The Hall of Fame celebrates legendary athletic excellence at Rider.
The Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame is Looking for 2024 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 Greg Ott at grott@rider.edu. NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2023.
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 seventh year of graduation from Rider or after the seventh year following the date of his or her significant achievement was attained.
Before you nominate someone, please check the current list of inductees by clicking the link below.
Rider Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Announced
All-Americans in men's basketball and field hockey, a men's cross country and track & field runner and women's swimmer who rewrote the program record books and one of the most accomplished hitters in Rider baseball history make up the 2022 Rider Athletics Hall of Fame induction class. The 2009-12 Rider Field Hockey teams that won four Northeast Conference Regular Season Championships and three NEC Tournament titles will also be honored with the Clair Bee Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
Jim Bolger '85 of men's basketball,
Virginia Egusquiza '12 of field hockey, Christian Gonzalez '11 of men's cross country and track & field, Priscilla Modrov '09 of women's swimming and Sean Olson '09 of baseball will be inducted on June 11, 2022.
Bolger was an Honorable Mention All-American and a First Team All-East Coast Conference selection as a senior in 1984-85 and was a starter on the ECC Championship team that went to the NCAAs in 1984. In 1984-85, he averaged a team-high 16.1 points and was second on the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. As a junior in 1983-84, he averaged 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, he was a role player on a team that went 20-9 and won at South Carolina and at La Salle but eventually lost to La Salle in the ECC Semifinals. He played in 22 games as a rookie with four starts, 19 games as a sophomore, all 30 games as a junior and all 29 games as a senior. In his senior year of high school, he led all of Philadelphia in scoring (22.1 ppg) and his two high school coaches that year were Phil Martelli and Geno Auriemma.
Egusquiza is one of the most decorated players in Rider field hockey history. A four-time First-Team All-NEC honoree, she was named the NEC Rookie of the Year as a freshman before going on to be named the NEC Player of the Year in each of the next three seasons. After her sophomore season in 2009, she was named a NFHCA Mid Atlantic Second-Team All-Region honoree. After her junior season, during which she earned NEC Tournament MVP honors, she earned NFHCA First-Team All-Mid Atlantic Regions honors and was Rider's Female Athlete of the Year for 2010-11. Egusquiza was selected as the NEC Tournament MVP for a second-straight season in 2011, again going on to earn NFHCA First-Team All-Mid Atlantic Region honors. She capped her senior season by being named an NFHCA Third-Team All-American and was named Rider's Female Athlete of the Year for the second time. She graduated as the program record holder in points (150) and assists (62), and is still the program record holder for career assists. In addition to her time with the Broncs, she was also a member of the Spanish National U21, U18, and U16 teams.
Gonzalez embedded his name into Rider track & field and cross country record books in his four years. He was a two-time NCAA First Round Qualifier, a two-time MAAC Outstanding Championship Meet Performer, a five-time individual MAAC Champion, an IC4A Cross Country Champion and set eight Rider track & field records and four cross country course records. He was a four-time All-East Cross Country and Track & Field performer and posted three Top 15 finishes at MAAC Cross Country Championships to earn All-MAAC honors. He was a 16-time IC4A Qualifier and the 2011 Rider Male Athlete of the Year. He holds the Rider indoor records in the mile (4:00.84), the DMR relay and the 4xMile relay and set the indoor records in the 800m (1:52.00), before Johnathan Jackson broke it in 2015. He owns Rider's outdoor record in the 1500m (3:42.92) and was also part of the DMR relay record-setting team. A two-time NCAA Outdoor Regional Qualifier in the 1500m, he was named the 2010-11 Indoor and 2011 Outdoor MAAC Most Outstanding Track Performer. He won the 800m, placed second in the mile and ran the lead leg on the DMR that finished second in the indoor season. Gonzalez won the 800m (1:50.62) and finished second in the 1500m (3:45.50), and was part of the gold-medal winning 4x800 (7:47.67) team at the 2011 MAAC Outdoor Championships. He won the 2010 IC4A Cross Country Championship Race finishing the five mile course in 24:52.7. He finished third at the 2010 MAAC Cross Country Championships and placed fourth overall at the Penn State National that featured top 25 schools Syracuse and Penn State. He finished first at the Fordham Fiasco, the first time a Rider cross country athlete had won an individual race under Head Coach
Bob Hamer. He won the mile at the 2009-10 MAAC Indoor Championships in a then-Rider-record time (4:08.11), breaking the mark set by Rider Hall of Famer Terrance Armstrong '94 (4:09.11). Placed fourth (25:46) at the 2009 IC4A Cross Country Championships and placed 28th at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Regional Championships, covering the 10,000 meter course in 33:00. He set the Rider cross country record for the Lehigh course at the 2008 Paul Short Run, covering the 8,000m course in 24:43. He also went on to run a sub-four-minute mile at the Boston University Terrier Invitational following his graduation.
Modrov still holds Rider records in 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley. The three-time MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Performer and two-time ECAC Championship Most Outstanding Performer was a 2009 CoSIDA Academic All-America finalist as a First Team All-District All-Academic honoree. She was a three-time MAAC All-Academic team selection. Modrov appeared in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd along with her brother, when he also was named the MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Swimmer. She was named a National Swimmer of the Week. At 2009 MAAC Championships, she won three individual events and swam on four winning relays for seven gold medals and seven new MAAC records. At the 2009 ECAC Championships, she won the 200 butterfly in an ECAC record time, won the 200 individual medley in an ECAC record time and won the 400 individual medley, breaking her own ECAC record. As a junior, she won the ECAC 400 IM (ECAC record) and won the 200 IM (Rider record). At the 2008 MAAC Championships, she set MAAC records in 200 butterfly, the 400 IM and the 100 butterfly. She earned 2008-09 Rider Athlete of the Year. Over her four years at Rider, she won 19 gold and nine silver medals. She graduated with seven individual MAAC records and multiple relay records. She also graduated with eight Rider team records and four relay records, four pool records and one relay record.
Olson set the Rider career record with 168 RBI, which has since been broken by Mason Heyne '11 (186). His 30 career home runs and 221 career hits rank fourth all-time at Rider. He maintained a .319 career batting average. Olson was a three-time First Team All-MAAC and All-New Jersey pick. As a senior, he was named Second Team All-East and New Jersey Division I Player of the Year, while also earning MAAC All-Tournament Team recognition. He led Rider in batting (.351), hits (65) and home runs (12) while setting a Rider record with 58 RBI in 2009. He ranked 75th in nation in RBI per game. As a junior, Olson led the team in seven offensive categories, including home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, while leading the Broncs to the MAAC Title and NCAA Tournament. He homered and scored four runs in the 2008 MAAC title Game. He hit a three-run home run in his final collegiate at bat to give Rider an 8-7 lead in the 2009 MAAC title game.
The 2009-12 Rider field hockey teams set a new standard for the program, posting a 67-14 record with a 28-1 mark in NEC play. The group won four NEC Regular Season Championships and three NEC Tournament Championships to advance to three NCAA Play-In Games. The teams accounted for two All-America honors (Egusquiza – 2011;
Sandra Penas – 2012), five All-Region honors (Egusquiza – 2009-11; Penas – 2011-12), three NEC Players of the Year (Egusquiza - 2009-11), two NEC Offensive Players of the Year (Megan Pisani – 2010;
Sandra Penas – 2011), two NEC Rookies of the Year (Marlaine Schneider – 2009; Penas – 2010), two NEC Coaches of the Year (
Lori Hussong), 10 All-NEC First Team picks and eight Second Team honorees. The 2010 team was also honored with the NEC Sportsmanship Award.
2019 Rider Athletics Hall of Fame Class Unveiled
A three-time MAAC and ECAC Diver of the Year, a two-sport star that earned MAAC Women's Soccer Player of the Year in 2003, Rider's all-time hits leader in baseball, one of the greatest coaches in NCAA wrestling history and one of the best all-around players in the school's men's basketball history comprise the 2019 Rider Athletics Hall of Fame induction class. Rider's men's swimming & diving teams from 1979-80 through 1981-82 that won three-straight New Jersey Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships will also be honored with the Clair Bee Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
Amanda Burke '10 of swimming and diving, Tami Coyle '05 of women's soccer and basketball, Jamie Hayes '09 of baseball,
Gary Taylor of wrestling and Ryan Thompson '10 of basketball will be inducted on June 8, 2019.
Burke was a three-time Rider Female Athlete of the Year. She became Rider's first-ever diver to qualify for Nationals and was a three-time NCAA qualifier. She earned three MAAC and ECAC Diver of the Year honors, taking home seven MAAC and seven ECAC gold medals. Burke owns all five Rider team diving records and all four Rider Pool diving records, as well as both MAAC diving records. She was named to the Mid-Major All-America Swimming and Diving Team by collegeswimming.com and continued her diving career for six years after college, reaching the finals of the U.S. Diving Olympic Trials in the 3-meter springboard in 2016. In 2012, Burke also qualified in the 3-meter Synchronized Springboard dive and placed third, with the top two teams going to the Olympics. Burke competed as a member of the Olympic Performance Squad as a synchronized diver, representative of the top 25 divers in the nation. She placed seventh in the world at the 2013 FINA World Aquatic Championships in Barcelona, Spain, and placed third at the 2013 AT&T National Diving Championships in the 1-meter in Iowa. She also won the one-meter dive at the 2011 AT&T National Championships.
Coyle earned Rider Female Athlete of the Year for 2003-04 following her selection as MAAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year. She led the league and finished 15th in the nation in goals per game with 16 goals in 19 games. She ranks second in program history with 40 goals and 94 points, one behind teammate Sarah Artale, albeit in eight fewer games played. Coyle was a four-time All-MAAC Selection, being named to the Second Team in her freshman and sophomore years before earning First Team recognition in her final two years. She was also a member of the women's basketball team, sharing the team's Most Improved Player award as a sophomore. She led the team in field-goal percentage in her freshman and sophomore year, while finishing first in three-point field-goal percentage as a freshman and junior.
Hayes rewrote the Rider Baseball Record Book, setting the Broncs' high marks in career hits (265), runs scored (180), stolen bases (96) and saves (33). The 2008 MAAC Tournament MVP was named MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-MAAC as a utility player. In addition, he earned New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Division I Player of the Year. He led Rider in batting average (.336), runs scored (52) and stolen bases (37), coming three shy of the Rider record at the time, as a junior. A four-time All-MAAC Selection, he earned Second Team honors in his freshman, sophomore and senior seasons. He earned MAAC and New Jersey Rookie of the Year as a freshman and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2009.
Taylor built the Rider Wrestling program into a national contender, finishing third all-time among NCAA Division I coaches with 442 dual wins. He led the Broncs to 14 conference championships and was named conference Coach of the Year nine times. His teams were ranked nationally, year in and year out, and reached a high of No. 7 in the country. Under Taylor's tutelage, 173 Broncs were national qualifiers, while 17 earned All-America honors.
Thompson ranks in the top 10 in program history in six categories and the top 20 in 11. He set a new Rider program record with 188 career steals and ranks fourth in scoring with 1,879 points. He also ranks in the top 10 in free throws made (477, 2nd), assists (393, 7th), field goals made (627, 8th) and the top 20 in free-throw percentage (.782, 12th), three-point field goals made (148, 14th), assists per game (3.1, 13th), points per game (14.7, 16th) and three-point field-goal percentage (.357, 17th). He's the only player ranked in the top 10 in program history in points, rebounds and assists. He earned collegeinsider.com Mid-Major All-American, All-Met and All-MAAC three times each, and was twice named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District Team. Thompson also earned MAAC All-Tournament Team honors in 2009 and has carved out a nine-year professional playing career in the NBA G League, as well as overseas in Germany, Belgium, Serbia and Turkey.
The 1979-80, 1980-81 and 1981-82 men's swimming & diving teams won the highly-competitive New Jersey Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Championships in three-straight years. The teams defeated Monmouth, Glassboro State, Saint Peter's, Ramapo State, Montclair State, Stockton State, NJIT, William Paterson and Kean for the first title in 1980. "Winning that title was one of the most satisfying accomplishments in my first 12 years at Rider," said former Head Coach Rich Coppola, following the first title in 1980. "At the beginning of the season, we didn't appear to have the superstar or two a team normally needs to accumulate a lot of points. As it turned out, people emerge at season's end to do the job for us."
Rider Athletics Announces 2017 Hall of Fame Class
One of international swimming's most influential coaches, a pair of record-setting track & field athletes, an All-American wrestler and the 35-year public relations professional who deftly promoted their accomplishments will be inducted into the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame on June 10. Rider's 2006-07 MAAC Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championship winning team will also be recognized with the Clair Bee Most Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
Greg Meehan '98 of swimming & diving, Kelly Kajunski '09 and Greg Calhoun '91 of track & field, Doug Umbehauer '09 of wrestling and former Director of Athletic Communications Bud Focht will comprise the 2017 class.
Meehan served as an assistant coach for the U.S. team at the 2016 Olympics and is currently the Head Women's Swimming Coach at Stanford. While at Rider, Meehan swam the second-fastest 200 backstroke, the third-fastest 100 backstroke and the fifth-fastest 1,000 freestyle at that time. A mathematics and secondary education major and a four-time All-Academic team member, Meehan swam on the MAAC champion relay team. In his four seasons at Stanford, Meehan has coached 19 All-Americans to a combined 131 All-America honors. That includes seven national championship relays and eight individual national championships. Additionally, Meehan has mentored two Pac-12 Swimmers of the Year and two Pac-12 Newcomers of the Year. As a team under Meehan, Stanford won the 2013 Pac-12 Championships, and has not finished lower than second at the conference meet. The Cardinal also finished as the national runner-up at the NCAA Championships in 2014 and 2016, and placed third in 2015. A two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year and the 2014 CSCAA National Swimming Coach of the Year, Meehan has led Stanford to a 31-4 dual meet record, including undefeated regular seasons in 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Kajunski set Rider's high jump record of 5'10" and later tied it. She was named MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Performer in both indoor and outdoor as a junior and was an eight-time All-East and three-time NCAA Regional qualifier. As a sophomore, Kajunski became Rider's first female NCAA Regional qualifier. As a junior, she won the MAAC high jump and was third in the long jump, fourth in the pole vault, sixth in the triple jump, 10th in the hammer and 13th in the javelin, accounting for 24 points. As a senior, Kajunski was twice the MAAC Performer of the Week and again was an NCAA Regional qualifier.
Calhoun set the Rider indoor record in the 1,000 meters (2:25.63) and ran on the Rider record-setting 2-mile relay. He set the Rider outdoor record in the 800m (1:51.80) and ran on the record-setting 3200m relay, as well as the record-setting distance medley relay. He won the New Jersey 1500 and the East Coast Conference mile during the 1989-90 indoor season and placed second in the 1,000m at the IC4A Indoor Championships as a junior. In the spring of 1990, Calhoun placed second in the 1500 and the 800 at the ECC Championships.
Umbehauer placed third in the nation to earn All-America honors as a senior in 2009. He finished with a career record of 100-35 as a four-time NCAA qualifier and came within one win of All-America honors as a junior. A two-time CAA Champion and a two-time CAA runner-up, he was 24-5 as a senior and was the seventh seed at 2009 Nationals, where he defeated the second seed twice, including the battle to finish third. Umbehauer won 27 matches as a junior and 28 as a sophomore. He placed runner-up at Midlands before his junior season and was a Freshman All-American in 2006.
Focht served as Director of Athletic Communications for 35 years. He's best known for his feature story writing and his efforts getting regular coverage in The Times of Trenton, Star Ledger, and The Trentonian with additional stories picked up by ESPN, channels 3, 6 and 10 in the Philadelphia area, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated among other news outlets. Focht was a regular contributor to Rider's Alumni Magazine and instrumental in researching nominations for the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame. Additionally, Focht's great knowledge of Rider's athletics history always proved to be an asset in promoting Bronc student-athletes and coaches throughout the years. In his time at Rider, Focht helped oversee the advancement of public relations and the coverage of the student-athletes into an operation that now includes a robust website, GoBroncs.com which includes LiveStats coverage for men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, field hockey, volleyball and men's and women's soccer. During his tenure, BroncVision, the video portal of Rider Athletics, was established and provides in-game coverage for men's and women's soccer, field hockey, volleyball and men's and women's basketball.
Rider Athletics Announces 2016 Hall of Fame Class
An NBA player, former professional soccer and baseball players, an All-American wrestler and the first women's soccer player will be inducted into the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame June 11.
Jason Thompson '08 of basketball, Jim McKeown '81 of soccer, Kevin Connolly '75 of baseball, Don Fisch '08 of wrestling and Sarah Artale '03 of soccer make up the 2016 class.
Thompson was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America, US Basketball Writers' Association District II Player of the Year, the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 3 selection, MAAC Player of the Year and the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year at Rider. He compiled 2,040 points (third most ever at Rider) and a Rider-record 1,171 rebounds.
The 12th player picked in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft, Thompson played a franchise record 541 games for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, compiling over 5,000 points and 3,750 rebounds in seven seasons. Thompson is currently a member of the Toronto Raptors.
McKeown was the Rider Athlete of the Year in 1977-78 after earning First Team All-East Coast Conference and All-Region honors. A former member of the US National under 19 soccer team, McKeown was drafted in the first round of the NASL and played two years for the Tulsa Roughnecks and the Philadelphia Fury.
Connolly graduated as the Rider career leader in hits and RBI. As a sophomore the Bronc catcher batted .371 with 43 hits in just 34 games and earned All-District honors. Connolly was drafted in the 13th round by the Atlanta Braves and reached the AA level.
Artale is Rider's career leader in goals (41) and points (95). She scored a Rider record 16 goals as a junior and led Rider to the MAAC Championship Game. Twice a Second Team and once a First Team All-MAAC selection, Artale led Rider to its first three MAAC semifinals and first Title Game.
Fisch compiled 110 wins in his Rider career and earned All-America honors as a junior when he placed fifth at the 2007 NCAA Championships. The Rider Athlete of the Year in 2007, Fish was a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Champion and a four-time NCAA qualifier. As a freshman Fisch was the CAA Rookie of the Year.
The 1994 volleyball team, Rider's first women's varsity team to advance to an NCAA tournament on the Division I level, will receive the Clair Bee Most Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
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Rider Athletics Announces 2015 Hall of Fame Class
Three women, including Rider's first Olympian, head the list of inductees into the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
Jazmine Fenlator '07 of the track & field program, Courtney Bertos '06 of the field hockey team, Linda DiGiuseppantonio '87 of the basketball team, Bill Lipkus '86 of the cross country and track & field program and Neil Boyle '65 of the baseball team will become the newest members of the Hall of Fame in June.
Fenlator was elected on her first year of eligibility. A two-time Rider female Athlete of the Year, Fenlator took part in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi as a member of the United States bobsled team. Rider's first NCAA Track & Field Regional automatic qualifier, Fenlator earned All-East honors eight times, in the shot put, weight throw and the discus, setting Rider records in all three events along with the hammer. Fenlator was named one of the top 25 athletes in the first 25 year history of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Bertos was a four-time First Team All-Conference selection and was named to three championship All-Tournament teams. She led her team to four conference title games, winning two, and also won two regular season titles. A conference Rookie of the Year, she was named the Championship Tournament MVP and a Regional All-American as a junior.
DiGiuseppantonio graduated fifth in career scoring and third on the career assist list, leading Rider to it's first-ever Division I conference semifinal game. A two-time All-Conference selection, "Linda D." was a prolific outside shooter who would have owned all of the Rider scoring records if she hadn't played before the three-point rule went into effect. DiGiuseppantonio went on to become a successful coach on the high school and AAU level.
Lipkus led Rider to its first conference track & field championships (indoor and outdoor) over perennial champion and nationally ranked Bucknell, earning the Championship MVP award. Lipkus was twice an All-Conference cross country selection, setting the Rider course record. In track & field he set the Rider record in the 10,000 meters as well as the indoor records for the three mile and the 5,000 meters.
Boyle led Rider to the NCAA tournament with a 13-3 record on the mound, compiling 198 strikeouts in 169 innings pitched. He posted a career earned run average of 1.47 and pitched a no-hitter. Named to the Collegiate League All-Star team, Boyle earned All-East honors and upon graduation signed a professional contract with the Chicago Cubs. He was later selected in the Rule 5 draft by the New York Yankees.
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Rider Athletics Announces 2014 Hall of Fame Class
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—A two-sport athlete from the 1950s, a basketball player from the 1980s, a wrestler from the 1990s, a softball player in her first year on the ballot and a former major league pitcher made up the 2014 induction class of the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame.
Fred Swick '55 of the baseball and soccer teams, Derrick Lamar '85 of the basketball team, wrestler Chad Liott '99, and pitchers Heather Beintema '06 and James Hoey were inducted in a ceremony during Reunion Weekend June 7.
Swick set Rider records for single season batting average (.473) and career batting average (.371) that stood for 32 years, as well as numerous other single season records. He led the 1953 baseball team to the NJIAC Title and the 1955 team to a 15-4 record and played two years on the professional level in Class D and Class C minors.
On the soccer field Swick was the team's leading scorer in 1953 and 1954, the first two years of varsity status after a four-year hiatus.
Lamar graduated fifth in career scoring and eighth in career rebounds at Rider. His sophomore season Rider was 20-9 and his junior year the Broncs won the East Coast Conference with a 20-10 record and went to the NCAA tournament.
Liott was a three-time conference champion and three-time NCAA qualifier, compiling a 104-30 record on the wrestling mats. He placed second at the prestigious Midlands Championships and was ranked as high as third in the nation in his weight class as a senior. As a junior he came within one win of All-America honors, winning three bouts at Nationals.
Beintema set the Rider softball single season and career strikeout records and tied the single season record for wins with 22. The MAAC Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore, she ranked among the top 21 pitchers in the nation in both strikeouts and earned run average. As a freshman she was the MAAC Rookie of the Year and the MAAC Championship Tournament MVP, leading Rider to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Hoey won 12 games, saved 10 others and compiled 156 strikeouts in three seasons at Rider before being selected in the 13th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. He set the Rider single season record for appearances with 23 as a sophomore. He spent three seasons (2006, '07, '11) in the major leagues with Baltimore and Minnesota. In a minor league game his fastball was once clocked at 100 mph.
The 1990-91 and 1991-92 cross country, indoor track and outdoor track & field teams, which won the East Coast Conference 'triple crown' of Championships, was presented with the Clair Bee Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
Rider Athletics Announces 2013 Hall of Fame Class
The sports of basketball, field hockey, soccer, tennis and wrestling was represented at the 2013 Rider Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony.
First-year ballot selections Jerry Johnson '05 of the basketball team and Christina Ang '05 of the field hockey team will be joined by wrestler Derek Jenkins '03, basketball player Chuck Simon '77 and soccer/tennis star from the 1990s Matt Miles '06 as 2013 inductees.
"Every year the Hall of Fame Committee works very hard in selecting the best nominees for this prestigious athletic honor," said Don Harnum, Rider Director of Athletics. "Once again they did an outstanding job as all of our honorees are very well accomplished in their respective sports."
Johnson, of Lancaster, PA, graduated second in career scoring at Rider as just the ninth New Jersey Division I player to compile 2,000 career points. A three-time First Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection, Johnson averaged 17.6 points per game for his career while graduating fifth in career assists. Johnson holds the Rider single-season record with 102 three-point field goals.
Ang, of Ocean City, NJ, graduated with Rider records for goals in a season (21, sixth in the nation that year), goals in a career (66) and points in a career (144). A two-time Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Ang was also the NEC Tournament MVP as a sophomore and was on the NEC All-Tournament team again as a senior. The first Bronc to be invited to play in the National Field Hockey All-Star Game, Ang was twice a Second Team All-Region selection and was a First Team All-Region pick as a senior.
Ang and Johnson shared the 2005 Rider Athlete of the Year award.
Jenkins, of Orefield, PA, was the Rider Athlete of the Year in 2003 after earning the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships. One of only three Rider wrestlers to qualify for Nationals all four years, Jenkins was the sixth Bronc to compile 100 (110) career wins.
Simon, of Toms River, NJ, was the Rider career rebound record holder for 30 years (874) until it was broken by current NBA player Jason Thompson '08. Simon also graduated seventh in career scoring (1,096) at Rider. A four-year starter, Simon averaged 10.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for his career.
Miles, of Williamstown, NJ, led the Rider soccer team in scoring all four years, including a Rider-record 18 goals and 42 points as a senior when he was named the NEC and the New Jersey Soccer Player of the Year. An outstanding athlete, Miles also played first singles for the Rider tennis team in the spring.
Also at the Hall of Fame ceremony the Clair Bee Outstanding Team Achievement Award was presented to the 1997 and 1998 men's soccer teams, who won back-to-back MAAC Championships and NCAA Play-In games to advance to the NCAA Championship Tournaments. The 1998 team was ranked 15th in the nation.
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Rider Athletics 2012 Hall of Fame Ceremony
Women's Track, Two Baseball Players, Volleyball and Wrestling
Five former Rider greats were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame June 9, 2012 in front of a crowd of over 200 people.
Sheree Duval Dublin '01, '07 became the first member of the women's track & field program to be inducted. "I have so many people to thank for this, but especially Coach Ed (former Rider track & field head coach Ed Roskiewicz) for giving me the opportunity to come to Rider."
Mike Lisetski '70, one of the stars on the 1967 College World Series team and Scott Rich '05 became the 20th and 21st members of the baseball program to be enshrined. "I had many opportunities after high school, to play football at Syracuse, to play baseball at Wake Forest, to play professional baseball, but to think of all the things I would have missed out on if I hadn't come to Rider," Lisetski said.
"I'd like to thank all my coaches for this day," Rich said, "from my first coach, my father (Robert), to my high school coach (Rider Hall of Famer) Rich Giallella, my coaches at Rider, Rick Freeman, Jeff Plunkett and (Rider Hall of Famer) Sonny Pittaro, for guiding me in my careers on and off the baseball field."
Dr. Michele Guzowski '95 became just the fifth member of the volleyball team to enter the hall. "I would like to reflect on all of the Rider memories that make me smile, especially the teammates and friends who are more like family."
Mario Ianni '75, one of the first great wrestlers at Rider became the 12th member of the wrestling program to enter the hall. "I am honored and humbled to be a part of this. The 11 other Hall of Fame wrestlers were all All-Americans who raised the bar very high. (Rider Hall of Famer) Coach Barry Burtnett mentored us and guided us, both athletically and academically."
"Every year the Hall of Fame Committee works very hard in selecting the best nominees for this prestigious athletic honor," said Don Harnum, Rider Director of Athletics. "Once again they did an outstanding job as all of our honorees are very well accomplished in their respective sports."
Duval set Rider indoor track records in four individual events and two relays, and set Rider outdoor track records in three individual events and three relays. She was an All-East performer in both the 400 and 500 and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships as a freshman, the program's fifth year of varsity status.
Lisetski set Rider single-season baseball records for hits, stolen bases, assists and RBI on the 1967 team that went to the College World Series and graduated second in career hits. He also set the Rider single-season records for runs scored and walks in his career and went on to star on the USA Pan Am team that beat Cuba for the gold medal.
Rich set six Rider career baseball records, including hits, RBI and doubles, and as a senior was 18th in the nation in slugging percentage (.715) before being drafted by the New York Yankees. Rich earned All-MAAC and All-New Jersey honors when he batted .375 as a senior with 75 hits, including 15 home runs.
Guzowski, the Rider Female Athlete of the Year for 1994-95, was the 1994 Northeast Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year and was Rider's NJAIAW Woman of the Year. The NEC Volleyball Player of the Year as a senior, she led Rider to the NEC Championship and to the NCAA Tournament.
Ianni was named the 1975 Rider Athlete of the Year and graduated with a career record of 43-7-1. A three-time National qualifier, Ianni won his weight class at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships as a freshman, sophomore and junior and as a senior was an East Coast Conference Champion, the first year of the new conference.
The 1989 and 1990 Rider softball teams that enjoyed back-to-back 30-win seasons and East Coast Conference Championships were also honored with the Clair Bee Outstanding Team Achievement Award.
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