EAST STROUDSBURG - Former East Stroudsburg University Sports Information Director Pete Nevins is one of seven individuals, along with the 1989-90 men's basketball team, that will be inducted into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame on Homecoming Day, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007.
Nevins will be joined by David "Kelly" MacLaughlin '57, Jake Piatt '61, Willard Stem '76, Julie Hubbard Hoin '92, Michelle Cole Reed '93, and Gaye Chapman '95 as the other individuals in the 2007 Hall of Fame class.
The Hall of Fame banquet and ceremony will be held on ESU's campus in the Keystone Room. A reception hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner to follow. For ticket information, contact Emily Stolkowski, Coordinator of Athletic Operations, at (570) 422-3578, or by e-mail at estolkowski@po-box.esu.edu .
"We are very excited to welcome this year's class of inductees into the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame," said Dr. Tom Gioglio, Director of Athletics. "This is a very qualified and well-rounded class of deserving individuals, along with the outstanding 1989-90 men's basketball team. We are also inducting Pete Nevins, who played a principal role in shaping the Hall of Fame into what it is today."
Nevins was ESU's Sports Information Director for 33 years, from 1969-2002, and covered the careers of nearly half of the previous 231 ESU athletes and coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was a member of every Hall of Fame committee since it was created in 1978. He passed away on January 6, 2007 following a brief battle with cancer. Pete's wife of 45 years, Gail, and their sons Douglas and Daniel will be guests of honor at the event.
Nevins was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1987 and was a recipient of the Warren Berg Award as the outstanding college division SID. He wrote articles on more than 12,000 events and covered more than 5,000 athletes during his career at ESU. He was one of three co-authors of "Pride and Promise, a Centennial History of East Stroudsburg University", which chronicled the first 100 years of the institution.
MacLaughlin was the first All-Conference basketball player in school history in 1956 and 1957, his only two seasons at East Stroudsburg. He was on the Associated Press All-State team as a senior and averaged 28.7 points per game over his two years. MacLaughlin scored 546 points as a junior and 457 points as a senior, and set the school record with 53 points in a game against Trenton in December 1955.
Piatt was a four-year starter and two-year All-Conference selection at tackle. He was a member of a defense that had five straight shutouts to finish the 1959 season and was a two-way player for the Warriors. Piatt embarked on a distinguished career in education following his time at East Stroudsburg, serving as Deputy Commissioner of Public Education in New Jersey from 1983-91 after working as a coach, teacher, principal and superintendent. He returned to ESU as a professor in 1991 and was named Chair of the Professional and Secondary Education Department in 2001.
Stem was a first team All-America selection as a defensive back in 1975 and was the school's Male Athlete of the Year in 1976. He was captain of the Warriors undefeated team in 1975 and was first team All-PSAC East and an ECAC All-East selection. Stem was a four-year starter and played on a unit that led the nation in pass defense in 1973, and was also one of the leading punt returners in school history. His son, Drew, is a junior wide receiver and kick returner on the ESU football team.
Julie Hubbard was a three-time first team All-PSAC East volleyball player for the Warriors from 1988-91. She set school records with a .379 hitting percentage as a junior and 4.1 kills per game as a senior, and was the team's outstanding player both seasons. After graduation, she was the head women's volleyball coach at Millersville from 1993-2000 and led the Marauders to six PSAC East titles in eight years.
Michelle Cole was an outstanding track and field athlete who won the PSAC championship in the 200 and 400 meters in 1992, and also won the ECAC indoor title in the 300 meter dash. She set seven school records, four indoors and three outdoors, and was also a member of record-setting relay teams. She was named the Warriors' Outstanding Track and Field athlete in 1992.
Chapman was both the PSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year and the ESU Female Athlete of the Year in 1994. She averaged 15.6 points per game and led the Warriors to the PSAC East championship and the first NCAA Tournament berth in school history. Chapman scored 1,224 career points and was first team All-PSAC East as a junior and senior. She also recorded the first triple double in school history against West Chester.
The 1989-90 men's basketball team is the only ESU men's basketball team to be crowned PSAC champions. The team, coached by Sal Mentesana and led by ESU Athletic Hall of Fame member Jonathan Roberts, finished the season with a 21-13 record, winning 13 of its last 18 games. The Warriors won two overtime games in the PSAC Tournament, beating Slippery Rock, ranked No. 2 in the nation, 103-102 in the semifinals, and Millersville 108-102 in double overtime in the finals.
The Warriors won their first round NCAA Tournament game, again over Slippery Rock in overtime (99-98) before losing to host Gannon in the regional finals. Current ESU head men's basketball coach Jeff Wilson '86 was the top assistant coach under Mentesana on the 1989-90 team.
