St. Ambrose Athletic Hall of Fame

St. Ambrose will welcome Tom Broders (football), Dan Dowjotas (men's volleyball), Matt Fitzpatrick (men's basketball), Angie (Schinstock) Fransk (women's basketball) and Stan Stolte (baseball legacy) into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, as part of Homecoming Weekend. The five will comprise the 33rd class of inductees into the University's Hall of Fame.

Tom Broders is one of the top wide receivers and returners in SAU football history. He was named a first team NAIA District 15 wide receiver in both 1979 and 1980. He finished his career as the program's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,167), receptions (126) and touchdowns (33). He remains one of just five players in school history to compile more than 2,000 career receiving yards. Broders set a then-school-record with 11 touchdown receptions in 1980. In his Fighting Bee career, Broders returned four kickoffs and three punts for touchdowns. He scored a school-record five touchdowns in a game against Culver-Stockton in 1980, four coming on receptions and the fifth on an 85-yard kickoff return. In his career between 1977-80, he caught touchdown passes of 89 and 88 yards, returned a punt 82 yards and posted a 95-yard kickoff return, all remain some of the longest plays in program history. Broders graduated from St. Ambrose in 2013. 

Dan Dowjotas is the most-decorated men's volleyball player in school history. A three-time first team All-American (2010, 2011, 2012), Dowjotas was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association NAIA National Player of the Year in 2012. He was a two-time Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) Player of the Year (2011, 2012), the league's freshman of the year in 2009, and a three-time first team all-conference pick. He helped St. Ambrose claim MAMVIC regular-season and conference tournament championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and qualify for the National Tournament each of those seasons. After reaching the national semifinals in 2010, the team was national runner-up in both 2011 and 2012. That 2012 team finished 33-3 overall and was the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA for most of the year. Dowjotas, a 2012 graduate, holds the school record with 1,652 career kills. He is the only player in program history to record three seasons of at least 400 kills. He is also fourth all-time with 729 career digs.

Matt Fitzpatrick was named a first team men's basketball All-American after being named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Year in 2004. That season, he scored more than 500 points to help the Bees reach the NAIA Final Four, the first and only appearance in the national semifinals for the team in program history. St. Ambrose finished with a 32-6 record that season. Fitzpatrick also helped the 2003 team reach the NAIA National Tournament. A three-time all-conference selection, he earned first team all-conference honors in both 2003 and 2004. He received All-American honorable mention in 2003. Fitzpatrick is currently second all-time in program history in career steals (189) and assists (538) and 18th in career scoring (1,372). He is also second in school history in single-season steals (78) and assists (234), both set in that 2003-04 campaign. Fitzpatrick earned his degree from St. Ambrose in 2010.

Angie (Schinstock) Fransk was a two-time women's basketball All-American, earning third team honors in 2003 and second team recognition in 2004. The 2004 Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Year, Fransk was a three-time first team all-conference selection (2002, 2003, 2004) and helped St. Ambrose reach the NAIA National Tournament in 2002 and again in 2004. She graduated in 2004 as one of just three players in program history to score more than 2,000 career points, finishing with 2,057 points. She is currently fourth on both the all-time scoring list and all-time rebounding list, grabbing 1,127 total boards with the Bees. She averaged 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game at SAU. Fransk holds school records for most career free throws made (664), and attempted (850) and her .559 career field-goal percentage is the third-best mark in program history. She is also sixth all-time in field goals made (695) and ninth in field goals attempted (1,244). She was named an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2003.

Stan Stolte was a member of the St. Ambrose baseball team that won an NAIA regional title in 1984. The shortstop/pitcher joined SAU after starting his collegiate career at Muscatine Community College. After graduating in 1984, Stolte began his coaching career, first at Clarence-Lowden High School in 1985-86 before moving to the collegiate ranks. He served as an assistant coach at Northwest Missouri State, Muscatine CC, Pacific, Nevada and UNLV. He was named the interim head coach at UNLV for the 2016 season before being named the permanent head coach at UNLV on June 1, 2016. Stolte was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2022 after leading the Hustlin' Rebels to a regular-season conference championship. Stolte has won 191 games at UNLV and has coached 115 players who signed professional contracts, including 17 who reached the Major Leagues.