Hammond Sports Hall of Fame - The Inductees Class of 2022

Hammond Sports Hall of Fame
The Class of 2025 Inductees

2024 Induction photos

Michael Carpen Jr.	Johnny Craig	Richard Jay
Michael L. Kozy	Frank Kuzara	Ed Schuster (Veterans Category)

2025 Inductees:

Michael Carpen Jr.

This 3-sport, 9-letter winner & 2007 Clark HS graduate—with his brothers, 2019 Hall of Famer Albert, and Jon—made a huge impact on Hammond sports in the early 2000s. As a basketball guard, Michael led the Pioneers to 2 sectional titles. He also contributed to a sectional tennis championship. As a baseball, Class 3A all-state 2nd baseman, he helped lead Clark to a regional & 2 sectional titles. He continued his baseball career at Chicago State University (Class of 2011), earning 4 letters and setting the school record for career hits.

Johnny Craig

An academic all-state baseball catcher in 1996, this Gavit HS alumnus also delivered a game-winning hit for his NW Indiana team in the '96 Senior Babe Ruth League World Series. At Johns Hopkins University, he enjoyed a Hall of Fame career as a 3-time All-Centennial Conference (NCAA III) performer - Player of the Year in 2000 - and the only 3-year team captain in university history. Off the field as a Calumet College of St. Joseph administrator, he served as a founding member of the intercollegiate Midwest Sprint Football League.

Richard Jay

A Muncie native, he came to Hammond embarking on what became a 38-year coaching career (1977-2015) at Gavit HS. Over 76 athletic team seasons, he dedicated himself to the hundreds of student-athletes he coached & positively influenced in 5 sports: girls cross country (32 seasons), boys track & field (22), boys wrestling (13), girls track & field (5) and boys tennis (4). Also, weekly during wrestling seasons, his countless hours documenting & compiling results/statistics - pre-internet - across Indiana for the Mat Burns wrestling publication contributed to his Indiana High School Wrestling Hall of Fame induction.

Michael L. Kozy

This 1976 Morton HS alumnus built an impressive bowling resume and reputation over the years, resulting in inductions into the Indiana State USBC (2019) and Greater Calumet USBC ('22) Halls of Fame. Among his numerous competitive achievements, he won back-to-back Pepsi/Times Classic 'A' Scratch Division championships (2013-14) and 14 Greater Calumet city titles. Throughout his career, he also rolled 44 games of 300, 33 other games of 290 or higher and 31 - 800 series. He also maintained a 220 average over a 20-year period.

Frank Kuzara

This mid-1940s Hammond Tech basketball guard also played at the University of San Francisco for legendary coach Pete Newell (1947-50). The '51 alumnus was a key contributor during the Dons' run to the '49 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title - then, college basketball's pre-eminent event. His 30-foot shot in the final seconds of quarter-final play lifted USF past Utah, 64-63. An 11.3 per game scorer as a senior in '49-'50, he also sparkled in early '50s AAU play. Drafted by the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers, he instead served in the U.S. military. He was inducted into the USF Hall of Fame.

Ed Schuster

This inductee & 1978 Hammond High alumnus contributed to his school's rich distance running tradition, leading the Wildcats to conference, sectional and regional cross-country titles in '77. The 5-time letter winner was an individual state cross country qualifier in '77 & team qualifier in '75. As a track miler and 2-miler, he helped his team to the '78 conference title. Three-plus decades later as a 50 & older bicyclist & triathlete, he placed 1st in his age group in competitions held in 3 states.