Western Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame

2009 WCSU Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees announced

Induction Ceremony and Dinner slated for Friday, October 23, 2009

DANBURY, CT - The WestConn Alumni Association is proud to announce the 2009 induction class that will be enshrined into the WCSU Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 23 at the Westside Student Center Ballroom. Below is a list of the this year's inductees and their accomplishments

	Harvey Jessup, Coach/Lifetime Support – 1949-1961 Inducted: October 2009 • A pioneer of the Danbury State Teachers College Athletic Program in the late 1940s, the 1950s and early 1960s • Developed and coached the baseball, basketball and golf program • A physical education teacher • Vital to the inception of several other male and female programs • Greatly respected by students, athletes and colleagues • Helped create the Foundation • Widely considered the Athletic Director, although he never held that title • Had one inviolable rule: “All team members must play in every game.”
	Matt LeFever, ’00, Football Inducted: October 2009 • As a junior, named Freedom Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year • Named to the Freedom Football Conference All-Star First Team as a junior • A Melberger and Gagliarid Trophy Finalist in 1999 • Named to the Football Gazette All-East First Team and ECAC All-New England Second Team following third season • New England Football Writers Division II/III First Team All Star as a junior • Finished junior campaign as the second-highest rated quarterback in all four NCAA Divisions • Named to the Freedom Football Conference All-Star Second Team as a senior • Finished career with 10 game, season and career passing records • Still holds school record with 5,762 career passing yards • A four-year starter who led his teams to a 29-13 record including a 10-0 regular-season record in 1999
	Kate Manning, '00, Softball Inducted: October 2009 • Ranked in the top three in seven career pitching categories • Holds career school record in wins (62) and complete games (69) • During junior campaign, won 20 games, made 33 appearances, started 28 times and had 25 complete games • Finished career with 287 strikeouts, 99 appearances, 82 starts, 15 shutouts and 544 innings pitched • Named Little East Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2000 • Selected to the Little East Conference All-Star First Team as a freshman, sophomore and senior • Selected to the Little East Conference All-Star Honorable Mention Team as a junior
	Wayne Mones, Men's Soccer Coach 1988-2003 Inducted: October 2009 • Coached Colonials from 1988 to 2003 • Retired with impressive 212-89-34 won-lost-tied record • Appeared in seven NCAA Tournaments • Made three appearances in the ECAC Tournament • Won 14 or more games in a season 10 times during 16-year career, all as a part-time coach • Named Little East Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 • Led Colonials to Little East Conference Championship in 1994, 1995 and 2003 • Guided WestConn to three Independent Athletic Conference titles
	Ray Parry, Lifetime Support, 1990-2001 Inducted: October 2009 • Equipment Manager from fall 1990 to spring of 2001 • Vital component of a very successful athletic program • Involved in the transition from the school’s aging facilities at Midtown to the new location at the O’Neill Center on the school’s Westside campus • Supervised both the Midtown and Westside equipment rooms and countless home athletic events • Mentored numerous student workers during his career
	Carl Rivers, '03, Baseball Inducted: October 2009 • Graduated cum laude from WCSUin 2003 • Member of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communications Honor Fraternity • Named Western Connecticut State University’s Male Scholar Athlete in 2002 for excellence in the classroom and on the field • Two-time All-New England Third-Team Pitcher • Led the Colonials to their first Little East Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2002 • Named the Little East Conference Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and received a Little East Conference First Team selection. Recognized with third team All-Region honors in 2002 and 2003 • Finished second nationally in strikeouts per nine innings during each of his last three years • Struck out the final batter he faced at WestConn for his 100th strikeout of the season • Season records include first and second in appearances (20 & 18); first and third in innings pitched (87.2 & 69.2); first, second and fifth in strikeouts (100, 82 & 66); tied for second in wins (5); tied for first in saves (5); and fifth in E.R.A. (2.94) • Career records includefirst in appearances (60), innings pitched (248.2), and strikeouts (276). Third in wins (14) and fifth in saves (10)
	Theodore Smigala, '59, Basketball/Baseball Inducted: October 2009 • Played basketball and baseball for Harvey Jessup and on the soccer club for Edwin Rosenberg • Captained the basketball team each of his final three years, 1957-59 • Led basketball team to NAIA District 32 Tournament in 1959 • A rightfielder with great power and effortless speed on the baseball field • Had a tryout with the Philadelphia Phillies prior to enrolling at Danbury State College • A teacher in the Danbury school system for more than 30 years