General | 7/14/2022 3:47:00 PM
ALFRED, NY – The Induction Class of 2022 for the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame has been selected to be enshrined in the newly-renovated display in the James A. McLane Physical Education Center on Saturday, November 12, during an evening celebration.
The six Saxon alumni and historically-great team who will be part of the Class of 2022 are:
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Brian Agro '09 - Men's Swimming & Diving
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Jodi (Butterfoss) Dobmeier '08 – Women's Tennis
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Nick Clark '11 - Football
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Dr. Deborah Loveys '85 - Women's Soccer
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Lauren (Pfeifer) Partridge '10 - Alpine Skiing, Western Equestrian
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David 'Pop' Warner '74 – Football (Silver Saxon)
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1988 Women's Soccer – (Team of Distinction)
"This is another outstanding Hall of Fame class that I am really looking forward to enshrining this fall," Director of Athletics,
Paul Vecchio said. "This group represents the very best of what we aspire our Saxon student-athletes to be: leaders and difference-makers both in and out of the competitive arena. It is extremely significant to me, personally, that on the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, for the first time since the Hall started in 1973, we are inducting an equal amount of both male and female Saxon student-athletes and also inducting our first-ever women's program to earn a spot in the NCAA National Championships in the 1988 women's soccer team. It's going to be a fantastic celebration and another Great Day to Be a Saxon!"
Agro was a four-year member of the men's swimming & diving team at Alfred University, competing first in 2005-06 and finishing in 2008-09 under the direction of current head coach,
Brian Striker '00. Agro stood out in the breaststroke and individual medley events. He currently still holds the 200-yard individual medley record at 1:53.58, set during the UNYSCSA State Championships in 2009. Agro's name is on the Alfred University record boards in two more locations as well. He teamed with Hall of Fame Class of 2019 members,
Mark Baker '09 and
Matthew Baker '09 as well as
Zach Mix '11 for a 1:32.34 record in the 200-yard medley relay. In the longer version of the relay, the 400-yard medley, Agro, Matt, Mix and
Andrew Brisson '10 combined for a school record time of 3:23.30. Both relay records are UNYSCSA and Empire 8 records.
Agro was an All-American in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing 10
th during the 2009 NCAA National Championships. He was instrumental in helping the Saxons to three Empire 8 Championship titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2008, he was named the E8 Swimmer of the Meet on the men's side. He won three UNYSCSA titles with two in the 100-yard breaststroke in 2008 and 2009 and another in the 200-yard IM in '09. Within the Empire 8, Agro was undefeated in the 200-IM, 100-breast, 200-breast, 400-medley relay and 200-medley relay in 2008 and 2009. He added two more relay wins in 2007 in both of the medley races. His top times in the 100 and 200-breaststroke are second to only
Howard Seidman '84, Hall of Fame Class of 1994 and one of only four Saxon athletes to win National Championships titles with a total six. Agro totaled 53 career dual-meet wins.
Agro graduated with a bachelor's in accounting.
Butterfoss was a four-year member of the Alfred University women's tennis program, earning All-Empire 8 in each of her four years. She was a three-time All-Empire 8 First Team Singles in 2003, 2004 and 2005 while earning All-Empire 8 Honorable Mention Singles in 2007. Her doubles record was also impressive enough to earn two All-Empire 8 First Team honors in 2003 and 2004. Butterfoss was also named the 2003 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Rookie of the Year, just prior to helping the Saxons go a perfect, 12-0 to claim the Empire 8 title.
Her record book has a large list of accolades as she held the single-season singles win record with 12 upon graduation. She was second in career singles wins before teammate and Hall of Fame Class of 2019 member,
Katie Calfee '08 broke the record. Butterfoss held the career doubles wins record along with Calfee with 30 wins each before
Brennan Ferguson '15 jumped pass it with 33 following the 2014 season. Butterfoss teamed with
Alicia (Ballard) Cordle '05 for the single-season doubles wins record with nine during Ballard's senior season. Butterfoss finished her career at the No. 3 spot in career total wins with 69 and still holds part of the single-season total wins record with 21, tied with
Holly Seidewand '10.
Clark was a four-year player for the Purple & Gold and contributed to the Saxons' outstanding success during his four years on each side of the ball. Clark and the Saxons were the Empire 8 Champions in 2010 and co-Champions in 2009. In 2010, Alfred University's football program made it all the way to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Division III National Championships. In the two years that Clark and the Saxons weren't competing in the NCAA Playoffs, the Saxons were 1-1 in ECAC Bowl Games, winning the 2011 Northwest Championship at Bridgewater State, 41-10.
In the 2010 NCAA Playoffs, the Saxons won the opening round, 60-0 over SUNY Maritime and then 34-20 at SUNY Cortland before elimination at Mount Union, falling 37-7.
As an individual, Clark did it all. He graduated with the all-time total tackles school record with 377. Clark also graduated with 26 rushing touchdowns, breaching the Top-5 all-time school record listing. He had 12 rushing TD's in 2010 and is tied for No. 7 for most in a single season. Clark was an AFCA First Team All-American and D3football.com Third Team All-American in 2011, adding to his 2010 D3football.com Third Team All-American accolade. Clark was the 2011 and 2010 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time in E8 history that a player has achieved this feat. He adds three All-Empire 8 First Team selections in 2011, 2010 and 2009 and a Second Team honor in 2008. Clark captained the Saxons in 2010 and 2011. Upon graduation, Clark participated in the Buffalo Bills mini-camp in Orchard Park, NY. Clark graduated from AU with his bachelor's in environmental studies.
In the summer of 2018, Clark tragically was killed in the line of duty, serving the public as a New York State Trooper. The Ideal Saxon award, presented annually during the Senior Student-Athlete Luncheon, was renamed the
Nicholas F. Clark '11 Ideal Saxon Award in the Spring of 2019, as Clark was a pure representation of what recipients aspire to be.
Loveys played for the Saxons for three years as she spent her junior season enrolled in a special program at Alfred State College, therefore making her ineligible for NCAA competition during that season. During her time on the Alfred University women's soccer team, competing during the 1981, 1982 and 1984 seasons, there weren't many records that she did not hold upon graduating with a bachelor of arts in biology in the Spring '85 semester.
Loveys still holds the career points record with 75 points and had the No. 1 and No. 2 spots when she graduated with most the most points in a single season, scoring 26 in both 1982 (10 goals, six assists) and 1984 (12 goals, two assists). She held the career goals and season goals marks upon graduating with 30 goals and 12 goals in 1984. She is also in a three-way tie for the school record for most goals in a game with four, scoring those at Keuka College on September 29, 1982, being the first player in school history to do so. Loveys finished her storied career as the No. 2 all-time assists leader, totaling 15 in her three season. She was one of the co-captains in her senior season.
Upon graduating, Loveys went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and was later selected to serve two post-doctoral fellowships in pediatric hematology and pediatric respiratory viral diseases at Johns Hopkins University and the Food & Drug Administration. She continued to work and contribute significantly to public health and bioterrorism preparedness. Most recently, Dr. Loveys oversaw the management of federal funds allocated to the support of critical research initiatives and responses for the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Pfeifer is one of the most decorated women's members of the alpine skiing program here at Alfred University. She consistently found spots in post-season competition not only on the slopes but also in the ring as a member of the Saxon western equestrian team. She competed in the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009, earning All-American status in each of those years. Pfeifer led the Saxons to USCSA Regional Championship titles in 2007 and 2008. She also captained the team in two separate seasons.
On the western equestrian side, Pfeifer qualified for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association IHSA National Semi-Finals in 2009.
Upon graduating from Alfred University, Pfeifer stayed active with the Saxon community as the head coach of the alpine skiing programs from 2014 until 2018. Prior to that, she was the coach of the racing ski club since 2010. Pfeifer continues to compete in equestrian events with the NRCHA.
Warner is the third installment of the Silver Saxon Award. This award, created in 2018, honors student-athletes from early eras (40 years prior to the current Hall of Fame class year) at Alfred University for outstanding athletic achievement, but may lack statistical information that puts nominees at a significant disadvantage when assessing them against contemporary student-athletes. Warner played for the Saxon football team for four years, starting in 1970 until 1973. He's a member of last year's inaugural Team of Distinction, the 1971 undefeated football team, playing for legendary football coach,
Alex Yunevich.
In 1973, 'Pop' Warner was named an ECAC Player of the Week three times, leading up to his 1973 Little All-American Honors as a defensive end. He was also the team's Most Valuable Player in the same season. On and off the field, 'Pop' mentored two current members of the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame,
Joe Van Cura '76 Class of '87 and Silver Saxon,
Steve Lester '77 Class of '21.
The 1988 women's soccer team was the first women's team in school history to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament and the second selection as the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame Team of Distinction. The Saxons were 14-6-1 overall on the season, ending their season in the opening round of the NCAA's against traditional national powerhouse, William Smith College. They were led by AU women's soccer's winningest coach,
Pat Codispoti.
AU opened the historic season with a pair of 4-0 shutout wins over Fredonia and Oswego State to lay claim on the Bryan Karl Soccer Festival. They continued the win streak with six more wins, five of which were shutout victories.
The Saxons had nine shutout wins out of their 14 wins, outscoring their opponents 54-27. AU had only four games where they were shut out, including the NCAA Tournament's loss to William Smith.
Three of the team's 24 members are current AU Athletics Hall of Famers including
Andrea (Hynes) Krausman '90 Induction Class of '00,
Carolyn Clark '90 Induction Class of '06 and
Val DiFlorio '91 Induction Class of '08. This summer, Clark will become the first woman to hold the title of Chair of the Board of the Alfred University Board of Trustees.
Members of the 1988 women's soccer team are:
Julianna Alletto
Jeanne Battaglia
Jennifer Beirne
Sharon Brese
Cindy Bressor
Carolyn Clark
Patricia Cooney
Mary Ann Coughlin
Val DiFlorio
Jennifer Flanigen
Denise Friedly
Jane Hitchcock
Anne Holmok
Andrea Hynes
Pamela Kelleher
Patricia Kelleher
Lisa Loeswick
Traci Molloy
Diane Morell
Samantha Morris
Grace Parent
Kathleen Rose
Leigh Suhr
Patricia Twentyfive
Head Coach:
Pat Codispoti
Assistant Coach:
Bill Ruffle
Athletic Director:
Gene Castrovillo
Athletic Trainer:
Thomas Kaminski
The 1988 Women's Soccer Schedule and Results were:
9/3-9/4 – Bryan Karl Soccer Festival
9/3/88 – Fredonia – H – W, 4-0
9/4/88 – Oswego State – H – W, 4-0
9/10/88 – RPI – A – W, 9-1
9/12/88 – Houghton – A – W, 8-0
9/16/88 – Buffalo State – H – W, 4-0
9/21/88 – SUNY Geneseo – H – W, 2-0
9/24/88 – Clarkson – H – W, 1-0 (OT)
9/25/88 – St. Lawrence – H – W, 1-0
9/28/88 – University of Buffalo – A – L, 1-3
10/1/88 – Nazareth – A – W, 4-2
10/3/88 – Niagara – H – T, 0-0
10/6/88 – St. John Fisher – A – W, 3-0
10/8/88 – William Smith – H – L, 0-3
10/10/88 – St. Bonaventure – A – W, 4-1
10/13/88 – Ithaca – H – L, 0-3
10/18/88 – Allegheny – H – W, 3-1 (OT)
10/20/88 – RIT – A – L, 2-3
10/26/88 – State's – Binghamton – H – W, 2-1
10/29/88 – State's – Ithaca – A – L, 1-3
10/30/88 – State's – Albany State – A – W, 1-0
11/5/88 – NCAA's – William Smith – A – L, 0-6