Trio of Lights' legends to be honored Friday

This weekend, three former greats who suited up for the Lights in three different sports will receive the ultimate honor – being inducted into the Northern Athletic Hall of Fame.

Doug Kallenberger ('05), Steven C. Helm Jr. ('98) and Mike Leinwand ('99 & '04) will be honored at special induction ceremony Friday night on MSU-Northern's campus.

Kallenberger came to MSU-Northern's rodeo team after a successful high school rodeo career. Kallenberger, a Havre native, was a two-time Montana High School Rodeo Association Champion Saddle Bronc Rider and qualified for the National High School Rodeo Finals twice in Saddle Bronc Riding.

While competing for Northern's rodeo team, Kallenberger qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in 2001 and 2003 in Saddle Bronc Riding. In 2001, he was named Northern Rodeo Association Rookie of the Year in Saddle Bronc Riding and was the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Big Sky Region Saddle Bronc Champion. He was a two-time Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals Qualifier and four-time Northern Rodeo Association Finals Qualifier. In 2013 Kallenberger won the Wrangler Team Roping National Championship.

Kallenberger lives in Havre and works as an Agricultural Loan Officer at Stockman Bank and is the MSU-Northern Rodeo Team head coach. He and his wife, Emily — who met while they were competing for Northern's Rodeo team — have two children, Kenzie and Rome.

Helm was born in Chicago and grew up in Indianapolis. He came to Northern by way of North Idaho College where he received an associate degree and played basketball. While at Northern, Helm was a standout competitor, leading the Lights basketball team to the Frontier Conference championship game both in 1997 and 1998. During the 1998 season, Helm was voted First Team All-Conference, was selected as the Frontier Conference MVP and was selected as an NAIA All-American. Helm and the Lights won the Frontier Conference championship and competed at the national tournament that same season. During that year Helm set a new single-season record for free throws attempted, breaking Deon Jones' record.

After graduation, Helm served as a volunteer assistant for the Tennessee Wesleyan men's basketball team. He then went on to coach at Ancilla College for six years, the last five as the school's head men's coach. During his tenure at Ancilla, Helm oversaw a national Coca-Cola All-American, three distinguished All-Americans, as well as five Academic All-Americans. Helm then went on to serve as the assistant women's basketball coach at Valparaiso University for the next four years. In 2015 he was hired as the head women's basketball coach at Calument College of St. Joseph. Helm lives in Indiana with his wife, Kelly Helm. He has three children, Shandi Kano, Koby Kano and Steve Helm III, who plays basketball at Carroll College in Helena.

Leinwand wrestled his high school years in Forsyth where he was a three-time B-C state champion. In 1992 his high school team won the state championship, and in 1993 he went undefeated and was named as an honorable mention Asics High School All-American. He wrestled two years at North Dakota State University before transferring to MSU-Northern. While at Northern Leinwand was a two-time NAIA All-American, won the 1998 heavyweight national title and was a part of Northern's 1998 national championship team.

Leinwand stayed in Havre after graduation and has been very active in Havre Public Schools and as a member of the Montana Officials Association. In his 17 years at HPS, Leinwand has served as a science teacher, assistant football coach, assistant wrestling coach, assistant track coach, At-Risk Student Committee member, traffic education coordinator and teacher, and he received MSU-Northern's Traffic Education Service Award. Leinwand has been a member of the MOA for 18 years, officiating Montana State Wrestling Championships for the last eight years. He also was co-developer of the Montana Middle School State Wrestling Championships.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in conjunction with MSU-Northern's Founder's Excellence Award presentation ceremony Friday in the Student Union Building Ballroom. Tickets for the event are $30 per person and include dinner.