PITTSBURGH -- Three of Duquesne's all-time great teams as well as football player Steve Sherer A'74 and swimmer Katrina Streiner A'09 comprise the 2016-17 Merle E. Gilliand Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame class announced today.

The 1937 Orange Bowl Championship team as well as the 1968-69 and 1970-71 NCAA Tournament-qualifying men's basketball teams will be formally inducted along with Sherer and Streiner on Friday, January 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the Charles J. Dougherty Ballroom of the Power Center on the Duquesne campus. The Hall of Fame class of 2016-17 will also be honored at halftime of Duquesne's nationally televised (CBSSN) men's basketball game vs. Dayton on Saturday, January 14th at PPG Paints Arena.

Since its inception in 1963, the Merle E. Gilliand Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame has recognized 231 individual athletes, coaches and builders, and four championship teams. Here is a closer look at the Class of 2016-17:

1937 Orange Bowl Champions: The 1936 Dukes made a national splash when head coach Clipper Smith guided the team to a 7-2 regular season and a 13-12 win over Mississippi State in the 1937 Orange Bowl. Boyd Brumbaugh keyed the win with a late-game 72-yard (69 yards in the air) halfback pass to Ernie Hefferle for the winning score. Brumbaugh, an honorable mention All-American, was one of multiple Dukes from that team who went on to play in the NFL. Mike Basrak, the standout center for the `36 team, became the first Duke to earn first team All-America honors. Duquesne finished the 1936 season ranked No. 14 nationally.

1969 Men's Basketball Team: The 1968-69 Dukes (21-5), who finished with a No. 9 (AP) ranking, were the first DU team to finish nationally ranked since 1955 NIT Champions. The `69 Dukes, in the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 17 years, defeated Saint Joseph's in the first round to advance to the East Regional Semifinal, where five busloads of Duquesne students made the trip to watch the Dukes play No. 4 University of North Carolina at Maryland's Cole Field House. The 1968-69 Dukes, under the guidance of head coach Red Manning, defeated three ranked teams during the season, including No. 8 St. John's in the East Regional consolation game.

1971 Men's Basketball Team: The 1970-71 Duquesne team (21-4), which was ranked 15th in the final AP poll, is the last DU team to finish a season ranked. Red Manning's Dukes beat four ranked teams during that memorable season, including No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 10 St. Bonaventure in a six-day span in January. DU entered the NCAA Tournament with the seventh-best winning percentage (21-3, .875) in the 25-team field. A total of 13,861 fans - the largest crowd to see an NCAA Tournament game at the time - turned out to watch the Dukes compete against No. 5 University of Pennsylvania in the East Region First Round in Morgantown, W.Va.

Steve Sherer A'74: Sherer, a running back during Duquesne's Club football glory years, finished his career as the school's rushing record holder with 1,961 yards. He ran for 817 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns and 15 extra points for the No. 3 ranked (NCFA) 1972 team. In 1973, Sherer scored 11 touchdowns in seven games in helping No. l (NCFA) Duquesne (10-0) to the Club National Championship. In the title game win over Mattatuck CC, Sherer scored on a 21-yard pass reception as the Dukes went on to win, 13-7.

Katrina Streiner A'09: Streiner became the first Duquesne student-athlete to win an individual Atlantic 10 title when she took gold in the 50 free in 2005-06. The first Duke - male or female - to achieve an NCAA "B" qualifying time (50 free), Streiner finished her career as a 19-time Atlantic 10 medalist (2 gold, 9 silver and 8 bronze). Streiner, who finished competing for DU in 2008-09, posted times that still rank among the school's Top 10 in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay.

Tickets to the Jan. 13 banquet and induction ceremony, will soon be available by contacting Department of Athletics Assistant Director/Administration Natalie Hozak at 412-396-6566 (hozakn@duq.edu). Seating is limited.