Idaho State University inducted five former student-athletes into its class of 2012 Hall of Fame, including honoring late swimming star Blair K. Braun and former boxing instructor Dale Trumbo.

    Four of the inductees attended a special reception Friday evening at Robert's Ranch and were formerly placed into the Hall before Saturday's ISU-UC Davis football game. Blair was represented by his sister, Jane.

    Also named to the school's sacred roll were track standout Hillary Merkley, basketball player Angela Munger and gridiron stalwart Josh Hays.

    Braun, who lost his battle with cancer in 1987, began swimming competitively when he was 10 years old. He swam for eight years in a Hawaiian AAU swimming age group, junior and senior program. Blair held numerous Hawaiian swimming records, was well-rounded and an outstanding student. He was offered a swimming scholarship to Idaho State College by then Athletic Director, John Vesser.

    During his freshman year, Blair broke two individual records and one relay school record, all three being done at the Big Sky Conference swimming and diving championships. During his sophomore year, more school records would be set. This was the pattern the entire time Blair was on the ISU swim team.

    “The funny thing is, we never really knew how well he was doing at ISU,” said his sister. “We knew he did some wonderful things here (in Hawaii), but I had no idea he was doing so well here. So when we received word of his induction, we were naturally very surprised.

    “He did love this school and Pocatello so much and he enjoyed coming back year after year. To see him honored like this is wonderful. This is a very big occasion for all of us and we are so proud of him.”

    Having word that he had received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trumbo, who began his association with the university in 1958, was near tears.

    “This is so special,” he said. “I feel so humbled by this award.”

    Trumbo was nominated for this award by Jim Baxter, founder of Christian Boxers Outreach. It was his request that Dale not only be recognized for his collegiate boxing accomplishments but more importantly, for his numerous contributions to the sport of boxing and Idaho youth since graduating from ISU.

    “Dale has been a great ambassador for the university,” Baxter said.

    Trumbo was President of the ISU Alumni Board of Directors in 1978-79 and served as the Idaho State Athletic Commissioner and President of AAU Golden Gloves of Idaho for 21 years. He was also the Director of Vocational Rehabilitation for the state of Idaho and has helped numerous “people at risk” through the services available as well as his personal assistance.

    At one point during their freshman year, Merkley (class of 2001) and Munger played on the same basketball squad, but soon went their separate ways.

Merkley was a walk-on to both ISU’s track and basketball teams but quickly earned a track scholarship. Her finest performance came in the 2001 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track Championship where she won the heptathlon with a school-record and NCAA qualifying 5,320 points and was voted the meet’s Outstanding Field Event Athlete.

    She later won the conference indoor shot put her freshman year with a mark of 48-01/4, which is still a school indoor record. She also had the league’s best mark in the indoor heptathlon. She had ISU top 10 marks in other individual events, including the indoor shot put, intermediate hurdles, outdoor 800 meters, indoor and outdoor 4x400 meter relay and the 55 meter hurdles.

    “I don't think the enormity of this will ever set in,” she said. “To be honored by your school is beyond words, and it's even more humbling to know I don't even think I deserve it. I never even thought about something like this. I was just happy to make the team back in those days.”

    Merkley cites ISU track coach Dave Nielsen as the most influential person in her athletic career as well in her current professional teaching career.

    “Dave gave me the opportunity to compete, fostered an environment where I could build confidence and helped me develop as an athlete,” she said.

    As for Munger, her path led to a stellar basketball career.

    Munger was an outstanding leader, playmaking guard and defensive player at ISU as a four-year letter winner in 1997-2000. Additionally, she was All-Academic All-Big Sky Conference for the four years of her eligibility. Her senior year, she had 161 assists, the second best one-season total in ISU history. She is fifth all time with 330 career assists. She had 72 steals in both her junior and senior seasons and her 203 career steals are the second-best total in school history.

    “This is just so surprising and special to me,” she said of her induction. “When I received the letter, I thought to myself that they sent it to the wrong person. Something like this never even came up on my radar.”

    She was a team captain in her junior and senior seasons and was known as a coach on the court in her playing days. Her coach, Ardie McInelly, considers her one of the best leaders and the most competitive player she has ever coached in all her years on the collegiate level.

    With the ISU Bengals football team going through some rough times these days, former star Hays certainly feels for his alma mater.

    “It's tough to see them lose like this, but I have total faith in Mike Kramer,” he said. “I played against his teams and he knows how to win. He will get this team going soon, I believe that.”

     Originally from Homedale, Idaho, Hays is considered by most ISU football insiders as the player who began ISU’s run of great pass-rushing defensive ends. Considered by many small for the position of defensive end, he looked more like a wide receiver or cornerback. He was so fast it was said, offensive tackles rarely got a body or an arm on him.

    Hays is one of the few ISU defenders to be first-team All Big Sky Conference in two seasons, 1995-96. At the time of his graduation, he held ISU quarterback sack records for game (5), season (16.5) and career (42.5). Two records still stand and Jared Allen has since broken the one-season record of sacks with 17.5.

    In addition, he was team captain in both 1995 and 1996 in addition to being named All Conference First Team Academic All-Conference and an All-American selection in 1996. Hays had the best single game by an ISU defensive lineman—his five-sack game against Boise State in 1994.

    “I used to look at the pictures in the weight room of the guys in the hall of fame, but I never thought in a million years I would be one of them one day,” he said. “I just went out and did my best. This is a real special honor to me. I don't know if I really deserve it, but I am certainly thrilled by my selection.”