Vassar Honors Inaugural Round of Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

The inductees are:

• The Vassar Resolutes: Established in 1866, it was the first organized women’s baseball team in the United States. Since it had no opponents, the members split and played against each other. The team’s historical significance has been recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
• The 1991 Women’s Tennis Team: Coached by Vassar legend Kathy Campbell and Assistant Coach Kelly Ryan, the team made school history by becoming the first to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships. It finished with a 17–3 record, and Hannah Palmer ’92 earned All-American status.
• The 1995 Men’s Volleyball Team: Led by Head Coach Bill McCarthy and Assistant Coaches Bill Doyle and Mary Ann McCarthy, the team won the EIVA Division III national title after posting a 19–9 mark in the regular season, including six victories over NCAA Division I squads.
• Frances Fergusson, Vassar College President, 1986–2006: President Fergusson was instrumental in the development of an athletics master plan that led to significant improvements in staffing, funding, and facilities for the department. Her major improvements to the athletics facilities included the renovation of Walker Field House, the construction of the Athletics and Fitness Center, the construction of the Prentiss Sports Complex and the Weinberg Sports Pavilion, the renovation of Kenyon, including the construction of the Mary Rousmaniere Gordon ’32 Squash Courts, and the purchase of land on the Hudson River for development of rowing facilities. Under her leadership, Vassar’s athletic programs experienced significant growth, expanding to include 25 varsity and varsity club programs. Fergusson also secured funding for new coaches, athletic administrators, and athletic training positions, propelling the teams to unprecedented levels of competitive success during her tenure.

• Betty Richey, Vassar’s first head coach of the field hockey, tennis, and squash teams: From 1937 until her retirement in 1978, Richey significantly influenced the regional and national growth of squash as a college sport, initiating individual and team women’s national intercollegiate tournaments. Her contributions earned her inductions into the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame and the College Squash Hall of Fame. Beyond squash, Richey’s athletic prowess on the field led to her induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the National Field Hockey Hall of Fame as a U.S. National team athlete in both sports.
• Katharine Hubbell ’43, Women’s Tennis: During her time at Vassar, Hubbell won several national singles and doubles titles. She continued her tennis career after graduating, making two appearances at Wimbledon and winning the U.S. Indoor singles title in 1955. In 1958, Hubbell received the USTA Service Bowl Award, an honor recognizing female players who have made outstanding contributions to the sportsmanship, fellowship, and service of tennis.
• Martha Lewis ’85, Women’s Swimming and Diving: Lewis became the first Vassar student-athlete in any sport to earn All-American honors with a 10th-place finish in the NCAA championship in the 3-meter springboard diving competition and 14th place in the 1-meter diving event.
• Tracy Nichols ’91, Women’s Cross Country: Nichols was the women’s cross-country program’s first national qualifier in 1988, and she achieved NCAA All-American status in 1990. That same year, Nichols’s resilience and determination were recognized with the prestigious Honda Inspiration Award, making her the first Vassar College recipient of this national accolade. Presented by Honda and the Collegiate Women’s Sports Award Board of Directors, this award honors NCAA female student-athletes who have overcome adversity and demonstrated extraordinary perseverance and dedication in their return to play.
• Shirin Kaufman ’95, Women’s Squash: Kaufman earned four first-team All-American honors from 1992 to 1995. During her time at Vassar, she achieved a 110–15 overall record. Her contributions were instrumental in leading the team to its highest College Squash Association team ranking, finishing 11th during the 1992–1993 season.

• Andrew Guzick ’13, Men’s Tennis: Guzick was the first men’s tennis student-athlete to reach the quarterfinals in singles competition at the NCAA National Championships. He earned All-American recognition in singles in 2011 and in doubles in 2012. He won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional singles championship in 2010–2011 and the ITA Northeast Regional doubles title in 2011–2012.
• Margaret Kwateng ’14, Women’s Rugby: Despite playing just three seasons due to injury, Kwateng is the all-time leader in tries with 99. She ranks second all-time in career points with 495 and second all-time in single-season tries with 44. During her time with Vassar, the team achieved an impressive 50–15–3 overall record. In her senior season, Kwateng led the team to the American Collegiate Rugby Association Division II Final Four and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
• Cydni Matsuoka ’14, Women’s Basketball:Matsuoka graduated as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,923 points and earned eight All-American citations throughout her four-year career. She was named D3Hoops.com National Rookie of the Year in 2010 and D3Hoops.com East Region Player of the Year in 2013–2014. She was named Liberty League Player of the Year twice.
• Heather Ingraham ’15, Women’s Track and Field:Ingraham became the first Brewer to win an individual national title with a victory in 2015 in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. She earned All-American status twice and was named Liberty League Track Athlete of the Year in 2015. In addition to her individual honors, she was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that won four Liberty League championships.

Michelle Walsh, Director of Vassar’s Department of Athletics and Physical Education, said she was delighted to greet many of the inductees at a dinner at the Athletics and Fitness Center on June 7. “It was one of the incredible thrills of my career to be part of this event, which was the culmination of more than 165 years of athletics history at Vassar College,” Walsh said. “Our department undertook this endeavor together with a shared purpose of honoring former student-athletes, employees, and friends of the program for outstanding contributions to Vassar athletics and for making a positive impact on their community, their profession, and/or their alma mater. Our call for nominations as well as our internal review of our athletic communications archives resulted in a pool of more than 150 highly deserving nominees leading to the 13 honorees in this first class. There was tremendous excitement leading up to the induction dinner and the energy in the room that evening was simply amazing: joy, gratitude, celebration, and above all else, connection to one another. I cannot imagine a better way to have kicked off our Hall of Fame and am thankful for the many alums who returned for the event to make it such a special evening.”

College President Elizabeth Bradley opened the remarks at the dinner by saying how much she enjoyed attending Vassar athletics events. “I know some of them as just regular students, and then I see them on the whatever field court swimming pool and think, ‘Wow, they are really cool,’ ” Bradley said, “. . . and now the success rates of our teams really is unparalleled, and I do think the Hall of Fame is such an important initiative for Vassar. I am thrilled to see it finally come to its fruition.”

President Emerita Fergusson could not attend the dinner, but she sent some remarks to Walsh via email. “I am very honored indeed to be named to the Vassar Athletics Hall of Fame,” Fergusson wrote. “It is a surprising honor for someone who never had the opportunity to play intercollegiate sports. It was not even a possibility for women in the early 1960s when I went to Wellesley. How things have changed, both nationally and especially at Vassar! When I first arrived at Vassar in 1986, Vassar Athletics was in shambles and was jokingly seen as an oxymoron. There was no facility beyond the old field house, itself leaking badly onto its hard-linoleum-over-hard-concrete floor. The fields were full of potholes and had no scoreboards. Coaches were almost all part-time, from local high schools. Student-athletes faced challenges beyond those of their athletic capabilities. It was truly amazing that some achieved so much with so little help or encouragement from Vassar.

“I saw this situation as disastrous for Vassar. We were losing excellent young women and men to colleges that supported them as student-athletes and could guarantee their dignity and safety. We started on a process that brought us excellent new fields, new training facilities, new full-time coaches, renovated tennis courts, and a new field house and fitness facility. We purchased the land along the Hudson for crew, an historic sport for Poughkeepsie. And all of you and your predecessors over the last 35 years have flourished, bringing us academic and athletic distinction. I’m so proud to see your achievements and so humbled to be inducted along with you today.” Speaking at the Hall of Fame dinner, Erica Weber Smith ’91, a co-captain of the enshrined 1991 women’s tennis team, said she was honored to share the experience with many of her former student-athletes. “When I got the news that our team was being inducted, three things really stood out to me,” Smith said. “One, what it meant to be a student-athlete; two, our shared experiences full of unforgettable memories; and three, the lasting relationships we built along the way.”

The youngest Hall of Fame inductee, track All-American Heather Ingraham, said the accolades she had received were not the most significant part of her Vassar athletics experience. “It’s incredible to be recognized alongside so many other remarkable athletes who have left their mark on the school. When I arrived at Vassar as a freshman, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The varsity track program was still in its early years, and there weren’t many sprinters on the team. I was quiet and reserved, probably speaking no more than 20 words during my overnight visit, but what I found at Vassar was so much more than a team. I found a community. I found coaches who saw potential in me, teammates who pushed me, inspired me, and ultimately became lifelong friends. And I found a campus that gave me room to grow as an athlete, yes, but more importantly as a person. Winning a national championship in the 400 meters stands as one of the proudest moments of my life.”

The inductees were chosen from a pool of candidates nominated by Vassar alums, students, faculty, and staff in three categories: (1) alums who participated on an athletic team while pursuing a Vassar degree and who have completed their athletic career at least 10 years prior to the year of election, (2) college employees or individuals who have made a significant contribution to Vassar athletics and who have ended their employment at least 5 years prior to their election, and (3) teams that have brough recognition and honor to the College by their significant achievement at least 10 years after the date of those achievements.

Members of the Selection Committee were: Michelle Walsh, Director of Athletics and Physical Education; Kaitlin Leach, Deputy Director of Athletics and Director of Student-Athlete Welfare; Steven Merritt, Director of Athletic Communications; Kelli Duncan, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Academic Resources, Professor of Biology, and Vassar’s NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative; Sharon Parkinson, Director of Affinity Engagement; Joe Reed, Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach; Judy Finerghty, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach; Richard Gary, Head Men’s Volleyball Coach; Steve Hankins ’85, P’13,’17 and former AAVC President; Vandana Sinha ’82; and James Wilson ’00.

Walsh said she was looking forward to more Hall of Fame inductions in the future. “As our Hall of Fame will now grow over time and we will induct classes every two years, we hope that all of our alums and friends of the program will help us in the coming years by continuing to submit nominations and by supporting the Brewers Fund so that we can continue to offer these opportunities in the future,” she said.