December 18, 2007

SIX INDIVIDUALS TO BE INDUCTED IN BRYANT UNIVERSITY
ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

JEFF RENGA '03, RON RENAUD '81, HEATHER LOPES '96,
MARCIE MONACO '99, PHILLIP GOSS '81, RAY LYONS ' 97
TO BE ENSHRINED FEBRUARY 9, 2008
 

Jeff Renga

Ray Lyons

Philip Goss

SMITHFIELD, RI-  The Bryant University Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2008. 

This year's class features five former student-athletes and one contributor who will be inducted during the annual Hall of Fame and Induction Dinner on Saturday, February 9, 2008 in the Bello Center's Stepan Grand Hall. 

The announcement of this year's hall of fame class was made today by Director of Athletics Bill Smith. 

The six new members of the hall of fame, as chosen by a 10-person committee, are: Jeff Renga '03 (Baseball); Ron Renaud '81 (Contributor); Heather Lopes '96 (women's basketball); Marcie Monaco '99 (volleyball); Philip Goss '81 (cross country); and Ray Lyons '97 (men's golf).

This year's class will bring the total number of members of the Bryant University Athletics Hall of Fame to 78. 

HEATHER LOPES '96 (Women's Basketball)
Lopes scored 1,030 career points as a member of the Bryant women's basketball team from 1992 to 1996.  She helped lead the Bulldogs to 61 wins during her four year career including an 18-9 record and ECAC Division II Championship in 1995.  She was second on the team in scoring as a junior with 11.1 points per game.

PHILIP GOSS '81 (Cross Country)
Goss was the first Bryant track athlete to compete in the Division I New England Track & Field Championship in 1980, competing in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.  Goss still holds the school steeple chase record, one of the longest standing records with a time of 9 minutes, 33.14 seconds set in 1980. Graduating Summa Cum Laude and a member of the Delta Mu Delta honor society, Goss was team captain of both the cross country and track & field teams, finishing consistently in the top three all four years in each cross country meet.  He won the RIAAU Cross Country Championship in 1979. 

RON RENAUD '81 (Contributor)
Founder of the Bryant karate club in 1978, Renaud has been with the club ever since and will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year in conjunction with his induction into the Hall of Fame. Renaud helped establish the first men's and women's competition teams at Bryant and since has trained approximately 1,000 students during the past thirty years.  For the past 15 years, Renaud has hosted several area tournament and championships at Bryant.

JEFF RENGA '03 (Baseball)
A standout member of the Bryant baseball team, Renga goes into the Hall Fame with his named still etched in the Bulldog baseball record book.  A first team All-American in 2002, Renga holds the school record with 99 hits during the 2002 season and set a record with 196 hits during his career.  A First Team All-Conference selection, he finished the 2002 season ranked 20th in doubles and 32nd nationally in batting average. 

MARCIE MONACO '99 (Volleyball)
In the long storied history of Bryant women's volleyball, former standout Marcie Monaco's name stands out as one of the best.  The 1998 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Co-MVP, Monaco is second all-time in career service aces and fourth all-time in most attacks in a season and third in career digs. She is ranked fifth all-time in Northeast-10 Conference history with 1,764 career digs and second with 326 career service aces. 

RAY LYONS '97 (Golf)
Ray Lyons is another former standout member of the Bryant University men's golf team.  A two-time academic All-American, Lyons was a four-time Northeast-10 Conference Champion as a medalist and won several individual championships during his career.  Lyons was named All-Northeast-10 Conference all four years from 1993 to 1996 in leading the Bulldogs to four consecutive conference championships. 

For more information on attending this year's dinner and induction ceremony, please contact Jason Sullivan, at jsulliva@bryant.edu.