Six former Spartans, including Mark Dantonio (MSU football head coach 2007-2020), secured their spot in Michigan State history Friday afternoon with their induction into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
The honorees include Dantonio, Sam Vincent (men’s basketball), Kori Moster (volleyball), Nick Simmons (wrestling), Caroline Powers (women’s golf) and Tony Keyes (men’s soccer).
Joining 187 other inductees, the six will now own plaques at the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center.
After a 13-year career as the head of the Spartans football team, Dantonio’s legacy is one that few will dismiss. After retiring in 2020, Dantonio has been inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame and even the Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.
“I’m deeply appreciative,” Dantonio said. “Like I've said many times before, these are program awards, and a lot of people are involved in this when you're coaching.”
Dantonio, MSU’s most successful football coach with three Big Ten Championships, said he fell in love with coaching not because they were accomplished, but because of the relationships he was able to grow on the gridiron.
“I got started because I wanted to be around young people and watch young people develop,” Dantonio said. “I love the Xs and Os of it and all the things that go along with it, but it really was about the players, and what can you accomplish with young people.”
Tony Keyes, the career leader for goals scored in MSU men's soccer history with 56, was one of the most dominating players for the Spartan program in the years 1966–68. Twice, he was an All-American (1966, 1968), and he was a key factor in the Spartans winning two consecutive co-national championships (1967, 1968).
A Jamaican-born footballer, Keyes, said he’s glad MSU is acknowledging his success from six decades ago.
“The feeling is so surreal. It doesn't get any better than this,” Keyes said. “You know, this is not something I planned, but since it happened, I give thanks to MSU for acknowledging what I did a long time ago.”
Kori Moster took the court for MSU Volleyball from 2011-14 as one of the Spartans’ greatest liberos. Moster is the Spartan leader in career digs with 2,218, which is more than 700 ahead of her closest competitor.
The career total is third on the Big Ten's all-time listing, and Moster also claims four of the top 10 for individual Spartan single-season digs.
During her time in East Lansing, Moster played with current volleyball coach Kristen Kelsay, who, she said, has her excited about the future of volleyball at MSU.
“My favorite thing about this university is the fact that Kirsten Kelsey is the head coach of the team,” Moster said. “I think all of us trust nobody more than her to lead this team, but her being here makes old players like myself also feel like this is home for us.”
Despite her legendary status with MSU Volleyball, Moster said she never once thought she’d make it to the hall.
“I genuinely can say it never once I crossed my mind,” Monster said. “I’m completely floored, it’s so surreal. Being back here has been a burst of energy.”
Sam Vincent, a well-known name among 1980s Men’s Basketball fans, got the call from Athletic Director J Batt telling him he’d be inducted while coaching in South Africa. It was quite an unexpected call, he said.
“I got the word and took a moment to think about it, and I thought, Man, that day is going to actually come, and now it's here,” Vincent said. “So, time moves, and it moves fast.”
Vincent from 1981-85 averaged 16.8 points per game over his career and 52.9% from the field.
Nick Simmons, one of the Spartans' most formidable wrestlers from 2001-07. Four-time NCAA All-American, Simmons claimed three Big Ten titles at 125 lbs. in 2005 and 2006 and at 133 lbs. in 2007. Redshirting his initial year, he went on to conclude his Spartan career with a 109-8 record.
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“It’s awesome [being inducted], it's humbling. It’s just good to be part of the class and part of Michigan State Athletics,” Simmons said.
For Caroline Powers, golf was always embedded in her life. A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, she was the 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection. Her 74.26 scoring average set the MSU career record at the time and now stands seventh all-time.
“To walk through that entire hallway, it really does take your breath away, even though I’ve walked through that hallway 100 times, 1000 times, probably,” Powers said. “But to now know that I'm amongst that group of people is pretty special and amazing.”
A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, she was the 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection. Her 74.26 scoring average set the MSU career record at the time and now stands seventh all-time.
The group will be honored in front of tens of thousands of Spartan fans Saturday during Michigan State’s game against Youngstown State at 3:30 p.m.
