Welcoming the 25th Northern Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame Class!
Every two years, UNC Athletics inducts outstanding former student-athletes, teams, coaches and supporters into the University of Northern Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame. Members of the 25th class were announced earlier this year, showcasing UNC’s breadth of athletic excellence. In September, six inductees were celebrated for their many achievements on and off the field. Join us in congratulating this impressive lineup of players and coaches.
Tad Boyle
Men’s Basketball Head Coach, 2006-10
Tad Boyle played a crucial role in building the UNC men’s basketball team into the powerhouse it is today. In just four years, as UNC became an NCAA Division I school, Boyle brought them to a near Big Sky title win. In his final season coaching at UNC, Boyle propelled the program to its first 20-win season since the 1980s when the team went 25-8. He is also responsible for recruiting and developing numerous award-winning players, including three All-Big Sky honorees, a fellow UNC Hall of Famer and Big Sky MVP and the 2009-10 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year. Boyle continues to have a successful career serving as head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Mariel Gutierrez, ’18
Women’s Soccer, 2014-18
Mariel Gutierrez, ’18, is one of UNC women’s soccer’s and the Big Sky Conference’s most decorated student-athletes in history. Gutierrez recorded a massive 36 goals while at UNC, ranking fourth all-time, and the 14 assists she recorded rank seventh all-time. Gutierrez holds several Division I-era records including game-winning goals with 14, shots attempted with 220 and shots on goal with 112. She holds fifth place in UNC’s all-time rankings for games played, with a total of 85 appearances. Gutierrez was awarded the 2018 Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP, the Big Sky Conference’s Golden Boot award and was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference First Team selection.
Savannah Smith, ’19
Women’s Basketball, 2015-19
Savannah Smith, ’19, tops the UNC women’s basketball leaderboard as the leading scorer with an incredible 2,013 points scored throughout her career. She holds career records in nine scoring categories, including the single-season record for points scored at 708 and three-point field goals made with 300. Savannah also set the program’s bar for points scored in a single game after she posted a pair of 40-point games in 2019. Among her many accolades and awards, Smith was named 2018 Colorado Sportswoman of the Year, Big Sky MVP for the 2017-18 season, 2018 Big Sky Tournament MVP, and was a three-time All-Big Sky First team selection.
Tom Runnells
Baseball, 1974-77
Tom Runnells is a renowned Greeley baseball player. Runnells played in the College World Series in 1974 and on three Great Plains Athletics Conference regular season and tournament championship teams. At the conclusion of his UNC career, he boasted a .394 batting average, drove in 51 runs, and scored 73 times. Runnells spent 41 years in professional baseball, playing for the Cincinnati Reds and managing the Montreal Expos, among other positions. Runnells’ career culminated in his time as a member of the Colorado Rockies organization. Notably, he was the bench coach for the Rockies in 2009 when the team secured the wild card for the World Series. Runnells was later awarded the Colorado Rockies Abby Greer award for the MVP of spring training in 2012 — the only non-player to receive the award.
Jaime White
Women’s Basketball Head Coach, 2006-14
Jaime White led the UNC women’s basketball team to 117 wins as head coach, becoming the all-time leader in wins while overseeing the transition from Division II to Division I. During the 2010-11 season, White was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year when she coached the team to jointly win the Big Sky regular season championship and finish 12-4 in conference play. Under her leadership, the Bears reached the Big Sky Tournament championship game twice. White coached a total of 15 All-Big Sky honorees and two of her former student-athletes are also inductees in the UNC Athletic Hall of Fame. Since leaving in 2014, Coach White has continued her success as head coach of the Fresno State women’s basketball team.
Jed Roberts
Football, 1985-89
Jed Roberts was a valuable player on the Bears football team during his time here. He was selected as a first-team All-NCC (North Central Conference) linebacker his junior year, and by the time he finished his collegiate career, he was tied for 14th place in completed sacks. After UNC, Roberts played for the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League from 1990-2002, primarily as a linebacker and defensive end. Part of the 1993 Grey Cup championship team, Roberts set several single-game and franchise records for the Edmonton Elks in special team tackles. With an impressive 163 special teams tackles during his 12-year stint, Roberts continues to hold the franchise record for career special teams tackles.
—Tamsin Fleming
