Feb. 4, 2011
Garden City, N.Y. -
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The Adelphi University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will induct six outstanding honorees and recognize a regional championship basketball team at its 41st annual Hall of Fame Ceremony on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at the Ruth S. Harley University Center in the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom. The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will also celebrate 50 years of the Hall of Fame, honoring an Adelphi tradition that was started in 1961.
The dinner, which honors those individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletics program includes Josephine Coiro '05 (women's soccer/lacrosse), Russ Huber '69 (men's soccer, baseball, squash), Ryan McCormack '01 (men's basketball), Robert Ricciardi '76 (men's lacrosse), Alexis Seeley '02 (women's basketball) and Eddie Williams '02 (men's basketball).
The Panther Legendary Team award will be presented to the 2000-01 men's basketball team, coached by Jim Ferry. That season the Panthers won 31 straight games, achieved the first #1 national ranking in program history and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, leading the NCAA in winning percentage (.969).
Coiro is the school record holder in points (182), goals (77) and game winning goals with 16, she is also second in the record books in career assists with 28. Coiro helped the Panthers to three NCAA appearances, including a regional title and an appearance in the NCAA National Championship in 2004. While at Adelphi, Coiro was a three-time NSCAA All-Region selection and two-time All-American, she also earned NCAA All-Tournament honors for her play in the 2004 NCAA Championship.
Huber was a multi-sport talent at Adelphi, participating in baseball, men's soccer and squash. He found his most prominent success on the squash court, twice representing Adelphi at the NCAA tournament. He was also a four-year member of the baseball team, seeing action behind the plate and led the nation in saves as a goalkeeper on the soccer pitch his sophomore season.
McCormack found unparalleled success inside Woodruff Hall, leading the Panthers to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight during the 2000-01 season. He earned NABC First-Team All-America honors that year and was named the Basketball Times Division II Player of the Year and the ECAC Player of the Year. In addition McCormack was a two-time ECC Player of the Year and a two-time NABC All-Regional selection, finishing his career with 1,553 points.
Ricciardi roamed the grass of Stiles Field during his time at Adelphi, playing four years in goal for the men's lacrosse team. In that time Ricciardi earned two All-America honors, was honored with the Kitay-Laughlin award as the Panthers most outstanding defensive player and was selected as the Martin Head Memorial Award winner. However, probably his most prestigious honor was becoming the first University student-athlete bestowed a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Seeley, a 2002 Division II Bulletin All-American, helped bring the Panthers to their first and only NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen in 2002. During her career Seeley was twice selected as a Daktronics All-Region honoree, earned a MET basketball writer's Player of the Year award and was a two-time ECC Player of the Year. In addition, Seeley was a CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selection and scored 1,163 points.
Williams was a dominant big man on the court during his time with the Panthers, earning NABC All-American honors during his senior year. He was twice an ECAC All-Start, voted the All-MET Player of the Year during the 2001-02 season and was a two-time All-Region and All-ECC selection. In addition, Williams was the ECC Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2000-01 and is the only men's basketball player to have been named a CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine All-District honoree.
This year's Woodruff Award recipient is Rollie Massimino and the Frank Cassell Memorial Award will be presented to Mary Ann Mearini '05.
Massimino has a coaching career that spans four decades and includes stops at Stony Brook, Villanova, UNLV and Cleveland State before landing at Northwood University. During the past 41 years Massimino has compiled 619 wins to just 340 losses and won an NCAA Division I National Championship in 1985 while on the bench at Villanova.
Mearini is currently the Senior Associate Director of Alumni Relations at Adelphi University and has been an ardent supporter of Athletics since beginning her Adelphi career in 1997. In the past 14 years Mearini has earned her bachelor's in literacy from Adelphi and has been the driving force behind many alumni programs and continues to support Athletics.
The Adelphi University Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 1961 to honor those athletes, coaches and friends who have distinguished themselves during their time at the university and thereafter. For more information, please contact Suzette McQueen, Assistant Athletic Director, at (516) 877-4236. The cost of the dinner is $100 per person and reservations are required. The evening begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m.
