Hall of Fame
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame to Induct Five in 2008
’97 Wrestling Team to be Honored
LAWRENCEVILLE—The first female All-American, the last football coach, the first NCAA track qualifier, an All-American wrestler and an All-American basketball player make up the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame induction class of 2008. The ceremony will take place on January 26, 2008 in the Student Recreation Center on the Lawrenceville campus.
Softball slugger Deanna Dovak ’02, football coach Joe Behot, track star Jose Lopez ’95, wrestling standout Leo Giel ’99 and basketball great Mario Porter ’02 will become Rider’s newest Hall of Famers in a ceremony this January.
The 1996-97 Rider wrestling team, which was ranked seventh in the nation, will receive the Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
“Once again the Hall of Fame committee did an excellent job of selecting an extremely worthy group of individuals for the class of 2008,” said Rider Director of Athletics Don Harnum.
Dovak earned All-America honors as a junior when she led the nation with 21 home runs. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the 2000-01 Rider female Athlete of the Year, Dovak graduated with five Rider career softball records, including a .386 batting average, and six single season Rider records. Her 57 career home runs was sixth highest in the NCAA at the time and is still among the top 15 in the history of Division I softball.
Behot coached the last three Rider football teams; 1949, ‘50 and ’51, compiling a record of 18-5-1. He led Rider to seven straight wins in ’49, a tie with powerhouse Bowling Green in ’50, and a 26-7 victory over East Stroudsburg in Rider’s final football game in 1951.
Lopez became just the second Bronc to ever win an event at the ICAAAA Eastern Championships (400 meter hurdles in 50.36) and Rider’s first NCAA Division I Track & Field qualifier. The Rider male Athlete of the Year for 1994-95, Lopez competed in the Olympic Sports Festival in St. Louis and at the USA National Track & Field Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Giel was the Rider male Athlete of the Year in 1998-99 after placing sixth in the nation at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to cap a 34-2 season and a 111-35 career record. Giel was 7-7 in three trips to Nationals in his career. As a junior Giel beat two wrestlers who were National Champions and placed third at the prestigious Midlands Tournament.
Porter was the MAAC Basketball Player of the Year in 2001-02, leading the Broncs to a first place finish as an honorable mention All-American. The only Rider player to compile both 1700 points and 700 rebounds, Porter continues to play professionally in France.
The ’97 wrestling team joins the ’67 baseball team and the ‘40 soccer team as a recipient of the Outstanding Team Achievement Award. The team possessed three All-Americans, was ranked seventh in the nation over the final five weeks of the dual meet season, and placed 25th in the nation at the NCAA Championships.
“All of the individual inductees and the 1997 wrestling team achieved at a high level,” Harnum said. “They brought tremendous honor and recognition to their respective sports and to the Athletics Department and to Rider University.”
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Click Here for NewsWire 2007 Hall of Fame Article
2007 Induction Pictures
The Hall of Fame celebrates legendary athletic excellence at Rider.
The Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame is Looking for Nominees
If you know of someone who should be in the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame, send his or her name and pertinent information to Bud Focht at focht@rider.edu. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY APRIL 1.
To be nominated a candidate must meet the following criteria:
Display the character, leadership and dedication that exemplify the strong traditions of the University's athletics program.
Produce a significant achievement or provide outstanding contributions in time and service to the Rider athletics program.
No athlete shall be eligible for nomination until after his or her fifth year of graduation from Rider or after the fifth year following the date of his or her significant achievement was attained.
Before you nominate someone, please check the current list of inductees.
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2008 Press Release
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2007-Press Release
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2006-Press Release
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2005-Press Release
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2004-Press Release
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2003-Press Release
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame - Class of 2002-Press Release
| Rider Hall of Fame | ||||||||
| Name | Sport | Date Inducted | ||||||
| George Abel | Basketball, Soccer | January 2004 | ||||||
| Ed Adams | Soccer, Baseball, Basketball | February 1999 | ||||||
| Terrance Armstrong | Cross Country, Track & Field | February 2006 | ||||||
| Kevin Bannon | Basketball | February 2001 | ||||||
| Alberto Baptiste | Basketball | February 1998 | ||||||
| Mary Ellen Baynes-Tutzauer | Basketball | October 1992 | ||||||
| Jessica Beck | Basketball | February 2003 | ||||||
| Clair Bee | Basketball, Football, Baseball | October 1990 | ||||||
| Diane Bisacky | Swimming | February 2003 | ||||||
| Mike Brady | Cross Country, Track & Field | January 2002 | ||||||
| Greg Burston | Basketball | January 2007 | ||||||
| Barry Burtnett | Wrestling | January 2002 | ||||||
| John Carvalheira | Wrestling | January 2004 | ||||||
| Leo Chester | Basketball, Baseball | December 1994 | ||||||
| Russ Coleman | Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Track & Field, Baseball | December 1994 | ||||||
| Rich Coppola | Swimming | February 1999 | ||||||
| Jack Cryan | Basketball | October 1993 | ||||||
| Jen Dahl | Softball | January 2005 | ||||||
| Adam Derengowski | Wrestling | February 1998 | ||||||
| Martin Devlin | Administrator | February 2003 | ||||||
| Louis DiSerafino | Wrestling | October 1990 | ||||||
| Frank Donlon | Soccer, Basketball, Track & Field | October 1992 | ||||||
| Francis Dunn | Wrestling | February 2006 | ||||||
| Kelly Eckardt-Zawodny | Basketball | February 1996 | ||||||
| Lisa Federici-Cook | Basketball, Softball | December 1994 | ||||||
| Cindy Ford | Basketball | February 1997 | ||||||
| Colleen Fox | Softball | February 2006 | ||||||
| Harry T. Gamble | Football | February 1996 | ||||||
| Richard Giallella | Baseball, Soccer | October 1992 | ||||||
| Terry Gillespie-Dossick | Softball, Field Hockey | February 1999 | ||||||
| Kelly Hall-Stiles | Softball, Field Hockey | October 1990 | ||||||
| Deon Hames | Basketball | January 2002 | ||||||
| John Hangey | Wrestling | February 2000 | ||||||
| Ed Horowitz | Baseball | February 2006 | ||||||
| Herbert Krautblatt Kay | Basketball | October 1992 | ||||||
| Bob Kilgus | Tennis | February 2000 | ||||||
| Robert Koehler | Baseball | February 2003 | ||||||
| Kenneth C. Kremer | Baseball | February 1998 | ||||||
| Dick Kuchen | Basketball | January 2004 | ||||||
| Jeff Kunkel | Baseball | February 1997 | ||||||
| Charles Lackey | Track & Field | December 1994 | ||||||
| Juliet Lancaster | Swimming | January 2004 | ||||||
| Ken Lehman | Track & Field | January 2007 | ||||||
| Thomas Leyden | Basketball | October 1993 | ||||||
| Earl Lombardo | Baseball | October 1993 | ||||||
| John Lucerne | Wrestling | February 1997 | ||||||
| John Madden | Basketball, Baseball | October 1990 | ||||||
| George 'Puggy' Malone | Soccer, Baseball | February 2001 | ||||||
| Agnus McGlade-Berenato | Basketball, Volleyball | January 2002 | ||||||
| Tim Morrison | Wrestling | October 1993 | ||||||
| Jason Nase | Wrestling | January 2007 | ||||||
| Frank Nerwinski | Soccer | February 2000 | ||||||
| Bob O'Connor | Baseball | January 2007 | ||||||
| Jen O'Reilly | Swimming | January 2007 | ||||||
| Olimpio Pacchioli | Baseball | February 1999 | ||||||
| Tom Petroff | Baseball | October 1990 | ||||||
| Richard 'Digger' Phelps | Basketball | December 1994 | ||||||
| Sonny Pittaro | Baseball | January 2005 | ||||||
| David Rowan | Swimming | October 1990 | ||||||
| Bob Schultz | Track & Field | February 2000 | ||||||
| Jack Schwerzler | Swimming | February 2001 | ||||||
| Bobby Smith | Soccer | February 1997 | ||||||
| Debbie Snyder | Basketball | February 2000 | ||||||
| Nicholas Spandaccini | Football, Basketball | January 2005 | ||||||
| Barry Spears | Basketball | December 1994 | ||||||
| Rick Strandskov | Tennis | January 2004 | ||||||
| Darrick Suber | Basketball | February 1999 | ||||||
| Ed Torres | Tennis | October 1993 | ||||||
| John Wagner | Soccer, Baseball | January 2002 | ||||||
| Meg Walsh | Basketball, Volleyball | February 2001 | ||||||
| Kathy Weiss-Hallam | Volleyball | February 1998 | ||||||
| Terence Wheat | Cross Country, Track & Field | January 2005 | ||||||
| Ed Whited | Baseball | February 1996 | ||||||
| Craig Wicken | Soccer | January 2005 | ||||||
| Mark Wilcox | Basketball | February 2006 | ||||||
| Harvey Yavener | Sportswriter | February 2003 | ||||||
| Lou Zara | Basketball, Baseball | February 1996 | ||||||
