The Ithaca College Department of Athletics officially inducted the 52nd Hall of Fame class on October 7 in Emerson Suites. Eight individuals and one national championship team were enshrined into the Hall of Fame in front of nearly 200 guests last Friday evening.

"Ithaca College Athletics enjoys a celebrated tradition of excellence, and this class was nothing short of that. We had the unique opportunity to hear from past Bombers ranging from the 1960s to the 2010s and it was such a great experience for everyone in attendance," said Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Susan Bassett '79.



2002 SOFTBALL

The only national championship in Ithaca College softball history, the 2002 Bombers posted a 37-13 record and won nine of their final 10 games of the season, including seven by shutout. Ithaca swept the Empire 8 and NCAA Regional to earn a place in the national championship tournament. IC won its first three games against Bethany, Salisbury, and Emory to advance to the final against Lake Forest. The Bombers dropped the first game, 4-2, but prevailed in the winner-take-all contest, 1-0, as Abby Hanrahan won her 22nd game of the season in the circle and Mairin Dudek drove in Kim Stephens for the game-winning run.

The Bombers had never won a game in their four previous trips to the NCAA Division III Championship finals before going 4-1 in 2002, as IC won three games by 1-0 scores.

IC outscored its opposition that season, 252-107, and held teams to just a .194 average and two home runs on the year.

Hanrahan and Kristin Furdon, along with head coach Deb Pallozzi, are all members of the IC Hall of Fame.

  

JANOS "JIM" BENEDEK '66 – MEN'S SOCCER (DECEASED)

Janos "Jim" Benedek was the first men's soccer player in school history to ever be named a First-Team All-American back in 1965. During his 1966 season, Benedek tallied 12 goals in 11 games, which ranks seventh all-time in single season school history.

During his All-American season in 1965, the Bombers posted a 10-1-1 record, which stood as the single season record for victories for 15 years. The .875 winning percentage is still tops in program history, as are the 64 goals scored.

Benedek immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1963 and enroll at IC shortly thereafter. He would go on to play for the U.S. National Team in 1968 and scored one goal during a qualification match.

Benedek also served as head coach at Southern Methodist University for nine seasons from 1975-83 where he was the first coach in program history and guided the Mustangs to overall record of 119-31-15.

Benedek passed away in 2009 at the age of 67.

   

BOB DUROCHER '81 – MEN'S SOCCER/ADMINISTRATION/COACHING

Bob Durocher was a four-year starter and two-time captain for the men's soccer team as a midfielder. Durocher helped guide IC to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in 1979 and 1980 after an extended absence, and those years helped jumpstart the IC men's soccer program into a perennial NCAA team through the '80s and '90s.

Durocher remained in athletics after graduating and became a highly successful soccer coach and administration at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.

He served as head coach at St. Lawrence for 25 seasons from 1990-2014 and won 323 games, which ranks 32nd all-time in Division III history. Durocher won a national title at St. Lawrence in 1999 as the Saints posted an immaculate record of 22-0-0 to become the first DIII team to win a championship without a loss or tie. He won 17 conference championships during his time on the sidelines and was named national coach of the year in 1999.

Durocher would step away from coaching following the 2014 season and moved into his current role as the Director of Athletics at St. Lawrence.

   

STEVE GRAHAM '89 – BASEBALL

Steve Graham played in 138 games over three seasons with the baseball team and helped the Bombers to the program's second national championship in 1988. During the 1988 NCAA Championship, in which IC finished the year with a 36-11-1 record, Graham batted .364 and was named to the all-tournament team.

Graham's career numbers were as follows: .337 average, 169 hits, 147 runs scored, 118 RBI, 57 stolen bases, 28 doubles and 22 home runs. He ranks fourth on the single season list in runs scored (56) and at bats (176), while his career homers and runs scored are sixth all-time.

Following the 1988 season, Graham was drafted in the 33rd round by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent three seasons with the organization and played in 207 games with 184 hits.

   

ADAM GROSSMAN '01 – FOOTBALL

Regarded as one of the best offensive linemen to ever play football at Ithaca College, Adam Grossman started in 38 of a possible 42 games - including all 10 during his freshman season - during his time on South Hill and was a two-year captain. The Bombers won 29 games between 1997-2000 and made two ECAC Bowl appearances.

In his final two seasons with the program, Grossman was named All-American by D3football.com in 1999, as well as First-Team All-ECAC and First-Team All-Academic. In 2000, Grossman was named All-American by four different publications. He would also earn scholar-athlete accolades from the National Football Foundation.

Furthermore, Grossman would earn a spot on D3football.com's Team of the Decade.

   

MIKE MATHENY – ATHLETIC TRAINING

Mike Matheny has worked at Ithaca College as an athletic trainer since 1987 and has provided top-notch healthcare to some of IC's most successful teams and student-athletes in more than 30 years of service.

Matheny played an integral role in the expansion of athletic training facilities on campus, which provides premiere care for student-athletes, as well as educational experiences for students enrolled at Ithaca. He has taught more than 560 athletic training majors during his time as a clinical professor and has published nearly 20 manuscripts for educational purposes.

Most recently, Matheny developed one of the most comprehensive return to campus action plans at the collegiate level during the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Dr. Andrew Getzin. In the summer of 2021, Matheny would be named the National Athletic Trainer of the Year by the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

   

MARCIA MCCORD COBRAND '11 – WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Marcia McCord was a dominant sprinter for the women's track & field team from 2007-11. McCord earned six All-America honors during the outdoor season in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, finishing as high as second in the 400 in 2011.

During her first season with the program, McCord earn all three major awards in the Empire 8 during outdoor – track, field and rookie of the year. In the indoor season of 2007-08, McCord was the track and rookie of the year.

She would go on to be named Empire 8 Track Athlete of the Year five more times during her career, to go along with Empire 8 Woman of the Year in 2011.

McCord still owns six school records, including the outdoor standards in the 100, 200 and 400.

   

DARA PORTERFIELD DALMATA '99 – WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

Dara Porterfield Dalmata was a 13-time All-American for the women's swimming & diving team from 1995-99. The 13 All-America honors, which range from sprint freestyle races, to relays and the 1650, ranks Porterfield Dalmata 12th all-time in school history.

In 1998, she was an All-American in the 200 and 400 medley relay, the 200 and 400 freestyle relay and the 200 individual freestyle. IC would finish eighth in the country that season. The following season, IC placed seventh nationally and Porterfield Dalmata swam on four All-American relay teams.

To date, Porterfield Dalmata still ranks within the top 10 all-time in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle, while her best time in the 200 in top 15.

   

HEATHER STAFFORD PIPER '98 – WOMEN'S LACROSSE

Heather Stafford Piper was the second two-time All-American in women's lacrosse history as she was a repeat recipient in 1997 and 1998. Stafford Piper was named to the second-team by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association during both seasons and was also an All-American both years by the United States Women's Lacrosse Association. 

Stafford Piper was a two-time captain and appeared in 62 games during her career and helped the Bombers reach the NCAA Tournament twice. She started in all but two games throughout her 4-year career as center-midfielder for the Bombers. She scored 30 or more goals in each of her final three seasons on South Hill, including a career-best 40 tallies during her junior year in 1997.  

She finished her career with 151 points on 119 goals and 32 assists, which ranked fourth all-time in program history at the time of her graduation and remained within the top 10 until the conclusion of the 2010 season.  After graduating in 1998, Stafford Piper was invited to try out for the US Women's National Lacrosse Team in Baltimore, MD where she was one of only a few Division-III women's lacrosse players in attendance.

   


HALL OF FAME PROCESS

Each year, the Hall of Fame Committee accepts formal nominations in February and March. The committee (16 members) will then meet in April to collaborate on a preliminary ballot from the compiled nominations of individuals and teams. The voting process of an official Hall of Fame class is finalized in May. The class will be notified of their induction from Susan Bassett in later that month.

Nominations are accepted for individuals in two categories - active and veteran. Active members are recent graduates (after 10 years) that remain in that category for 15 years before moving to the veteran category. Candidates fall under the veteran category if they are nominated after their 25th anniversary of graduation.

Any team can be nominated for induction, but under the Hall of Fame bylaws, the inducted team to the Hall of Fame will alternate between a men's or women's team. It is at the committee's discretion if a team will be inducted each year.

Current members of the committee are listed below:

Susan Bassett '79 - Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports
Paul Hesler '87 - Director of Principal Gifts (Representative of Alumni Relations/Development) 
Erienne Roberts - Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator
Justin Lutes - Associate Director of Athletics Communications
Kent Scriber '72 - Emeritus Professor, Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences
Geoff Wright '72 - Special Appointee
Dave Wohlhueter '60 - Special Appointee
Deb Wuest - Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education (faculty member)
Marty Nichols '90 - Current men's sport head coach (wrestling)
TBA - Current women's sport head coach
Mike Welch '73 - Current male member of the Hall of Fame
Erin DeMarco '01 - Alumni Board of Directors
Karen Hollands '94 - Former Women's Lacrosse Coach (current female member of Hall of Fame)
Amy Cronin '82 - Special Appointee
Current male member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Current female member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee