EAST LANSING — Michigan State University will induct five members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sept. 22 as part of the “Celebrate 2011” weekend.

The Class of 2011 includes: Morten Andersen (football); Mateen Cleaves (basketball); Dana Cooke (volleyball); Kisha (Kelley) Simpson (women’s basketball) and Charles McCaffree (swimming coach).

The “Celebrate 2011” weekend includes the second-annual Varsity Letter Jacket Presentation and Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 22; announcement of the Varsity S Club award winners on Friday, Sept. 23; and culminates Saturday, Sept. 24 with a special recognition of the Hall of Famers during the Michigan State-Central Michigan football game at Spartan Stadium (kickoff TBA).

“You can’t help but get excited when you look at the names included in the 2011 class elected for induction into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame,” Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis said. “We look forward to this unique opportunity to celebrate the achievement of student-athletes earning their first varsity letter jacket in conjunction with recognizing the best of the best with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“Morten Andersen ranks among the greatest kickers in the history of college and professional football. With his range, Morten had a chance to put points on the scoreboard anytime the offense crossed midfield. His longevity and scoring production in the National Football League are simply amazing.

“It speaks volumes that Mateen Cleaves was elected into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. That’s something that rarely happens, but Mateen earned respect as both a competitor and leader. He was simply a winner, helping the Spartans win three-straight Big Ten regular-season championships, back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles and a National Championship.

“Dana Cooke helped put MSU volleyball on the national map, as the Spartans won back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1995-96 and advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 1995. Dana was truly a special student-athlete because she gained nearly as much recognition for her efforts in the classroom as she did on the volleyball court.

“Kisha (Kelley) Simpson’s name appears prominently throughout the MSU women’s basketball record book, but she was more than simply a great scorer,” Hollis continued. “Kisha was a complete player, who had the versatility to contribute at several positions and on both ends of the floor.

“Charles McCaffree’s coaching record speaks for itself, posting 25 consecutive winning seasons and claiming a total of nine conference championships, including a Big Ten title in 1957. His student-athletes won numerous Big Ten and NCAA Championships. In addition to being a winner, Coach ‘Mac’ was truly a pioneer in the sport of swimming, setting the standard for how to run a championship meet.”

The MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, located in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, opened on Oct. 1, 1999, and displays key moments in Spartan athletics history as well as plaques of all 103 inductees. The charter class of 30 former Spartan student-athletes, coaches and administrators was inducted in 1992.