The induction ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place Saturday, Oct.10 at noon in the Eben Holden Center. Tickets are $25 per person and must be reserved in advance by calling (315) 229-5418 to make reservations.
The national champion wrestlers to be inducted include Phil Lanzatella '83, Dr. Tod Northrup '85, Lelan Rogers, N86, Mark Shortsleeve '87, Pat Conners '88 and Jason Bovenzi '94.
Lanzatella was a four-time All-American, winning a title at the 1982 NCAA Division III wrestling championships for St. Lawrence. He qualified for the 1983 NCAA Division I championships despite placing second at the Div. III championships, and, in fact, was ranked as one of the top six wrestlers at 190 pounds in any division.
A three-sport star at St. Lawrence, Rogers won the 1985 NCAA Division III championship at 190 pounds, and was national runner-up at the 1983 NCAA D3s at 177. He later wrestled at Syracuse University, where he was a two-time EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) finalist. In addition to wrestling, Rogers competed in football and lacrosse.
Northrup was the 1983 NCAA Division III 167-pound champion, becoming the first Saint to win a national title as a sophomore, and only the fourth national champ in program history. He was a two-time NCAA All-American and selected St. Lawrence outstanding freshman scholar-athlete.
Shortsleeve joined the Saint wrestling program in 1985 after transferring from the University of Nebraska. He became the 1986 NCAA Division III champ at 134 pounds after wrestling just one season for St. Lawrence. Shortsleeve compiled a 29-5 record in that single season.
Conners was crowned the heavyweight champ at the 1988 NCAA Division championships, making a key contribution to the Saints winning the team title that year. A four-time NCAA Division III championships qualifier, Conners was a two-time NCAA East Regional Champion and a two-time NCAA All-American. He also played football for the Saints.
Bovenzi owns the distinction of being a national champion for both St. Lawrence and Ithaca College. A four-time NCAA Division III championships qualifier, Bovenzi was a three-time All-American, winning the NCAA 190-pound crown in 1993. After being sidelined with a shoulder injury after the 1993 football season, Bovenzi transferred to Ithaca, where he won the 1995 NCAA title at 190. He is now an assistant coach at Rochester Institute of Technology.
In addition to the six St. Lawrence wrestlers, other members of the 37th Hall of Fame class include men's hockey All-Americans Brian McColgan '88 and Hank Lammens '88, women's hockey All-American Gina Kingsbury '04, soccer All-America Laura LoGiudice Pecchia '01, track star Amy Farrell '99, football standout Richard "Dick" Cootware '79 and baseball and football star Andy Gustafson '75.
The St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1979. With these new inductees, the Hall will include 229 athletes, 12 coaches/administrators and 19 teams.
Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in upstate New York. It has approximately 2,500 students. The wrestling program was eliminated in 1995.
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