Fifteen former athletes, coaches, and contributors make up the latest group to be inducted into the University of Rochester Athletics Hall of Fame.
This year's group is the 14th class of inductees since the Hall of Fame was created in 1992. The Class of 2005 includes athletes from baseball, basketball, cross country/track and field, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.
The Hall of Fame inductees excelled in the classroom as well. This group includes two Academic All-Americans (as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America), an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship Recipient, and two members of Phi Beta Kappa, the distinguished international honor society.
Two of the awards are being made posthumously – to Zenon Snylyk '55 of the men's soccer program and to Hazel Wilbraham '27, one of the pioneers of the women's athletic program. Snylyk earned two All-America honors for the Yellowjackets as an undergraduate. He played for the U.S. Olympic Soccer Team three times and served as captain twice. Wilbraham joined the physical education and hygiene staff immediately after graduation. She held her position for 30 years.
The Class of 2005:
JOHN BURGESS: (Gouverneur, NY and Massena, FL)
At Rochester: Lettered for three years with the golf team, two years with the varsity basketball team and played one season with freshman basketball... An active participant in intramural sports and a member of Theta Chi... Came to the University from Gouverneur Central School where he was active in sports, band, and student govenrment... He earned All-Section X honors for basketball in 1954... Member of the National Honor Society... Graduated from the University in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in business in 1959. Post Graduate: Served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1959 to 1965... Began a 30-year business career with Kinney Drugs, Inc. in Gouverneur, a retail drug store chain in Northern New York and Vermont with 61 stores... Rose through the ranks from Office Manager to Treasurer, Vice President, Senior Vice President Finance, President, and Chief Executive Officer... Member of the E.J. Noble Hospital Board for 17 years, two years as chairman... Member of the North Country Hospital Board for three years... Member of St. James Catholic Church, serving as lay minister and lector, school guild president, church trustee, and basketball coach for grades 7 and 8... Member of Gouverneur Country Club, serving in several offices, including president... Member of Gouverneur Luncheon Club, a service organization, including two-year term as president and member of the St. Lawrence economic advisory council... Member Board of Directors of Kinney Drugs, Inc. and Community Bank, Inc.
GARY CIARLEGLIO: (New York, NY/ Originally Branford, CT)
At Rochester: Hard-hitting linebacker for Yellowjacket football teams who earned multiple All-America honors for his gridiron skills... Four-year letterman and starter, starting in 36 of 39 games... Holds single-season records for unassisted tackles and total tackles... Career lead in total tackles, unassisted tackles, and assisted tackles... Named a Lysle “Spike” Garnish Scholar Award winner as a senior... Team captain in 1988... Helped Yellowjackets to single-season victory record (9-2) in 1987 and only NCAA playoff appearance in school history...Earned All-UAA honors in football and All-ECAC honors (First Team linebacker for both). Post-Graduate: Held a variety of football coaching roles at Columbia University, including assistant linebacker coach (1993-95), defensive tackles coach (1996), and defensive line coach (1997-98).
GREG CONRAD: (Hamburg, NY)
At Rochester: Three-year letterwinner for football team after playing a year of freshman football... Starting quarterback as a junior and senior, compiling consecutive records of 8-1 and 6-3... One of the most accurate passers in University annals - still holds the University record for career completion percentage and is ranked fifth in yards per completion for a career... Holds the single-season record for best completion percentage, set in senior year... Co-holds the single-game record with four TD passes in one game (1971 vs. Washington) - a performance that earned ECAC Team of the Week honors for him. Also recognized by the ECAC for his performance against Williams in 1971. Post-Graduate: He lives and works in the Buffalo area.... He has worked as an OSHA consultant for more than 25 years... Active recruiter for the University's athletic teams since graduation... Very active in the community, serving as Director of the County of Erie Baseball Association for 10 years, Director and Coach of Hamburg Baseball, Basketball, and Softball for 12 years.
CHRISTOPHER FITE: (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe HS)
At Rochester: Led men's basketball to three consecutive NCAA playoff appearances (1990-92), two spots in the Final Four, and the 1990 NCAA Division III National Championship... Most Outstanding Player of the 1990 Final Four and named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team again in 1992 when the Yellowjackets reached the title game... Rochester's career scoring leader (2,066 points), second in career rebounding (1,023), seventh in career assists (371), and first in career blocked shots (179)... First Team NABC All-American as a junior and senior, UAA Player of the Year in each of those seasons, and First Team All-UAA in both years... One of just three players to reap First Team All-UAA honors for three years and back to back UAA Player of the Year accolades... Two-time MVP of JPMorganChase Scholarship Tournament. Post-Graduate: Played professionally in Europe for 11 years. Played seven years in England, three with the Newcastle Eagles... Earned all-star honors four times in seven years in England... Played in Germany for one season (all-league choice) and Belgium for three years... Also played summer ball in Australia in 1996 and 1997... Returned to western Pennsylvania in 2003. Spent 2004-05 season as an assistant coach with St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Team reached Sweet 16 of NAIA Tournament... Currently an assistant men's basketball coach at Rochester.
JOACHIM HAMMER: (Gainesville, FL/Originally Aachen, West Germany)
At Rochester: One of the most successful and highly honored men's tennis players in the history of the program on the River Campus... Recognized for his skills on the court as well as in the classroom: selected as an ITCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1987 and 1988 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association (for having a GPA above 3.50)... Named to the GTE Academic All-America Team as selected by CoSIDA in 1987... Four-time All-American in singles (1985 through 1988) and doubles All-American in 1987... Ranked as a singles player by the ITA in 1985 (16th), 1986 (7th), and 1987 (15th). Ranked 36th in doubles (with Mark Frisk) in 1986 and 9th in doubles (again with Frisk) in 1987... Helped Yellowjackets to four straight national team rankings: 10th in 1985, 12th in 1986, a best-ever 5th in 1987, and 11th in 1988.... Named the Volvo Tennis Senior Player of the Year in 1988 as selected by the NCAA Division III Coaches Association. Post-Graduate: Earned his M.S. (1990) and Ph.D. (1994) degrees in Computer Science from the University of Southern California... Three years as a research scientist at the Computer Science Department at Stanford... Currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Florida.
JOSEPH MELLO: (Rochester Hills, MI/Originally Fort Plain, NY)
At Rochester: A two-time All-American in cross country who earned All-UAA honors three times (Second Team as a freshman, First Team as a junior and senior)... UAA Cross Country Athlete of the Year as a junior... Multiple citations as UAA Athlete of the Week for his skills in cross country... Ran at NCAA Cross Country Championships three times - finishing 39th in 1988, 22nd in 1990 (All-American), and 10th in 1991 (All-American)... NY State Champion in the 1992 3,000 meter run indoors (senior year), outdoor champion in the 10,000 meter run twice - at UAAs and at NY State meet... Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meter run as a senior (finished 10th)... Graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1992 and a Business Certificate in Management Studies.Post-Graduate: Worked as an engineer for International Paper in Towanda, PA, 1993-94... Joined EDS/Saturn in Troy, MI as an engineer in 1994 and remained there through 1998... Worked as a senior software design engineer at Micro Processor Systems, Inc. in Sterling Heights, MI (1988-99), then moved to AVL North America in Plymouth, MI in 1999... He has been coaching CYO junior high school track and teaching seventh grade Catechism.
DEBRA POLETTO, M.D.: (Provincetown, MA/Originally Elmira [NY] Free Academy)
At Rochester: Competed in volleyball for three seasons (sophomore through senior year) and basketball for two seasons (1976-77, 1977-78)... Co-captain of volleyball as a senior... Played basketball on the intramural level in her senior year and also worked as a referee for intramurals that season... A member of the softball club in spring, 1979 semester... Elected Phi Beta Kappa... Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in biology in 1979. Post-Graduate:Earned her M.D. in May, 1983 from the Upstate Medical Center School of Medicine in Syracuse... Appointed to the Wright State University School of Medicine in 1983, rising steadily as junior resident instructor, senior resident instructor, clinical instructor, and assistant clinical professor...Attending Emergency Physician at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, OH, 1986-89... Corporate QI Chair for Premier Health Care Services, Inc., 1990-1995... Assistant Director of Emergency Department, Piqua Memorial Medical Center in Piqua, OH, 1989-1995... Since May, 1995, she has been Co-Chair of the Emergency Department at Tobey Hospital in Wareham, MA.... She is a member of the American College of Emergency Medicine and Alpha Omega Alpha.
KELLY GORMAN RAKOWSKI: (Collegeville, PA/Originally Gates-Chili HS, Rochester, NY)
At Rochester: A smashing debut to begin her soccer career - she scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Plymouth State (at Fauver Stadium) in 1987 in national semifinals. Yellowjackets won their second straight NCAA Division III crown the next day... Scored seven goals as a freshman and finished her career with 23 goals and seven assists... Helped Yellowjackets win four straight UAA titles and earn four NCAA bids... Named a Lysle “Spike” Garnish Scholar Award winner as a senior... First Team All-UAA in 1990, First Team All-Region, First Team NSCAA All-American... Named to the adidas Scholar-All-America Team as a senior... Earned an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship and chosen as Rochester's NCAA Woman of the Year... Graduated with a B.A. in economics with cum laude honors, a minor in Health & Society, and a certificate in business administration from the Simon School. Post-Graduate: Earned an M.A. in Health Services Management and Policy from the University of Michigan in 1993... Since 1994, she has been a Health Care Management Consultant with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (formerly Ernst & Young, LLP). She was promoted to Vice President in 2003.
THOMAS SHEEHAN: (New York, NY/Originally Bishop Timon HS, Buffalo, NY)
At Rochester: One of the most dynamic receivers to don a Yellowjacket football uniform... Finished his career as the all-time leader for receiving yardage in a game (189), a season (835), and a career (1982). He is ranked in all four career receiving categories (catches, average per catch, TD receptions, yards)... All-UAA honors for two years as well as All-ECAC honors... Named an All-American in his junior and senior seasons... Speed and skill made him lethal on reverses. In one game vs. Denison, he touched the ball 10 times and gained 337 yards (five catches for 189 - and three TDs; two reverses for 88 yds.; three punt returns for 60 yds.)... Graduated from the University in 1990 with a B.A. in psychology. Post-Graduate: Joined the Columbia University football staff, reuniting with former Rochester head coach Ray Tellier... Earned a master's degree in Applied Physiology at Columbia... Three years as a grad assistant at Columbia, then two years as a New York State Trooper where he finished first in physical training in his academy class... Returned to Columbia as a strength and conditioning coach... Currently the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Columbia and a member of the Athletic Department's Administrative Team... In addition to his work with the Columbia athletes, Sheehan has trained Christina Teucher, an Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming, Maheh Bhupathi, a doubles world champion in tennis, and Alexei Kovalev, an NHL All-Star for the Pittsburgh Penquins.
HARRY STATHE: (Rochester, NY/East HS)
At Rochester: Three year starter in baseball and football on the River Campus... Starting centerfielder for the baseball team who compiled a career average of .308... Started at cornerback with the football team in all three seasons with the varsity... Also started at halfback for two seasons... Member of the Dean's List as a junior and senior... Member of DKE fraternity... Before coming to the University, he started at halfback for the football team and in centerfield for baseball at East High School... Selected to the All-City Baseball team in 1944-45... Started in both football (halfback) and baseball (CF) at Manlius Military School (1946)... Entered military service and was the starting centerfielder on the All-Korea Baseball Championship Team in 1948. Post-Graduate: Worked for three years at the A.O. Smith Corporation and 34 years at the Eastman Kodak Company. His last assignment at Eastman Kodak was as a manufacturing supervisor... Worked on the Board of Trustees of the Greek Orthodox Church on East Avenue for 16 years. He was the treasurer when construction started on the Church in 1957 and headed two building drives that eliminated the mortgage... Later served two terms as Church President.
ZENON SNYLYK: (Posthumous) (Newark, NJ)
At Rochester: He may be one of the most accomplished men's soccer players in school history - in terms of his achievements wearing Rochester colors as well as his days playing for the United States in Olympic and World Cup competition and for a variety of club teams in a large number of international matches... He earned NSCAA All-America honors for two consecutive seasons under Walter Campbell... Graduated from the University with a B.A. in Political Science. Post-Graduate: Earned an M.A. in political science from the University of Chicago in 1958... Represented the United States on the Olympic Teams of 1956, 1960, and 1964 as well as the 1959 and 1963 Pan American Games (captained the '56 and '60 Olympic Teams)... Played in five World Cup qualifying games for the United States in 1957, 1960, and 1961... Prior to playing in the Olympic Games in Australia in 1956, the U.S. team toured the Far East: Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Phillippines, Singapore, and Indonesia... Played club level ball for the Rochester Ukrainian Americans in 1957 which played in the U.S. Amateur Cup final... Moved to metropolitan New York in 1962 and played with Newark Sitch which competed in the American Soccer League, winning the Lewis Cup in 1963... Retired as an active player in 1970... Editor of the Ukrainian-language daily Svoboda (1980-98)... Passed away in January, 2005.
MERNIE BACON-WHITCOMB: (Bristol, CT)
At Rochester: An extremely active participant in athletics in all four years, primarily on the intramural level... Played field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and synchronized swimming... In the Fall, 1948 semester, the University hosted a field hockey festival involving eight eastern schools... Attended the Constance Appleby Field Hockey Camp in the Poconos in the summer of 1948... Competed in basketball over the winter months and went with teams sponsored by the Women's Athletic Association (WAA) to tournaments at Cortland and Skidmore... Involved with synchronized swimming all through her college days and she was the student head of swimming as a senior... Helped to plan the annual Water Ballet which was used that year as a fund raiser by the WAA to assist in construction of a new pool.
ROBERT WALES: (Cincinnati, OH/Originally Clifton Park, NY)
At Rochester: Four-year starter on the football team who served as captain as a senior... Three-year All-America honors as an offensive guard... Honorable Mention AP All-American as a sophomore... All-ECAC Player of the Week as a soph... As a junior, reaped AP Honorable Mention All-America honors again, Second Team Division III Football All-America honors, and ECAC Player of the Week plaudits... Senior year, named an Honorable Mention AP All-American, First Team Division III Football All-American... “He is to be considered among the elite Yellowjacket football players,” says former head coach Pat Stark... Graduated with a B.A. in Sociology in 1984. Post-Graduate: Accepted a job with Proctor & Gamble Distributing Company as a sales representative in 1984... Now a Senior Account Executive... Received company's Silver Award in 1995, Gold Award in 1994 and 1996, and President's Award in 1997 for outstanding sales achievement and leadership. Recognized in top 5% of P&G Sales Management in 2002, 2003, 2004... Currently in Cincinnati, OH with wife, Cathy, and children Chris (18) and Ashley (13).
HAZEL WILBRAHAM: (Posthumous)
At Rochester: After graduating from the University in 1927, she immediately joined the faculty as a teacher of physical education and hygiene… She was a member of the faculty for 30 years, working closely with Merle Spurrier. They conceived of physical training not only as a means of maintaining curricular balance, but also a method of instilling confidence and learning enjoyment of sports that would carry over into the years after graduation… She was affectionately known as “Gram” by generations of admiring women students… She had a large part in devising (1931) and then in directing cooperative dormitories on the Prince Street Campus… In 1955, a pool was opened in the Merle Spurrier Gymnasium. It was dedicated in her name in 1974… When the new aquatic complex was constructed as part of the Zornow Sports Complex in the early 1980s, the pool was dedicated as the Speegle-Wilbraham Aquatic Complex to recognize two pioneers in physical education – Roman Speegle and Hazel Wilbraham… She passed away in 1957.
TYLER ZACHEM: Scarsdale, NY (Originally Chagrin Falls, OH)
At Rochester: Tremendous student-athlete who excelled in basketball all four years at Rochester…Immediate impact as a freshman, he was chosen as the 1985 ECAC Upstate New York Division III Rookie of the Year (the first Rochester player to do so)…Captain of team his junior and senior seasons…Led team to two ECAC post season bids during his four seasons…Finished career at Rochester ranked 2nd in rebounding (773) and 5th in scoring (1181) and among the leaders in many other categories…Standout in the classroom as well as he was twice named an Academic All-American, was a Rhodes Scholar nominee and a finalist for an NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship…Member of Phi Beta Kappa and President of the Keidaeans (Rochester's senior honor society), he received the Terry Prize in 1988 as the “male member of the senior class who has done the most for the life and character of the senior class on the University of Rochester campus”…He was also the subject of a Sports Illustrated feature in its 1987-1988 College Basketball issue. Post Graduate: Earned his MBA from Harvard in 1993…Has worked for McCown De Leeuw & Co. in New York since 1993... MidOcean Partners, Managing Director... Serving on five Boards of Directors... Resides in Scarsdale, NY with wife Karen and two children.
