Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/292926
8 » Crusader Nation Spring 2014 Each year, the Holy Cross Varsity Club inducts former Crusader standouts into the Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame. The next group of deserving alumni will be inducted on Saturday, May 3 during the Varsity Club's annual dinner to be held in the Hogan Campus Center. Having left their marks in the Holy Cross record books, the 2014 inductees into the Hall of Fame include: Fran Dyson '53 (baseball, men's basketball), Tom Noering '63 (track and field), Mary Fitzgerald Riley '83 (field hockey, women's basketball, softball), Jim Sweeney '01 (baseball). Matt Ney '03 (men's soccer) and Tony Quesada '06 (men's ice hockey). "As always, I am extremely pleased with this year's class of inductees and cannot wait until they return to campus in the spring for their induction into the Hall of Fame," said Patrick Maloney '02, president of the Varsity Club. "It really leaves me in awe when you look at the outstanding achievements of these six individuals on a college, regional and national level. As a member of the Club's Hall of Fame Election Committee, I am always struck by the hard work and dedication of the dozens of nominated student-athletes over so many decades. This year, we are very proud to honor the accomplishments of Fran, Tom, Mary, Jim, Matt and Tony." Fran Dyson '53 was the first baseman on the Crusaders' storied 1952 team which won the NCAA championship. Of his teammate in both baseball and basketball, Ron Perry '54 said, "Without question Fran was one of the hardest working student-athletes at Holy Cross in the early 1950's. In baseball, Fran did everything you would want a first baseman to do. He was a great bunter and a consistent .300 plus hitter. There were very few players who could handle all aspects of playing first base like he did." In addition to his success on the diamond, Dyson was considered one of the basketball team's best backcourt defenders, helping lead the Crusaders to appearances in the 1952 NIT and 1953 NCAA Tournaments. Fran returned to Holy Cross from 1993-1997 as the head coach of the softball team, earning Patriot League Coach of the Year honors in 1995. Tom Noering '63 was a versatile member of the track team in the early 1960s, running distances from 440 yards to 1,000 yards as well as serving as a key member of several record- setting relay teams. His senior year, Tom ran the anchor leg on two relay teams that set school records in the one-mile relay both indoor (3:18.0) and outdoor (3:12.6). He also ran the anchor leg on the indoor two-mile relay team that broke the school record in 1963 (7:32.6). Noering played a large role in the success of the Holy Cross team that captured the New England outdoor championship his senior year. Mary Fitzgerald Riley '83 played three varsity sports for the Crusaders, earning a school-record total of 12 letters. She was a four-year starter on the field hockey team, and ranked among the team's leading scorers during her final two seasons. Fitzgerald also started all four years on the softball team, where she was one of the squad's best hitters. In addition, she was a two-year starter at point guard for the women's basketball squad, while helping the team to an overall record of 71-26 during her career. Fitzgerald served as a team captain in all three sports during her senior year, and received the 1983 John A. Meegan Athletic Achievement Award. As a sophomore in 1999, Jim Sweeney '01 led the Patriot League and ranked fourth in the nation with a .448 batting average. Jim also went 5-4 on the mound with a 3.80 earned run average and 78 strikeouts. He was chosen as the 1999 Patriot League Player of the Year. During the 2000 season, Sweeney hit .319 with 27 runs batted in. Says Sweeney of the award, "I am both proud and extremely grateful for being inducted into the Varsity Club Hall of Fame. It means so much to be a member of such a prestigious group of student-athletes. I was very lucky to have great coaches and teammates with whom I share this honor." The first team all- conference award winner was drafted in the 14th round by the Chicago White Sox following the 2000 season. Matt Ney '03 was a standout forward, scoring 38 goals and 16 assists for 92 points over his four years, which still ranks as Holy Cross' all-time leader in career goals and career points scored. Ney led the men's soccer team to three regular season Patriot League titles, capturing the conference tournament championship in 2002 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Ney calls it "a great honor to be recognized by the Holy Cross Varsity Club for my time as a student-athlete. As a student-athlete, I spent countless hours training side-by-side with my teammates. Lucky for me I was a member of the most successful group in Holy Cross and Patriot League soccer history. This is a chance for us to collectively celebrate our success from '99-'03, and a personal opportunity to recall my individual accomplishments." Tony Quesada '06 led the Crusaders to two Atlantic Hockey Association championships and the first two NCAA Tournament appearances in school history, including earning the win in the 4-3 overtime victory over Minnesota in the 2006 West NCAA Regional. The goalie still ranks as Holy Cross' all-time career leader in career victories, save percentage and goals against average. With those accolades, it is no surprise that Head Coach Paul Pearl '89 called him "one of the best players I have coached at Holy Cross. Tony always played his best in the biggest games. His teammates loved playing in front of him because they knew what a great competitor he was. Everyone in the program is very proud to have Tony inducted." Tony received the John A. Meegan Athletic Achievement Award in 2006 following the conclusion of his career. The purpose of the Holy Cross Varsity Club is to preserve the traditions, foster the ideals, advance the interests and improve the quality and prestige of Holy Cross athletics and its role in the educational community of the College of the Holy Cross. For more information about the HC Varsity Club, visit GoHolyCross.com/VarsityClub. HALL FAME Members of the Holy Cross Community responded with enthusiasm to the Purple Pride Challenge. For the second year in a row, a group of alumni issued a Challenge whereby all gifts made to the Crusader Athletics Fund during the Winter Homecoming weekend (Feb. 14-16) would be matched, up to $300 per gift, and up to a total of $100,000. The Challenge encouraged alumni, family and friends to come together to show pride in Holy Cross a thletics by supporting the teams that mean the most to them. The Challenge yielded $220,660 from 887 donors over the three-day weekend. "The 2014 Purple Pride Challenge was a tremendous success. It will put much- needed resources into our programs that will have a positive impact on our competitive success and our student-athletes' experiences. I would like to thank our matching gift donors along with all of our alumni, friends, student-athletes, coaches and staff that participated," said Nathan Pine, director of Athletics. Sara Hennessey, a senior tri-captain on the women's lacrosse team, said: "Members of our team and many other student-athletes made gifts to support CAF during the Purple Pride Challenge because we are committed to our programs, the Athletics department, and the College. This is a good way for us to show our commitment to Holy Cross Athletics, as well as our gratitude for all those who support us through their generosity." Crusader Nation Spring 2014 » 9 CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! SIX RECORD SETTERS JOIN Inductees for 2014 combined to win national titles, conference championships, earned All- America honors and player-of-the-year awards '06 '53 '83 '03 '63 '01