Bryant University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2006

SMITHFIELD, RI - Several former athletes, coaches, administrators, as well as current student-athletes turned out Saturday night to see the three newest members of the Bryant University Athletics Hall of Fame honored with the annual dinner ceremony.  Former baseball star Bill DiStefano '98, volleyball standout Noelle Emmette '92, and women's basketball great Stephanie Ladd '89 were all inducted into the Bryant Hall of Fame at the Bello Center on the Bryant campus. 

Among the various speakers during the night, Bryant President Ron Machtley both highlighted and praised the accomplishments of the three inductees for playing a key role in shaping Bryant into the successful program it is today.

"You are the ones who have set the standard for excellence," said Machtley (right).  "Your hard work in practices, training and conditioning, set the standard for what Bryant is today and I applaud each of you. You have fulfilled our mission here at Bryant and that's to see that each and every student achieves their best in both personal life and in their careers. You three have certainly achieved that.  It is wonderful to have you back on campus tonight.  "

Interim Director of Athletics John Ruppert spoke about just how far Bryant has come since the three were winning conference titles and earning spots in the NCAA tournament  in volleyball, basketball, and baseball.  All three inductees competed at Bryant long before the addition of the world class facilities were built, and two (Ladd and Emmette) competed before the school switched its nickname from Indians to Bulldogs.

BILL DISTEFANO '98
Baseball

While there has been plenty of success for Bryant's baseball program onto the national stage in recent years, those who have followed the Bulldog baseball program can look back to the teams of the late 1990's as the beginning of something special for Bryant baseball. One of those responsible for that success was Bill DiStefano. Simply one of the best pure hitters to ever suit up for the storied baseball program, DiStefano turned in quite a collegiate career at Bryant from 1995 to 1998.

His offense at the plate and defensive ability as the Bulldogs' catcher helped guide Bryant to the 1998 Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Championship and berth in the 1998 NCAA Northeast Regional Championships.

A First Team All-America selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 1998, DiStefano earned two Northeast-10 Conference All-Conference honors including a first team selection in 1998 and second team honor in 1996.

In addition, he was named the Bryant University Athlete of the Year following a memorable 1998 season. During that year, DiStefano tallied 79 hits including 12 home runs - the third-best in school history. He drove in 61 runs and finished his career ranked second in school history with 150 career RBIs and third in school history with 199 career hits. DiStefano is also among the career leaders in today's record book with 42 career stolen bases and 39 career doubles, ranking fifth in both categories.

NOELLE EMMETTE-RAYMOND '92
Women's Volleyball

One of the most decorated volleyball players in the history of Bryant volleyball, Noelle Emmette's becomes the fourth volleyball student-athlete, and fifth member of the volleyball family, to be enshrined into the Bryant University Athletics Hall of Fame.

More than 13 seaons may have passed since the Middletown, Connecticut native suited up for the Bulldogs, but Emmette's name still stands among some of the all-time greats play for the Bulldogs. During her outstanding career from 1988 to 1991, Emmette garnered three all-conference honors and was not only named the 1988 conference Rookie of the Year, but closed out her career as the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1991.

As a senior in 1991, Emmette helped lead Bryant to a perfect 8-0 conference record and 26-6 mark overall. That year, she paced the Bulldogs with 379 kills and hit an astounding .330 offensive - the second-best single season hitting percentage in school history.

In addition, her .800 hitting percentage in a win over Saint Anselm College still remains a record today and one that will be hard to top.

STEPHANIE LADD - TREVINO '89
Women's Basketball

The times have certainly changed at Bryant since Stephanie Ladd last stepped foot on the basketball court at Bryant University: the school nickname changed from the Indians to Bulldogs, and most recently, the school moved from college to university status. While the school continues to change and evolve over time, one thing is for sure, the name Stephanie Ladd will always be remembered as one of the best in Bryant women¹s basketball history.

A native of Swanton, Vermont, Ladd (pictured with coach Mary Burke, right) was the dominant center that helped lead Bryant to back-to-back Northeast-10 Conference Championships. As a junior in 1988, Ladd's 16-rebound effort against Bentley in the championship game earned her Most Valuable Player honors at the conference championships.

In 1989, Ladd averaged a team-best 19 points per game and was named First Team All-Conference by the Northeast-10 as the Bryant once again defeated Bentley for the conference championship. That same year, she posted the conference¹s top field goal percentage (.579) and scored 551 points in 29 games - a scoring mark that still stands today as the second-best in school history.

In addition to her all-conference honors, Ladd was also one of five players named to the NCAA Northeast Regional All-Tournament team and was an ECAC-East First Team selection. During her junior and senior season, the women's basketball team posted a 42-18 record for a winning percentage of .700. Today, Ladd currently ranks third all-time with 1,410 career points scored.