Inaugural Bears Athletic Hall of Fame Class Announced
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Brooklyn Athletic Department at St. Joseph's College are proud to announce the inaugural Bears Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will be held on Friday, May 29 at 6 p.m. at The Hill Center, located on the College's Brooklyn Campus at 212 Vanderbilt Avenue.
The inaugural class of seven honorees includes Margaret Ward, Laurie Barth '72, Steve Somers '82, Bobby Knapp '88, Mary Barry '03, Luke Caccavo '04 and the 1971-1972 men's basketball team.
As an added feature, the inaugural induction ceremony will also recognize the true pioneers of the athletic program by paying tribute to all of the women who participated in a variety of sports from the decades preceding the 1970's.
"We are thrilled to finally celebrate the rich history and tradition of the Brooklyn athletics program by honoring these worthy inductees" remarked Brooklyn Athletic Director Frank P. Carbone. "In many instances, their recognition is long overdue and we feel is it very appropriate to officially open the doors of our Hall of Fame with a wonderful ceremony here in The Hill Center."
In addition to teaching physical education and coordinating the intramural program at the College, Ward was the first athletic director of the Brooklyn campus and was the long-time women's basketball coach from 1951-1984. Her teams had great success competing against schools across the metropolitan area, such as St. John's, LIU, Molloy, St. Francis and countless others.
Over her four-year career from 1967-71, Barth averaged about 25 points per game amassing 1,020 points, the first woman in the NYC metropolitan area to cross the century scoring mark and setting a city record that stood for over three seasons.
Somers was a member of the men's basketball for two seasons (1980-82) and currently is completing his second season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Bears baseball team in addition to serving on the College's Board of Trustees. The owner and president of Vigon International has been an extremely generous contributor to the College across a variety of settings and played an instrumental role in providing many of the amenities that exist within The Hill Center.
Nicknamed "the Wizard", Knapp scored an astonishing 2,004 points in just three seasons (1985-88) in a Bears uniform averaging 35.7 points per game including scoring 50-plus points five times highlighted by a single-game record 59 points against Southern Vermont.
Barry totaled 1,895 points over her four-year career (1999-2003), one of the highest scoring totals in program history, recording four straight seasons with over 100 points, 100 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 assists, the only Lady Bear ever to accomplish the feat. The consensus USCAA All-American helped lead the Lady Bears to three straight USCAA National Championship tournament appearances.
Caccavo was a member of the 1,500-point scoring club as a Bear from 2000-04, receiving USCAA All-American honors in 2003 where he helped lead the Bears to the USCAA National Championship game, the only national championship appearance to date in any sport in school history. After graduating SJC, Caccavo joined the Bears coaching staff for four seasons and was on the sidelines when they captured their first Hudson Valley conference championship.
The first varsity Men's Basketball team in SJC history took the court during the '71-'72 season, featuring seven underclassmen led by Coach James Sullivan. The team competed primarily as a road team, playing 12 games against a variety of opponents throughout the metropolitan area. In just a short period of time, this nucleus quickly developed into a quality squad that immediately earned respect on the hoops scene across the entire city in the early 70's.
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The Bears Athletic Hall of Fame honors former athletes, coaches and friends of the College who have contributed significantly to the athletic program and continue to exemplify the principles of sportsmanship and integrity through their contributions and achievements in their respective communities and professions.
The price of tickets to the Hall of Fame Reception and Ceremony are $40 per person. For more information, contact Evelyn S. Jones, assistant director of alumni engagement, at 718.940.5575 or email ejones2@sjcny.edu