Lake Superior State University and the LSSU Alumni Association honored 11 remarkable individuals during the 2025 Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held as part of Great Lake State Weekend (GLSW) on October 25, 2025. This year’s honorees included Alumni Award recipients Dr. Richard Gray, Dr. Christopher Merrett, and Marisa Berlinger, along with Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Lee Ann (Huffman) Wise, Jerry Cheynet, 1972-73 Wrestling team, and Kord Cernich.
The event celebrated the career achievements and athletic excellence of LSSU alumni and athletes, showcasing their impact on their communities and professions.
“This event is our moment to acknowledge those who represent the very best of what it means to be a Laker,” said LSSU President David Travis. “Each award recipient and Hall of Fame inductee has shaped LSSU’s story in meaningful ways, leaving a positive impact that reaches far beyond campus.”
This year’s event marked the continued tradition of combining the Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame Induction into one ceremony, which began in 2023.
“This celebration continues to be a standout tradition during GLSW,” said Scott Smith, LSSU Vice President of Advancement, Legislative and Alumni Affairs. “It’s a meaningful way to honor Lakers who have excelled in their fields and in athletics, and to bring our community together in recognizing their achievements.”
Each recipient’s story highlighted the impact of an LSSU education, the spirit of determination, and the value of giving back.
- The LSSU Outstanding Alumnus Award is the highest honor that the association presents. It recognizes recipients for their personal and professional accomplishments and their involvement with LSSU.
- The Kenneth J. Shouldice Professional Achievement Award honors individuals whose personal and professional successes serve as outstanding examples of LSSU graduates.
- The Paul Ripley Award for Young Alumni is presented to graduates who have enjoyed exceptional personal and professional success early in their careers.
- The Athletic Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches and administrators for their successes while at Lake Superior State University.
LSSU Outstanding Alumnus Award:
Dr. Richard Gray ‘91, is an accomplished surgeon, educator, and healthcare leader who currently serves as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the state’s top-ranked hospital. A proud LSSU alumnus and former Laker basketball player, he has built a distinguished career marked by clinical excellence, national recognition, and influential leadership in cancer care and digital health. His longstanding connection to LSSU, along with his professional achievements and commitment to service, exemplify the qualities honored by the Outstanding Alumnus Award.
“I am really grateful for my time at Lake Superior State and what an education here has allowed me to do professionally,” Rick said in his acceptance remarks, addressing the audience made up of LSSU faculty and staff, Sault community members, former Laker teammates and alumni. “I found that my education here in combination with the discipline, and teamwork, and my time management I gained by being a student athlete was an important springboard for me.”
Kenneth J. Shouldice Professional Achievement Award:
Dr. Christopher Merrett ’86, Dr. Christopher Merrett is a nationally recognized leader in rural economic and community development, serving as Dean for Innovation and Economic Development, Executive Director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, and Distinguished University Professor at Western Illinois University. His career includes extensive scholarship, major grants, global presentations, and two decades of service on the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, along with advisory roles for state and national organizations. He is also deeply engaged in mentoring students and contributing to professional organizations, editorial work, and community service.
“I take great pride in earning this award because it’s named after President Shouldice.” commented Chris. “He was really instrumental in taking Lake Superior State University from a satellite campus of another university to becoming a standalone public regional university. And in my career at Western Illinois University, it’s also a public regional university, and they are the workhorse of higher education. They are drivers of economic development. They are often the university of first opportunity for first generation students. And you can get an amazing education at a regional public university. So to come back and be given this award by somebody who also championed regional public universities, it’s a great honor and a privilege. And ultimately, I would just say Lake State is awesome.”
Paul Ripley Award for Young Alumni:
Marisa Berlinger ’13, is an accomplished attorney whose early career includes clerking for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and now litigating complex commercial cases at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Seattle, where she also contributes significant pro bono work. A first-generation college graduate, she remains closely connected to LSSU by establishing a scholarship for business students and attributing her academic inspiration to the strong faculty mentorship she received. Her path to the legal profession continued through the University of Michigan Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor in 2016. Marisa described how, after excelling in her first year of law school (at a different law school in Ann Arbor), she pursued her goal of transferring to the University of Michigan Law. With help from a former classmate who connected her to the dean of admissions, she ultimately received a personal call confirming her acceptance — a moment she remembers with excitement and pride.
“Without having graduated from Lake State and later Michigan Law, I am sure, 100% sure, that I wouldn’t have had the privilege or the opportunity to do many of the things that led me to stand before you today,” said Marisa. “So I just wanted to tell you that story because to me, everything comes back to community, and the community here at Lake State and in Sault Ste. Marie is an incredibly formidable and devoted one.“
Athletic Hall of Fame:
Lee Ann (Huffman) Wise ’83, was a standout two-sport athlete at Lake Superior State College from 1979 to 1983, setting the all-time basketball record for career assists (592), the single-season assists record (190), and scoring 1,147 career points while earning multiple athletic honors. She also lettered in softball as a freshman and was recognized as a Clifford Everett Most Valuable Athlete, Top Defensive Player, Terry McDermott Outstanding Freshman, and GLIAC Honorable Mention. After her time at LSSC, she went on to a long career in education and coaching.
“I’ve had the privilege to play with some amazing women,” Lee Ann recalled. “At the time, we didn’t know where we were headed, but we fully took advantage of the opportunity we were given. We became doctors, lawyers, educators, business leaders, coaches, mothers, grandmothers, and role models. This gave us the opportunity to use skills and life lessons we gained while at LSSC.“
Jerry Cheynet, served as head coach of Lake Superior State College’s wrestling program from 1969 to 1974, transforming a winless first team into a powerhouse that won three consecutive NAIA District 23 Championships and consistently placed in the top 20 nationally. His tenure included an undefeated 1972–73 season, multiple individual champions, and standout athletes who earned NAIA and NCAA honors. After LSSU, Cheynet enjoyed a 22-year coaching career at Virginia Tech, becoming the school’s all-time wins leader in wrestling and also coaching soccer and golf.
“It’s been a honor to be back at Lake Superior and to see the wrestlers who did all the work—without them, none of this would have been possible,” said Jerry.
1972-73 Lake Superior State College Wrestling Team delivered a historic perfect season, going 13-0, winning the GLIAC Championship, and finishing 11th at the NAIA National Championships — the best national result in program history at the time. Led by All-Americans Jim Fallis, the NAIA champion at 158 lbs, and Jim Leyndyke, the national runner-up at 126 lbs, the Lakers also secured their third straight NAIA District 23 title. Their dominant performance under Coach Jerry Cheynet remains one of the defining achievements in Laker athletics.
“They put Lake Superior State on the map, wrestling-wise. These guys got it done for us,” commented Bill Crawford, who presented the team members in attendance with their awards, which included Jim Fallis, Jim Leyndyke, Mark Johnson, Frederic Johnson, Tom Black and Coach Jerry Cheynet.
Kord Cernich ’90, was a key contributor to one of Lake Superior State’s greatest hockey eras, helping lead the Lakers to their first NCAA national championship in 1988 and earning multiple All-CCHA and All-American honors. Known for his toughness and reliability, he set an NCAA record with 175 consecutive games played before signing professionally with the New York Rangers and enjoying a long career in North American minor leagues. Looking back, Kord described his years at LSSU as the most enjoyable of his life and expressed deep gratitude for the friendships and championship memories made along the way.
Kord reflected on the long-term impact of that championship, sharing this story in his acceptance speech: “At Coach Jackson’s retirement party last year, a few of us were talking with Keith Aldridge and his wife. She told us they met at LSSU, and it made me wonder — what if we hadn’t won that national championship? Maybe he never comes to the Soo. Maybe his son isn’t named Laker. So when people say, ‘It’s just a game,’ I beg to differ. We changed lives that day.”
Congratulations to all the 2025 recipients and inductees for their incredible achievements and contributions to the LSSU community!
Submit your nominations for the Alumni Association Awards anytime through the Alumni Relations Office or by using the online Alumni Nomination Form.
Honor those who shaped Laker athletics by nominating a deserving individual for the LSSU Athletic Hall of Fame by visiting the the LSSU Hall of Fame webpage.