University of Massachusets Athletics
Hall of Fame Adds Seven New Members
 | |
Jan. 3, 2002
AMHERST, Mass. -- An Olympian and a two-sport standout headline a list of seven individuals who will be inducted this weekend into the University of Massachusetts Athletic Hall of Fame, presented by George "Trigger" Burke. Dorothy Leonard, who was a member of the 1940 U.S. Olympic Swim Team, and Rodger Twitchell, the second 1,000-point career scorer in school history and a three-time conference tennis champion, will be joined in the Class of 2001 by coach Pam Hixon (field hockey/women's lacrosse), Patrick Keenan (ice hockey), Garry Pearson (football), Bill Prevey (basketball) and Jeff Spooner (lacrosse) as selected by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
This year's class will be honored at a dinner Friday, Jan 4., at the Campus Center, then will be formally recognized at halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game against Saint Joesph's.
Dorothy Leonard, despite attending UMass at a time when a women's swimming team was nonexistent, went on to become a world-class swimmer. She worked out with the Massachusetts men's team in the distance events and according to her nominator, was "the best swimmer of either sex at the time." Donnelly was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1940, and competed in the 100-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle and as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay, but did not place in any of the events. A native of Worcester, Mass., Donnelly reached her peak during the War years when no games were held. She continued to swim until her death in 2000 and was very active in AAU master swimming events and holds every world record in her age group.
Pam Hixon ranks as not only one of UMass' greatest coaches ever, but as one of field hockey's finest, too. The fifth-winningest coach in collegiate field hockey history, Hixon directed the Massachusetts field hockey program for 17 seasons (1978-93 and 1996) and led her team to postseason play every year. She took the Minutewomen to 14 NCAA Tournaments, one AIAW Tournament and a pair of EAIAW Tournaments. Hixon's teams made four NCAA Final Four appearances, finishing second in 1981, and never had a losing season. The winningest coach in New England collegiate field hockey history, she owns an all-time record of 272-75-18 (.768) and led UMass to four Atlantic 10 Conference titles.
Selected as the national field hockey coach of the year in 1981, she earned six Atlantic 10 coach of the year citations. During her storied career, she coached a national player of the year, a Broderick Award winner, five Broderick Award nominees, 29 of the school's 34 All-Americans, 17 first-team all-Atlantic 10 Conference selections, four coaches Academic All-Americans and five Olympians.
Hixon was the head coach of the U.S. National Team and the 1996 Olympic Team coach. She led the U.S. to a top three world ranking and is recognized as the most successful national coach in U.S. field hockey history. In addition to coaching the UMass field hockey team, she served as head coach of the women's lacrosse program for nine seasons, fashioning a 91-30-2 (.748) record. She led the school to its first women's NCAA national championship in school history in 1982. Hixon resides in Amherst.
Patrick Keenan earned three letters in ice hockey at UMass (1970-73) and was a two-time first-team All-America selection for coach Jack Canniff. A member of the Minutemen's 1972 ECAC Division II championship squad which finished with a then-school-record 19-7 overall record, Keenan still ranks as the all-time leading scorer in school history with 180 points. He also holds school records for goals scored (105) and ranks third in assists (75). In addition to his career marks, Keenan holds the three best single-season marks for points and goals scored (65 points, 43 goals in 1972-73, 59 points and 43 goals in 1971-72 and 56 points and 28 goals in 1970-71). He also still holds the UMass single-game records for points (9 vs. Holy Cross in 1970) and goals (7 vs. Holy Cross in 1970). After completing his career at UMass, Keenan went on to play one season for the Cape Cod Cubs of the North American Hockey League. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.
Garry Pearson was a two-time first team All-America selection (1981-82) and earned four letters in football from 1979-82. After being used primarily as a kick returner as a freshman, Pearson demolished every single rushing record in the book. He set twelve records at UMass during his career, career (3,859), single-season (1,632 in 1982) and single game yards (288 vs. AIC in 1982), single game most carries (45 vs. AIC in 1982), single-season most carries (312 in 1982), career most carries (808), single-season touchdowns (15 in 1980), career touchdowns (35), single-season rushing yards per game (148.3 in 1982), career all-purpose yards (5,277), season all-purpose yards per game (175.7 in 1981), career all-purpose yards per game (131.9) and single game all-purpose yards (319 vs. AIC in 1982). The three-time first team All-Yankee conference selection (1980-82), still holds the records for most carries in a game and career all-purpose yards.
He was presented with the George Bulger Lowe Award (co-winner with Boston College's Doug Flutie) by the Gridiron Club of Boston as a senior. He was also the winner of the Harry Agganis Award presented by the New England Football Writers as the Outstanding Senior Football Player in New England. At the completion of his career, he ranked first in New England in single season and career rushing as well as career all-purpose yards and was the only player in New England football history to win three NCAA National Statistical titles: kickoff returns (1979), all-purpose running (1981) and rushing (1982). Pearson is a native of Bristol, Conn.
Bill Prevey was a three-year letterwinner for the UMass basketball team (1949-52) and captained the 1951-52 Minuteman squad. A first-team all-Yankee Conference and all-New England selection as a senior in 1952, Prevey totaled 836 career points during his career, a mark which was the best in school history at that time and stood as the school record until Jack Foley broke it five years later en route to becoming the first 1,000-point scorer in school history.
As a senior, Prevey averaged 22.6 ppg, a mark which ranked fifth nationally among small colleges, and still ranks as the fourth-best single-season mark in school history. He had three 30-point outings, including a career-high 39-point outburst against Rhode Island in his final season, which ranks as the second-best single-game effort in school history. For his career, Prevey averaged 17.8 ppg, which ranks fifth-best in UMass annals. A retired school teacher and coach, Prevey resides in North Adams, Mass.
Jeff Spooner earned four letters in lacrosse from 1974 through 1977 under Hall of Fame coach Richard F. Garber. He still ranks as the all-time leading scorer in UMass history with 275 points. Spooner finished his career with then career records of 134 goals and 141 assists, marks which ranks fourth and second, respectively today. A four-time All-New England selection, Spooner played on three New England championship teams (1974, 1976-77) and captained UMass' first two NCAA Tournament teams in 1976 and 1977. The Minutemen posted a 41-12 mark in his four seasons on the varsity.
An honorable-mention All-America pick in both 1975 and 1976, Spooner was a third-team All-American as a senior in 1977. He was also chosen to participate in the North-South All-Star game following his final season in a Maroon and White uniform. A member of the New York/Metropolitan Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the New England Hall of Fame, Spooner currently resides in Conway, Mass.
Rodger Twitchell was a three-year letterman in both basketball and tennis from 1961-64. On the hardwood, Twitchell was a member of UMass' 1962 team which captured the Yankee Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. He led the team in scoring both as a junior (17.0 ppg) and senior (18.3 ppg) and currently ranks 23rd on UMass' all-time scoring list with 1,151 points, which stood as the second-highest mark in school history at the time of his graduation. A first-team all-Yankee Conference player in both 1962 and 1963, he was a first-team All-NABC District I selection as a junior in 1963 and his 10.9 career rebound average still ranks fifth all-time at UMass, while his career scoring average of 16.4 ppg ranks 10th-best.
In tennis, Twitchell posted a career record of 24-1 in singles and 16-4 in doubles. He won three straight Yankee Conference singles titles and the 1963 Yankee Conference doubles crown. Twitchell was a member of UMass' 1962 and 1963 Yankee Conference champion tennis teams, and was selected as Massachusetts' standout two-sport athlete as a senior in 1964. He currently resides in Kennebunkport, Maine.
"I believe that this is another outstanding group of individuals who are very deserving of this recognition," UMass Athletic Director Bob Marcum said. "This is a class that will bring added honor and distinction to our Hall of Fame, the athletic department and the University of Massachusetts."
This is the fifth class UMass has honored since the resurrection of the Hall of Fame after a 15-year period of dormancy, and brings to 55 the number of individuals who have been enshrined.