Bryant Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2006
Bryant University To
Induct Three Into Athletics Hall
of Fame
Noelle Emmette ’92, Bill DiStefano ’98
and Stephanie Ladd ’89 to be enshrined in January
SMITHFIELD, RI – The Bryant University department of
athletics has announced that three former student-athletes have
been selected for induction to the university’s Athletics
Hall of Fame.
The three new members of the hall of fame, as chosen by a 10-person
committee, are Noelle Emmette ’92,
Bill DeStefano ’98, and Stephanie
Ladd ’89. The class of new inductees,
which was announced Saturday as part of Homecoming Reunion
festivities, will join the 64 current hall of fame members at the
induction ceremony January 21, 2006.
One of the most decorated volleyball players in the history of
Bryant volleyball, Noelle Emmette’s name
still stands among some of the all-time greats to play for the
Bulldogs over the years. During her career from 1988-1992,
Emmette garnered Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year honors
in 1988 and capped off her career as the NE-10 Player of the Year
in 1991. Along the way, Emmette garnered three all-conference
honors. As a senior in 1991, she helped lead the Bulldogs to
a perfect 8-0 conference record (26-6 overall) with 379 kills and
hit .330 offensively, the second-best single season percentage in
school history. Her .800 percentage vs. Saint Anselm still remains
a record today.
With all of the recent success of the Bryant baseball program, much
can be attributed to the 1998 Bulldog team that helped put the
Bulldogs on the national baseball map. One of those was
Bill DiStefano of
Norwalk,
Conn. One of the best pure-hitters to play
at Bryant from 1995-1998, DiStefano helped lead the Bulldogs to the
1998 Northeast-10 Conference Championship and a berth in the 1998
NCAA Regional where the Bulldogs were a mere out away from
advancing to the World Series. DiStefano is currently ranked
fourth all-time at Bryant in career base hits with 199. In 1998, he
tallied 79 hits, ranking him fifth all-time while his 12 home runs
that year ranks as the third-best in school history. Other
accomplishments include 15 outfield assists his senior year,
graduating as the career RBI leader, 5th in stolen bases, and 5th
in career doubles. He was named to the All-New England First Team
in 1998 and All-Conference at two positions (catcher in '96,
outfield in '98.
One of the top players in Bryant history, Stephanie
Ladd becomes the seventh women’s basketball player
to be inducted in the Bryant Athletics Hall of Fame. Stephanie was
a graduate of Mississquoi Valley Union High School. During her
playing career from 1985 through 1989, Ladd scored 1,410 career
points ranking her third all-time among the scoring leaders in
Bryant women’s basketball history and won the Northeast-10
Tournament three out of her four years (85-86, 87-88, 88-89).
As a junior, Ladd earned MVP honors at the Northeast-10 Conference
basketball tournament in leading Bryant to one of three the
conference tournament titles thanks to a 16 rebound effort in the
title game against Bentley. She helped lead Bryant to three
conference tournament titles and three appearances in the NCAA
tournament. Bryant's overall record was 75-41 and had a
conference record of 42-22 while Ladd was a player.
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