Hall of Fame - 2006

• Matt Baker '94
• Mike Cottle '89
• Robert Gardner '63
• Wayne Paul '88

Matt Baker '94

Baseball, Football

He excelled as a standout in two sports during his career at Juniata. On the football field he was a three-time all-conference performer as a wide receiver and punter. He earned first-team All-MAC honors as a receiver following his junior and senior seasons and was a first-team all-conference choice as a punter as a sophomore. At the time of his induction he ranked sixth in Juniata history in career receptions with 122 and his 1,847 receiving yards was seventh in College Hill annals. He was Juniata’s leader in receptions and receiving yards in both 1992 and 1993. His career-best 56 pass haul-ins in 1993 ranks in the single-season top-10 and his personal-high of 927 receiving yards was fourth in Juniata history at the time of his induction. He earned the Dr. J. Harold Engle Award, given to the top back on the football team, in both 1992 and 1993. As a punter he averaged 32.9 yards or better in each of his final three seasons. A four-year letter winner in baseball, he closed his career with a lifetime batting average of .335 with 109 hits and 78 runs scored. He was a team captain for the baseball and football squads his senior season.

Mike Cottle '89

Football

One of the most productive wide receivers in the history of the Juniata football program, he still ranked at or near the top of every receiving category in program history at the time of his induction. He was selected as a second-team Pizza Hut Division III All-American following his senior season, and was a three-time all-conference pick. He was twice named a first-team All-MAC player. He is the all-time leader in career receptions at Juniata with 212 and ranks third in the program’s history with 2,607 career receiving yards. He holds two spots in the Juniata top-10 in receptions in a season, including his career high of 67 catches which came in 1988 and ranks as the second-highest total in Juniata history. His total of 57 receptions in 1987 is sixth in the Juniata single-season charts. He led the team in receptions for three seasons and was the recipient of the Dr. J. Harold Engle Award as a senior.

Robert Gardner '63

Cross Country, Track and Field

He was a key member of the powerful track and field teams of the early 1960s. He finished first in the 220 at the 1963 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Track and Field Championships, along with a second-place result in the 440. In addition, he was part of the 4x400 relay that established, at the time, a school record. He received the Stanford Mickle Award, given to the top male athlete in the senior class, following his senior season as he helped the Eagle track team to a 10-1 record. He paced the squad with 89 points scored during the 1963 season and tied the existing school record in the 440 in the final meet of the campaign. He won the 220 at the MACs despite being a late addition in the event. He has been described by former coaches and teammates as having one of the “finest finishing kicks” in Juniata history. He was selected as most outstanding competitor on the track team after the 1962 season and finished as the runner-up in the 440 at the MAC Championships during that same year. He also earned 37 points as a sophomore on the track squad.

Wayne Paul '88

Basketball

A prolific scorer and defensive player, he helped Juniata break a long postseason drought as he helped the team earn a berth in the conference playoffs in his senior season. He led the team in scoring three seasons, and was selected as the team MVP in his final campaign. He was also a first-team All-District selection and a first-team All-MAC Northern Division honoree as he scored 461 points that season, the seventh-highest single-season total in Juniata history. At the time of his induction, he ranked in the Juniata career top-10 in three different categories. He finished his tenure with 1,402 points, the fourth-highest total in Juniata history and averaged 14.3 points per game over his career. He also is in the all-time College Hill top-10 in steals with 113 and assists with 234. His 51 steals in his junior year is the fourth-best single-season total in Juniata history. He helped Juniata finish 17-9 in his senior season which, at the time of his induction, ranked as the most wins in a campaign in the history of the Juniata men’s basketball program.