'Berg to induct new hall of fame members

TIFIN—A class of five alumni will enter the Heidelberg University Athletics Hall of Fame at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Joe Hada '72, Trista (VanGuilder) Flanagan '94, Darren Nelson '02, Jon Hatfield '06 and Marian (Bevington) Heitkamp '13 make up the 38th induction class of the Hall of Fame. In tandem with the second football game of the season, fans are invited to campus for a night under the lights. Heidelberg (1-0) will face Ohio Northern (1-0), kicking off the opening Ohio Athletic Conference matchup for both teams. The game will be the 14th annual "Bendo Bowl," created in honor of the late Ronnie and Jason Bendekovic. Ronnie was an assistant coach at ONU at the time of his passing in 2005. Jason worked at Heidelberg when he passed away in 2010. Heidelberg holds an 11-2 edge in the Bendo Bowl. New to campus will be the first-ever public Beer Garden, located within the stadium. Fans can purchase drinks to enjoy on the plaza during the game, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the students. Attendees can also purchase a souvenir cup celebrating Heidelberg's upcoming 175 year anniversary. Heidelberg Athletic Director Greg Cooper and Coordinator of External Operations Amy Hafer, along with staff from Parkhurst Dining Services, are putting the idea in place. "This will be a great opportunity to add another level of vibrancy to game day," said Cooper, who is very excited to open the space for many special events. "For years, Heidelberg has had one of the best game day atmospheres in Division III and this is just the next step to continue that trend." Beverages will be sold during the Sept. 21 game as well as Oct. 26, for homecoming. "The Beer Garden will definitely set us apart and help reinstate the pre-Covid fun of a college campus," said Hafer. "It will be a controlled, safe atmosphere." Heidelberg hosts four more football games at Hoernemann Stadium, sometimes referred to as The Castle, this season. They include Ohio Northern Sept. 21, Marietta Oct. 12, Muskingum Oct. 26 and Baldwin Wallace Nov. 16. Tickets for the football game and the preceding Athletics Hall of Fame Luncheon are available at BergAthletics.com/tickets. Over the summer, The Berg broke ground on a new $27.4 million Student Athletics, Academic, and Recreation Center. Opening in the fall of 2025, "The Fieldhouse" is for current, future, and past students as well as the extended community. It will provide new opportunities for academic, recreational, and co-curricular programming and indoor community engagement. Hafer added, "I want students and fans to be more involved in the community on campus, and also to show that members of the greater Tiffin community and the University community can coexist. We want our game days to be a fun environment that all people want to come to."