General | 7/15/2021 9:31:00 AM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University athletic department announced today that seven individuals will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 29. Following a one-year hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this group marks the 39th Athletic Hall of Fame class and, with the addition of seven individuals, brings the number of members enshrined to 196.

The members of the 2021 Hall of Fame Class are Michael Barnhart (football) '70, Jeff Benson (men's basketball) '99, Susan Boyer Flanders (women's swimming) '84, Andy Cappelli (wrestling) '80, Kate Denneny Peckham (field hockey/softball) '87, Michele Ruzicka Lamb (women's basketball) '99, and Danny Hale (football coach) '01(H). 

The induction dinner and ceremony will occur on Friday, October 29, at the Nelson Field House. Festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by the dinner and induction ceremony starting at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets and registration for the event will be announced in the coming days.

MICHAEL BARNHART '70
Michael Barnhart was a four-year member of the Bloomsburg State College football team from 1966-69, starting every game of his collegiate career at middle linebacker.

Barnhart began his Huskies' career as the defensive captain of the freshman football team. After leading the team in tackles and interceptions, he earned a starting role and was named a varsity defensive captain as a sophomore.

The middle linebacker went on to earn numerous athletic awards during his playing career. Barnhart captured Second Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore and then collected All-Conference First Team and Associated Press All-State Third Team accolades as a junior. Barnhart was unanimously chosen as a team captain during his senior season. He earned All-Conference First Team, Associated Press All-State Third Team, and NAIA All-American honors following his final campaign.

Off the field, Barnhart enjoyed tremendous academic success and was elected as President of the Delta Omega Chi fraternity. He was also named President of the Inter-Fraternity Council.

After graduating from Bloomsburg with a business administration degree, Barnhart had a very successful professional career as a controller for Electronic Data Systems Bethlehem Steel Corporation Business Unit and finally with EDS's Retail Industry segment where he, as CFO, managed eight different retail businesses with more than $500 million in revenues.

He retired in 2009 to spend time with his wife, who recently retired as Director of Rehab Services at St. Luke's Hospital Warren Campus, and two daughters, both of whom are college graduates and are also enjoying successful business careers. 

JEFF BENSON '99
Jeff Benson was a two-year standout for the Huskies' men's basketball team, helping to guide Bloomsburg to a 40-17 overall record and two trips – including a runner-up finish in 1999 – to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament.

After transferring in from junior college where he helped lead his team to the national championship, Benson provided an immediate impact for the Huskies in his first season as he was named to the All-PSAC East First Team. Benson led Bloomsburg in scoring at 16.9 points per game and also led the Huskies in steals with 36. He reached double figures in scoring in 27 of the team's 28 games and was the team's high scorer on 14 different occasions.

Benson ranked among the league leaders in scoring average (16.9) and field goal percentage (49.4%) and helped Bloomsburg advance to the conference semifinals.

His second, and final, year was even better as he was named the PSAC East Player of the Year and earned a second consecutive spot on the All-PSAC East First Team following his senior season. He was just the second player in program history to be named Player of the Year, joining Mike Ellzy, who claimed the honor following the 1995-96 season.

Benson led Bloomsburg, and ranked third in the league in scoring, at 19.0 points per game. He also led the PSAC, and ranked seventh in the country, in three-point field goal percentage (47.9%). He led the Huskies in scoring 18 times, scored in double figures in 28 of the team's 29 games, and helped Bloomsburg to a spot in the PSAC Championship game, where he scored a team-high 27 points in a loss against California.

Benson eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau at Bloomsburg, finishing his career with 1,025 career points despite playing only two seasons. He currently ranks 28th on the program's all-time list – he was 16th at the time of his graduation. 

SUSAN BOYER FLANDERS '84
Susan Boyer Flanders was a four-year standout on the women's swimming team from 1980-84.

Boyer earned ten All-American accolades during her decorated collegiate career and won a pair of PSAC titles, with both coming during the 1981-82 season. She also finished fourth or better at the PSAC Championships 18 times, earning 13 All-Conference performances in the pool during that time.

She earned a pair of All-American honors as a freshman during the 1980-81 season, placing fifth in the 200-yard medley relay and tenth in the 100-yard individual medley.

Boyer was then a five-time All-American in 1981-82 and earned four All-Conference accolades. The 200-yard medley relay team set a then-national record en route to an Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Championship. The 400-yard medley relay team also won the national title that season. She also finished in the top eight in the 50-yard breaststroke, the 100-yard breaststroke, and the 100-yard individual medley. Boyer won the 50-yard breaststroke and the 100-yard breaststroke at the PSAC Championships earlier in the year, setting a then-conference record in the 100-yard event.

In 1982-83, Boyer captured three more All-American honors, earned five All-Conference swims, and then finished her collegiate career with four All-Conference performances during the 1983-84 season. At the 1983 AIAW championships, Boyer finished fifth nationally in the 200-yard medley relay and sixth in the country in the 100-yard individual medley. Her 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay times in the 1984 PSAC Championships established new team records, and each finished second.

Upon her graduation, Boyer held six team records with the record-breaking time in the 200-yard medley relay, set in 1982, staying at the top of the program list until 1996.

Boyer graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Secondary Education and Spanish in 1984. She went on to earn her Master's degree in Teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) from West Chester in 1990.

She and her husband, Mark, reside in Long Neck, Delaware. She has two children, three step-children, and two grandchildren. Boyer taught high school for 33 years before retiring in 2017. She also coached high school, YMCA, and USA swimming for 16 years and has been a member of the United States Masters swimming for 25 years, occasionally participating in Masters' swimming competitions. Boyer currently holds six Delaware Senior Olympic swimming records.

ANDY CAPPELLI '80
Andy Cappelli enjoyed a sensational four-year career on the mat for the Bloomsburg University wrestling team from 1975-79.

Cappelli posted an overall record of 109-32-4 and, at the time of his induction, ranks 13th all-time in career victories. His winning percentage of .766 is 12th in program history. A tri-captain as a senior, Cappelli was a three-time PSAC champion, a three-time Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) placewinner, and a three-time NCAA qualifier.

Cappelli is one of only ten wrestlers in program history to win three PSAC titles after winning in 1977, 1978, and 1979 after finishing fourth as a freshman in 1976. His championships in 1977 and 1979 were at 177 pounds, while his 1978 crown came at 167 pounds. His victory in 1979 also helped the Huskies capture the PSAC team title, which, at the time, was the sixth in program history.

At the EWLs, Cappelli finished second twice and third once, and he qualified for the NCAA Division I championships as a freshman in 1976 and then again in 1977 and 1979.

Cappelli was a four-time Bloomsburg Open champion and claimed three crowns while competing at the Delaware Invitational during his career, where he was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler. He also won a pair of East Stroudsburg Opens, two Bloomsburg Invitationals, and the Bucknell Invitational in 1976.

During his four-year career, the Huskies' wrestling program went 47-17-2 in duals under head coach Roger Sanders. The team won the PSAC Championship in 1979 and finished second at the EWL Tournament in 1977 and 1979.

While at Bloomsburg, Cappelli was President of Delta Omega Chi for two years and was also a Campus Government representative for three years.

Cappelli and his wife, Maggie, reside in Valley Forge and have two sons. He has been working in the construction management field for more than 35 years, primarily building new residential and commercial properties in southeastern Pennsylvania. He is currently building two new apartment buildings for BET Investments in suburban Philadelphia.

KATE DENNENY PECKHAM '87
Kate Denneny Peckham was a four-year starter on both the field hockey and softball teams during her time at Bloomsburg from 1983-87 and was a highly decorated student-athlete while competing for both programs.

Denneny played on the 1983 and 1984 field hockey teams that claimed the NCAA Division III National Championship. She scored the game-winning goal for the Huskies in the 1984 title game to secure a 3-2 victory over Messiah College to give Bloomsburg its second straight national crown.

Denneny earned All-PSAC honors in field hockey in 1985 and 1986 while helping to lead the Huskies to a national semifinal run in 1985 and a trip to the title game in 1986. She served as team captain in her senior season, and her 11 assists in 1985 still rank among the top 15 most in a single season in program history.

The field hockey program went 73-7-3 during her four-year career with two conference championships and two national titles.

In softball, Denneny was honored as an NCAA Division II All-American in 1987 while also earning Academic All-American accolades that same season. She led the Huskies to four consecutive PSAC championships from 1984-87 and helped Bloomsburg to an NCAA Division III national runner-up finish in 1986 and a trip to the national semifinals the year prior.

Denneny was a two-time Mid-Atlantic All-American in 1986 and 1987 and a three-time All-PSAC honoreee from 1985-87. She also still holds a share of the program record with five hits in a single game against Allentown on April 12, 1986.

The softball program compiled a 142-26 overall record with Denneny on the roster.

Denneny married Bloomsburg men's soccer alum, Ted Peckham, and the couple has two sons – both of whom went on to excel in collegiate athletics at the Division I and Division III levels. Denneny has worked as an educator in the Central Bucks School District for more than 25 years and has served as a high school and collegiate field hockey and women's lacrosse official for 27 years.

MICHELE RUZICKA LAMB '99
Michele Ruzicka Lamb graduated in December, 1999, from Bloomsburg University and had a sensational four-year career on the Huskies' women's basketball team.

Ruzicka was named the PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Year following the 1997-98 campaign after averaging 15.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting better than 56% from the field. At the time, she was the fifth player in program history to earn Athlete of the Year honors. That season, she led the Huskies in scoring 13 times and rebounding on 18 different occasions as Bloomsburg won 22 games and advanced to the regional final. She was named the PSAC East Player of the Week four times during a five-week period in January of that year.

Ruzicka later earned Second Team All-Region accolades from Daktronics and First Team All-PSAC East laurels. During her senior season in 1998-99, Ruzicka claimed a second consecutive spot on the All-PSAC East First Team after averaging 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Huskies.

At the time of her final collegiate game, Ruzicka ranked fifth in scoring with 1,257 career points and was sixth in rebounds with 728 career boards. She now ranks eleventh and ninth, respectively, in those categories. She is also 13th all-time in career steals with 187. Ruzicka also held the program record for field goal percentage in a single season and a career until both records were broken in 2016.

Her 468 points and 240 rebounds during her Player of the Year season of 1997-98 each rank in the top 13 single-season bests in program history.

Ruzicka helped the Huskies to an 80-33 overall record during her career, two PSAC East titles, a PSAC runner-up finish in 1999, and a trip to the NCAA regional final in 1998.

Ruzicka and her husband, R.J., currently reside in Glenside along with their two children, Presley and Maxwell. Ruzicka is currently a realtor at Long & Foster Blue Bell.

DANNY HALE' 01(H)
Danny Hale, one of Division II's winningest coaches, retired June 28, 2013, after spending 20 seasons as the head coach of the Huskies and 25 years overall as a head coach. Before joining Bloomsburg, Hale spent five years as head coach at West Chester University. At Bloomsburg, Hale posted a record of 173-56-1 (.754) and holds the school record for most coaching victories. Overall, in 25 years as a head coach, he had a mark of 213-69-1 (.754) and ranked among the top five among active coaches in NCAA Division II in winning percentage and victories at the time of his retirement.

In his 20 seasons as head coach at Bloomsburg, Hale led the Huskies to 11 outright or shared PSAC Eastern Division titles and eight NCAA postseason playoff berths. In his final 13 seasons (2000-2012), Bloomsburg was one of the most successful NCAA Division II programs with a combined record of 121-32 (.791). He guided the Huskies to seven ten-win seasons – Bloomsburg had only one previous ten-win season (1985; 12-1) since the program's inception in 1892.

Overall, Hale was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) District I Coach of the Year nine times, the third-highest total in AFCA history. Twice he won the honor in consecutive seasons (2000 and 2001 and 2005 and 2006). He was named the PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year 10 times, including four straight from 1994 to 1997 and back-to-back in 2005 and 2006. Hale was also a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award in 2006 and was featured on ABC in a special hosted by the late Keith Jackson.

Hale coached many great players, including Irv Sigler, the 1997 Harlon Hill Award winner as the nation's best Division II football player. Sigler finished the year as one of the few players ever in Division II history to average more than 200 yards per game rushing. In addition, Hale coached Jamar Brittingham, a 2005 top-three finalist for the Harlon Hill. Brittingham finished 2005 as college football's top rusher and scorer and was fourth in Division II in all-purpose yards. In 2010, Hale coached D-II's leading rusher and First Team All-American in Franklyn Quiteh. As a freshman, Quiteh was the only back at any level of football to rush for more than 2,000 yards. He finished sixth in the balloting for the Harlon Hill Award that year before winning the honor as the nation's best player in 2013.

Running backs need some excellent blockers, and Hale was blessed with a tremendous list of offensive linemen who also helped the program become a national power. Included in that list was Jahri Evans, a fourth-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 2006. Evans was widely regarded among the NFL's top linemen during his professional playing career. Hale also coached Brian Clarke, a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award as the nation's best lineman in 2012, and Matt Feiler, who just signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers after spending several seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hale's most memorable season came in 2000 as the Huskies advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship game, eventually losing to Delta State. After losing the first two games of the season, Bloomsburg rattled off 12 consecutive victories, including wins over Saginaw Valley State and Northwood to open the NCAA playoffs. In the national semifinals, the Huskies rallied from 19 points down to stun UC-Davis, 58-48, to advance to the title game for the first time in program history. Hale earned the AFCA Division II National Coach of the Year award following the season.

At West Chester, Hale went 40-13, won three PSAC East titles, and advanced to the NCAA playoffs in 1988. Prior to West Chester, Hale was an offensive line and defensive coordinator at Colgate from 1981 to 1983. He was also the offensive line coach at Bucknell from 1975-80 and was defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Vermont in 1974.

Hale is a graduate of West Chester, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in health and physical education in 1968 and 1973. He was an All-Conference pick at West Chester and earned the team's most valuable player in the 1967 State Championship game. He also lettered in track and field three times. He is a member of the West Chester Football Hall of Fame and the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1968, Hale signed with the Pottstown Firebirds, the semi-professional farm club of the Philadelphia Eagles, before entering the Marine Corps, where he played middle linebacker for the Quantico Marines. Following a three-year stint, he was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in 1972.

Hale, who earned an honorary degree from Bloomsburg in 2001, and his wife Diane are the parents of four children, Roman, Brandie, Tyson, and Christina. The couple has 19 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.