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7 to be inducted into hall of fame
Induction ceremony for athletics hall of fame is part of Homecoming
By JESSICA A. GRIFFIN
Reporter Contributor
Seven alumni will be inducted into the Dr. and Mrs. Edmund J. Gicewicz Family UB Athletics Hall of Fame during the 35th induction ceremony, to be held on Oct. 5 in Alumni Arena, North 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, followed by the induction ceremony.
The Pioneering Award will be given to Belle Farrar Theobald, J.D. '44, B.A. '42. 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.
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.
The Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Doris Kostrinsky, Ed.B. '66. 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, softball, basketball and golf. 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. She retired in 1996 and Ithaca College named its softball field in her honor.
Other inductees are:
Soccer player Kate Ricci, B.A. '92, the only All-American in the history of the UB women's soccer program. 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. She was named an All-American in 1989 and 1990.
Fencing star William Kazer, B.A. '72, who 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.
Women's basketball standout Tiffany Yusef (Bell), B.S. '02, who 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. 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, who helped to elevate the program as an upperclassman. He scored a UB-record 16 goals as a sophomore, bettered his own mark by two in his junior year and concluded his career with a 14-goal season in 1999, 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, 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). 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. 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 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.
Tickets for the induction ceremony are $65 for members of either the UB Alumni Association or the UB Blue and White Club, and $75 for non-members. To purchase tickets for the induction ceremony, call 645-3312.