1950s NCAA Teams, 6 Individuals Are 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees
Saints Athletics
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The first three St. Lawrence University men's hockey teams to appear in NCAA tournament competition and six individuals will comprise the St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame induction class of 2011 and will be honored as part of Homecoming Weekend festivities Nov. 4-6.
The Hall of Fame induction luncheon will be held Nov. 5 with the late Steve Peek '39, a baseball player, joining former Olympians Joe Pete Wilson '58 and Laurie Grover Humbert '88, field hockey and basketball star Sarah Burdsall '84, women's hockey player Andrea Blakeley '97 and 1999 NCAA Division III men's soccer Player of the Year Dan Annan, Jr., '00 as individual inductees. The 1951-52, 1954-55 and 1955-56 hockey teams will also be inducted in recognition of their NCAA tournament appearances.
The luncheon and following induction is open to the public. Luncheon tickets are $25 and reservations are requested. Reservations may be made by calling Cheryl Kennedy at 315-229-5418 or through email : ckennedy@stlawu.edu.
The 2011 induction will be the 33rd in the history of the St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame which began in 1979 with the induction of former athlete, coach and athletic director Ron Burkman as the sole inductee in the first year. It has since grown to include 208 individuals and 14 teams.
Peek pitched for several years in the minor leagues and spent one season with the New York Yankees after signing as a free agent in 1937. He went 4-2 in 1941 for the Yankees and had a 73-44 career record in the minors in an eight-year career which was interrupted by service in Europe in World War II.
Wilson was a standout on the Saint ski teams in the late 1950s and went on to compete in the 30 kilometer cross country race in the 1960 Olympics. He wrote several books on cross country skiing and organized and established the National Ski Touring Operators Association serving as its president from 1973-77.
Humbert was also a standout on the Saint women's ski teams in the 1980s and skied in the 1994 Olympics, competing in the biathlon. She finished 32nd in the 15 kilometer competition and helped her US team to an eighth place finish in the 7.5K relay.
Burdsall scored three goals in her first collegiate field hockey game and went on to captain the Saints as a senior. She also played a major role in the success of the Saint women's basketball team during her career as both a scorer and rebounder. She played a key role in the 1982-83 season in which the team went 18-3 and earned the first NCAA bid in program history.
Blakeley was the career leader in goals and second in assists and points in four seasons of women's hockey competition in the pre-scholarship era of Saint women's hockey. She helped her teams to ECAC tournament berths in 1993 and 1995. She also held the single season record for goals with 26 in 1995-96 and finished her career with 65 goals and 72 assists for 137 points.
Annan led the 1999 soccer team to a perfect season and the NCAA Championship and was a first-team All America in addition to earning national Player of the Year honors. League player of the year as a senior, he was a four-time league all star and earned regional All America honors as a junior and senior. He scored 20 career goals and had 21 assists to rank 11th on the all-time scoring list and his play at midfield helped the 1999 team become the first team in Division III history to go unbeaten and untied en route the national title.
The 1951-52 men's hockey team was the first to receive a NCAA tournament invitation and went 15-5-0 while the 1954-55 and 1955-56 teams followed with NCAA invitations and the 1955-56 team recorded the first NCAA tournament win with a consolation victory over Boston College. The 1954-55 and 1955-56 teams combined for 37 wins and the three teams to be honored included six All America selections.