Adelphi University Athletics

1951

• Three African-American athletes, Cecil Watkins, Charles Jackson and Jim Grant, were members of the Adelphi varsity men's basketball team.

  1959

• Jim Grant, who's career was interrupted by military service, became the third Adelphi player and first African American to crack the 1,000 points mark, finishing his career with 1,194 points.

  1964

• George McKenzie and Les Walker helped the Adelphi men's basketball team (22-6) to its first-ever NCAA Northeast Regional Championship and a trip to Evansville, Indiana for the Elite Eight.

  1968

• Ron Bazil named head men's track coach.

  1970

• On December 1, at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., Adelphi did something that no other college or track club in the country had ever recorded at the time. The Panthers had two separate mile relay teams run under 3:18.0.

  The Mile Relay set two world records in 1971.

• Clyde McPherson captured Adelphi's first individual NCAA Outdoor Track title, winning the 440 yard dash in a meet record 46.2.

  1971

• The mile relay team of Larry Ross, Keith Davis, Dennis Walker and Clyde McPherson set the world indoor mile-relay, not once but twice. The previous record of 3:14.1 was shattered with a time of 3:13.7 on January 14 and again on January 21 in 3:12.2.
• The mile relay team of Ray Lee, Davis, Walker and McPherson captured the championship of America at the Penn Relays, defeating Tennessee by 2.2 seconds. Davis, Lee and Walker, also joined Rich Hardware to take first in the 880-yard relay.
• The most famous member of the Adelphi hoop team in '70-71, Bob Beamon, averaged just 10.0 points per game. Of course, he had some previous accomplishments prior to his Panther career--such as a world-record long jump at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

  1972

• Ron Bazil named Director of Athletics at Adelphi.

  1974

• The men's soccer team won its only Division II National Championship, picking up eight more NCAA bids at the Division I level over the next 18 years.

  All-American Kevin Price won the 440-yard dash at the 1975 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

  1975
• Former field hockey star Cynthia Drakeford, in her inaugural season as head coach of the women's field hockey team, led Adelphi to an 8-0 record. The Panthers were undefeated, untied and almost unscored upon. After six consecutive shutout victories, they yielded a single goal to Wagner College before completing their schedule by wiping out Queens College, 4-0.
  *Kevin Price brought Adelphi its second individual track title, winning the 440-yard at the NCAA Outdoor Division II Championships.

  1978

• Coach Drakeford led her field hockey team to a 16-game win streak that spanned three seasons.
• The men's basketball team (18-8), consisting of Gerald Beckles, Charles Brunson, John Horton, Keith Jones, Gordie McCrae and Reggie Parker, helped the Panthers to its first NCAA appearance since 1964.
• The team of June Griffith, Kim Raison, Pam Layne and Rose Tonge captured the 4x100 relay championship of America in at the Penn Relays.

  1979

• Gordie McCrae shattered the previous all-time Adelphi scoring record set in 1955. He finished his career with 1,711 points, a record which lasted until 1991.

  1981

• The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Cheryl Innis, Marilyn Giliar June Griffith and Marva Feron won the National Championships. The team also ran what would be an American Record, but were denied that title because two members of the relay team were not U.S. citizens.

  1987

• Bernard Tomlin named head men's basketball coach.

  Two time All-American Duane Robinson still holds the men's soccer career goals record.

  1988
  Duane Robinson was named third-team All-America and first team All-State after helping the Adelphi men's soccer team to its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

  1989
  Duane Robinson, Adelphi's leading scorer, finished the season ranked third in NCAA Division I. He was also named second team All-American and first-team All-State. His career goals record of 55 still stands today.

  In 1991,Malcolm Dowdy became Adelphi's all-time leading scorer with 1,897 points.

  1991
• Malcolm Dowdy became the Adelphi men's basketball all-time leading scorer, finishing his career with 1,897 points. The previous record of 1,711 points was set by Gordie McCrae in 1979.

  1993

• Anthony Dean, played on the men's lacrosse team that won its third NCAA Division II Championship. The Panthers would repeat as champs in 1995.

  2000

• Alethia Ali won the NYCAC cross-country championships and held her team to a second-place finish at the NCAA Div. II New England Regionals, securing a spot at Nationals.

  Alethia Ali took first in the 2000 NYCAC Cross-Country Championships.

  2001
• The Adelphi men's basketball team, led by Kendell Craig, Rich Edwards, Rich Ferrier, Tony Kellman, Wayne Nelson, Dwayne Thompson and Eddie Williams won the NYCAC Regional season and Tournament titles and their first NCAA Division II Regional title since 1964. The team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in Bakersfield, Calif.
• Suzette Thweatt becomes the first female and first African-American Director of Sports Information at Adelphi.

  2002

• Newcomers Juma Allen and Sherman Whittenburg joined Craig, Ferrier, Kellman, Nelson, Thompson, Richards and Williams as the basketball team made a repeat appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Panthers captured the NYCAC regular season title and its second straight NCAA Division II Regional Championship. The team returned to Evansville, Indiana, for the Elite Eight and the site of its initial quarterfinals appearance 38 years ago.
  *Women's Cross Country won its third straight NYCAC title and second trip to the NCAA Championships.
• Kelley Watts becomes the first African-American women to coach the Adelphi women's basketball team.

  2003

• The first-ever Black History Celebration: Honoring the Past, Present & Future is a success, attracting over 130 alumni, students, faculty and staff.
• Ron Bazil and Perry Herbert `97 are inducted into the Adelphi Hall of Fame.
• The Adelphi Multicultural Alumni chapter is founded. Grady Faulkner '75 is named chapter president.
• Men's Basketball wins NYCAC Tournament, guaranteeing the team's ninth straight NCAA Tournament berth.

  Head Women's Basketball Coach Kelley Watts

  2004

• The world-record Mile Relay team of Keith Davis '74, Larry Ross '74, Dennis Walker '73 and Clyde McPherson '72 were inducted into the Adelphi Hall of Fame. In addition, Duane Robinson '90, the all-time points leader in men's soccer was inducted. The late Ray Lee '74, a track All-American, was posthumously inducted.
• Head Women's Basketball Coach Kelley Watts was named the Nassau Country Sport Commission Female Coach of the Year and the All-Met Division II Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.
• Sophomore Carlyshia Hurdle helped the women's basketball team to the NYCAC Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Regionals. For her efforts she was named a second-team All-Met selection.

  2005

• William "Dollar Bill" Dabney '77 was inducted into the Adelphi Hall of Fame.
• Sophomore Betty Mendieta was named to the Black Issues in Higher Education Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar team.
• James Samuels (basketball) was selected to play professional basketball in Portugal.

  Carlyshia Hurdle '06 signed a one-year contract to play in Portugal.

  2006
• Kevin Price '78 was inducted into the Adelphi Hall of Fame.
• Carlyshia Hurdle '06 became the first women's basketball to play professionally when she signed a one-year contract to play in Portugal. She finished her Adelphi career ranked second all-time in both points and rebounds. She was a three-time All-Met selection, being named the Met/DII Player of the Year.
• Sophomore Dely Francisco was named the East Coast Conference Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was also a second-team All-ECC selection and set a new single-season school record for steals with 21.
• Francisco, along with sophmore Gianna Smith and junior Betty Mendieta were each named to the Diverse Issues in Higher Education Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar team.

  2007

• Junior Ify Anene captured the ECC Cross-Country Championship, guiding her team to its second straight conference team title. She placed fourth overall at the NCAA Northeast Regionals to earn an individual berth to the NCAA Division II National Championships, the first for a female at Adelphi. There she finished 79th out of 189 runners on the 6K course.

  2008

• Gordon McCrae '91 and Richard Hardware (posthumously) are inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• Senior Gianna Smith finished her Adelphi career ranked second all time in scoring with 1,558 points.
• Senior Ify Anene repeated as ECC Champion and ECC Runner of the Year, to lead the team to a third straight conference title. Her third place regional title secured a return trip to the National Championship where she finished 60th of 189 runners in 23:12.
• Senior Dely Francisco was selected as one of six ECAC Robbins Scholar-Athlete for outstanding academic and athletic achievements. Franciso finished her career as Adelphi's single season record holder in at-bats (216), runs scored (51), hits (84) and stolen bases (51) and is the career leader in stolen bases with 92.

  Kevin Durant placed 6th at NCAA's to earn All-America honors.

  2009

• Allen Boyce '54 and Nadine (Reid) Chase '80 were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Mychael Fabio and Kevin Durant each qualified and participated in the NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 400 meters and 60 meters, respectively. This marked the first time Adelphi sent male runners to the NCAA's in more than 20 years.
• Freshman Issa Tall was named to the College Soccer News All-Freshman Second Team. He was also named the Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Year and named to the North Atlantic All-Region First Team. He ranked second in the nation in goals per game (0.89) and fourth in points per game (1.83).

  2010

• Mel Richardson was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Mychael Fabio and Kevin Durant each earned All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships, making them the first Panthers in over 20 year to earn this honor. Durant finished 6th in the 60 meter dash in 6.90, while Fabio placed eighth in the 400 meters in 48.78. The duo totaled four points for Adelphi and was the first time since 1985 the Panthers had scored at the meet.

  Freshman Demmianne Cook tallied five goals in the NCAA Semifinal win over C.W. Post en route to the school's 4th NCAA title.

• Freshman Demmianne Cook was named an IWLCA First-Team All-American for helping the Panthers to a NCAA DII Women's Lacrosse Championship. She was also named the Northeast-10 and ECAC Rookie of the Year.