WestConn announces 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, ceremony
Five Western Connecticut State University alumni student-athletes, supporter Dr. Michael Brand and the standout 1999 Football Team will be honored at the WestConn Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, Oct. 18, at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury and then inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the university’s O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center on the Westside campus. The events are part of the university’s 2024 Homecoming weekend events, and the public is invited.
The banquet, sponsored by the Alumni Association, will celebrate this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame inductions of former WestConn student-athletes in men’s and women’s basketball, football, golf and softball. The celebration also will honor the 1999 Football Team, which finished the 1999 campaign season a record of 10-1, going undefeated in the regular season and capturing the first football conference title in school history. Also being celebrated is OrthoCT physician Dr. Michael Brand.
Tickets to the WCSU Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet are available via online registration here. The night begins at 5 p.m. at the Amber Room Colonnade, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury. Admission is $75 per person or $700 to reserve a table for 10.
The Induction Ceremony the next day will take place at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Fame at the front of the O’Neill Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. Admission is free and the public is invited. Those who will be honored for their contributions to WestConn Athletics include:
Merv Mosley, a 1988 graduate. He was a three-year starter in the Wolves football defensive backfield and helped WestConn qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in 1985. Mosley was a 1987 Pre-Season All-American and went on to be drafted by the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football and to play professionally for the Albany Firebirds in the Arena Football League. Mosley was an ECAC Player of the Week selection and received the first New England Football Writers (NEFW) Division II/III Gold Helmet Award in WestConn history for his WestConn record-setting, three-interception effort against Trenton State in 1988.
Kevin Matthews, a 2002 graduate. He was a four-year starter and three-year captain while leading WestConn Men’s Basketball to two Little East Championships, two NCAA tournaments, and two ECAC tournaments. Matthews was a First Team All-Conference player twice, named the LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2002, and earned All-Metro First Team honors. He currently ranks seventh on WestConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,538 points, eighth in assists with 326, and third in steals with 185.
Kimberley Rybczyk, a 1988 graduate. She was a four-year starter and a two-year captain while leading the Wolves to two NCAA berths and two top seeds in the ECAC tournament. In her senior season, Rybczyk became the second athlete in WestConn history to receive Women’s Basketball All-American honors. Rybczyk currently holds the top spot on WestConn’s all-time assists list with 606, ranks seventh in steals with 199, and is tied for the most assists in a single game with 15. She served as WestConn’s head women’s basketball coach from 2002 until her retirement this summer, winning over 300 games and taking WestConn to the NCAA Tournament three times.
Shelby Lorusso, a 2008 graduate. She was a four-year starter for the Wolves softball team, earning all-conference honors four times. Lorusso was named LEC Pitcher of the Year twice, and received All-Region recognition three times. Lorusso currently holds the WestConn record for the most career strikeouts with 607, ranks second in shutouts with 24, and is also second in earned run average at 1.25.
Bruce Loman, a 1976 graduate. Loman served as a two-year captain of the WestConn men’s golf team. As the team’s number one player, he achieved a remarkable record of 21 individual wins and only three losses. After graduating from WestConn, Loman pursued a career in golf, establishing himself as a top amateur player in Connecticut. He won numerous tournaments, including the Waterbury Republican-American tournament. Loman represented his home course, Western Hill, where he still holds the course record with a score of 65.
Dr. Michael Brand has played a significant role in the development of WestConn athletic programs. With over 30 years of dedicated service to the university, Brand has greatly contributed to the high standard of care provided to athletes through OrthoCT. More than 90% of the time, athletes are evaluated on the same day of an injury. Brand and his team of physicians offer direct access to the training staff, and he sends his physician assistant to WestConn once a week to assess new injuries and monitor those in the rehabilitation process. Brand understands the importance of timely care for WestConn athletes and goes above and beyond to ensure they receive the best possible treatment.
The 1999 WestConn Football Team left an incredible mark on Western Connecticut State University athletic history. WestConn finished the 1999 campaign season a record of 10-1, going undefeated in the regular season and capturing the first football conference title in school history. The team had a national ranking of No. 8 in the Division III Coaches Poll, and was ranked No. 1 in New England as the top seed in the East Region of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Fifteen players received all-star post-season honors, four were All-Americans, and one player was a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy as the NCAA Division III Football Player of the Year. Head Coach Paul Pasqualoni was honored as the Freedom Football Conference Coach of the Year, as he set 51 team and individual records, including most wins, points scored, and passing yards. Notable individual records were achieved by Matt Lefever for most pass completions, Brent Bardellini for most touchdown catches, and Adam Kennett for most field goals made.
Special congratulations go to the following WestConn Athletics Hall of Fame members:
Jenn Cappellieri – Little East Conference (LEC) Inductee for Women’s Soccer
Kim Lynch – LEC Inductee for Women’s Softball
Wayne Mones – LEC Inductee for Men’s Soccer
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