Photo Gallery
SCHENECTADY, NY -- Seven distinguished individuals and two outstanding teams were inducted into the Union College Athletics Hall of Fame on October 24. The ceremony was held in front of over 200 friends, alumni, families and Union administrators at the Waters Edge Lighthouse Restaurant & Inn in Glenville.
The Class of 2009 consists of Carl Byron ’15, Brian Cox ’85, Craig Ferrero ’92, Rob Grossman ’75, Cay Lynch ’84, Chris Schmid, and Joe Wood ’84. The inductees for the Team of Distinction category are the 1986 Men’s Soccer Team and the 1930 Men’s Outdoor Track Team. These new inductees bring the total number of individual members in the Hall of Fame, which was first instituted in 2002, to 51. The Teams of Distinction now feature five squads, as the category was instituted in 2007.
Each of the living individuals attended the event, and 11 members of the men's soccer team were in attendance along with Head Coach Bob Magee. The men's soccer players along with Coach Magee were introduced at halftime of Saturday's Union home game against Hamilton.
Accepting for the late Carl Byron (who passed away in 1969) were two of his grandchildren, Suzanne Owen and Timothy Owen. Bill Myers, a stepson of 1930 men's track team member Myron Cohn, accepted for that team.
A highlight video was presented on each inductee prior to their remarks. Here are highlights of this year's inductees, who were inducted alphabetically (followed by the 1930 men's track team and finally, the 1986 men's soccer team).
Carl Byron ’15 excelled in numerous sports during the early 1900’s. He competed in baseball, basketball, football and track and field at Union. He earned eight letters in four sports. Byron was the starting halfback for the 1913 and 1914 football teams and was a key member of the undefeated and untied 1914 Dutchmen. That was Union’s first undefeated football season. A transfer from Centre College in Kentucky, Byron also earned eight letters in the same four sports while at Centre. He received a degree in Chemistry at Union, and enlisted in World War I on behalf of the chemistry research section of the Army. He was assigned as a student gas officer in the chemical warfare service in France. Byron was a chemical engineer for Remington Typewriter Company in Ilion, NY and “one of the best known men in technical services in that city.” He passed away on June 4, 1969.
Brian Cox ’85 played football for Union from 1981 through 1984. He was a defensive end for the Dutchmen and received Associated Press First Team All-American honors in 1984. He also was named to the Pizza Hut First Team All-American team and the Football News First Team All-American squad that same season. Cox was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1984, and in 1983 he set a school record with 15 sacks, a record that stood for 17 years. Only two players have eclipsed that mark in the last 25 years. His four years featured a composite record of 31-8. Cox was a key member of the 1983 team that went to the Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Div. III National Championship Game. He competed in three NCAA playoff games during his career.
Craig Ferrero ’92 was a member of the men’s ice hockey team from 1988-89 through 1991-92, and also played four seasons for the baseball team. In men’s ice hockey, Ferrero scored 57 goals with 82 assists for 139 career points. He ranks fourth all-time in school history in points, third in goals and third in assists. He was a member of Union’s first Division I team, while beginning his collegiate career with three seasons at the Division III level. During the 1990-91 season, Ferrero was dubbed the team MVP. On the diamond, he posted a career batting average of .344, while spending time on the mound. During his junior year he registered a 0.54 ERA and won the William Pike Award, awarded to the outstanding junior male athlete.
Rob Grossmann ’75 competed in both soccer and lacrosse. He is Union’s all-time leader in career points for men’s lacrosse with 225, and also is the all-time leader in career assists with 154. He led the nation in assists with 73 during the 1974 season, and had the most assists from any college including lacrosse powers Johns Hopkins and Syracuse. He has 74 more points then the player ranked in second place for Union men’s lacrosse. Grossman served as the captain of both the lacrosse and soccer teams and started for both teams throughout his career. Dennis Walker, a 2006 Union Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, said, “I was selected to All-American teams in ’73 and ’74. None of this would have been possible without the adept skill and unselfish play of my teammate, Bobby Grossmann.”
Cay Lynch ’84 was a three-sport athlete during her time at Union competing for four years on the women’s basketball and women's lacrosse teams and two years on the field hockey squad. She was recognized as the basketball team’s Most Valuable Player during the 1980-81 and 1982-83 seasons. Lynch tallied a career total of 992 points on the hardwood, ranking 10th all-time in school history. In both her freshman and sophomore seasons she registered 289 points. On the lacrosse field, she scored 38 goals, which still ranks in the top 50 (47th) in Union history. At the time, Lynch’s career total placed her fourth. A captain in all three sports, Lynch was given the Robert M. Ridings Award, presented to Union’s outstanding female senior student-athlete, and the Women’s Commission Senior Award.
Chris Schmid did not attend Union, yet his support and allegiance extends beyond the most ardent alumnus. He founded and organized the Fighting Dutchmen Gridiron Club, and also is considered to be the prime mover in establishing the Sig Makofsky Basketball Tournament. He recruited Jim Tedisco, a Union Athletics Hall of Fame charter inductee, who turned down a scholarship at Syracuse to come to Union. Schmid’s basketball teams won 10 or more games four times during his coaching tenure (1962-70), with teams playing an average of 15 games. He also coached football and lacrosse. Schmid has helped secure video editing technology for Union teams, assisted in the backing for new bleachers at Bailey Field, and has guided countless former student-athletes professionally as a true mentor and friend of Union Athletics.
Joe Wood ’84 had a stellar career on the hardwood and on the diamond. He was a three year starter at guard and a four year basketball letterman. Wood scored 1,398 points in 100 career games, and ranks sixth all-time 25 years later. He also had 300 career assists, 168 steals and 256 rebounds. Wood was the co-captain in the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons, and led the Dutchmen in scoring in both seasons. He was named Union’s MVP in 1983-84, leading the squad to a first ever NCAA tourney appearance with a school record 21 wins. Wood also was named to the ECAC Upstate All-Star Team in his senior year. On the field, Wood batted .358 for his 72 game baseball career and he stole 26 bases in 31 attempts. Wood won both the Pike and Jaffe awards at Union, and was All-Region, an ECAC All-Star and a member of the New York State Division III Coaches All-Star Team in baseball.
The 1986 Men’s Soccer Team finished a superb season with a record of 12-3-2 for Coach Bob Magee. His senior class wrapped up their careers with a record of 49-10-5. The 1986 team was ranked 12th nationally and was the fourth straight team to compete in the NCAA Championships. Magee was named the New York State Coach of the Year in the 1986 season. Three members of the team were selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America New York State All Star Team. The 12 victories tied the all-time Union record for wins in a single season set by the 1978 team. The 1986 team won two NCAA playoff games, the first men’ s soccer team in Union history to win two NCAA post season games.
The 1930 Men’s Outdoor Track Team won the mile relay at the Penn Relays, breaking an eight year old record held by Rutgers. The time was 3:21.08, which won the Class A mile title. The coach of the Dutchmen was Harold Anson Bruce. Team captain Tom Bowie ran a time of 49 8/10, snapping the Middle Atlantic (MASCAA) and Union records. Two Dutchmen finished sixth and ninth respectively in the finals of the IC4A Championships in Boston. Union defeated Manhattan and RPI, and was second in the MASCAA Championships. Union’s loss to Lafayette came by just seven points, the first loss for the team in dual competition in six seasons.
Head Coach Bob Magee (front center) was joined by 11 members of the 1986 Union men's soccer team.
The purpose of the Union Athletics Hall of Fame is to honor former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and alumna/alumnus for outstanding contributions to Union College Athletics while contributing to the welfare of the college community, the Department and their profession, reflecting the philosophy of the college and the ideals of sportsmanship. To nominate an individual or team for this honor, please go to UnionAthletics.com, the "Inside Athletics" top bar, and click on "Hall of Fame."