Moravian Announces 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Class & Herbstman Award Winner
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Megan J. Collins ’06; Dominick A. Cusumano ’98; Robert Hennessy ’96; Kristie Reccek Fach ’99; Gordon E. Rupert ’66; Greg D. Witt ’88 and Dawn Ketterman-Benner make up the class of 2018 that will be inducted into the Moravian College Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, November 9 in Johnston Hall. The 2006-07 women’s tennis team will also be inducted that night while Robert E. Kafafian ’77 will receive the Robert Martin Herbstman Award.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Megan J. Collins '06; Dominick A. Cusumano '98; Robert Hennessy '96; Kristie Reccek Fach '99; Gordon E. Rupert '66; Greg D. Witt '88 and Dawn Ketterman-Benner make up the class of 2018 that will be inducted into the Moravian College Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, November 9 in Johnston Hall. The 2006-07 women's tennis team will also be inducted that night while Robert E. Kafafian '77 will receive the Robert Martin Herbstman Award.
Megan Collins, who graduated from Moravian in 2006, was a four-year member of the women's soccer squad with one of the best careers in school history. Collins was named the program's first National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas All-American, earning Second Team honors in 2005, the same season she was selected as the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year. Collins was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference Teams all four seasons with First Team selections in 2005 and 2003 and Second Team accolades in 2004 and 2002. She finished her career second all-time with 98 points on 41 career goals, which is second in the Moravian record books, and 16 assists. Collins, who was a First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region honoree in 2005, tied the school record with 16 goals as a senior while helping the Greyhounds to a 16-6-1 record and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance which included a first round victory.
Dominick Cusumano, a 1998 Moravian graduate, was a three-year letterwinner on the football team after transferring to Moravian from NCAA Division II Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Cusumano was selected to the Middle Atlantic Conference All-Star First Team in both 1997 and 1995, and he also earned a spot on the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team as a senior and the Hewlett-Packard Honorable Mention All-America Team as a sophomore. Cusumano, who was on the 1995 and 1997 MAC All-Academic Teams, finished his time at Moravian ranked second in school history with 27 sacks, and he added 100 tackles, three fumble recoveries including one for a touchdown in 1997, and two pass break-ups.
Bob Hennessy, who graduated in 1996, was a standout on the football gridiron for four seasons. Hennessy was a three-year starter at defensive back and selected to both the Don Hansen's National Football Gazette and Hewlett Packard All-American Second Teams following the 1995 season when he led Moravian with 77 tackles and 12 pass break-ups. Hennessy was also named to the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League All-Star First Team in 1995 after making the Second Team in 1994. As a sophomore, Hennessy started all 11 games for the Greyhounds as the squad went 8-3 and played in the NCAA Division III Playoffs for just the second time in school history. He completed his career with 214 tackles, ranking 18th in school history at the time and was named Moravian's Most Outstanding Senior Male Athlete in 1996.
Kristie Reccek Fach, a 1999 Moravian graduate, was a four-year letterwinner on the both the women's cross country and women's track & field teams. Reccek earned All-America honors on the cross country course with a 27th place finish at the 1997 NCAA Division III National Championships at Franklin Park in Boston. She captured the Middle Atlantic Conference individual title in 1998 after being the runner-up in 1997, and Reecek was a two-time NCAA Division III Mideast All-Region selection in cross country with a fourth place finish in 1997 and an eighth place in 1998. On the track, Reccek earned All-American honors with an eighth place finish in the 3,000-meter run in 1999. She was the MAC Most Outstanding Female Athlete at the 1999 outdoor championships after winning both the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter run for the second straight spring. Reccek captured a total of six MAC individual championships on the track and helped the Greyhounds captured 12 MAC team titles during her career, sweeping cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field all four years. Reccek was named Moravian's Most Outstanding Senior Female Athlete in 1999.
Gordon Rupert, who graduated in 1966, was a standout on the hard-court with the men's tennis team for three years after beginning his collegiate career at Franklin & Marshall College. While playing for the Greyhounds, Rupert won the ECAC Doubles Tournament at Rider with George Kelhert in 1964 before helping Moravian capture the 1965 Middle Atlantic Conference Northern Division Championship with a 9-2 mark at first singles. The 1965 squad was 9-1-1 before falling to Swarthmore College for the overall MAC title. As a senior in 1966, Rupert was undefeated at No. 1 singles and helped the squad to a 10-1 record. He was also seeded third in the MAC Individual Tournament before falling to a player from Lehigh University, and Rupert was also Moravian's Most Outstanding Senior Male Athlete in 1966.
Greg Witt, a 1988 Moravian graduate, was a four-year letterwinner on the men's soccer squad. Witt, who began his career in 1983 and missed the majority of his then junior season with an injury, was selected as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Mid-Atlantic Regional All-American in 1986 and 1987 while earning a spot on the Middle Atlantic Conference Southern All-Star Honorable Mention squad in 1987. He was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player in both 1986 and 1987 as a defender, and Witt finished his career with 14 goals and 11 assists while playing for Hall of Fame Head Coach John Makuvek.
Dawn Ketterman-Benner arrived at Moravian in 1971 as a health and physical education professor, and in her early years, she coached badminton, archery and the cheerleaders along with assisting with the field hockey team and intramurals. Over her 43-year career, she has also served as Moravian's Primary Woman Administrator, which eventually became the Senior Woman Administrator under the NCAA, Associate Athletic Director and the Chairperson of Moravian's Physical Education Department. After Title IX was passed in 1972, Ketterman-Benner helped Moravian re-introduce women's basketball and eventually add the sports of cross country, soccer, softball and volleyball. She served as the first head coach for the volleyball program, coaching the sport from 1975 until 1987 with an overall record of 165-103. In 1987, Ketterman-Benner took over the reins of the women's tennis program from the late Betty Prince. In 27-plus seasons, she led the Greyhounds to a 288-117 record and 11 conference championships. Ketterman-Benner also led Moravian to its first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 2007 and a another berth in 2011.
The 2006-07 Women's Tennis Team coached by Dawn Ketterman-Benner captured the program's final Commonwealth Conference Championship and earned the program's first-ever NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament appearance. The squad, which finished the year at 14-3, was led by seniors Courtney Hall and Margo Kokolus, juniors Rebecca Angstadt, Lindsey Hopper, Brittany Popaca and Jennel Yelito and sophomores MaryKate Kelly and Dyana Swan.
Robert Kafafian, who graduated in 1977, was a three-year letterwinner and four-year member of the football program. The Robert M. Herbstman Award recognizes an alumnus or alumna whose qualities of teamwork, leadership, and selflessness exemplify the spirit of Moravian College athletics. Kafafian was an offensive lineman for the Greyhounds during his career.
