College of Wooster announces Hall of Fame class
A class of eight College of Wooster greats have been selected for induction into the W Association Hall of Fame. Additionally, Bruce Martin, who was a volunteer assistant basketball coach for 26 seasons, was selected for this year’s W Association Distinguished Award of Excellence.
The W Association Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Scheide Music Center’s Gault Recital Hall as part of the College’s Homecoming for Alumni and Families Weekend. A reception will follow the induction ceremony.
Individuals chosen for induction are Leah Becki, Class of 2000; Chris Cingolani, ‘94; Nara DeJesus Skipper, 2000; Katie Doyle Myers, ‘96; Joe Kearney, 2005; Erin Lustic, 2007; Emmanuel Stone, ‘78; and Mike Trimmer, ‘89.
Becki was the fourth-most decorated swimmer at Wooster upon graduation with 16 All-America honors. She helped lead Wooster to a top 10 finish at the 1999 NCAA Division III Championships with six All-America honors that year. At the conference level, Becki was a 10-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference performer. Her 10 All-NCAC honors were the third-most in program history upon graduation.
Cingolani, a first-team American Baseball Coaches Association All-American as a senior, helped lead Wooster to its second Mideast Regional title in 1994. The four-year starting first baseman graduated fourth all-time in program history in games played (165), doubles (40) and total bases (309) and was a two-time All-Mideast Region and All-NCAC pick.
DeJesus was one of the top women’s basketball players in program history. The forward earned D3hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region honors as a junior and was the NCAC Newcomer of the Year. DeJesus was the second player in program history to score over 1,000 points and secure over 750 rebounds.
Doyle came in and started right away on Wooster’s field hockey team and earned All-America status as a senior from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. The two-time all-region performer earned three all-conference laurels and was a four-year starter. Doyle played three years of lacrosse and was an all-conference player as a senior.
Kearney capped his career as a first-team D3football.com All-American and was the NCAC Defensive Player of the Year after helping the program make its first appearance in the NCAA Div. III Championship in 2004. With Kearney anchoring the defensive interior, Wooster went 10-0 in the regular season, marking the first unbeaten regular season since a 5-0-3 ledger in 1938. Wooster allowed 13 or fewer points in seven games on the year.
Lustic was a dominant attacking force for women’s soccer, earning three all-region laurels from the United Soccer Coaches and three first-team All-NCAC certificates. The 2006 NCAC Offensive Player of the Year is still the program’s all-time leader with 24 assists, despite only playing three years due to transferring in as a sophomore. Her 72 points were the fourth-most upon graduation.
Stone was one of the top sprinters in NCAA Div. III in the 1970s, placing within the top four twice in the 200 meters at the Div. III Championships. The two-time All-American placed fourth as a sophomore with a time of 21.4 and third as a junior with a time of 21.72. Stone competed in the 100 meters at nationals as a junior, was part of Wooster’s 4x100 relay at nationals and was the program’s second multi-time All-American. Stone helped Wooster to an Ohio Athletic Conference North Division title in basketball and was a three-time OAC champion in track and field.
Trimmer was one of the early revitalizers of Wooster’s basketball program during the Steve Moore era. He played arguably the most complete game in program history against Denison University in 1988, logging the lone triple-double in program history with 38 points, 13 rebounds and a still-standing program-record 10 blocked shots. Trimmer helped Wooster lead the country in defense as a senior, with Wooster allowing just 57.1 points per game and holding the opposition to a 38.1 shooting percentage.
Martin’s first-rate dedication to Wooster’s storied basketball program, his knowledge of the game and his ability to teach fundamentals led to Wooster posting a 637-139 record in his 26 years as a volunteer. Three runs to the national semifinals, headlined by making the 2011 NCAA Div. III Championship game, took place during Martin’s tenure. Wooster won 16 of its NCAC-leading 19 championships with Martin assisting the team.
While Homecoming for Alumni and Families Weekend is free, registration is requested to aid with planning for the event. Register at https://events.woosteralumni.org/e/homecoming-2024-for-alumni-families/.