SONYA BRANDT
(Women’s Soccer, 1985-88)

Sonya Brandt, who earned NAIA first team All-America honors in each of her four seasons, helped lead the PLU program into national prominence in the late 1980s. She was named the most valuable player at the 1988 NAIA tournament in which Pacific Lutheran won the first of its three national championships. Brandt, selected four times as the team’s most outstanding offensive player, was a 1988 national tournament all-star and the 1988 ISAA National Player of the Year. She earned numerous all-conference, all-district and all-region awards. The 1998 Pacific Lutheran Athletic Hall of Fame inductee still holds most Pacific Lutheran women’s soccer offensive records 10 years after finishing her career. Most of her records likely will never be broken. She holds records for goals in a season with 39, goals in a career with 127 and is tied for goals in a game with six. In addition, she holds the single-game assist record with four. On Pacific Lutheran’s single-season top 10 lists, Brandt holds down the top four spots in both goals and points. Brandt was not only adept at putting the ball in the back of the net, she ranks fourth in career assists and tied for eighth in assists in a season.

VALERIE HILDEN
(Cross Country and Track & Field, 1985-88)

Valerie Hilden, already a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, won two NAIA national cross country championships while competing for Pacific Lutheran University. As a freshman, she garnered the 1985 NAIA cross country title, then came back three years later to repeat the feat as a senior. Her individual championship at the 1988 national meet was the cornerstone behind Pacific Lutheran’s drive to the national team crown, the only one in the history of the Pacific Lutheran cross country program. A four-time first team All-American in cross country, Hilden never placed lower than fourth at the NAIA national meet, finishing third in 1987 and fourth in 1986. She has the fastest time ever recorded by a Pacific Lutheran runner at the NAIA national meet (17:34). Besides her success at the national level, Hilden was a three-time conference cross country champion, winning consecutive titles from 1986 through 1988. She ranks third on the all-time PLU top 20 list for best times in any meet. On the track, Hilden was a five-time All-American, including winning a national title in the 3000-meter run at the 1987 NAIA championship meet. She was the 1986 District I 3,000-meter champion.

SCOTTY KESSLER
(Football, 1979-80)

In two seasons as a Lute, Scotty Kessler had a major impact on the Pacific Lutheran football program, including playing a key role in PLU’s run to the 1980 NAIA Division II national championship. He earned NAIA first team All-America honors in 1980 after receiving second team All-America recognition after his junior campaign. A co-captain and safety on the 1980 title team, Kessler was named the Defensive Player of the Game in Pacific Lutheran’s 38-10 national championship victory over Wilmington College of Ohio. In the championship game alone, Kessler had 12 unassisted tackles, four assisted tackles, four pass deflections, and also set an NAIA playoff game record with four interceptions. In Pacific Lutheran’s three playoff games, Kessler accumulated 25 unassisted tackles, nine assisted tackles, six pass deflections and eight interceptions. In his two-year career, Kessler recorded 196 total tackles, 117 of which were unassisted, 11 pass deflections, 17 interceptions and one fumble recovery. Kessler had a tryout with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League, and since has spent much of his time coaching and in Christian ministry.

SARA OFFICER
(Women’s Coach and Administrator, 1967-98)

Sara Officer retired in 1998 after three decades at PLU. As one of the first female coaches on staff, she was the catalyst for the school’s modern-day women’s athletic program, starting and coaching a range of teams including basketball, volleyball, field hockey, tennis and track & field. In addition to her work on the court and field. She helped administrate the women’s athletic program and in her spare time was a highly regarded women’s basketball official. Officer shared her craft in the classroom by instructing future generations of physical education teachers. But she was not all sports and coaching. Service work was a natural for Officer. Prior to coming to PLU she spent time with the Peace Corps in Sri Lanka, and for nine years at the university led groups of students in community work with Associated Ministries in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. After retirement, Officer will continue her Hilltop work, and will also volunteer with the Navajo people in Arizona.

PHIL SCHOT
(Men’s Track & Field, 1980-83)

Phil Schot earned first team All-America honors three separate years, including the 1983 season when he scored 7,542 points to win the NAIA national decathlon title. That winning point total, 15 years later, remains a Pacific Lutheran school record by more than 300 points. In addition, Schot is still ranked in the PLU career top 10 list in four separate events. Schot, a three-time district decathlon champion and the district record holder in the event, was also the 1981 district champion in the 200-meter dash. He showed signs of national-level success with a sixth place finish in the decathlon at the 1980 national meet, then was fifth in the event a year later. Since graduating from Pacific Lutheran, Schot earned a doctorate and is now an associate professor and Director of the Biomechanics Lab in the Department of Human Kinetics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

RANDY SHIPLEY
(Men's Track & Field, 1970-73)

Almost 25 years after finishing his collegiate career, Randy Shipley still holds the Pacific Lutheran men’s shot put record with a throw of 58-3 1/2. His conference shot put record of 56-11 1/2, set in 1973, also stands. Shipley placed second in the 1973 national indoor meet and fifth in the 1973 outdoor competition and was named the outstanding performer on the Pacific Lutheran track & field team. Besides earning four letters in track & field, Shipley was also an outstanding football player at Pacific Lutheran, earning three letters. As a senior, Shipley was named all-conference, Little All-Northwest and Little All-American honorable mention by Associated Press. He signed a contract with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and eventually played two years in the World Football League.

SCOTT WESTERING
(Football, 1978-80)

Scott Westering was a co-captain and NAIA first team All-America tight end on Pacific Lutheran’s 1980 national championship football squad, the first team in school history to win a national title. Besides earning NAIA honors, Westering was an all-conference, Little All-Northwest and second team Little All-America performer. In an era when Pacific Lutheran football was better known for a bruising ground attack, Westering led the 1980 Lutes in receiving with 49 catches for 615 yards and nine touchdowns. He had a single-game best of eight receptions for 123 yards. Westering wasn’t just an outstanding receiver, however, as he was also known for his crunching blocks on the offensive line and his penchant for blocking opponents’ kicks. After spending his first year of collegiate football playing linebacker at UCLA, Westering finished his three-year Pacific Lutheran career, including a junior season cut short by a knee injury, with 106 receptions for 1,349 yards and 18 touchdowns. He later had tryouts with the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League, though injuries ended those tryouts. Upon his graduation, Westering joined his father, head coach Frosty Westering, on the Pacific Lutheran football coaching staff. He has served as the team’s offensive coordinator since 1984.