Alfred University Athletics Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2025

General | 7/25/2025 10:52:00 AM

ALFRED, NY – Six former Saxon student-athletes and two Teams of Distinction are set to be inducted into the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
 
Christina Behr-Kranefeld '15 MS '18 of the women's swimming & diving team, David Coombes '15 of the men's swimming & diving team, Mi'Asia Hillman '15 of the women's track & field team, Ryan Thon '11 MBA '13 of the football team and Alison Wickwire '15 of the softball team will be as the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Lambros Touris '70 of the Saxon football program will be inducted as the fourth Silver Saxon inductee. Both the 1988 and 1990 men's soccer teams are being inducted as Teams of Distinction.    
Christina Behr-Kranefeld '15 MS '18 – Women's Swimming & Diving
Upon completing her undergraduate degree in 2015, as a four-year Saxon student-athlete, Behr held four individual school records and was part of five relay school records. Out of her nine school records, since her graduation, only two of them have been broken. Behr still holds the 50-yard freestyle (24.06) and 100-yard freestyle (52.73) school records. For relays, the 200-yard medley relay (1:50.44), 400-yard medley relay (4:04.88), 200-yard freestyle relay (1:37.81), 400-yard freestyle relay (3:37.44) and 800-yard freestyle relay (8:03.07) all are current records. Behr set the school and pool record for the 100-yard backstroke (58.76).
 
Behr also held the 50-yard relay split for backstroke record (27.95) upon graduating as well as the 100-yard backstroke relay split (58.76). She held the 100-yard freestyle relay split record (53.48) in 2013.
 
Behr was an Empire 8 Champion in the 50-yard freestyle, earning All-Empire 8 First Team in 2015 and added a Second Team recognition in the 100-yard freestyle. She was also the 2014 50-yard freestyle State Champion. Behr totaled 67 individual and relay wins throughout her stellar career. She was a three-year captain for the Saxons. She earned Saxon of the Week four times.
 
Behr continued to be involved in the world of swimming & diving after graduating, remaining at Alfred University for three years as a graduate assistant coach for the Saxons while earning her masters in Clinical Family Counseling in 2018 after earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2015.
   
David Coombes '15 – Men's Swimming & Diving
Coombes was a four-year member of the Alfred University men's swimming & diving program as he placed his name on the school record board on numerous occasions. Upon graduation, Coombes had five individual school records and four relay records. In total, he won 57 individual and relay events.
 
Coombes currently holds the 100-yard freestyle (45.38), 100-yard freestyle relay split (44.66) and 200-yard medley relay split (1:39.81) records. He is part of the McLane Natatorium 400-yard freestyle relay school record (3:09.69) and holds the current school records in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:23.53), 400-yard freestyle relay (3:03.52) and 800-yard freestyle relay (6:47.09).
 
He had both McLane Natatorium pool records in the 100 (46.70) and 200-yard freestyle (1:43.25) races.
 
Coombes earned three All-Empire 8 Second Team honors in 2015, finishing second in both the 100 and 200-yard free races as well as the 400-yard freestyle relay. He earned Empire 8 Athlete of the Week once as well as Saxon of the Week once.
 
Coombes earned his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Studies in 2015.
   
Mi'Asia Hillman '15 – Women's Track & Field
Hillman was a four-year member of the outdoor track & field team for the Saxons while participating in indoor track & field for three years. In total, she won 34 events during her career, including 14 conference championships. She was crowned the Empire 8 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2014.
 
Since her first semester on the outdoor track team, Hillman broke both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash marks. She re-broke each of the records each and every season. She currently owns the records with times of 11.99 and 24.72, respectively. Hillman was joined by members of the 2012 team to break the 2011 record in the 4x100-meter relay, breaking the old record by almost two whole seconds with a new time of 50.12.
 
In total, Hillman graduated with a total of nine records between AU and the Empire 8. Hillman owned the Empire 8 Outdoor Championship Meet records in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. She has the current Alfred University 60-meter dash (7.77), 200-meter dash (25.25) and 300-meter dash (42.70) records for the indoor season as well as the indoor 400-meter dash (1:02.33) record upon graduation. Hillman tied football Hall of Famer, Jesse Raynor '03 for the most Empire 8 Weekly Awards in a career and held the record for the most Empire 8 Weekly Awards out of all track & field athletes.
 
Hillman was a six-time Empire 8 Champion during her career, earning All-Empire 8 First Team Honors six times while earning Second Team three times with second place finishes. She was a seven-time New York State Collegiate Track Conference (NYSCTC) champion and two-time runner-up. Hillman added an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) outdoor championship title and one runner-up finish.
 
Hillman earned her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Studies in 2015.
   
Ryan Thon '11 MBA '13 – Football
Thon was a four-year receiver for the Alfred University football program and added two years of service as a graduate assistant coach for the Saxons. He played a crucial role in the success of the Saxons over his career, helping them become back-to-back Empire 8 Co-Champions in 2009 and outright Champions in 2010. The Saxons were also the 2007 ECAC Northwest Bowl Champions.
 
In 2009, Thon totaled 502 yards receiving on 41 catches with four touchdowns while also throwing one touchdown. He averaged 12.24 yards per catch and 50.20 receiving yards per game. The Saxons shared a championship crown with Ithaca College and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
 
Thon's biggest season was his senior year as he led the Saxon receivers with 73 catches for 949 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding another passing TD. The receptions broke the previous record of 69, set by football Hall of Fame member Jared Manzer '10 in 2008, while his receiving touchdowns tied Manzer's record. The 2010 Saxon offense outscored opponents, 332-298 with 54 of those points coming from Thon's receiving. Adding in his passing TD, Thon was second on the offense in scoring with 60 points, behind Hall of Fame quarterback, Thomas Secky '12 and his 126 points. That 2010 season, he earned 2010 D3football.com Honorable Mention All-American as well as All-Empire 8 First Team and All-ECAC First Team.
 
Thon was a two-time Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week in his senior season. In his career, Thon totaled 1,531 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns.
 
Thon earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration in 2011 and then earned an MBA in 2013.
   
Alison Wickwire '15 – Softball
Wickwire was a four-year member of the Alfred University softball team and was one of three seniors on the record-breaking, historic 2015 College World Series team, NCAA Super Regional Champion, NCAA Alfred Regional Champion, Empire 8 Tournament Champion and E8 Regular Season Champion team. She was instrumental in helping the Saxons go 40-7 and 13-1 in Empire 8 action while also adding an impressive 15-1 record at Harrington Field. The Saxons were also dominant on the road with a 15-1 record.
 
Wickwire was also part of the 2014 team that earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament after finishing runner-up in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. The 2014 team entered the NCAA Tournament with a 27-10 record.
 
Wickwire graduated with five individual school records and one Empire 8 school record. Out of those, her single-season home runs (16) and walks in a single season (33) are current school records. She graduated with the school records in career walks (60), career home runs (26), career doubles (39) as well as the Empire 8 single season home run record. Throughout her career, she was also part of nine school team records.
 
Wickwire earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-American in 2015. That same season, she earned NFCA All-Region First Team, ECAC Upstate All-Star First Team, All-Empire 8 First Team, Empire 8 All-Tournament Team, NCAA Alfred Regional All-Tournament Team, NCAA Alfred Regional Most Outstanding Player and NCAA Division III Softball College World Series All-Tournament. Wickwire added All-Empire 8 First Team Honors in 2014 and 2013, 2014 ECAC Upstate All-Star First Team, 2014 NFCA All-Region First Team, 2014 NCAA Rochester Regional All-Tournament Team and 2014 Empire 8 All-Tournament Team.
 
She added an Empire 8 Player of the Week and ECAC Division III Upstate Player of the Week accolades to her 2015 season as well as four Saxon of the Week honors. Wickwire was named a team captain in her junior and senior seasons.
 
Wickwire graduated with her undergraduate degree as a dual-major in Biology and Psychology in 2015.
   
Lambros Touris '70 – Football – Silver Saxon
Touris is the fourth alumnus to earn the title of Silver Saxon. Standing 6'5" and with a nickname of "Big Bud", Touris  was big, strong, and agile as noted by his teammates  . He used  his physical attributes to take command in the trenches of the line of scrimmage. A defensive standout, Touris  was instrumental in the Saxons becoming the 1966 Conference and Upstate Small College Champions as they outscored opponents, 175-55, finishing the season with a record of 6-1-1. The Saxon defense, spearheaded by Touris totaled 24 shutout quarters against opposing offenses, including a  shutout of Brockport. On the season, he totaled 48 tackles, one pass deflected and one fumble recovered.
 
In a note from teammate Phil 'Abdul' Nassar, Nassar commented that, "Lambros didn't only  tackle people, but bulldozed them." With such a physical presence on the field, Touris was also noted for taking care of his teammates around him, often helping newer players learn their positions and earning the respect of their  fellow teammates.
 
Since starting on the varsity team in his sophomore season (freshmen did not play on varsity in those days), "Big Bud" was a standout who led the Saxons to a Top-10 ranking nationally in defensive statistics and helped to make a name for Alfred University football with the infamous "Miracle at Merrill" 1965 win over Susquehanna.
 
Touris remained invested in Alfred University, even jumping on the broadcasts of the Saxons' home football games. He even brought national notoriety to Alfred University, becoming a champion of the popular trivia television show, Jeopardy.
 
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.
 
Touris graduated with his degree in Political Science in 1970.
   
1988 Men's Soccer – Team of Distinction
To this day, the 1988 men's soccer team is still the winningest team in the history of Alfred University men's soccer, posting a 14-1-3 record. The only loss was to Rochester Institute of Technology during the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. The Saxons finished the regular season ranked #3 in New York and #16 in the nation as they entered the NCAA's with a 13-0-3 record.
 
The '88 Saxons opened the season with a 6-0 shutout of Buffalo State before earning two of their three draws, tying RIT 1-1 and then the University of Rochester with a 1-1 score as well. They then won their next four games over Fredonia, Ithaca, Geneseo and St. Lawrence before their final tie of the season against Clarkson University in a 0-0 draw. The Saxons ended the season on a school record eight-win streak before tacking on another win in the NCAA's over Clarkson, avenging the 0-0 draw with a 2-1 victory.
 
The Saxons outscored their opponents, 49-11 and didn't allow more than one goal to an opponent all season, until the 3-0 loss to RIT in the NCAA tournament. They totaled eight shutout wins and nine total games where the defense did not allow a goal. There were only six games where the Saxon offense did not score multiple goals.
 
Out of the 1988 men's soccer roster, there are two Alfred University Hall of Fame members. Tony Coccitto '92 was inducted in 2006 and assistant coach William Ruffle '88 was inducted in 2005.
 
Martxel Mariscal was named a National All-American for his efforts as a freshman. Mariscal, Coccitto and Curt Jacobs were all named Regional All-Americans while Coccitto was named the EAA Rookie of the Year. Head Coach Steve Allison was named the Division III Coach of the Year.
 

1988 Men's Soccer Team
David Bammel	David Borland	Shane Bower	William Boulter	Jean Charles
Tony Coccitto	Luis Coria	Thomas Finn	Thomas Field	Leonard Fiorica
Tore Forland	Curt Jacobs	Gerald Jerome	Michael Kelly	Dennis Lubinsky
Martxel Mariscal	Donnelly McGovern	John McNamara	Anthony Olszewski	Timothy Palmer
Thomas Perrego	Scott Ritts	Adam Schwartz	Robert Swapceinski	Gregory Vogel
Coaching Staff
Head Coach Steve Allison	Assistant Coach Todd Wawrousek	Assistant Coach Bill Ruffle	Assistant Coach Pedro Oregui	Assistant Coach Pantxo Irazusta
Team Manager Rich Preisig

 

1988 Men's Soccer Schedule and Results
Away –  Buffalo State – W, 6-0	Home – St. Bonaventure – W, 4-0
Away –  RIT – T, 1-1	Away –  RPI – W, 2-1 (OT)
Away –  University of Rochester – T, 1-1	Home – Houghton – W, 2-1
Home – Fredonia – W, 3-0	(Neutral) Roanoke College Tournament Virginia Military – W, 3-0 Roanoke – W, 1-0
Away –  Ithaca – W, 1-0	Home – Elmira – W, 11-0
Away –  Geneseo – W, 4-1	Home – Hobart – W, 2-0
Home – St. Lawrence – W, 4-1	Home – Nazareth – W, 2-1
Home – Clarkson – T, 0-0	(Away) NCAA Division III Championship Tournament Clarkson – W, 2-1 RIT – L, 0-3

 
1990 Men's Soccer – Team of Distinction
The 1990 Saxons are one of five teams in program history to reach the 11-win mark, finishing their season with a 11-5-1 record. They held opponents scoreless in eight games.
 
The Saxons turned around early season losses with a 9-1 run to end the regular season. The one loss during that 10-game schedule was to Division I Appalachian State. The team's success earned them a spot in the ECAC Playoffs. The Saxons faced Albany State College in the opening round of the ECAC Championships, advancing to the championship round after a 0-0 tie was broken in penalty kicks. The ECAC Championship game was scheduled to take place at SUNY Plattsburgh, but due to snow, the game was canceled and both teams were declared ECAC Co-Champions.
 
David Borland, Mark Fish, Adam Schwartz and Gregory Vogel were all named EAA All-Conference. Borland, Fish and Vogel all earned Regional All-Americans.
 

1990 Men's Soccer Team
Ambrose Barbuto	David Borland	Tony Coccitto	William Esterly	Mark Ferm
Thomas Field	Leonard Fiorica	Mark Fish	Steven Fish	Scott Fraser
Neil Howard	Kai Leitner	Dennis Lubinsky	James MacPherson	Donnelly McGovern
Nikolas Ninos	Timothy Palmer	Adam Schwartz	Mark Shelton	Gregory Vogel
Coaching Staff
Head Coach Steve Allison			Assistant Coach Pantxo Irazusta

 

1990 Men's Soccer Schedule and Results
(Home) Bryan Karl Tournament Lynchburg – L, 0-1 Stonybrook – W, 4-1 (OT)	Home – Fredonia – W, 3-2
Away –  RIT – L, 0-4	Away –  RPI – W, 1-0
Home –  Salem State – L, 2-4	(Neutral) Slippery Rock Tournament Appalachian State – L, 0-3 Slippery Rock – W, 1-0
Home – Houghton – W, 1-0	Away – Elmira – W, 1-0
Away –  Ithaca – L, 0-3	Home – Hobart – W, 3-0
Away –  Geneseo – W, 1-0	Home – Nazareth – W, 2-1
Home – St. Lawrence – W, 1-0	Away – ECAC Championship Tournament Albany State – T, 0-0 (AU Advanced on PK's) Plattsburgh – No contest (game cancelled due to snow, both teams named Co-Champions)
Home – Clarkson – W, 2-1