Holy Cross Varsity Club Announces New Class In Athletic Hall Of Fame

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross Varsity Club has announced the 2012 selections for induction into the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2012 inductees into the Hall of Fame are Steve Buchanan (Class of 1974, football), Bob Cooney (Class of 1955, honorary), Ken Komodzinski (Class of 1960, baseball, football), Ann Lambiotte (Class of 1991, basketball), Art Martin (Class of 1970, cross country, track and field), Mary Beth Ryan (Class of 2005, softball) and the 1995 Men’s Lightweight Eight (rowing).

Buchanan was a standout running back for the Holy Cross football team in the early 1970s, serving as a captain during his senior year. As a junior in 1972, he rushed for 741 yards and four touchdowns on 162 carries, and caught nine passes for 75 yards. Then during his senior season, Buchanan ran the ball 183 times for 849 yards and four touchdowns, while catching 23 passes for 174 yards and three scores. He led the team in rushing yards, all-purpose yards (1,038 yards) and scoring (42 points) during the 1973 season. A recipient of the Davitt Award as the team’s top offensive back in both 1972 and 1973, Buchanan still ranks seventh all-time at Holy Cross in career 100-yard games (seven), eighth in career rushing yards per game (58.6) and ninth in career rushing yards (1,816). Following his collegiate career, he was an 11th round selection of the Denver Broncos in the 1974 National Football League Draft.

Cooney has been a loyal and dedicated member of the Varsity Club for a number of years. He participated in the creation of the Honorable John P. Cooney Memorial Award, named after his father, and served on the committee that selects it annual recipient. Cooney also authored, oversaw and financed the publishing of the book Lift High the Cross, an historic look at Holy Cross’ athletic history. During his days as an undergraduate, Cooney was a two-way guard on the football team, starting during his junior and senior years. He was the first-ever Crusader of the Year selection in 1955, and also received the John C. Lawlor Medal as the school’s top graduating scholar-athlete. In addition, Cooney was recognized with the National Unsung Hero Award by Collier’s Magazine.

Komodzinski was a third baseman and center fielder for the Holy Cross baseball team from 1958-1960, helping lead the team to an overall record of 40-17 during his collegiate career. He led the team in batting average (.340) and hits (33) as a sophomore in 1958, while ranking second on the squad in runs batted in (17). Komodzinski also led the Crusaders to a College World Series appearance in 1958, going nine-for-20 in Omaha as the team posted victories over Southern California and Clemson and finished the year ranked third in the nation. He later hit .362 with 16 runs scored during his senior season, and finished his career with a .312 batting average. Komodzinski was also a quarterback on the Crusader football team, leading the team to a 6-4 record during his only year as a starter in 1959.

Lambiotte was an outstanding long-range shooter for the Crusader women’s basketball team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She holds the all-time Holy Cross career record for highest three-point field goal percentage (51.1 percent), in addition to standing seventh all-time in career free throw percentage (78.5 percent), ninth in career scoring average (12.8 points per game), 10th in career field goals made (491) and career free throws made (281), and 12th in career points scored (1,354). Lambiotte also holds the top three spots on the school single-season list for three-point field goal percentage, setting the record in 1989-1990 at 56.1 percent. A first team All-Conference selection in both the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (1990) and the Patriot League (1991), she helped lead the Crusaders to an overall record of 87-34 during her collegiate career, with the team winning the 1989 MAAC championship and the 1991 Patriot League title. The MVP of the 1989 MAAC Tournament, Lambiotte was also named a third team Academic All-American and the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1991 for her work in the classroom.

Martin was a distance and cross country runner for Holy Cross from 1966-1970. During his senior year, he won the New England outdoor championship in the 880-yard run, an event in which he still holds the school record (1:50.3). Martin also ran a leg on numerous relay teams which set school records: the two-mile relay (7:26.8), the four-mile relay (17:26.6), the distance medley relay (9:56.0) and the freshman medley relay (7:18.3). He also finished third at the New England outdoor championship in the one-mile run (1968) and the 880-yard run (1969), while helping lead the Crusaders to the New England outdoor title as a team in 1969. In addition, Martin was part of the freshman medley relay team which won the IC4A title in 1967, while setting new meet and national records in the event.

Ryan was a standout center fielder for the Holy Cross softball team in the early to mid 2000s. A first team All-Patriot League selection during each of her final three seasons, she holds the school records for career hits (179) and career at-bats (559), while standing third all-time in career runs scored (84), fifth in career batting average (.320) and career stolen bases (40) and ninth in career slugging percentage (.402). Ryan’s top season came as a senior in 2005, when she hit .384 with 12 doubles, 31 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Also an outstanding student, Ryan was chosen as a third team Academic All-American in 2005, while earning Academic All-District honors two times. She was also named the 2005 Crusader of the Year, and was selected as Holy Cross Valedictorian for the Class of 2005.

The 1995 Lightweight Eight had one of the most successful seasons in the history of men’s rowing at Holy Cross. The boat took first place at the Patriot Regatta, second at the New England Championship and third at the ECAC National Invitational Regatta, in addition to claiming the Lawrence M. Chick, Jr. Cup. The Lightweight Eight then went on to claim sixth place at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta, becoming the only crew from Holy Cross to ever qualify for the grand final of an eight-oared event at the IRA Regatta. The boat was comprised of Caitlin Scanlon, Thomas Sullivan, Elliot Repko, Robert Smith, Matthew Burke, Matthew Simitis, Andrew Cutney, David O’Donnell and Thomas Gillon.

These new honorees will be formally inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 5, at the Varsity Club’s annual dinner, to be held in the Hogan Campus Center.