BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame has unveiled its Class of 2024 inductees who will be formally inducted Friday, September 27 at the Dudley H. Davis Center on UVM Weekend. The presenting sponsor of the UVM Athletics Hall of Fame is Baker Distributing. The group includes Sydney Mas '14 (women's lacrosse), Jonathan Nordbotten '14 (alpine skiing), Nika Ouellette '14 (track & field), Kate Ryley '14 (alpine skiing) and Brian Voelkel '14 (men's basketball).
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Buy Tickets
The five honorees will be inducted at the 55th UVM Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner presented by Baker Distributing. Tickets are $75 and are now available at
go.uvm.edu/hoftix, the deadline to purchase tickets is Thursday, September 12. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. Please contact our
Victory Club Office at
Victory.Club@uvm.edu or (802) 656-0956 with any questions regarding this event.
Sydney Mas '14
As a senior named to IWLCA Northeast Region All-America First Team and was America East Co Offensive Player of the Year. America East All-Conference First Team all four seasons with Vermont. Set program records for most career points (255) and goals (218) (broken in 2024). As a first year set an America East record for first year scoring with 55 goals and was named America East Rookie of the Year. Scored 50 goals in all four seasons with Vermont. As a senior led the team in points and goals, finished second in draw controls. Sixth in Division I with 3.33 goals per game as a senior. At the time part of Vermont's all-time winningest class. Currently lives in Manhattan with her fiancé, Hank, and works as a Vice President at Pennybacker Capital - a real estate private equity firm. Getting married in her hometown of Bedford, New York on October 5 to her fiancé Hank Klehm.
Jonathan Nordbotten '14
Individual NCAA National Championship in the giant slalom in 2013 to help the Catamounts finish third overall at the NCAA Ski Championships. He was a double First-Team All-American in 2013, winning the giant slalom and finishing in the top-five in the slalom. Earned five All-American citations in his career. He helped the Catamounts win the 2012 NCAA Championship and earn national runner-up honors in his final season in 2014. Vermont also won four straight EISA Championships during his career. 2018 Bronze Medal at the PyeongChang Olympics in team Slalom event for Norway.
Nika Ouellette '14
Earned NCAA Second Team All-American in Javelin in 2012 and 2014, and All-American Honorable Mention in 2011, finishing her career as a three-time All-American, and four-time NCAA East Preliminary Round Qualifier. She also earned All-Academic All-American honors in 2012. In the 2014 NCAA Track & Field Championships she finished in 13th Place in the javelin to match the highest NCAA individual finish in program history. Holds the school record in the javelin with a throw of 50.01m. Was the first athlete in conference history to win four straight America East javelin titles, earning America East All-Conference for all four years, and still holds the conference record in the javelin throw of 49.98m. Named the 2011 America East Most Outstanding Rookie and won the New England women's javelin title in 2014. Was voted UVM Women's Track & Field MVP by her teammates in 2011, 2012. After UVM, Nika continued to throw javelin professionally, competing in the 2016 Olympic Trials where she finished 21st, was 4th at US Nationals in 2017, and 6th in 2018. She retired from javelin for good in 2020 and lives in Cambridge, MA with her girlfriend, Natalia. Nika is the Head of Marketing & Education for a sports technology startup called Perch where she was the first employee just over 5 years ago. And she spends as much time adventuring with family and friends as possible.
Kate Ryley '14
Posted 40 podium appearances in her career (22 wins, 13 Silver, 5 Bronze). In 2012 she won the National Slalom title. Her Slalom victory was Vermont's first in 18 years. She also placed 2nd in the GS, leading the Catamounts to the program's sixth NCAA Championship Title (the first since 1994!). 8-time All-American (7 First Team Citations) and Four-time NCAA regional champion. Overall, EISA Points Leader in the Slalom and GS in 2013 and 2014. Swept the GS and Slalom at the EISA Championships in back-to-back years 2012 and 2013. In 2011 she was the only alpine skier, men or women, to earn double first-team All-America honors at the NCAAs. In her last year in 2014, Kate was undefeated in the SL races and won eight out of 12 EISA races on the circuit. Was the national runner up in the 2014 slalom, helping the Catamounts sweep the podium in the event, marking just the ninth time a school has swept the podium and second in an alpine event in NCAA Skiing Championship history. Kate currently lives in the Cayman Islands, where she has since resided for the last 6 years with her husband Nev and her two young boys Teddy (age 3), and Charlie (age 2).
Brian Voelkel '14
He is the only player in NCAA Division I men's basketball history with over 1,000 rebounds and 600 assists. Voelkel graduated from Vermont as the school's all-time leader in rebounds (1,168) and assists (679), both records stand to this day. 2014 America East Defensive Player of the Year, helped the Catamounts win the America East Regular Season Title in 2013. A two-time America East All-Conference First Team selection, Voelkel was the ninth player in America East history to reach the 1,000-rebound milestone and finished third among the all-time leaders. He posted the first triple-double in conference tournament history in a win over New Hampshire, he finished the game with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Had 12 rebounds, seven assists and three points in Vermont's second-ever NCAA Tournament win topping Lamar in the First Four in 2012. Brian currently lives with his girlfriend Enya in Manhattan Beach California. After a nine-year professional career in Japan and Australia, Brian recently started a youth basketball program that stresses teamwork and unselfishness.
Baker Distributing is the presenting sponsor of the UVM Athletics Hall of Fame
