General | 7/12/2024 9:47:00 AM
ROCHESTER, NY - Nine student-athletes and beloved Nazareth business teacher, basketball coach (men's and women's) and athletics supporter, Len Maley, will be inducted into the 2024 Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
The class includes Ed Babcock, '07 (men's soccer), Hannah Brackley, '15 (track and field), Mitch Ford, '16 (men's basketball), Len Maley (distinguished service), Roseanne Simiele, '07 (women's soccer), Mark Sovie, '01 (men's lacrosse), Ellis Walsh, '12 (men's volleyball), Brittany Wilson, '12 (women's basketball), Ed Zdolshek, '16 (men's hockey), and Kate Zwickl, '10 (women's volleyball).
Babcock captained the most successful men's soccer team in program history, the 2006 squad that finished 15-5-3, won the Empire 8 Conference title and reached the NCAA quarterfinals. The three-time Empire 8 all-star displayed a knack for converting penalty kicks at critical moments, helping Naz claim the Empire 8 title in 2005 by converting post-game penalty kicks against Ithaca and RIT in the semifinals and finals, respectively of the conference tournament. He converted another penalty kick against Ithaca in the conference semifinals in 2006 and then two more against Medaille in the dramatic 16-15 penalty kick NCAA Tournament win.
Brackley excelled on the track for the Golden Flyers in the 200 and 400-meter events. In her senior campaign she qualified for the NCAAs in the 400, taking 16th place. She was named the Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2015 and was the Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet in 2014-15. Her Empire 8 indoor titles include the 200 in 2015 and the 400 in 2014 and 2015. She was on the winning 4 x 400 relay teams in 2013 and 2015. For outdoor, she won the 400 three times (2012, 2013, 2015) and the 200 in 2013. She was four-time 4 x 400 relay in 2012-15 and one time 4 x 100-meter relay in 2015. She is decorated all over the top times list for indoor in 200, 300, 400, 500 and 4 x 200, along with 4 x 400 relay. For outdoor records, she is on the 100, 200, 400, 800 and the 4 x 100, 4 x 400, and 4 x 800 relay record book.
Ford will join his brother Brad in the hall of fame after recording 1,510 points and 764 rebounds in his career. His four-year scoring average (15.7), 1,510 points, 764 rebounds, 550 field goals made, and 381 free throws made are all on the all-time list. Ford scored 49 points against Ithaca on 2/17/15 which is top single game scoring performance at Nazareth. He was named NABC All-American as a senior. In addition, he was an NABC and
d3hoops.com first team all-region as a senior and second team as junior. The two-time Empire 8 First Team selection was also the Empire 8 Player of the Year in his final season.
Maley will be inducted posthumously after passing away in April of 2024. The first-ever women's basketball coach in 1974-75, Maley was a part of the Nazareth athletics program from its inception. As a business teacher at Nazareth, he mentored many student athletes during their college days. He also served as an assistant coach for the women's basketball program in the 2000s. Maley was an avid supporter of the Golden Flyers up until his passing in 2024.
Simiele excelled as a soccer player for the Golden Flyers, delivering 22 goals and 16 assists from 2003-2006. She earned first-team East Region all-star honors as a senior in 2006 and was a two-time first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star and a two-time NYSWCAA all-star. In the 2006 Empire 8 tournament she scored the game-winning goal in overtime of 1-0 semifinal win over Ithaca and assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime of 2-1 win over Utica. Nazareth was 44-23-11, including 22-3-3 mark in the Empire 8 with four conference titles and an ECAC title in 2005 during her tenure.
Sovie was a four-year standout as a defenseman for the Golden Flyers, twice earning All-American honors, including first-team as a senior in 2001. He also was a first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star and competed in the 2001 North-South Senior all-star game. Sovie helped Nazareth to a four-year record of 53-8 with four NCAA tournament berths. As a captain in his senior season, he helped the Golden Flyers to a 15-1 record and an NCAA tournament win over Rensselaer. He started all 16 games and scooped up 49 ground balls and won 24 of 39 faceoffs (.615).
Walsh was a dominating middle blocker for the men's volleyball team as he twice was honored (2011, 2012) as a first-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The two-time all-star in the United Volleyball Conference ranks among the program's all-time leaders in kills (737), blocks (272), and hitting percentage (.403). In 2011, Walsh helped the Golden Flyers win the Molten Division III national title after leading the nation with a .455 hitting percentage with 257 kills. Over four seasons, Nazareth was 105-33, with two NECVA titles, two UVC titles, two berths in the Molten Division III Championships and the program's first-ever NCAA appearance (2012).
Wilson was a four-year standout for the women's hoops squad, starting all four seasons and averaging 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 98 games. She amassed 1,186 points to rank among the all-time leaders and is also among the best in field goals made (450) and blocks (82). She earned second-team East Region all-star honors from
d3hoops.com in 2010-11 after leading the Golden Flyers in scoring (16.7 ppg.) and rebounding (7.2 rpg.). Wilson is a four-time Empire 8 Conference all-star, including a first-team selection in '10-11, second team in '11-12 and '09-10, and honorable mention in '08-09.
Zdolshek was the starting goalie on the Golden Flyers' first men's hockey team in 2012-13 and holds nearly all of Nazareth's hockey goaltending records. He appeared in 84 games over four seasons, including 81 starts, amassing 2,595 saves and 28 victories. He had a career save percentage of .907 and a 3.24 goals-against average. He set a positive tone for the Golden Flyers in their very first game in 2012 as he totaled 50 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over Geneseo, which still ranks as the second-highest single-game save total in program history. Zdolshek twice was honored on the ECAC West all-star team and was named ECAC West Goalie of the Week seven times.
Zwickl enjoyed an honor-laden four-year career as a setter for the Golden Flyers and ranks second all-time with 4,573 assists. She also ranks among the all-time leaders with 214 service aces and her 1,660 assists in 2007 is the second highest single-season total at Nazareth. A two-time honorable mention All-American (2007, 2008) and a two-time New York Region all-star, Zwickl helped Nazareth to a four-year mark of 99-56 with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007. She was a first-team Empire 8 Conference all-star selection three times (2007, 2008, 2009).
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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