(GREEN BAY ATHLETICS) – Green Bay Athletics is set to induct six former Phoenix greats to the Green Bay Athletics Hall of Fame on June 13, 2026. This will be the 24th induction class in the Hall of Fame’s history. The announced 2026 class includes women’s basketball player Mehryn Kraker, volleyball player Taylor Wolf, men’s diver Danny Pogue, men’s golfer Shaun Rezachek, women’s swimmer Kaye-Lani Laughna, and faculty member Charles ‘Chuck’ Ihrke. These inductees will be recognized for their athletic achievements, contributions, and accomplishments during their successful careers at Green Bay.
This year’s class of inductees brings membership in the Athletics Hall of Fame to 97 honorees. The most recent induction class came in 2024, with Rahmon Fletcher, Ken Hess, and the 2010-11 Green Bay women’s basketball team joining the countless Phoenix greats in the Green Bay Athletics Hall of Fame.
The class will be forever enshrined on Saturday, June 13, with the ceremony taking place at the Weidner Center on the campus of UW-Green Bay. Tickets will be available for purchase soon and will include a social hour with a cash bar, dinner, and induction ceremony program.
Social hour will start at 4 p.m., followed by dinner at 5 p.m., and the induction will begin at approximately 5:45 p.m.
Charles ‘Chuck’ Ihrke
Chuck Ihrke made an immense impact throughout his career at UW-Green Bay. Ihrke first became an Assistant Professor at UW-Green Bay in 1969, serving in the role until his promotion in 1975 to Associate Professor. Chuck received the Founders Award for Excellence in teaching in 1984, the university’s highest honor for faculty, before his retirement in 1999 as associate professor emeritus of human biology. In his 30-year teaching career at UWGB, Ihrke served as chair of biology and human bio, a faculty representative to the NCAA, and chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee and Prior Learning Council.
Mehryn Kraker – Women’s Basketball ’17
Mehryn Kraker built one of the most impressive resumes in Green Bay women’s basketball history during her time with the Phoenix. The West Allis native is one of eight players to play at least 130 games, and the forward graduated fourth in all-time scoring with 1,671 points. Kraker is the Phoenix’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made with 234. In her senior season in 2016-17, Kraker set a new Phoenix record, sinking 75 three-point field goals in a single season. Kraker scored 35 points at Detroit Mercy on Feb. 4, 2017, the third-most points scored in a single game in program history. Kraker received All-Freshman honors and was later named to the All-Tournament team three times, including a Tournament MVP in 2016. She earned Horizon League Player of the Year honors in 2017. Off the court during her senior season, she received the Division I-AAA Athletic Director’s Association Scholar Athlete Player of the Year and was named espnW Mid-Major Player of the Year.
Kaye-Lani Laughna – Women’s Swimming & Diving ’02
Laughna was on the Green Bay swimming & diving team from 1998 to 2002. She received the Swimmer of the Meet award in the 2000 MCC and 2002 Horizon League championships. Laughna also won the 50 and 100 freestyle for three consecutive years from 2000 to 2002. She is one of three women’s swimmers in conference history to win the 50 freestyle three times in the conference championships and is one of three women’s swimmers in conference history to win the 100 freestyle three times in the conference championships. She is also one of two women’s swimmers in conference history to win two different events three times at conference championships (50 and 100 free).
Daniel Pogue – Men’s Swimming & Diving ’12
Phoenix Diver Danny Pogue spent four seasons on the Green Bay Swimming & Diving Squad from 2008-2012 and made his mark as a program record-breaker. Pogue set the record for the highest score ever recorded in the men’s 1-meter board with an incredible 379.15, 50.5 points over second place. Pogue additionally set a record for the 3-meter board, scoring 352.00 points, a record that stood for a decade. Pogue was named Horizon League Diver of the Meet twice, a five-time conference champion for the Phoenix, and earned his Green Bay program record 15th Diver of the Week award on Dec. 6, 2011. As a senior in 2012, Pogue earned the Men’s Horizon League Diver of the Meet Award after winning the individual title from his school record-breaking 1-meter dive, and his record-breaking 3-meter diving event performance that earned him the conference runner-up.
Shaun Rezachek – Men’s Golf ’01
Shaun Rezachek played golf for four seasons at Green Bay, from 1997 to 2001. He received the honor of Horizon League Champion in 1998 and 2001, before the league’s automatic NCAA bid. Rezachek was All-League all four years, while also winning Horizon League Player of the Year in 1998 and 2001. Rezachek is one of four men’s golfers to win the Horizon League Player of the Year at least twice. In the spring of 1998, he achieved individual wins at Butler and Cleveland State. He had a Phoenix personal best 18-hole score of 65 at the Iron Horse/Eastern Illinois Invite. Rezachek coached the Phoenix from 2002 to 2005, which included guiding Jason Hill to a Horizon League Player of the Year award in 2005. Rezachek was also awarded the 2005 Horizon League Coach of the Year, guiding the team to multiple tournament wins during that season.
Taylor Wolf – Volleyball ’19
During her time at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, Taylor Wolf became one of Phoenix Volleyball’s all-time greats. She graduated second all-time in kills (1,418) and third in total points (1,605) after just three seasons. In 2017, she became the first player in program history to earn both Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors and All-Freshman Team recognition. She was named to the All-Horizon League and All-Tournament Team three consecutive years (2017–2019), highlighted by earning MVP of the Horizon League Championship Tournament in Green Bay’s 2018 title run and NCAA tournament qualification. Wolf was a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019), a three-time AVCA All-American, and was named the university’s Newcomer of the Year (2018) and Female Athlete of the Year across all sports (2019). She also earned All-Academic honors and served as a team captain, a role she would hold for three consecutive years across both Green Bay and Marquette (2019–2021). Beyond athletics, Wolf emphasized academic excellence and community impact. She graduated early from UW–Green Bay, earning two degrees including Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology, while on the Dean’s List. She also served as President of the Tri Beta Biological Honor Society. After transferring to Marquette, Wolf continued with her athletic accomplishments. She earned AVCA All-East Region All-American honors, received multiple BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week awards, and was selected to both the All-Big East Conference Team and All-Big East Championship Team. Wolf reached new heights in her final collegiate season in 2021, leading the nation at the Division I level in triple-doubles (recording double digits in digs, assists, and kills) and was named Big East Player of the Year.
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