Moravian Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees; Ceremony Set for October 25
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- John Byrne ’82; Jenna Carmon Hegarty ’12; Joe Moore ’04; Bruce Morris ’89; Brian Reckenbeil ’09; Jon Van Valkenburg ’77 and Paul Woodling ’94 make up the class of 2024 that will be inducted into the Moravian Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2010 softball squad will also be inducted on Friday, October 25 in Johnston Hall as part of Moravian’s Homecoming Weekend.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- John Byrne '82; Jenna Carmon Hegarty '12; Joe Moore '04; Bruce Morris '89; Brian Reckenbeil '09; Jon Van Valkenburg '77 and Paul Woodling '94 make up the class of 2024 that will be inducted into the Moravian Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2010 softball squad will also be inducted on Friday, October 25 in Johnston Hall as part of Moravian's Homecoming Weekend.
Byrne, who graduated in 1982, had an outstanding career as the Head Coach of the Moravian softball program for 29 seasons. Byrne retired in 2022 after posting an overall record of 923-257, 27 postseason appearances including three NCAA Division III Championships appearances with the program playing for the national championship in 2004, 18 NCAA Division III playoff berths, 25 conference playoff appearances and 17 conference championships during his tenure. He posted a 46-39 record in NCAA Tournament action. Byrne and his staff were named the Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year in 2008, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, and Byrne and his staff were named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2010. Byrne was the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year four times, and he was the ECAC Division III South Coach of the Year in 2016. Byrne was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in December 2023 during the organization's 40th Anniversary convention. A four-year starter on the baseball team, Byrne was an assistant baseball coach from 1983 to 1992, and he served as head volleyball coach in 1988 while leading the Hounds to a 24-16 record.
Hegarty, who completed her degree in 2012, was a standout on the softball diamond. Hegarty was a four-time NFCA All-East Region pitcher, making the First Team in 2009 and 2011, the Second Team in 2012 and the Third Team in 2010. She was honored as the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2012, and Hegarty was named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team each season. In the circle, Hegarty tossed 639.1 innings with a 75-23 record, 342 strikeouts, a 1.37 earned run average, 26 shutouts, seven saves and one no-hitter, and she also had a .331 career batting average to go with 149 hits, 114 runs, 98 RBIs and 33 doubles at the plate. Hegarty is still second all-time in saves and innings pitched in the Moravian record book, and she is third in victories, fourth in ERA and sixth in strikeouts.
Moore, a 2004 Moravian graduate, was a national champion for the men's track & field program, winning the NCAA Division III Indoor national title in the long jump as a junior in 2003 with a mark of 7.15 meters (23-5.5). Moore was set to defend his title the following March but an injury in the warm-up at the national championships kept him from competing. Moore was honored as the Middle Atlantic Conference Indoor Most Outstanding Performer in 2003 as he won the long jump, 55-meter dash and 200-meter dash titles. Over his career, Moore was an eight-time MAC Champion, capturing the long jump title three times indoors and twice outdoors to go with indoor titles in the 55-meter and 200-meter dashes and the 4x100-meter relay outdoors. Moore's indoor long jump mark of 7.38 meters (24-2.5) at Cornell University in 2003 remains the school record.
Morris, a 1989 Moravian graduate, was a three-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference honoree on the soccer pitch. Morris was honored on the All-MAC South First Team as a defender in 1986, 1987 and 1988, and he was also named the MAC South Most Valuable Player in 1988. As a defender, he recorded six goals and 28 assists in his career for 40 points, and Morris' 16 assists in 1987 still stand as the Moravian record today.
Reckenbeil, who graduated in 2008, is a record holding kicker on the football gridiron. Reckenbeil was a three-time All-Conference honoree, making the All-MAC Second Team in 2005, the Centennial Conference Honorable Mention Team in 2007 and the Centennial All-Conference First Team in 2008, the same year he was selected to the D3football.com All-South Region Third Team. In his career, Reckenbeil set 11 school records, and he still owns eight including field goals in a game with four, field goals in a season with 14, field goals in a career with 52, kicking points in a game with 15, kicking points in a season with 72, kicking points in a career with 226, extra-points in a career with 100, which he made consecutively and is also still a record, and the longest field goal in program history of 47 yards. Reckenbeil's 226 points, were the school record for total points by a single player for nearly eight years, and his seven extra-points made in a single game stood as the record for 13 seasons. Reckenbeil also played two seasons for the Moravian men's lacrosse squad and had 31 ground balls.
Van Valkenburg, a 1977 Moravian graduate, was a standout on the Moravian football squad for four seasons. Van Valkenburg was selected to the All-MAC South First Team in 1975 and 1976 as a punter. He still tops the Moravian record book in career punts with 187 and career punting yardage with 6,973 yards. Van Valkenburg also set the Greyhounds' career passing mark during his playing days, throwing for 2,547 yards.
Woodling, who graduated in 1994 and passed away in 2021, was an All-Conference player for both the Greyhounds' football and baseball squads during his four years on campus. On the football gridiron, Woodling made the All-MAC Second Team and All-ECAC South Team in 1993. Over his four seasons as a defensive back, Woodling recorded 149 tackles with17 pass break-ups, seven interceptions, four fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick, and he also returned 52 punts for 386 yards, which both rank in the top ten in program history, including one touchdown as a freshman in 1990. On the baseball diamond, Woodling was selected to the All-MAC Southwest First Team and the All-ECAC South First Team in both 1991 and 1992. He posted a .345 career batting average with 97 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, five homers, 64 RBIs, 21 walks and 15 stolen bases in four years as an outfielder.
The 2010 softball team had a 34-5 record on the year including an 11-1 mark in the Landmark Conference regular season. The squad captured its third straight Landmark Conference title at Blue & Grey Field before heading to Providence, Rhode Island where the team won its third NCAA Division III Regional title. The Hounds finished the season in the NCAA Division III Championship Finals in Eau Claire, Wisconsin as the program made the championship round for the third time in seven years. Byrne was selected as the NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year, and the squad had three All-Region honorees in Hegarty, Shannen Mohr and Katie Gross. Hegarty was honored as the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year while Gross was named the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year. Hegarty and Amanda Dizinno were selected to the Landmark All-Conference First Team while Gross and Maura Agnew made the All-Conference Second Team.
Registration for annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, October 25 in Johnston Hall is available at https://moravian.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/109. The registration deadline is Wednesday, October 16.
