Bethel Sports
Josh Booth, Sports Information Director
NORTH NEWTON – The Bethel College Athletic Department is proud to announce the names of the three individuals to be inducted into the Threshers Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Brent Martens, Eric Peters, and Kendra Doyle were chosen by the selection committee as the most worthy to earn this recognition, and will be inducted on the evening of Oct. 13 as part of the 2017 Bethel Fall Fest events for the weekend. These inductees will again be recognized prior to the Bethel football game on Oct. 14, when the Threshers host the University of Saint Mary at 7 p.m.
Brent Martens – Football
Brent Martens made an immediate impact on the Bethel Football program as soon as he stepped foot on the field. Earning the starting quarterback job for the first game of his freshman career, Martens started all but three games of his four-year career (due to injury) from 1997-2000. He was able to rack up the yardage through the air, and on the ground. The dual-threat quarterback exploited every defense he came across, and helped Bethel to an 8-2 record his senior year. As a freshman, Martens was named All-KCAC Second Team as a quarterback, and capped off his senior season as the KCAC Offensive Player of the Year, as well as the All-KCAC First Team Quarterback. Martens left Bethel holding 11 individual football school records, and currently has seven to his name. A few of these include most passing completions in a career (523), most passing yards in a career (6,584), most total offensive yards in a season and career (2,313, and 8,306, respectively), as well as holding the school record for most rushing yards in a single game (343 vs Ottawa in 1999). Martens was also a track athlete, and his 4×400 relay team he was a part of still holds the school record (3:18.69). A two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Martens left a lasting impact on and off the field that will not be forgotten at Bethel.
Eric Peters – Track and Field
Eric Peters and the word “athleticism” go hand-in-hand. The three sport athlete (football, indoor & outdoor track) left his stamp on Bethel Athletics which still stands today. Peters is arguably one of the greatest pole vaulters the KCAC has ever seen. During his time as a Thresher from 1994-1997, Peters captured the KCAC Outdoor Track Individual Championship in pole vault four straight years. He is also a three-time NAIA All-American in the pole vault. He was able to grab an All-American nod in 1996 in the NAIA Outdoor Track Championships, and followed this in 1997 by being named All-American in both the Indoor & Outdoor Championships. His pole vault marks of 15’6″ and 16’1″ with indoor and outdoor settings (respectively) are both current school records at Bethel. Peters was also Second Team NAIA All-American in 1996 in football as a punt returner. He currently shares the record for most interceptions caught in a single game, at three.
Kendra Doyle – Track and Field
Kendra Doyle has a collegiate athletic resume few are able to even sniff at during a career. She very well maybe the greatest female track athlete Bethel has ever seen during the women’s track program history. Doyle is a two-time NAIA All-American in the 400 Meter Hurdles, and the NAIA Outdoor Individual Champion in the event in 2002. Her championship time of 1:01.23 broke the school record, and has stood ever since. She has a total of five Bethel track records, those being the Indoor 55 Meter Hurdles, Outdoor 100 Meter and 400 Meter Hurdles, Outdoor Long Jump, and being a member of the Indoor 4×400 team record. Doyle is also a five-time KCAC Track Individual Champion, with two first place finishes in both the 100 and 400 Meter Hurdles, as well as once in the Long Jump. She has held the KCAC Championship record in the 100 Meter Hurdles (14.47) since 2001, and held the record for the 400 Hurdles (1:02.20) from 2001-2015.