Becky Wagenaar-Miller, Class of 1996
Becky Wagenaar broke new ground for Lawrence swimming, as she became the first woman to compete at the NCAA Division III Championships and went on to earn All-America honors three times.
The native of Woodstock, Ill., also won six individual Midwest Conference championships and was a part of eight title-winning relay teams. She also set six school records and swam on relays that broke five school records. Wagenaar also set the conference record in the 50-yard freestyle and swam on three relay teams that set league marks.
Wagenaar earned the first of three consecutive trips to the NCAA Championships during her freshman season in 1993. She placed 10th in the 100 butterfly and received honorable mention All-America honors. Wagenaar went back to the NCAA meet the next two years and was an honorable mention All-American both times in the 100 butterfly. She placed ninth in 1995 and was 15th in 1994.
A force in the Midwest Conference, Wagenaar won five league crowns in her first battle against the rest of the conference. She took the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly and teamed up to win the 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relay. She took home three more league titles in 1994, winning the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay, and 400 freestyle relay.
All three of the winning relay teams – the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, and 800 freestyle – on which Wagenaar swam in 1995 set conference records. Wagenaar also won individual titles in the 100 butterfly, her third straight in that event, and 50 freestyle. She capped her career by winning 50 freestyle, her third title in that event, at the MWC Championships in 1996.
Wagenaar lives in Silver Spring, Md., and works as a scientific review administrator in the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health. She and her husband, Tim Miller ’97, have a daughter, Eleanor.
Marty Johnson, Class of 1988
Marty Johnson was the last line of defense for the Lawrence University football team, and the opposition had a tough time getting past him.
Johnson, a defensive back for the Vikings, was a three-time All-American and three-time All-Midwest Conference selection during his career. Johnson, who also lettered four times in track and earned another letter in basketball, still holds Lawrence’s record with 24 interceptions.
A native of Green Bay, Wis., Johnson was a Pizza Hut second-team All-American in 1985 and 1987. He earned honorable mention on the Associated Press All-America team in 1986. Johnson was a first-team all-conference selection during his final three seasons at Lawrence. Johnson picked off a season-high eight passes in 1985 and again in 1987. His 0.9 interceptions per game in both of those seasons ranked him in the top eight in the nation. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns and that still stands as the school record, as does his mark of 344 interception return yards. Johnson, who primarily played cornerback during his career, was part of a stellar defensive unit that was consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation and allowed only 11.8 points per game and posted seven shutouts in his four seasons.
Johnson also lettered four times in track and field and participated in sprints, jumps, and threw the javelin during his career. A multiple winner at various meets during his career, he also placed twice in the MWC Championships. Johnson was a MWC place winner in both the javelin and the triple jump.
Johnson, who also played basketball as a junior, lives in Omro, Wis., and is the owner of AFR Inspection Service. He and his wife, Lora Krueger ’89, have two children, Brandon and Andrew.
Rich Agness, Class of 1967
Rich Agness followed up a standout athletic career at Lawrence by coaching at his alma mater for nearly two decades. As an athlete, Agness starred in both wrestling and football for the Vikings.
The Northlake, Ill., native compiled an impressive 47-5-1 record at 177 pounds and was the school’s career wins leader when he graduated. His .896 winning percentage still ranks second all-time. He finished second in his weight class three consecutive years at the Midwest Conference Championships. Agness was a stalwart at defensive end for the football team and was the team’s co-captain in 1966. He helped Lawrence win the 1966 conference championship, the Vikings’ first league title in 15 seasons.
Agness returned to his alma mater in 1974 to join the coaching staff. He was an assistant football coach for 11 seasons and then served as the head coach for another eight. He also served as the baseball coach for seven seasons and spent another five coaching the wrestling squad.
Agness’ genius as an assistant coach was on display on both sides of the ball. He worked with both the offense and defense during his career and both units became national leaders statistically. He then served as the head coach from 1984-91 and his 1986 team won the MWC championship. Agness finished with a 34-38-1 record and only Ron Roberts, Bernie Heselton, and Mark Catlin have won more football game at Lawrence. The Vikings compiled a record of 111-53-1 and won five league championships during his coaching tenure.
The most successful baseball coach in Lawrence history, Agness coached the Vikings from 1975-81 and compiled a record of 95-86-1 for a school-record .525 winning percentage. Agness’ teams put together five consecutive winning seasons from 1977-81, and three of Lawrence’s four MWC baseball titles came under his guidance. The Vikings took the crown in 1977, 1979, and 1980, and Lawrence made its only NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in the West Regional in 1977 and 1979.
Upon his return to Lawrence in 1974, Agness took over the reins of the wrestling program. He coached six national qualifiers and a pair of league champions in his five seasons.
Agness, who also served as Dean of Students during his time at Lawrence, works as a potter and lives in Neenah. He and his wife, Barbara, have four children.
Fred Flom, Class of 1963
A diverse athlete during his time at Lawrence, Fred Flom participated in three sports for the Vikings.
A native of Menasha, Wis., Flom was a standout on both sides of the ball for the Lawrence football team. Flom played both running back and defensive back and earned All-Midwest Conference honors at both positions. A first-team all-conference defensive back in 1962, Flom earned second-team honors at running back in 1961 and received honorable mention as a back in 1960.
The co-captain of the 1962 team, Flom helped the Vikings to a 6-2 record during the twilight of Bernie Heselton’s coaching career. It matched the best record for the team in eight years. This ironman scored a touchdown or had an interception, or both, in every one of Lawrence’s wins in 1962. He even returned an interception for a touchdown in a win over Beloit College.
Flom played three years of varsity basketball, despite a knee injury curtailing his sophomore season. A starter for head coach Don Boya ’50, Flom was a swingman while being teamed with the high-scoring Joel Ungrodt ’64. Turning in perhaps the finest performance of his basketball career, Flom sparked the Vikings to a 74-62 win over St. Olaf College in January 1963. He matched his career-high with 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win.
Flom also played two years of tennis, earning a letter as a senior and playing on the freshman team during his first year at Lawrence.
Flom, who splits his time between Dallas, Texas, and Waupaca, Wis., is a retired American Airlines pilot. He served in the United States Air Force and was a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. Flom flew 80 missions before being shot down in August 1966 and was a prisoner of war until 1973. Flom and his wife, Kay, have a daughter, Julie.
Vince Jones, Class of 1941
Vince Jones was a truly a man among boys during his athletic days at Lawrence. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound Jones was easily the biggest man when he stepped on the gridiron at Whiting Field. The Appleton, Wis., native used his size to bull his way to All-Midwest Conference football honors three times, and he was a powerful thrower for the track and field team.
Playing in an era when a 200-pound lineman was a rarity, Jones was a mammoth presence on the football field. Playing tackle on both offense and defense, Jones opened huge holes for the backs in Bernie Heselton’s single-wing attack and generally caused havoc in the opposing team’s backfield. He also is remembered for intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown in Lawrence’s 18-8 upset of Carleton College in 1939.
The co-captain of the 1940 squad, Jones was a first-team all-conference selection in 1938 and 1940 and received honorable mention in 1939. He was a key player in helping Lawrence secure the 1938 MWC title and drew interest from teams in the National Football League. The Detroit Lions offered him a $1,200 contract, but Jones was forced to turn it down due to a medical condition.
On the cinders of Whiting Field, Jones also was a standout. He won titles in the shot put at the MWC Championships in 1940 and 1941. Jones also captured titles in the shot put and discus at the prestigious Wisconsin Collegiate Invitational and Beloit College Relays, setting meet records at both events, during his career. He set the school record in the shot put with a toss of 48-6 in 1940.
Jones spent the bulk of his career in sales at American Can before his death in 1972. Jones and his wife Katherine ’41 (pictured in group photo at top), who continues to live in Appleton, have five children.
