Five new entrants will be welcomed into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, as the Department announced the pending inductions of student-athletes Sheldon Francis ('08, Wrestling), Stefanie Howorun ('08, Wrestling), Jesse Lumsden ('08, Football) and Michele Oliver ('81, Swimming) alongside the 1997 national-title-winning Marauders baseball team.

The 2018 induction class will be honoured with a ceremony on the morning of Homecoming Saturday, on September 15, at the McMaster Students' Centre's CIBC Hall.

Tickets for the 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Brunch can be bought online through the McMaster Alumni events portal.

Sheldon Francis - Wrestling - Class of '08

Francis suited up for McMaster for five seasons between 2003 and 2008, and never once failed to climb a national or conference podium in that span, accumulating two CIS gold (2006, 2007), two CIS silver (2005, 2008), one CIS bronze (2004), three OUA gold (2004, 2007, 2008) and two OUA silver (2005, 2006) medals. He was named as the CIS Outstanding Male Wrestler in 2006 and was awarded the national RW Pugh Fair Play Award in 2005.

At the conference level, Francis was awarded as the OUA's Most Outstanding Wrestler in consecutive seasons in 2007 and 2008. His incredible achievements on the mat resulted in Francis winning the Ivor Wynne Award as the McMaster Male Athlete of the Year following his third year of competition in 2006, and being a finalist for the award on three other occasions in 2005, 2007 and 2008.

The co-MVP of the team in 2005, Francis departed the Marauders as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in his program's decorated history.

Stefanie West (Howorun) - Wrestling - Class of '08

Whether wearing the maroon and grey of McMaster or the red and white of Canada, Stefanie Howorun excelled in the face of every challenge wrestling could throw at her. A four-time OUA medalist (three gold, one silver), Howorun was named as McMaster's Female Athlete of the Year in 2006 and a finalist for the award again the following year. She won CIS bronze at 65kg in 2005 and saw improvement in moving up a weight class and claiming silver at 67kg the next season.

A two-time team MVP, Howorun made herself known nationally in 2004, when she won gold at the Canadian Junior National Championships, and added World University Games and Senior National Championships bronze at 67kg in 2005. Howorun claimed bronze at the 2006 Pan-American Wrestling Championships and defended her bronze at the Senior National Championships, before winning gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in 2007.

Also an accomplished judoka, Howorun was a member of the Canadian National Judo Team, winning medals at the United States Open and Canadian Open and silver at the 2005 Francophone Games in Niger, Africa.

Jesse Lumsden - Football - Class of '08

Tearing up school, conference and national record books over the course of four exceptional seasons as a Marauder, Lumsden will forever stand as one of the best running backs to play University football in Canada. A star of McMaster's Yates-Cup-winning teams of 2002 and 2003, he holds school records in nearly every category in which he is eligible, including points scored in a single season (126), touchdowns in a single season (21), career touchdowns (46), rushing yards in a single season (1816), average yards per carry in a single season (10.2), longest run from scrimmage (108 yards) and career rushing average per carry (nine).

Lumsden's record of 4,138 career rushing yards eclipses the nearest Marauder by 1,498 despite his playing only four seasons. His 2004 tally of 21 touchdowns is an OUA record and ties the national mark, while his 1,816 yards that season broke both conference and national records.

Lumsden followed a shortened career in football with eight years as a member of the Canadian National Bobsled Team, appearing in the Olympic Winter Games three times (2010, 2014, 2018) and winning multiple World Cup and World Championship medals.

Michele Oliver - Swimming - Class of '81

A freestyle specialist, Oliver set the OWIAA ablaze in two seasons as a Marauder, racking up six conference and three national medals between 1978 and 1980. Demonstrating her prowess at middle distance, Oliver topped the field in both the 400m and 800m freestyle events at the OWIAA Championships in 1979 and followed with CIAU bronze at 400m, adding national gold in the 400m individual medley in the process.

The following season, she was the driving force as the Marauders won OWIAA bronze as a group, contributing gold in the 400m freestyle and 400m individual medley, silver in the 800m freestyle and adding her strength to McMaster's silver-medal-winning 800m freestyle relay team. Oliver capped her exceptional 1979-80 season by defending her national gold medal in the 400m individual medley.

1997 Marauders Baseball Team

Proving nearly untouchable in 1997, the Marauders reeled off a 22-3 record en route to McMaster's first Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA) Championship title. After finishing the regular season 14-2 to top their divisional standings, the Marauders secured the divisional title with a 2-1 semifinal series win over Western and a 2-0 sweep of the defending champions, the Brock Badgers. Aided by a no-hitter pitched by Doug Lunney, McMaster shut out Laval 2-0 and swept through the national round robin with a 13-6 win over Dalhousie and 15-4 win over Toronto. Rematching the Rouge et Or in the national final, the Marauders fell behind 5-0 before mounting a dramatic comeback that ended in a 6-5 victory. Lunney was named as the CIBA Pitcher of the Year, Craig Cooper earned the Top Hitter honours, and Scott Hughes was the Most Valuable Player of the championship. Brad Reeson was team MVP and Golden Glove winner.