Molly Lembezeder jersey retirement set for September 26

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Molly Lembezeder, one of many UNI swimming and diving program’s all-time greats, will likely be acknowledged on Saturday morning with a jersey retirement ceremony previous to the Panther’s Purple and Gold Intrasquad Scrimmage at 11 a.m. CT contained in the Glen F. Henry Pool on the Wellness-Recreation Center.

A Dubuque, Iowa native, who swam for Northern Iowa from 2014 to 2018, will likely be celebrated with a everlasting show inside the ability, in addition to a banner plaque. 

“Molly embodies everything we want to stand for as a program,” stated UNI head coach Nick Lakin. “She was an incredible student and heavily involved on campus and giving back to the Cedar Valley. She continues to give back through her work as a teacher and coach locally making our community a better place every day.”

“In the pool, Molly taught our team how to win,” Lakin added. “Prior to her arriving on campus in 2014, our program only had two Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) titles on the women’s side.  Since then, our program has won 36. She helped usher in a modern era for our team by being willing to compete with anyone. Her competitiveness in everything she did laid the groundwork for everything we have accomplished since. I am so proud of Molly and looking forward to a chance to honor her on Saturday!”

The ceremony for Lembezeder would be the sixth of a number of deliberate jersey retirements for UNI Athletics this yr following the announcement of the division’s jersey retirement program as a part of UNI’s sesquicentennial celebration. The Panthers must date retired the jerseys of Bill Smith (wrestling), AJ Green (males’s basketball), Jacqui Kalin (ladies’s basketball), Patty Stockman (softball) and Kurt Warner (soccer).

Northern Iowa will retire a number of jerseys at its All-Sport Reunion throughout homecoming weekend on Oct. 10, together with Joey Woody (males’s cross nation/observe & area), Paige (Knodle) Bohannon (ladies’s cross nation/observe & area), Nancy Land (ladies’s tennis), in addition to six different sports activities not sponsored by the college, together with former males’s swimmer Jacob Stall. 

Panther soccer will retire former goalkeeper Anne Marie Witko’s jersey the day following the All-Sport Reunion on Oct. 11 previous to its dwelling match in opposition to Valparaiso. Jordan Weber (males’s golf) and Hannah Bermel (ladies’s golf) will likely be celebrated at UNI’s Oct. 31 dwelling soccer sport in opposition to Indiana State, whereas Molly O’Brien (volleyball) will likely be honored in 2027.

A report breaking and program defining swimmer, Lembezeder spent 4 years rewriting staff historical past underneath coaches Doug Humphries and Nick Lakin. A 3-time All-MVC performer, she captured 9 convention titles throughout breakout sophomore and junior seasons with the Panthers, together with back-to-back titles within the 50 and 100-yard freestyle and 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays in each 2016 and 2017, in addition to a MVC title within the 200-yard medley relay as a sophomore. Her velocity as a sprinter and mid-distance freestyler helped Northern Iowa to consecutive third place staff finishes on the 2017 and 2018 MVC Championships, the 2 greatest finishes for this system in staff historical past.

Lembezeder completed her collegiate profession with eight faculty data, together with the five hundred, 100 and 200-yard freestyle, and the 200 and 400-yard freestyle and medley relays. She stays part of UNI’s present faculty report within the 800-yard freestyle relay to today.

She was additionally acknowledged as a three-time MVC First Team Scholar-Athlete (2016-18) and a four-time convention swimmer of the week throughout her profession.

Lembezeder at present resides in Cedar Falls and teaches kindergarten at Janesville Elementary.

UNI swimming and diving motion may be adopted all season lengthy on social media on Facebook (UNI Swimming and Diving), X (@uniswimdive) and on Instagram (@uniswimdive). Schedules and rosters, together with the most recent Panther information and data may be discovered on-line at UNIpanthers.com.