When Waldo Wegner thinks of playing basketball for Iowa State, he has memories of underhand free throws and a hand-laced leather ball that didn’t always bounce back to the dribbler.

Wegner, a star center for the 1933-35 Cyclone basketball squads, was one of nine ISU athletes selected to be inducted into the ISU Athletic Hall of Fame in September.

“I’m just as proud as punch. I’m the most proud individual you can find right now on campus and maybe in the state,” the 85-year-old said.

In addition to Wegner, George Amundson, Zaid Abdul-Aziz (formerly Don Smith), Glen Brand, Debbie Esser-Karman, Ed Gagnier, Louis Menze, Peg Neppel-Darrah and Ben Peterson make up the second Hall of Fame class in ISU history.

The nine individuals chosen were narrowed from an original list of 150 former Cyclone stars. Letterwinners Club President Tom Randall announced the Hall of Fame members in a Monday ceremony which was held in the Jacobson Building.

Randall, a former ISU and Dallas Cowboy football player, was honored to announce the names of the chosen former student-athletes.

“I’m tingling right now, and I mean that sincerely,” he said. “I think you’ll be really, really proud of this class.”

Amundson starred in football and track and field at ISU from 1969-72. As a running back, he led the Cyclones to their first bowl berth in 1971. In 1972, Amundson switched to quarterback and set a Big Eight Conference record in total offense in a season. He ended his ISU career with his name next to 22 school records.

Abdul-Aziz was a two-time scoring leader led the Big Eight Conference as an ISU center in the mid-60s. In 1968, Abdul-Aziz was the fourth pick in the National Basketball Association’s draft by the Cincinnati Royals. No other Cyclone hoops star has been picked in the top-10 since.

In the ISU wrestling dynasty, Brand is among ISU’s most dominating grapplers. He was the first three-time ISU All-American on the mat and won 51 of 54 career matches. In 1948, Brand wore an Olympic gold medal around his neck after taking the 174-pound division.

Esser-Karman was a nine-time All-American on the track, earning the honor in 400-meter hurdles four times, 100-meter hurdlers, the mile relay and the 4×400 relay. She captured 15 Big Eight titles and three Drake Relays crowns from 1977-81.

As head of the ISU gymnastics program for 22 years, Gangier was voted National Coach of the Year three times. Since retiring from coaching, Gagnier has become more recognizable around Cyclone athletics, as the words “Hi Ed!” ring in Hilton Coliseum during halftimes of ISU men’s basketball games.

Menze wore several hats during his ISU tenure. He successfully served as athletic director, basketball coach and baseball coach during his 29 years in Ames.

Neppel-Darrah won the individual title at the first-ever Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Cross Country Championship in 1975, marking the first individual national title for an ISU woman. She holds five ISU outdoor records and set world records in the three-mile, 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run.

Peterson was an ISU wrestling legend after winning two NCAA titles and three Big Eight Championships. From 1969-72, he helped ISU claim two national team titles and one runner-up finish. Peterson also was a 1972 gold medal winner and 1976 silver medalist.

Wegner was ISU’s first basketball All-American, receiving Converse third-team honors in 1935. He also was the top hitter on the Cyclone baseball teams in his final two seasons.

At 6-4, Wegner dominated the paint, finishing second in league scoring for 10.6 points per game. The 1935 Cyclone squad won the Big Six crown that year, allowing just 28.4 points per game.

After an inauspicious beginning, (after trying to score in the wrong basket,) Wegner was not taken off the floor for even one minute during his three-year career.

Wegner said that schools did not give athletic scholarships and did not recruit during his playing days. He said that an advertisement in the Iowa State Daily was placed every year telling students that they could try out for the squad.

After initially failing to be issued numerals for ISU, Wegner made his mark on the hardcourt.

However, Wegner is not sure how he would fare against today’s taller players in the post.

“I couldn’t make the traveling squad,” he said.

For Wegner, the biggest honor on Monday was being notified that he will be inducted alongside Menze, his former coach.

“I don’t think you can appreciate my feelings to be selected in the same class as my coach and my mentor,” he said. “If there’s any man who has influenced my life, it was my coach.”

“It’s one of the most important and pleasurable things that has happened in the last few years,” Wegner said.

Randall said selecting from the talented pool of athletes was a chore.

“We’ve tried to make it very selective,” he said. “It gets pretty interesting in those meetings.”