ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has finalized its 53rd Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted on Friday, October 27, 2023. The newest class features two national championship teams and seven individuals.

"The 53rd Hall of Fame Class selected for induction this October reflects the best of our tradition of excellence," said Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Susan Bassett '79. "We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and hearing their stories during Alumni Weekend."

The induction ceremony will take place in the Athletics and Events Center beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale for the event beginning in July.

1988 BASEBALL

The 1988 baseball team won the second national title for the program and fourth for Ithaca College. The Bombers posted a 36-11-1 overall record and went 7-1 during the postseason. IC's 36 victories during the season stand as the third-most in the program's 90-year history. Ithaca hit .341 as a team and scored more than 400 runs, while the pitching staff held opponents to a .253 average.

Ithaca faced Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the title game and trailed, 5-2, heading to the bottom of the seventh inning. The Bombers would score twice in the seventh and three more times in the eighth inning to capture a 7-5 victory.

Joe Sottolano pitched on one day's rest in relief of starter Brian DeLola and went 2.1 innings without yielding a run. With two outs in the ninth inning, Carl Graetz retired the final batter for his third save of the week.

Ithaca opened World Series play with a 6-4 victory over Methodist. DeLola yielded only two earned runs, and Graetz picked up the save. Sottolano then pitched the Bombers past Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 3-2, on a complete-game seven-hitter.
 
The Bombers then fell to Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 11-3. Facing elimination, Ithaca overcame a 2-0 Marietta lead to beat the Pioneers, 7-3. Graetz got the save in relief of winner Doug Duell, and Tim Wilson drove in four runs.

Earning all-tournament honors along with Sottolano and Vince Roman were Steve Graham, a .364 hitter during the series, and Wilson, who drove in seven runs in the tournament.

1988 FOOTBALL

The 1988 football team claimed the second national championship for the program with a 39-24 victory over Central in Phenix City, Ala. on December 10. The Bombers posted a 13-1 record during the season, setting a program record for wins. IC recorded three shutouts during the year and held opponents to 10 points or less in seven games. IC's only loss during the year came by one point to Cortland, but the Bombers avenged that setback and defeated the Red Dragons in the second round of the tournament.

Stagg Bowl Most Valuable Player Paul Parker rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns in the championship game, as the Bombers ran for 408 yards in the win. Todd Wilkowski and Tom Pasquale combined to complete 11 of 15 passes for 116 yards. IC outgained Central, 524-289, in the game.

Touchdown runs of 23 and 26 yards by Parker, a five-yard scoring run by Wilkowski, and Matt Sullivan's 42-yard field goal helped Ithaca build a 25-8 advantage. The Dutchmen closed the gap to 10 points on a third-quarter touchdown, but on the following kickoff, Mike Scott scored on an 84-yard return. Parker's third touchdown put the game out of reach in the fourth.

Tom Knapp tied a Stagg Bowl and school playoff record with three interceptions, and Matt Herbst led the team in tackles with 11.

There were seven All-Americans on the 1988 national championship team – Parker, Scott, Lee Byrne, Dan Feldman, Daegan Gray, Marc Hudak and Rich Smith.

JOHN BERTINO '81 – BASEBALL/FOOTBALL

John Bertino was a member on the 1979 national championship football team as well as the 1980 national championship baseball team during his two years at Ithaca College. Bertino was just one of five players on both of those national title teams.

On the gridiron, Bertino played defensive back and recorded seven interceptions during the regular season, which included one returned for a touchdown. During the 1979 postseason, he recorded three interceptions against Dubuque, which still stands as the single game school record.

On the diamond, he was a career .319 hitter with 49 runs scored, 45 RBI, 45 walks and was perfect in stolen bases – 31-for-31. In his final season, Bertino batted .369 in 34 games during the national title run.

JESSICA BOLDUC '12 – GYMNASTICS

The most decorated gymnast in program history, Jessica Bolduc was a 12-time All-American from 2009-12 and was the 2011 national champion in the floor exercise. Bolduc's national title routine at the NCGA Championships scored 9.75 out of 10, which was a career-best. That same year, she also earned All-America honors in the all-around (second overall), vault and bars.

In 2010, she received four more All-American awards as she finished third in the all-around. Bolduc began her career on South Hill with three All-Americans performances in 2009, which include a national runner-up showing on bars. She would conclude her career with her 12th and final All-America on floor in 2012.

Bolduc added 13 all-conference nods from the ECAC, as well as NCGA Outstanding Senior Athlete Award to her distinguished career.

EMMA DEWART TRAKAS '12 – WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Emma Dewart Trakas is the most decorated women's track & field student-athlete in program history with 11 All-America honors and two national championships. Dewart was a six-time All-American during the indoor season, which is where both of her national championships occurred in the pentathlon. She also claimed five All-American performances during outdoor, including four during the 2011 season.

Dewart was the NYSCTC and Empire 8 Rookie of the Year in 2008-09, a five-time USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year and a three-time Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Year. During her senior season, Dewart was named First-Team Academic All-American by CoSIDA.

She still owns four school records and held the marks in the pentathlon and heptathlon until 2023. Her pentathlon record of 3674 points was set during her national title performance in 2012 in Grinnell, Iowa.

SETH ECKER '12 – WRESTLING

Seth Ecker was a dominant grappler at 133 pounds and was the first two-time national champion in program history as he won titles in 2011 and 2012. Ecker was also an All-American during his freshman season in 2009.

Ecker finished his career with an overall record of 108-20, which is tied for 14th all-time in career victories. He went 32-4 during his junior campaign and was 26-4 as a senior. Ecker would also be named ECWC Rookie of the Year in 2009, as well as ECWC Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012, and was a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American.

Most significantly, Ecker was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in 2012.

RACHAEL PALLADINO '13 – WOMEN'S SOCCER

The most prolific scorer in women's soccer program history, Rachael Palladino tallied 63 goals and 23 assists for 149 points in 85 matches played between 2009-12. Palladino notched 22 game-winning goals during her time on South Hill and led the team in scoring three out of the four years in which she played. She also owns program records in single season points with 45 and single season goals with 20.

The Bombers went 63-15-9 with Palladino on the squad, which included a 19-1-3 season during her senior season and a trip to the national semifinals in 2011.

Palladino was a three-time NSCAA All-American, and a two-time first-team honoree. She was also named Empire 8 Player of the Year three times and was the Rookie of the Year in 2009.

SHEILA RHOADES ARIEL '11 – WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

One of the best sprinters in women's swimming & diving history, Sheila Rhoades Ariel was a 16-time All-American in the pool for the Bombers from 2007-11, which ranks eighth all-time.

Rhoades Ariel claimed at least three All-America honors in each of the four trips to the NCAA Division III Championships, including five during her junior season in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle and the 200 and 400 medley relays. During her junior season, she finished third nationally in the 50 and fourth in the 100.

She would be named Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year in 2010 and was a 15-time Empire 8 champion during her career.

To date, she still owns the school record in the 50 free with a time of 23.18 seconds and the 100 free at 50.78 seconds. She's also the school record holder in the 200 and 400 medley relays.

SEAN ROSSI '13 – MEN'S BASKETBALL

Sean Rossi is the Division III all-time leader in assists with 957 in 113 games played, as he led the nation in assists all four years on South Hill as a members of the men's basketball program. Rossi was named second-team All-American as a senior and finished his career with 1147 points scored, which is 21st all-time. His career assist total also ranks ninth all-time across all divisions of men's basketball.

The Bombers compiled an overall record of 75-38 from 2009-13, which included three 20-win seasons and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2013. Rossi also garnered three first-team all-region honors, as well as three first-team nods by the Empire 8.

In over 90 years of men's basketball at Ithaca College, there have been six seasons in which a player has totaled more than 200 assists – Rossi owns four of those.

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) 
TBA - 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
George Valesente '66 - Special Appointee
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)
Kaitlyn Wahila - Current women's sport head coach (field hockey)
Mike Welch '73 - Current male member of the Hall of Fame
Erin DeMarco '01 - Alumni Board of Directors
Paula Miller - Former Women's Swimming & Diving Head Coach (current female member of Hall of Fame)
Amy Cronin '82 - Special Appointee
Current male member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (Liam Spellman – men's basketball)
Current female member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (Cameryn Nichols  – gymnastics)