Feb. 26, 2011

WASHINGTON - It was a night to honor the best of Georgetown Athletics. They were former student-athletes who made their marks during their collegiate careers and whose records, marks and footprint left a legacy on the Hilltop.

The 19th class of the Georgetown Athletic Hall of Fame was inducted on Friday, Feb. 25 in front of a crowd of more than 300 people at the Leavey Center.

Seven former Hoyas were honored at the event, including All-America basketball player Alonzo Mourning (C'92), track and field national champion Michael Stahr (C' 88), tennis star Kathryn Federici (C'87), prolific football running back Dean Lowry (C'89), linchpin lacrosse goaltender James Kenny (B'90), Big East swimming champion Mark Marilley (C'86), and offensive soccer force Andrew Hoffmann (B'90).

It was a night, as emcee Rory Quirk noted, to celebrate all that is great about Georgetown Athletics. And the largest class to ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame was witnessed by the largest crowd to ever attend the ceremony.

The evening started with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. before a dinner the induction ceremony started at 7:30 p.m.

When the assembled group sat down, they were treated to a video on the history of Georgetown Athletics, highlighting the success of every sport on campus.

Quirk introduced former basketball standout and former commissioner of the National Football League Paul Tagliabue, who addressed the crowd briefly.

"I've always been proud to be a Hoya," Tagliabue said. "I've been equally as proud to have been an intercollegiate athlete. We have a special balance between athletics and academics and we have success in both endeavors, so it is fitting that we come together from time to time to celebrate our success."

Patrick McArdle, Executive Director for Athletic Relations, narrated a montage for each inductee, showcasing pictures of them from their youth to their collegiate years and beyond, before each was presented with their Hall of Fame citation.

Mourning is one of only two Georgetown basketball players to have graduated with 2,000 or more points and 1,000 or more rebounds. A three-time All-America selection, he led the Hoyas to four NCAA appearances and three BIG EAST finals appearances from 1988 through 1992. As a senior, he became the first player ever named the BIG EAST Conference's Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Tournament MVP in the same season.

Stahr is one of 16 individual national champions in Georgetown's track history. A four-time All-America honoree, he captured the NCAA indoor mile title and anchored Georgetown's world record-setting distance medley relay at the Penn Relays with the fastest split in Relay's history. He set an IC4A record in winning the second of two IC4A indoor mile crowns, and led the men's indoor team to a third place in the NCAA track championships in 1987 and to BIG EAST and IC4A titles in 1988.

Federici was a dominating force at the net, playing at the No. 1 singles position for most of her career on the Hilltop. In three of her four years of competition, Kathy was selected individually to participate in the NCAA championship tournament, reaching the quarterfinals on two occasions. She also reached the finals of the BIG EAST championships in both singles and doubles. A two-time All-America selection, she led her team to the 1986 NCAA Tournament, the first and only time the team has participated in NCAA postseason play. The most productive Georgetown running back of the 1980's, Lowry graduated as the school's all-time leader in rushing and scoring following a four-year career from 1985-88. He rushed for 2,619 yards and scored 31 touchdowns, becoming the first Georgetown back in the modern era (1964-present) to rush for more than 200 yards in a single game. Lowry is presently second all-time in career rushing yardage, second in career touchdowns, and third in scoring.

One of the bright lights in Georgetown men's lacrosse history, Kenny is the Hoyas' all-time career leader in saves with 722. A big-play goalie and inspirational talent, he remains among the all-time single season and career leaders in save percentage and goals-against average. One of Coach Dave Urick's first captains at Georgetown, he is the only player ever to receive the Corcoran Memorial Trophy as the team's most valuable player three times.

Marilley was one of the leading swimmers in the 60-plus year history of the program. A consistent scorer at the BIG EAST championships, he captured two conference championship titles (50-yard and 100-yard free style) in 1985 and earned a top five finish in the 200-yard free style event. By graduation, he had set GU all-time records in three free style events: 50, 100, and 200 yards and was twice named team MVP.

Hoffmann earned Best Offensive Player honors four times on the Hilltop, the only player ever so recognized. Twice named to the All-South Atlantic team, he graduated as Georgetown's all-time leader in goals, assists, and total points. Hoffman began his career as Georgetown's Rookie of the Year and concluded it as team MVP. With a conference-leading 12 assists, he led his team in 1988 to the best record in school history and its first-ever berth in the BIG EAST tournament.

The Athletic Hall of Fame Citation is a University-wide award presented to a graduate of Georgetown or to a coach or administrator who qualifies for recognition on the basis of superior athletic achievement or contribution to athletics at Georgetown. The Georgetown Hall of Fame was established in 1953 and is located in the southwest gallery of the Leavey Student Center on GU's campus. More than 230 student-athletes and leaders from the annals of Georgetown have been enshrined.