1998 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame

OSHKOSH, Wis. (5/3/1998) – The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame inducted three new members during a ceremony held May 3 at the Pioneer Inn in Oshkosh.

The 1998 inductees were Brian Burbey, James Flood, and Jamie (Ziegel) Thomas.

The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to give tribute and deserved recognition to former athletes, coaches and friends of the university. It is also intended to enhance school tradition by honoring those people who have shown such exceptional ability while on campus and since graduation. There are 101 members in UW-Oshkosh's Hall of Fame.

Brian Burbey was one of UW-Oshkosh's most accomplished and decorated football players during the late 1960s.

Burbey's athleticism and talent became apparent while attending Niagara High School, where he earned letters in football and basketball all four years and in track & field his senior year. In football, he was selected all-conference three straight years and received both All-State honorable mention and Most Valuable Player honors in 1964.

Burbey continued his football success at UW-Oshkosh, where he was a four-year letter winner from 1966-69. UW-Oshkosh tied for the WSUC championship in 1968 with a record of 8-2. He earned All-WSUC honors in 1968 and 1969.

In 1969, Burbey came into his own as he tied a UW-Oshkosh record by scoring 26 points in a game against UW-River Falls. Burbey was the WSUC's leading rusher in 1969 and topped off the season by being named the team's Most Valuable Player.

Burbey's 2,250 career rushing yards is fourth in school history. His 116 career points rank eighth. Burbey's 879 rushing yards and 56 points scored in 1969 ranks sixth and seventh, respectively, in school history.

Following graduation from UW-Oshkosh, where he earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1971, Burbey played semi-pro football for the Manitowoc Chiefs. Burbey would go on to attend the Chicago Northwestern Engineer School (Ill.). Although he did not pursue a career in education, the knowledge and self-discipline he gained both on and off the field while at UW-Oshkosh would serve him well into his 27-year career as a railroad engineer for Wisconsin Central, Ltd.

Today, Burbey belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and is presently serving as a delegate to the Intercommerce Department. He is also a member of the Seneca Pheasant Club, where he has been the treasurer for the past six years.

Burbey and his wife, Loie, live near Berlin, and enjoy attending sporting events throughout the country. Burbey spends his time hunting and raising and training hunting dogs.

Professor, head coach, director of men's athletics and assistant chancellor. These are some of the titles James Flood held during his 30 years as a mainstay on the UW-Oshkosh campus. His influence helped mold UW-Oshkosh athletics into the winning tradition that we still see today.

Flood's association with UW-Oshkosh began in 1965 as a professor of health and physical education. That same year he assumed the responsibilities as head coach of both the men's cross country and track & field teams.

As head coach of the men's cross country team for five years, Flood guided the Titans to the WSUC title in 1967 and 1968. He was named NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year both seasons.

As head coach of the men's track & field team for 17 years, Flood guided the Titans to four WSUC Outdoor Championships (1966-1968, 1971) and two WSUC Indoor Championships (1971, 1973). Flood was named NAIA Area Four Coach of the Year in 1973. Flood received NAIA District 14 Track & Field honors five times in his career.

In 1974, Flood became the director of men's athletics. UW-Oshkosh teams combined to win 11 national championships during Flood's 13-year tenure as athletic director.

Flood accepted a new challenge in 1987 when he became UW-Oshkosh's assistant chancellor of university relations. For eight years Flood had administrative responsibility for the alumni affairs, university publications, news bureau, electronic media relations and government relations.

Before teaching at UW-Oshkosh, Flood taught at both Roosevelt Junior High School in Oshkosh from 1957-60 and Oshkosh Senior High School from 1960-65. Floor received his undergraduate degree in 1957 and graduate degree in 1960 from the UW-La Crosse. He would later earn his doctorate at the University of Northern Colorado in 1970.

Flood's involvement also extended into the community. He played an active role in the city of Oshkosh with his involvement in the Oshkosh Citizens Advisory Committee, the Oshkosh Area United Way, and the Wisconsin Special Olympics. Currently, he is serving on the board of directors for the Oshkosh Area United Way and the UW-Oshkosh Titan Booster Club.

Flood retired in 1995 and resides in Oshkosh with his wife, Gretchen.

To be reminded of Jamie Ziegel’s standard of excellence and impact she had while playing softball at UW-Oshkosh, one has to look no further than the school records.

Ziegel was a four-year letter winner during the 1984 and 1986-1988 seasons, including the WWIAC championship team of 1984 and the NCAA Division III Tournament teams of 1987 and 1988. Ziegel missed most of the 1985 season, when the Titans won the WWIAC championship and participated in the NCAA Division III tournament due to an injury. She is the holder of seven school career records, including a .357 batting average, 168 hits, 91 runs, 104 runs batted in, 471 at-bats, 31 doubles and 15 triples.

Ziegel's softball career at UW-Oshkosh included being named to the NCAA Division III All-Region team in 1984 and 1986-1988 and the All-WWIAC team from 1986-1988.

During the 1987 season she became the first player in school history to hit .400 in a season. After the season, she would receive NCAA Division III All-America honors.

In addition to her school career records, Ziegel is also the holder of five school season records, including 51 hits with 51, 39 runs, 37 runs batted in, 16 doubles and seven triples.

Ziegel helped lead the Titans to the 1988 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional championship to earn UW-Oshkosh's first berth to the national tournament. However, a knee injury forced her to miss playing in the event. UW-Oshkosh finished sixth in the NCAA Division III Tournament and ended the season with a 22-15 record.

A Wausau native, Ziegel's talent was recognized early at Wausau West High School, where she received three varsity letters in softball and two in basketball.

Ziegel serves on the board of directors for the Wausau Area Softball Association. She was the Women's League director in 1990. Ziegel also spends her spare time helping with the Wausau Chamber of Commerce.

Ziegel graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1988 with bachelor's degree in business and human resource management. In 1990, she married Tim Thomas. Currently, she is enjoying the independence of working as an agent with American Family Insurance.