Missouri State

The 2023 team hall of fame induction was the legendary men's cross country teams of coach Chuck Hunsaker from 1973 to 1977 and featuring the 1974 NCAA Division II national championship team.
Hunsaker's five-year run not only makes the Bears cross country program of that era one of the university's most-decorated programs but also makes Hunsaker one of its most-successful coaches.
A native of Lima, Ohio, Hunsaker came to MSU in the fall of 1972 from the University of Cincinnati and guided the Bears to five straight MIAA cross country championships and four finishes among the nation’s top five teams in NCAA Division II cross country competition, including a national championship in 1974. The Bears were also the national runners-up in 1973, took fourth in 1975, finished second in 1976 and were 11th in 1977. 
During Hunsaker’s tenure, the Bears produced 10 NCAA Division II All-Americans during his tenure, including Ken Norton and Rick Garver in 1973, Dan Dwyer and John Prasuhn in both 1974 and 1975, Prasuhn, Rick Callison and Howie Orndoff in 1976 and Nigel Martin in 1977. 
Norton also won the MIAA individual championship in 1973, while Prasuhn won the 1974 league title, Dwyer claimed the 1975 crown, and Prasuhn came back to win it again in 1977.
On Nov. 16, 1974, Hunsaker took his Bears into battle at the Grandview Municipal Golf in Springfield as hosts of the Division II Championship meet. It was a cold and overcast day with temperatures in the upper 30's, and the home team trained day in, day out to dethrone defending champion South Dakota State that had nipped Missouri State the previous year by just five points at nationals.
In the end, the field of 29 teams saw the home-standing Bears achieve that goal. Riding the performances of junior Dwyer (24:03) and sophomore Prasuhn (24:05), who finished third and fourth respectively in a field of 195 runners, the 1974 Bears ran away with it. MSU scored 112 points with South Dakota State (130) comfortably in second, Eastern Illinois (149) in third and C.W. Post (151) in fourth.
Dwyer's third-place national finish was the highest ever by a Bears' runner. 
Other Bears finishers were sophomore Gary Vipperman (31st), freshman Mike Werner (37th), junior Calvin Brous (43rd), sophomore John Tideman (44th) and senior Ron DeClue (155th).
Both Dwyer and Prasuhn also represented the Bears at the 1974 Division I meet in Bloomington, Ind. The 1974 season was also highlighted by a 4-1 dual record and second (of five) straight MIAA title.
The Bears would host the NCAA nationals again in 1976, finishing second to UC Irvine which had the top three individual finishers, while three Bears finished in the top 10.
The 1974 and 1976 Bears were both ranked in the top 20 nationally across all divisions.