TENAFLY, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University athletic department inducted its 19th class into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night in a ceremony held at the Clinton Inn Hotel.
 
This year's inductees were: Louis Alberto (Men's Basketball 1959-63), Jack DeRosa (Baseball, 1963-65), Lisa Friscioni (Women's Bowling, 2002-06), Rebecca Ketcham (Women's Bowling, 2003-07), Orce Kozeski (Men's Soccer, 1999-02), Alex Passucci (Men's Soccer, 1988-92), Ephraim Serrette (Men's Track and Field, 1978-82), Kristina Szalay (Women's Bowling, 2002-06), Sharline White (Women's Track and Field 1993-96) and the 1993 FDU Men's Cross Country team.
 
Fairleigh Dickinson Director of Athletics, David Langford opened the night by welcoming the crowd of nearly 200 attendees to the ceremony.
 
Highlights of the evening included memorable speeches by presenters and inductees, which included the presentation of the ninth-annual Al LoBalbo Award. This year's recipient was hall of fame basketball coach Bob Hurley. Hurley was presented with the award by FDU men's basketball coach Greg Herenda. The two exchanged entertaining stories about basketball and notably Jersey City, New Jersey, where Hurley headed the St. Anthony's basketball program to 28 state championships.
 
The 1993 men's cross country team began the night and was presented by coach Mike Shea, who talked of his team's success from that memorable season. The 1993 squad etched its mark in the record books by placing six of the top eight finishers at the 1993 NEC Championships. The effort resulted in a score of 21 points and is arguably the best performance by a single team in the Northeast Conference history. With their performance, the 1993 Knights earned a Top 25 National Ranking, finished fifth at the IC4As and won the Metropolitan Championship. Over the course of the season the team had signature victories over Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Boston College and Dartmouth.
 
Team Members: Shane DeGannes, Lance Gittens, Patrick Hennigan, Avi Ma'Ayan, Vinko (Vinny) Markovina, Ronnie McBride, Moses Mekheb, Urie Ridgeway
 
Lou Alberto, who now resides in the Tampa, Florida area, where he taught business law at the University of South Florida, was a standout point guard for the men's basketball team and led the Knights to a NE NCAA Tournament appearance as team captain in 1963. A team MVP, Alberto battled through a wrist injury in his senior season to come back and help head coach Dick Holub lead the Knights back to the NCAA tournament in his final season, leading the Knights in field goal percentage at 48.6, and averaging 14.1 points per game. After helping the team win the Tri-State Conference, he was named to the Second Team NCAA Northeast Regional All-American team, the Tristate Conference Second Team, and was named FDU's outstanding athlete in his final season for FDU.
 
DeRosa's award was accepted by his two sons, Mark and Kevin, who spoke to the character and success of their father Jack. DeRosa is one of the most accomplished pitchers to ever put on a Knights uniform and was named to the 1960s FDU All-Decade Team. The proud owner of one of the few no-hitters in Knights' program history in 1964, DeRosa graduated just one strikeout shy of a perfect 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for his career. During his three-year career at FDU he recorded a 2.48 earned run average over 137.5 innings. DeRosa's best season came in 1964 when he pitched 48.2 innings with a 1.48 ERA and limited his opponents to just 29 hits. He completed his career by recording career-highs in innings pitched (57.1) and strikeouts (55), while posting a 2.19 ERA as a senior, and his 1964 campaign remains one of the most dominant individual seasons in Knights history.
 
FDU women's bowling coach Mike LoPresti had the honor of welcoming three of his most accomplished student-athletes into the hall of fame at the ceremony. His current assistant coach, Lisa Friscioni, ranks as one of Fairleigh Dickinson's top bowlers of all-time. Her 206.96 average is 10th all-time and her career average of 200.24 is seventh in program history. Across her career with the Knights, Friscioni knocked down more pins than any other bowler, amassing a pinfall of 77,492. The three-time NCAA Tournament participant (2004-2006) took home the NCAA Championship in 2006 and was named NCAA All-Tournament Team in both 2004 and 2006.
 
Ketcham was a key member of the 2006 NCAA National Championship team as well as a two-time All-America selection, two-time All-Conference honoree and NEC Bowler of the Year. A standout in both the classroom and on the lanes, Ketcham was a three-time NTCA Academic All-American (2005-07), and earned NTCA All-America First Team Honors following the 2007 season. She also earned an NTCA All-America Honorable Mention following the 2006 NCAA Championship season. In 2007 Ketcham earned NEWCBC Player of the Year award, and was selected as All-NEWCBC First Team in both 2006 and 2007.
 
Szalay helped lead the 2005-06 Knights to the University's first NCAA National Championship.  The eight-member team posted an 86-15 record, a NEWCBC Championship and ECAC Championship. Szalay earned NCAA All-Tournament honors, NTCA Second Team All-American and All-Conference First Team selections for the NEWCBC. Additionally, Szalay was named EIBC Rookie of the Year, First Team All-EIBC and her success in the classroom resulted in Academic All-American honors. Szalay ranks second in career pinfall (72,956) and eighth in career average (199.33) across her 366 game FDU career.
 
The men's soccer team was represented by the inductions of two of its most memorable players in Kozeski and Passucci. Kozeski, who was introduced by Associate Athletic Director, Jennifer Quirk, helped the men's soccer team to three consecutive NEC Championships between 2000 and 2002 as the team's starting center midfielder. He played a key role on the 2001 team that reached the NCAA Elite Eight, as well as the 2002 squad that advanced to the NCAA Second Round. He served as a penalty kick specialist for the Knights, tallying a career-best four goals in 2001, as he helped the team on its Cinderella run to the Elite Eight. In the 2001, Northeast Conference Tournament championship match versus Long Island, Kozeski connected on two penalty kicks, including the game winner. Kozeski returned to FDU as an assistant coach from 2003-2015 where he helped coach the team to three NEC Championships (2003, 2008, 2012) and the 2012 NCAA Sweet 16. 
 
Passucci, who is currently an assistant coach on the Knights staff, was introduced by head coach Seth Roland. Passucci was the starting defensive midfielder on the 1988 and 1989 Fairleigh Dickinson NEC Championship teams, and a key contributor for the 1988 and 1989 NCAA Tournament teams. Team captain of the 1990 and 1991 squads and a 1991 All-NEC First Team honorees, Passucci parlayed his leadership skills into the coaching ranks as he rejoined the Knights in 1994 as an assistant coach and remained with the team until 2006. The Knights' captain returned as assistant coach from 2008-15 and is currently back with the team in 2017. Along the way Passucci has helped guide the team to six NEC Championships and four NEC regular season championships. In 2001, Passucci's efforts culminated in the Knights' most successful season-to-date when the team advanced to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Sharline White – who was an inductee this year to the Northeast Conference Hall of Fame -- was a four-time NCAA Qualifier during her time as a Knight, and was an All-American in the triple jump at the 1996 NCAA Indoor National Championships. From 1993-96, White won eight NEC titles – both indoors and outdoors – and was named the Most Outstanding Performer at both the 1996 NEC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. White still holds the school record in the triple jump both outdoors (13.16m) and indoors (13.08m). Of those eight NEC titles, five were won in triple jump, two in the long jump, and one in the 200m. After her senior campaign in 1996, White was named the Harriet McCormick Female Athlete of the Year at Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
Class of 2007 inductee, longtime Knights track and field coach Russ Rogers, honored Ephraim Serrette into the hall on Saturday night. In 1980, Serrette set the indoor program record in the 60m dash with a time of 6.12. The speedster went on to set the outdoor school record in 100m with a time of 10.20 and both marks still stand as tops in school history. As a junior in the 1980-81 season, Serrette won the State, Metro, and IC4A Championships in the 100m. He also placed third in the 1980 NCAA Indoor championships in Detroit in the 60m with a time of 6.23, and won the 60-yard in 6.28 at the 1980 ECAC Championships.
 

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