Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Set for Oct. 5

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Seven alumni will be inducted into the Dr. and Mrs. Edmond J. Gicewicz Family UB Athletics Hall of Fame during the 35th induction ceremony to be held on Oct. 5 in Alumni Arena on the University at Buffalo North (Amherst) Campus. Two others will be honored for their ongoing support to the university's athletics program.

Part of Homecoming, the ceremony will begin with a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception in Alumni Arena, followed by the induction ceremony on the floor of the arena.

The Pioneering Award will be given to Belle Farrar Theobald, J.D. '44 & B.A. '42, of Tinton Falls, N.J. This award honors the accomplishments of outstanding participants during the years in UB history that women were not given an outlet for their athletic ability, and recognizes the advocacy of women's athletics by athletes, coaches and administrators.

An honorary lifetime member of the UB Alumni Association, Theobald was the first woman to participate in varsity men's sports at UB. She competed on the 1940 tennis team that compiled a 2-3 record and on the 1941 squad that lost only one match and won seven. She played mostly sixth singles that first year, then second and third singles and second doubles in 1941. Theobald captured the Buffalo MUNY singles and doubles championships. After earning her degree, she entered the U.S. Army and won the service's women's tennis crown in 1946. Later she earned her private pilot's license and spent her career working for the Internal Revenue Service.

The Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Doris Kostrinsky, Ed.B. '66, of Venice, Fla. Also a member of the UB Alumni Association, Kostrinsky played tennis, volleyball, basketball and softball while studying at UB. She was co-captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, and her foundation for success as a coach at Ithaca College had its start at UB. At Ithaca, she coached field hockey (282-135-23), softball (202-128-3), basketball (43-16) and golf (17-13). The 1982 Ithaca field hockey team captured the NCAA Division III championship and her teams reached the NCAA Tournament in 11 of her last 13 seasons. The Ithaca softball team made three NCAA appearances and won three New York State titles, while the women's basketball team earned the 1974 state crown. An accomplished golfer, Kostrinsky holds the record on the Cornell University women's course, competed in the 1972 U.S. Women's Open, the 1970 and 1975 U.S. Amateur Championships and qualified for the LPGA Corning Classic in 1990. She retired in 1996 and Ithaca College named its softball field in her honor.

Other inductees are:

Soccer player Kate Ricci, B.A. '92, of Burbank, Calif., is the only All-American in the history of the UB women's soccer program and was named to that honor in back-to-back years (1989 and 1990). Ricci played for the team in the three years of Division II status, completing her career in 1991, UB's first as a Division I program. Ricci is tied for 11th in single-season goals (10) in the Bulls' record books, as well as standing in 16th place in all-time scoring (14) and is tied for 14th in career assists (9). UB compiled a 9-6-1 record during the '89 campaign in which she tallied 10 goals and was 9-5-1 the following season.

Fencing star William Kazer, B.A. '72, of Flushing, N.Y., posted a 30-0 record for the unbeaten freshman team and finished second in the U.S. under-19 championships competing individually. He graduated with the best career fencing record (68-11) in the history of the sport at UB, as well as with the title of All-American by finishing third in the NCAA Championships. The National Fencing Coaches Association also named him an All-American that same year and he was awarded the ECAC medal of merit.

Women's basketball standout Tiffany Yusef (Bell), B.S. '02, of Bowie, Md., is the second-leading scorer in the history of UB women's basketball with 1,632 points. She ranks second in career scoring average at 15.4 points per game and holds the record for points and scoring average in a single season, 517 and 18.5, respectively, in 2000-01, as well as the UB records for most points (37 against Miami of Ohio) and rebounds (19 against Bowling Green) in a single game. Yusef, who also ranks among the top 12 in 25 other season and career categories, was UB's top scorer and rebounder her final three years of competition. She received WBCA/Kodak Honorable mention All-American status each of her final two seasons, was a first-team All-MAC pick as a senior (second team the previous season) and a seven-time MAC player of the week.

Men's soccer standout Steve Butcher, B.S. '05 of North Tonawanda, helped to elevate the program as an upperclassman. He scored a UB-record 16 goals as a sophomore (UB was 8-9-1), bettered his own mark by two in his junior year (13-8) and concluded his career with a 14-goal season in 1999 (10-7-1), giving him 48 for his career. Butcher, also the UB career leader in assists (19) and points (115) and the single-season record holder in points (43 in 1998), was named the MAC player of the year following his senior season. He also was a first-team conference selection as a junior and a senior.

Football player Drew Haddad, B.A. '02 of Westlake, Ohio, is the football team's career leader in receptions with 240 and in receiving yardage with 3,409. He also occupies the top spots in single-season catches (85) and yards (1,158), holds the first three positions in single-season catches and the first two in yards and is the career leader in all-purpose yardage (4,820). Haddad caught 21 passes on a team (8-3) that recorded the most wins in modern UB Division I history. He ranks 11th in MAC history in passes caught during a single season and 13th in single-season yardage. His 85 catches in 1999 led all MAC receivers and earned him conference second-team honors. In 1997 and 1998 he was a Football Gazette Honorable Mention All-American and was drafted in the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills following his senior campaign.

The Russell J. Gugino Award will be given to Anne Tirone, M.A. '94, and her husband, Charles Tirone, M.D. '63 & B.A. '59, of Williamsville. Named in honor of past UB Alumni Association president and UB athletics supporter Russell J. Gugino, the award recognizes UB alumni (an individual, couple or group) who have made significant contributions of time and resources to the university's athletics program.

The Tirones are UB Alumni Association members and lifelong supporters of UB athletics. Charles Tirone is a member of the Hall of Fame football team that won the Lambert Cup in 1958. Both are regular attendees at UB sporting events, as well as contributors to the division.

To purchase tickets for this event contact the University at Buffalo Office of Alumni Relations at 716-645-3312. Tickets are $65 for members of either the UB Alumni Association or UB Blue & White Club, $75 for non-members.

For more information about the 35th Annual Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the rest of the Homecoming festivities, please visit http://www.alumni.buffalo.edu/homecoming.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 27,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.