2007 BRYANT HALL OF FAME A HUGE SUCCESS

Read Bill Reynolds Providence Journal Column (Jan. 14, 2007) 

SMITHFIELD, RI -   The Bryant University Athletics Department welcomed five new members and one team into the Athletics Hall of Fame during its annual induction dinner last Saturday, January 13. 

Before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 200, Bryant officially inducted former golf standout Mike McKenna, basketball greats Dan Mazzulla and Beth Connealy, track / cross country coach Charlie Mandeville, and baseball player and coach Jon Sjogren. 

But perhaps the highlight of the evening came at the very end as Bryant inducted the 1966-67 men's basketball team into the hall of fame.  One of the greatest teams in the history of the program, they become the first-ever team to be inducted into the hall. 

Coached by Tom Duffy, the 66-67 team featured hall of famer Tom Smile who still holds Bryant's career scoring record with 2,390 career points.  Playing most of their games at Hope High School in Providence when the campus was located on the East Side, the team posted an undefeated 22-0 regular season record and advanced to the NAIA national tournament.

Most were in attendance during the hall of fame dinner and were introduced one by one by coach Duffy following a memorable speech by the hall of fame coach. 

The team included: 
Ted Alsup (East Providence, RI),  Jose Alvarez (Pawtucket, RI), Tony DeQuattr (Providence, RI),  Joe Goddard (Warwick, RI), Don Gray (Newport, RI),  Ron Hoyt (Pawtucket, RI), John McVeigh (Cumberland, RI),  Richard Pettee (Simsbury, Conn.), Tom Smile (Pawtucket, RI), Jim Squadrito (Warwick, RI), Pete Sullivan (Providence, RI), George Yates (Newport, RI), Ed McManus (East Providence, RI), Coach Tom Duffy, Asst. Coach Ray Bedard, Managers Mike Fisher and Maurice Clare.

Also inducted:

Dan Mazzulla - Class of 1984 -  Men's Basketball   
One of the most prolific scorer's in Bulldog history, Dan Mazzulla led the Bulldogs to a pair of 20 win seasons and the school's first two NCAA tournament appearances. Mazulla ranks 10th in career scoring with 1,390 career points scored at Bryant and ranks fourth in career rebounding with 761. In addition, he also holds the Bulldog single season record with a .913 free throw percentage. Considered to be one of the best rebounders in program history, Mazzulla's toughness on the glass earned him respect around the region in the late 1970's.

Beth Connealy, Class of 1996 - Women's Basketball
Beth Connealy- Wandyess led her women's basketball teams to a combined 61 wins during her four year career including an 18-9 season in 1995 which saw the Bulldogs capture the ECAC Championship.  In addition, Connealy also holds the school record for steals in a game (10), steals in a season (103 in 1994-95) and career steals (258).  During her career, Connealy was instrumental in the success of Bryant basketball during the mid-90's. 

Mike McKenna, Class of 1986, Men's Golf  
Two-sport star Mike McKenna ‘86 was a four time letterman in hockey and golf. He was a Northeast-10 Conference medalist in golf in 1983 and 1984 as well as a three-time all conference selection. He helped transition the hockey program from Division III to Division II and took all-conference honors at both levels.   On the links McKenna enjoyed a highly decorated collegiate career. He showed the same level of leadership on the golf course as he did in the hockey rink, and was named captain of the 1986 Bryant golf team.  McKenna led the golf team to two Northeast Regional titles and three ECAC Championship appearances behind his individual play.  

Charlie Mandeville, Cross Country / Track Coach  
Long-time track and field coach Charlie Mandeville led Bryant's women's cross country team to a No. 7 ranking in the East in 1985. Mandeville coached two All-Americans (Diane Tedford and Jenny Proud) and numerous Academic All-Americans.

Mandeville's '85 dream team only had one regular season loss, and many of his runners are still Bryant record-holders today.  In addition to being an outstanding track and field and cross country coach, Mandeville also served as the athletic trainer at Bryant for over 20 years, traveling to both basketball and baseball games.  

Jon Sjogren, Class of 1988, Baseball - Millis, Mass.
Jon Sjogren ‘88 coached the Bulldog baseball team for 15 years, posting a 360-301-1 record in becoming the winningest coach in Bryant school history. Before assuming the coaching duties, Sjogren earned All-New England and all-conference recognition as a player and finished with a .370 career batting average. He led the Bulldogs to three NCAA tournament appearances and four Northeast-10 conference titles.  In 2004, Sjogren led Bryant to its first NCAA Regional Championship and berth in the College World Series in Montgomery, Alabama. The Bulldogs finished the season with a school record 40 wins and a No. 6 national ranking. His 2004 squad was the third Bryant team that Sjogren had led to the NCAA tournament, with other appearances coming in 1998 and 2002. Sjogren was named Northeast-10 Coach of the Year four times in his tenure with Bryant, and is still the only Bulldog to have won a conference championship and appear in an NCAA tournament as both a player and a head coach.