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UNCG to induct 2010 Athletics Hall of Fame class this weekend
GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG will induct former men's tennis standout Alex Lehnhoff, women's soccer star Raila Maisonlahti, former administrator Ty Buckner and the members of the 1994 Spartan baseball squad into the Athletics Hall of Fame this coming weekend as part of Homecoming festivities.
Induction ceremonies will take place on Saturday as part of Homecoming festivities. The induction ceremony will be held at the Proximity Hotel, followed by special ceremonies at halftime during that night's men's soccer match against Wake Forest.
Lehnhoff was the 1999 Southern Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year as a senior, going 24-7 that year. He was ranked as high as No. 24 in the ITA's Southeast Region in singles and No. 12 in doubles that season. He was also a top-70 player nationally. As a junior, he won the Southern Conference's No. 1 flight singles titles. Lehnhoff won a school-record 27 matches in 1996-97, a mark that stood until Orcun Seyrek's 28 wins last season. He went 94-37 in singles play during his Spartan career and also won more than 60 matches in doubles play.
As a sophomore, Lehnhoff was the first Spartan to ever qualify for the main draw at the Rolex Championship. He was the Big South's Rookie of the Year in 1996 and earned All-Big South Conference honors twice and All-SoCon honors twice. The native of Guatemala, now makes his home in Aventura, Fla.
Raila Maisonlahti Harris was a part of one of the most successful eras in UNCG women's soccer history. During her four seasons (1994-97), the Spartans compiled a 59-23-4 mark, including a perfect 22-0-0 record in Big South and Southern Conference play. As a senior, she led the Spartans to an NCAA tournament first-round upset of Duke in Durham, N.C., 3-1. That 1997 squad set school marks for wins (19), shutouts (13), overall points, goals and assists.
A defender from Lahti. Finland, Maisonlahti was the Big South Rookie of the Year in 1994 and an all-conference selection in 1995 (Big South), 1996 (Big South) and 1997 (Southern Conference). She was the Big South Tournament MVP in 1996 and earned NSCAA third-team all-region honors in 1997. She currently makes her home in Matthews, N.C.
Buckner, who helped build the foundation of the Athletics Hall of Fame, served as the school's first-ever full-time sports information director when the university was transitioning from Division III to Division II to Division I. He began his duties while going to school for his undergraduate degree. After graduating in 1984, he took on full-time roles beginning with the title of SID, moving eventually into a senior administrative role as the school's associate athletic director of public affairs.
Buckner was instrumental in working with the Greensboro Sports Commission to form the Tom Ward Basketball Luncheon series, which features five area colleges and universities in weekly media gatherings. He also helped to build the first commercial radio network for basketball broadcasts and the first athletics website.
Currently, Buckner serves as associate vice president for communications and marketing at Guilford College. While serving at Guilford, Buckner has remained active with UNCG, serving on the Athletics Hall of Fame's selection committee, including a stint as chair from 2001-07. He was enshrined on the UNCG Soccer Stadium's Wall of Honor in 2004.
The 1994 Spartan baseball squad became the first team in school history to record a victory in an NCAA tournament at the Division I level. A program in just its fourth year of existence, the Spartans went 39-18 on the way to a Big South Conference title. The squad went 2-2 at the NCAA South Regional, defeating Southeast Louisiana and Tulane while falling twice to national power Southern California, to finish third in the six-team regional hosted by LSU.
Coach Mike Gaski was named the conference's coach of the year as Joey DeAngelis, Steve Matyczyk and Tonka Maynor earned all-conference honors. After hitting .379 with 37 stolen bases in 42 attempts that year, Maynor went on to becoming a 27th-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates later that summer. Tim Giles was named a Mizuno Freshman All-American that year, as well.
Beginning with the Charter Class that was inducted on Sept. 29, 2000, the UNCG Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those special individuals who, through their superior athletic achievements or by outstanding service, have made long-lasting, exemplary contributions to the UNCG athletics program. Persons to be recognized for the excellence of their achievements may include former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and other individuals who brought recognition and honor to both themselves and to UNCG.
Currently, UNCG's Hall of Fame includes 52 individuals, a small group of scholarship program supporters known as "The Big Five" and five teams. A complete list of previous Hall of Fame inductees is listed below with the years of their inductions.
UNCG ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME MEMBERS (THROUGH 2009 INDUCTIONS)
TEAM INDUCTIONS
1973 Women's Golf Team (2004)
1982 Men's Soccer Team (2004)
1981-82 Women's Basketball Team (2007)
1983 Women's Tennis Team (2008)
1983 Men's Soccer Team (2009)
INDIVIDUAL INDUCTIONS
Lynne Agee, Women's Basketball Coach (2004)
Jim Allen, Administrator (2003)
Maxine Allen, Duckpin Bowling Student-Athlete (2001)
Mike Berticelli, Men's Soccer Coach (2000)
Nelson Bobb, Administrator (2007)
Mike Burke, Supporter (2001)
Marge Burns, Women's Golf Student-Athlete (2000)
Joe Caldeira, Men's Golf Student-Athlete (2009)
Renee Coltrane, Women's Basketball Student-Athlete (2001)
Wendy Engelmann-Gettings, Women's Basketball Student-Athlete (2002)
Siggi Eyjolfsson, Men's Soccer Student-Athlete (2008)
Mike Fleming, Supporter (2000)
Dr. June Galloway, Administrator (2007)
Liz Gremillion, Volleyball Student-Athlete (2006)
Belmar Gunderson, Women's Tennis Student-Athlete (2000)
Larry Hargett, Men's Basketball Coach (2007)
Scott Hartzell, Men's Basketball Student-Athlete (2006)
Jason Haupt, Men's Soccer Student-Athlete (2001)
Winn Hazlegrove, Softball Student-Athlete (2005)
Pat Hielscher, Women's Volleyball Coach (2001)
Christine Hornak, Softball Student-Athlete (2009)
Elizabeth House, Media / Supporter (2003)
Lewis Johnston, Men's Soccer Student-Athlete (2000)
Ellie Jones, Women's Tennis, Women's Basketball, Field Hockey Student-Athlete (2003)
Dock Kelly, Wrestling Student-Athlete (2006)
Dr. David B. Knight, Administrator (2003)
Ethel Martus Lawther, Adminstrator (2003)
Ali Lord, Women's Soccer Student-Athlete (2007)
Carol Mann, Women's Golf Student-Athlete (2002)
Tom Martin, Men's Basketball Student-Athlete / Supporter (2002)
Jill Masterman, Field Hockey Student-Athlete (2000)
Tonka Maynor, Baseball Student-Athlete (2007)
Andrew Mehalko, Men's Soccer Student-Athlete (2002)
Jo Ann Messick, Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis, Field Hockey Student-Athlete (2006)
Brian Moehler, Baseball Student-Athlete (2005)
William E. Moran, Chancellor Emeritus (2000)
Becky Morgan, Women's Golf Student-Athlete (2007)
Laura Mussulman, Women's Soccer Student-Athlete (2002)
Missi Olson Kovachev, Women's Volleyball Student-Athlete (2009)
Michael Parker, Men's Soccer Coach (2005)
Dr. Frank Pleasants, Administrator (2007)
Angie Polk-Jones, Women's Basketball Student-Athlete (2000)
Nancy Porter, Women's Golf Coach (2005)
Eddie Radwanski, Men's Soccer Student-Athlete (2000)
Cathy Roberts, Administrator (2007)
Bruce Shaw, Men's Basketball Student-Athlete (2000)
Joe Stanton, Wrestling Student-Athlete (2008)
Mike E. Sweeney, Men's Soccer Student-Athlete (2003)
Jim Swiggett, Administrator / Coach (2006)
Karyn Thompson Voelz, Softball Student-Athlete (2008)
Rita Wiggs, Women's Basketball Student-Athlete (2000)
Donna Friesen Wigton, Women's Volleyball Student-Athlete (2003)
"The Big Five": Chuck Hayes, Mike Weaver, Jim Melvin, Stanley Frank, and Charlie Reid; Supporters (2000)
- UNCG -
