On Friday, Swarthmore inducted the inaugural class of the Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame. In a small ceremony in Tarble Pavilion, members were greeted by President Rebecca Chopp, Athletic Director Adam Hertz, and others in front of the newly unveiled Hall of Fame display.The honorees were introduced to the crowds at Garnet Weekend events including the pep rally and men’s soccer game against Haverford. If you didn’t get a chance to make it to these events, meet the Garnet Hall of Fame class of 2012:Avery “Bunky” Blake Jr. ’53, is the only product of the Swarthmore lacrosse program to be named an All-American all four years he played. A tremendous scorer, he still ranks highly in the program record books, coming in at first in career goals (132) and fifth in career points (116). During his Swarthmore career, the Garnet won four straight Pennsylvania-Delaware League Championships (1950–1953). Davis is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and lives in Penn Valley, Calif.
Charles “Chip” Chevalier ’93 was the last great player in the Garnet football program that once existed. He set records in nearly every offensive category, including career passing yards (5,376), completions (410), and touchdowns (41). Without a team now, these records will surely stand the test of time. In his senior season, Chevalier led the Centennial Conference in passing (2,371) and total offense (2,564), efforts which earned him Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year and All-American honors. Chevalier lives in Clark, N.J.
Danielle Duffy ’98 was a two sport star for the Garnet, dominating in competition in both field hockey and track and field. In field hockey, Swarthmore won three straight Centennial Conference Championships (1995, 1996, 1997), earned the program’s only NCAA Playoff appearance (1996), and won the 1997 ECAC Championship with Duffy as a leader. Duffy was named Centennial Player of the Year three times (1995, 1996, 1997) and was an All-American in 1996. She ranks first all-time in Swarthmore history in career points (235) and second all-time in career goals (68). On the track, Duffy also proved exceptional, as she led the Garnet track teams to conference titles in 1997 (indoor) and 1998 (outdoor). During her career, she earned eight individual Centennial Conference gold medals, earning the conference’s Most Outstanding Performer award in 1997 and 1998. She lives in Media, Pa.
Richard “Dick” Esrey ’50 was perhaps the most versatile athlete in school history. As a tailback in single-wing football, Esrey was an all-around player who could threaten in any play. He was an Associated Press Football All-American in 1948 and 1949, and his program records in career points (126) and career touchdowns (21) were never bettered. As a baseball player, Esrey led the Garnet baseball team in nearly every statistical category during his four-year career. In basketball, Esrey was a leader on the MASCAC Champion 1947 team and the 1949 team that reached the MASCAC championship game. Esrey currently lives in Princeton, N.J.
Eleanor Kay “Pete” Hess (1924–2011) worked to advance women in athletics well before the implementation of Title IX. An administrator for 33 years, Hess first was chair of the Department of Physical Education and Athletics for Women from 1965 to 1979, before then serving as the associate chair for the Department of Physical Education and Athletics from 1979 to 1990. She was a great coach as well, from 1957 to 1984, she led the lacrosse team to 121 victories, second most in program history, and led the field hockey program to 140 victories, the making her the winningest coach in program history.
Richard “Dick” Hall ’52 is the top professional athlete Swarthmore ever produced. He had a 19-year Major League Baseball career, pitching for four different clubs. First playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Hall helped the team win the 1966 and 1970 World Series. At Swarthmore, Hall was a multi-sport star for the Garnet, playing five different sports: baseball, football, basketball, track and field, and soccer. On the baseball field, today Hall still holds many of the program’s pitching and hitting records, including career strikeouts (281), single-season strikeouts (108), career ERA (1.69), single-season ERA (1.01), career batting average (.412), single-season batting average (.510) and single-season home runs (6). His mark extends to the track–Hall still holds the school record for the long jump (23.25 feet), set in 1951. He lives in Timonium, Md.
Swarthmore once had a wrestling team, and Patrick “Hondo” Holmes ’82 was its shining star. He qualified for the NCAA Championship four times and was a two-time All-American from his second place finish in his weight class (134) at the 1980 NCAA Division III National Tournament and fourth place finish in 1981. Holmes held 12 program records, including most career wins (116), most career match points (481), most dual meet wins (76), most dual meet wins in a season (23), and most career falls (32). He lives in Pasadena, Calif.
Gwyneth Jones Cote ’84 was one of the best athletes of her era, dominating for the Garnet lacrosse and field hockey teams. Cote still holds the lacrosse program record for career points (374) and career assists (176) and ranks fourth all-time in career goals (198). She was a First Team All-American in 1984, a year in which she set not only the Swarthmore record, but NCAA Division III record for assists in a single season (55). She lives in Westfield, N.J.
Heather Kile Lord ’02 led the Garnet basketball team to its best seasons during her career. She is the leading scorer in the history of the program and, until 2012, in the entire Centennial Conference (1,965). In 2001, Lord led the Garnet to its first ever Centennial Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Lord left her mark on the program record books, ranking first all-time in career free throws (557), second in field goals (704), second in rebounds (1,263), and third in steals (231). If there was an individual award available, she won it: Lord’s individual accolades include the prestigious Jostens Trophy, Kodak and D3Hoops First Team All-American, GTE Academic All-American, Centennial Conference Player of the Year, and four-time All-Centennial First Team. Today she lives in West Chester, Pa..
Robert “Tiny” Maxwell ‘07 (1884-1922) only played for two seasons, but left a tremendous impact on the Garnet athletics program, as well as the game of football itself. Maxwell earned football All-America honors in 1905 after leading the Garnet to a 7–1 record. He left Swarthmore in 1906 to play professionally. One of the most prestigious awards in Division I football, the Maxwell Award, is named after him. He excelled off the football field as well. In track and field, Maxwell’s hammer throw record of 138 feet 6 inches has stood for more than 100 years.
McWelling “Mac” Todman ’77 led the Garnet soccer team’s run to the NCAA Division III Championship Match in 1974, the program’s best finish in NCAA play ever. That year, Todman scored a tournament-best five goals, and was Second Team All-American, First Team All-Region, and MAC South Player of the Year. Todman ranks second all-time in career goals (35), third all-time in career points (70), and second all-time in single season points (40, 1974). Thanks to track races being run in meters now, Todman will forever hold the school record in the 100-yard dash (9.8). He lives in Glenside, Pa.
The 1984–85 Men’s Tennis Team was inducted for their exceptional team effort. They won the 1985 NCAA Division III team championship, the NCAA Division III doubles championship, and produced five All-Americans. In the 1985 NCAA Division III Team Championship Tournament, the Garnet defeated Kalamazoo College 5–4 to win the title, in a match for the ages that was determined in the third tiebreaker of second doubles.
Do you know any athletes that should be inducted? Do you want athletes who played more than football to be in the Hall of Fame? You can send suggestions to http://www.swarthmoreathletics.com/Hall_of_Fame_Nom.
