Bethel College men’s basketball head coach Ryne Lightfoot will be inducted into the Bethel College Athletic Hall of Fame this August. (Photo via the Bethel College Basketball Twitter)

A pair of former Wawasee High School track stars and an all-timer from NorthWood were saluted for their continued success at the college level.

David Slabaugh, a 2004 Wawasee High School graduate, went on to star at Indiana Wesleyan University and was honored as part of the second Hall of Honor class at IWU earlier this month. Staci Weisser, a 2000 Wawasee High School graduate, continued her track career at Bethel College and will be inducted into the Dr. Albert J. Beutler Athletic Hall of Fame this August. Joining Weisser in the Bethel class is 2006 NorthWood graduate Ryne Lightfoot, who is currently Bethel’s men’s basketball head coach and a former Pilot standout.

As part of the only national championship in the rich history of Indiana Wesleyan University men’s track, along with Jason Wetzel, Josh Miller and Josh Foss, the quartet were part of the most recent class to be inducted into the IWU Hall of Honor.
Slabaugh was a member of the 2008 IWU 4×800 meter relay team that won the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championship, posting a scorching 7:33.53. The time still stands as the school’s record in the event.

The relay team, along with the 2000 volleyball team, basketball player Durand “Speedy” Walker, volleyball player Rebekah Reichard, soccer player Liz Malmen and multi-sport coach Terry Porter, were all recognized at the second annual banquet at Indiana Wesleyan earlier this month.

David Slabaugh at IWU’s Hall of Honor ceremony earlier this month. (Photo provided by the IWU Athletic Department)

Slabaugh, who was a track standout at both IWU and Wawasee, currently lives in South Carolina with his wife and two children.
Weisser, a 2004 Bethel graduate, was a three-time NCCAA national champion, winning the 2001 indoor high jump, the 2003 indoor triple jump and 2003 outdoor triple jump. She also accrued seven national runner-up finishes in NCCAA competition as a Pilot. Between cross country and track and field, Weisser was a seven-time NCCAA All-American.

Weisser left Bethel as the program’s record holder in high jump at 1.67 meters, achieved her senior year, and won the Crossroads League championship four times in long jump, high jump and the triple jump.

Weisser soon after graduating became a coach at Bethel, and later moved to her high school alma mater to coach track. Weisser has been both an assistant and head coach in track since 2006.

Lightfoot was one of the best to ever wear both a NorthWood and Bethel basketball jersey.

At NorthWood, Lightfoot graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,673 points and was voted a member of the Elkhart County Sports Hall of Fame.

Moving to Bethel, he played for his dad, Hall of Fame coach Mike Lightfoot, and racked up 2,075 points (10th all-time), 702 assists (5th all-time) and 500 rebounds (34th all-time). Lightfoot is only the second player in the storied Bethel basketball program to finish with north of 2,000 points, 700 assists and 500 rebounds. He was voted the 2010 NCCAA Pete Maravich Award winner, a three-time NCCAA All-American, and helped the 2007 Bethel squad to a NCCAA National Championship. Lightfoot was named to the All-Crossroads League lists four times, taking First Team honors as a senior.

After his playing career, Lightfoot was an assistant coach for his dad until 2017, when he was passed the torch by Mike and became the head coach. The Pilots have crossed the 20-win plateau once again this season.

Staci Weisser has been on the Wawasee track coaching staff for over a decade. (File photo by Mike Deak)