Zips Athletics Announces Class of 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees

February 21, 2015

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron Department of Athletics inducted its 40th Annual Varsity "A" Sports Hall of Fame Inductees on Friday night at the Quaker Station Ballroom.

The Class of 2014 — Charlie Frye, Joel Hawthorne, Brande Lamb, Dan McGrath, Dennis Mitchell, and Kim Schaper — was honored at a banquet. In addition, for the first time, the Hall of Fame recognized its Team of Distinction— the 1963-64 men's basketball team. Kenneth "Red" Cochrane Meritorious Service Award recipients, Vincent & Nancy DiGirolamo, and the Mike Krino Varsity A Achievement Awardee, Michael J. Dowling, were also honored.

The six honorees takes the total in the UA Varsity "A" Hall of Fame to 309 athletes, coaches, and administrators. In addition, there are now 37 Kenneth "Red" Cochrane Meritorious Service Award recipients and 26 Mike Krino Varsity "A" Achievement awardees.

The Class of 2014 will be honored at halftime of today's men's basketball game.

2014 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

CHARLIE FRYE '05 (Football) – UA's most honored quarterback, who started in 45 of 46 games over his career (2001-04), Charlie Frye set 54 school records and became the 16^th quarterback in NCAA history and the third in Mid-American Conference history to pass for over 2,000 yards for all four seasons. While throwing for 11,049 yards, including 3,549 in 2003, which is the single-season record, Frye had 14 career 300-yard passing games, including a school record 436-yard performance in his career finale against Miami. He completed 913 of 1,436 passes for 64 touchdowns, all UA career records. In 2004, Frye became the first UA player to receive the MAC's Vern Smith Leadership Award, the highest honor given to a Conference football student-athlete. He guided UA to a 6-2 MAC record to finish second in the East Division as a senior in 2004, and was named second-team All-MAC. Frye went on to earn the Most Valuable Player Award in the 2005 Senior Bowl. He was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns where he played for three seasons. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks (2008) and the Oakland Raiders (2009) before a wrist injury ended his NFL career. Frye is currently a physical education teacher and the offensive coordinator for the football team at Wekiva High School in Apopka, Fla. The Mustangs won their third consecutive district championship in 2014. Frye and his wife Lenette reside in Windermere, Fla., with their sons C.J. and Cristian.

JOEL HAWTHORNE '87, '90 (Baseball) – A four-year letterman, Joel Hawthorne was UA's starting second baseman all four seasons (1983-87), helping the Zip baseball team to four consecutive winning seasons. Hawthorne started extremely well by batting a career-high .362 as a freshman as UA compiled a 30-18 record. In subsequent seasons, Akron went 32-28 in 1985, 35-24 in 1986, and 34-19 in 1987. Hawthorne, who had a career on-base average of .465 and a career batting average of .316, so impressed opposing coaches that he was selected as a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honoree as a junior and as a senior. A two-time second-team All-South Region selection, he batted .327 and had career highs in runs (62) and homeruns (7). During his collegiate career, Hawthorne played in 217 games, had 685 at-bats, scored 204 runs, and had hit 19 triples – all UA career records. Currently, Hawthorne is CEO and President of GrafTech International, a global graphite materials manufacturing company headquartered in Northeast Ohio. A native of Warren, Hawthorne currently resides in Bath with his wife Jody (UA '87). They have four grown children: daughters Meagan (UA '13), Samantha, and Emma, and son Andrew. Meagan lives in Tennessee with her husband, Tyler Rue (UA '12).

BRANDE LAMB '97 (Basketball/Track) – Brande Lamb was a rare track-basketball standout who earned eight letters during her UA a career from 1993-96. During her basketball career, the 5-9 forward appeared in 92 games and started in 39 of 45 games her last two seasons. Her junior campaign proved to be her best when she averaged 9.4 points, scoring a career-high 23 points against Valparaiso. For her career, Lamb scored 551 points and grabbed 211 rebounds. However, it was in track and field that she excelled and was a NCAA provisional high jump qualifier for three years. In 1993, her 5'5" high jump was the best on the UA team, and she was named the Newcomer of the Year. Lamb improved to team-high 5'9 1/4" in 1994 to earn the Most Improved Award. She reset the school record with a 5'10" effort at the Jesse Owens Invitational in 1995 and for the second straight year, she was the runner-up in Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championship. In 1996, Lamb became UA's first MAC track and field champion, clearing 5'9 1/4" at Miami to earn first-team All-MAC honors. Also for her performances, Lamb was voted UA's MVP as a junior and senior. She earned first-team All-MAC Academic honors as a junior. After completing graduate school at the University of Akron in 2000, Lamb became a licensed mental health therapist and began working with children, teens, and their families. Lamb has made the beautiful mountains of Asheville, N.C., her home for the past 14 years.

DAN MCGRATH '72 (Wrestling) – A four-year letterman in a sport that hasn't been on campus since 1981, Dan McGrath wrestled in three weight classes (167, 177, and 190) during his UA career. He finished with a record of 34 wins, 17 losses, and nine draws. However, McGrath had his most success in the 177-lb. class during his senior campaign. The Geneva, Ohio, native and tri-captain compiled a 15-2-3 record to lead the Zips with 61 points. That year McGrath captured the Midwest College Invitational 177-lb. Championship to earn a spot in the NCAA College Division Championship. He earned All-America honors by finishing sixth nationally. During his career, McGrath has worked in development engineering as an engineer and an engineering manager for several military contractors, including Honeywell, Martin Marietta, Texas Instruments, and Raytheon. Now retired, McGrath and his wife Donna split their residency between Geneva, Ohio, and Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. The couple has two children, Danielle and David, and three grandchildren.

DENNIS MITCHELL (Track & Field Coach) – Dennis Mitchell, one of the longest-tenured coaches in the league and a 18-time Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, is in his 20th season at the University of Akron. In all, he has received the league's top coaching honor 10 times for his women's teams and eight times for his men's teams. Additionally, Mitchell has earned Great Lakes Region Outdoor Coach of the Year recognition from the USTFCCCA on four occasions; twice each for the men's and women's teams. Since 1998, Mitchell's teams have produced 28 All-Americans, who have garnered a total of 70 All-America honors. Of that esteemed group, four have gone on to win NCAA Championships. Christi Smith captured the heptathlon crown in 2000, Stevi Large won the hammer in 2009, while in 2014 Shawn Barber claimed the indoor pole vault crown and Annika Roloff the outdoor pole vault title. Mitchell and his wife Cindy, a pole vault official, reside in Portage Lakes. The couple has two sons, Matt and Chad, and two grandchildren.

KIM SCHAPER '00 (Volleyball) – Kim Schaper was an outstanding athlete who was honored twice by the Mid-American Conference during her four-year career (1996-99). While starting in every game during her 125-match career, Schaper was credited with 5,619 assists to surpass 2006 Hall of Famer Patti Godzinski's mark of 4,869. Schaper also owned records of most assists in a match (83) and had four of the top five marks, as well. She had the highest average of assists per game in a season (12.9) in 1998. In addition, her 1,498 assists in 1999 and 1,458 in 1997 stood in second and third on the UA's all-time list of assists in a season. Schaper, who was voted Akron's Most Valuable Player her last three seasons and, as team co-captain, helped lead the Zips twice to 13-5 records in the MAC that included winning the 1999 East Division regular-season title. Schaper earned second-team All-MAC accolades in 1998 and first-team honors in 1999. Schaper earned a bachelor of science degree in economics from Akron in 2000. She is currently employed in the Financial Management Operations group at Ernst and Young, where she has worked for more than eight years. Schaper and her husband Brandon Veverka reside in Avon, Ohio, with their son Cole (4) and daughter Matilda (2).

Kenneth "Red" Cochrane Meritorious Service Award
VINCENT & NANCY DiGIROLAMO – They have been generous benefactors to The University of Akron, and specifically its athletic program, since 1977. Much of nearly $800,000 has been directed to several Zip athletic entities such as the Athletics Facilities Enhancement Fund, Fieldhouse Planning Fund, Men's Basketball, Football, Athletic Director's Fund, the Basketball Locker Room Fund, the basketball arena renovation project, and the Z-Fund. The DiGirolamos are season ticket holders for football and men's basketball. The DiGirolamos have three grown children– Alan, David (UA '87), and Annette (UA '81). The couple is active in Akron and its surrounding communities with their time and philanthropic support. Both Vince and Nancy are avid golfers and reside in Akron.

Mike Krino Varsity "A" Achievement Award
MICHAEL J. DOWLING '87 – Michael Dowling earned three letters as a back-up guard and part-time starter in 63 games on the UA basketball teams from 1982-86. Playing under head coach Bob Huggins as a senior, Dowling had the distinction of seeing action in 23 games as UA compiled a 22-8 record while capturing the school's first and only Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship with 68-63 victory over Middle Tennessee. That win also brought the Zip cagers the school's first bid to play in the NCAA Division I Tournament where they took on fifth-ranked Michigan. Dowling joined FirstEnergy Corporation shortly after getting his degree in business and organization communications and has risen up the ranks to his current position of Senior Vice President, External Affairs. Dowling has played a key role in securing gifts of nearly $3 million from FirstEnergy for UA's athletics program. He is a member of UA's National Alumni Board of Directors and a Varsity "A" Association member. Dowling and his wife, the former Karen Jolliff, a 1988 UA grad and three-year basketball letterwinner, have been generous donors since 1992 supporting the Z-Fund, the Varsity "A", and men's basketball. Dowling has been active with many community organizations, including the United Way, Akron Children's Hospital Medical Center, Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, and the Jackson Township YMCA.

Team of Distinction
The 1963-64 men's basketball team became the first UA team in any sport to gain national acclaim. That squad, led by senior 6-6 Randy Berentz (14.4 ppg) and playmaking guards Bill Stevens (13.2 ppg) and Terry Marsh (11.7 ppg), had the most wins in school history while compiling a 24-7 record under five-year head coach Tony Laterza. Rounding out the starters were 6-5 sophomore Frank Thompson and 6-4 freshman Don Williams, who each averaged nine points and 11 rebounds. The Zip cagers brought home the Ohio Conference Tournament Championship by defeating UA's arch nemesis, Wittenberg, by the narrowest of margins, 52-51, behind a 18-point effort by Stevens and two late critical free throws by Marsh. Previously, the Tigers had defeated the Zips in 10 consecutive games over six seasons. That victory before a packed house in the now demolished Memorial Hall earned UA a berth in the NCAA College Division National Tournament. Unfortunately, at that time freshmen were not permitted to play in the NCAA Tournament so UA lost the services of its starting center Williams. However, 6-5 Junior Carroll filled in admirably as UA hosted the NCAA Mideast Regional and defeated Ithaca, 94-77, and LeMoyne (N.Y.), 62-38, to capture the Mideast Region title and move onto the NCAA Finals in Evansville, Ind. Over that three-day tournament, UA continued its solid play to knock off Hofstra, 77-58, and North Carolina A&T, 57-48 (the 700th win in school history). However, in the battle for the NCAA title with the tall and talented Evansville Aces, led by future NBA Hall of Famer 6-6 Jerry Sloan, the Zips were defeated, 72-59, before nearly 11,000 partisan fans. The Zip cagers returned to be greeted by a raucous crowd at both the Akron-Canton Airport and on the UA campus before being presented a "Key to the City", proving finishing No. 2 in the nation is not too shabby!

1963-64 Akron Men's Basketball Team
22-7 overall, 11-3 OAC
National Runner-up
OAC Tournament Champion

      Name                   Pos.     Ht.     Yr.                    Hometown / High School
      Randy Berentz       F       6-6     Sr.                          Akron, Ohio / Hower
      Ron Brown            F       6-3     So.                        Kent, Ohio / Roosevelt
      Junior Carroll*       C       6-5     Jr. West Carrollton, Ohio / Dayton Carrollton
      Floyd Easterling     G       6-1     So.                      Akron, Ohio / Kenmore
      Dave Evans           G       6-1     Jr.                            Akron, Ohio / South
      Paul Heilman         F       6-3     Jr.                        Akron, Ohio / Garfield
      Roger Johnson       C       6-8     So.                           Akron, Ohio / South
      Ken Mackovic       G       6-0     So.                Barberton, Ohio / Barberton
      Terry Marsh*         G       6-0     Sr.                           Akron, Ohio / South
      Terry O'Hare         G      5-11    So.     New Lexington, Ohio / St. Aloysius
      Bill Stevens           G      5-11    Sr.                         Akron, Ohio / Central
      Frank Thompson* F       6-5     So.                              Akron, Ohio / East
      Rich Turner*         G       6-3     Fr.                         Akron, Ohio / Central
      Don Williams         C       6-4     Fr.           Canton, Ohio / Canton Catholic
      Frank Williams      F       6-2     So.                              Akron, Ohio / East
      Rich Williams        F       6-3     Sr.                      Rittman, Ohio / Rittman

      Head Coach: Tony Laterza*
      Assistant Coaches: Russ Pastuck*, Alex Adams*
      Captains: Terry Marsh, Bill Stevens
      Managers: Tom Floyd, Bill Spratt

            * deceased

The University of Akron Athletics

Zips Athletics Announces Class of 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees

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