James Laurinaitis, Bryan Koniecko, Mike Pucillo Headline Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018

The Ohio State’s Athletics Hall of Fame is set to welcome 10 new members this coming fall. 

The university announced Monday that that the 10 new members, headlined by former football standout James Laurinaitis, will be inducted at a dinner Sept. 7 at the Ohio Union. The class of 2018 will then be honored at halftime of Ohio State’s football game against Rutgers the following day. 

Laurinaitis is joined in the 2018 class by Dick Bruggeman (men’s track), Cassie Dickerson (women’s soccer), Greg Drown (rifle), Linda Haussner (field hockey), Ray Hupp (men’s track), Brian Koniecko (men’s tennis), Mike Pucillo (wrestling), Jerry Welsh (men’s hockey) and Brandon Wynn (men’s gymnastics).

Laurinaitis played for the Buckeyes from 2005-08 and was a part of four Big Ten title teams. He is one of only eight three-time All-Americans in school history and played in a pair of BCS title games at linebacker for Ohio State. He announced his retirement from the NFL in April of 2017 and is co-host of "Bishop and Laurinaitis" on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus. 

Bruggeman ran track for Ohio State from 1967-70 and earned All-America honors in the 600-yard run as a senior. He also competed in the 1972 Olympics, before a muscle injury sidelined him for much of the Olympic run. 

Dickerson was a three-time letter winner and captain from 2008-10 and won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010.  Dickerson is currently a volunteer coach for the Buckeyes and the director of player development. 

Drown was a four-year letter winner on the rifle team from 1981-84 and won the NRA gold medal three times, helping Ohio State win four Big Ten championships. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, but has continued to compete as recently as last year with the 2017-18 US National Paralympic Development Team.

Haussener played field hockey for Ohio State from 2005-08 and is one of the most successful players in program history. She was named a first-team All-American in 2008, along with being named the Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Year. She ranks sixth in school history in career scoring with 121 points. 

A teammate of Bruggeman’s, Hupp was a first-team All-American in 1971 when he won the NCAA decathlon title. He lettered for Ohio State from 1969-71 and is a member of the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.

Koniecko was a five-time All-American for Ohio State tennis from 2006-09 and left Columbus ranked second in school history with 254 combined victories. The former No. 1 player in the country, Koniecko won the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoors title as a senior. He is currently the head coach of the UCF women’s tennis program. 

Pucillo, who wrestled at Ohio State from 2007-10 won the national championship in 2008 in the 184-pound class. A three-time team captain, Pucillo compiled a career record of 107-16 and is ranked in the top-10 in all-time winning percentage in program history. 

Welsh played hockey for Ohio State from 1970-73 before taking over as the head coach in 1976, where he stayed until 1995. As a player, Welsh is tied for seventh in school history in goals scored. As a coach, Welsh had plenty of success, winning 328 games and achieving the No. 1 ranking in the country during the 1983-84 season. He was named the CCHA Coach of the Year in 1983 and was the runner-up for national coach of the year after OSU compiled a 26-9-5 record. 

Wynn was a two-time national champion and six-time All-American as a Buckeye from 2008-11. Following graduation, Wynn competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic trials, and has also won multiple gold and silver medals in the U.S. Championships.