of L basketball history, the three-time All-Metro Conference selection ranks sixth in career assists (432) and seventh in career free throw percentage (.808, 336-of-413). He was a second-round NBA draft pick (35th overall) who played 13 years of professional basketball in the USA and Europe. He currently serves as Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Memphis.

Mary Wessel Schmeing was an outstanding player for the U of L field hockey team, helping the Cardinals to 28 victories in her four-year career (1981-84). As a link, she scored a record 26 goals in the 1984 season while earning team most valuable player honors as a senior. She still holds the U of L record for single season goals and points with 52. She is currently third on the Cardinals' list for career goals with 30.