Behrend Lions Athletic Hall of Fame
1994 Inductees
DAN
FRY
A 1967 graduate of Oil City High School, Fry,
played basketball for two seasons at Penn State Behrend under coach
Roger Sweeting. While at Penn State Behrend, Fry captained the
undefeated (20-0) team of 1968-69, the most successful season in
college history.
Fry was the leading scorer on that team
averaging 18.1 points per game and also contributed 10.9 rebounds per
game. He earned the White Letter Award for basketball,
emblematic of the MVP, for his efforts in this amazing season.
Fry's career rebounding average was 9.8, which is good for fifth in
the career columns; his 17.8 PPG is eighth in the career charts.
Additionally, Fry was the number-three singles player for coach Herb
Lauffer in the 1967-68 tennis season. He then completed his
standout basketball career with two successful seasons at Fredonia
State and was the MVP and captain his senior year.
Fry
received his BA in economics from Fredonia State in 1971. He is
currently the boy's varsity basketball coach at Oil City High
School, and is self-employed as an investment manager and researcher.
AL
MAKI
After
a tremendous career at McDowell High School, Al Maki continued to
improve and excel for four baseball seasons at Penn State Behrend.
His season and career statistics are superb. He pitched 180.6
innings in his career, which is a Penn State Behrend baseball record.
Maki left an impression on all hitters who faced him because he had
good control of a variety of pitches and was not afraid to challenge
hitters.
Maki's
career earned run average is a strong 2.45. His 16 victories in
a career are the most of any Lion. In 1977, he established a
record for the lowest ERA in a single season, giving up a minuscule
1.44 runs per game. He was also awarded the White Letter Award
for his outstanding play. Maki is also the career leader in
strikeouts, with 129 over his four-year career.
Maki
has won several league and tournament contests in racquetball in PA,
OH, and GA. He graduated from Penn State Behrend in 1978 with a
bachelor degree in economics, and works as a logistics manager for
Armstrong World Industries in Macon, Georgia.
MIKE
MIXON
A
1981 graduate of Penn State Behrend, Mixon was an outstanding
four-year baseball player for Hall of Fame coach Shorty Stoner.
This speedy and versatile player teamed up with Hall of Famer Tom
Lawless to guide Penn State Behrend's baseball team to a District 18
championship in 1981.
Mixon's
career statistics serve as a benchmark for today's players, and
speed was his forte. His 48 stolen bases are the most for a
career, and his 23 stolen bases are tied for the best in a single
season. Mixon scored 90 career runs the most by and Penn State
Behrend baseball player, and his 32 runs scored in a season are also a
record. He had 102 career hits which is fifth all-time, and his
47 career RBI's are sixth all-time. He also had 45 walks in
his career, which is third all-time. In addition, Mixon carried
a .321 career batting average.
Mixon
received a BA in pre-law in 1981 from Penn State Behrend. He is
an accountant manager for Hartz Mountain Corp. in New Jersey, and he
manages a semi-pro baseball team in the summers. In impressive
fashion, he has led his teams to league titles five consecutive
seasons from 1988-93.
BARBARA
SCHROEK TORRANCE
Barbara
Schroek Torrance was a highly regarded student-athlete. She
graduated from Penn State Behrend in 1984 with an honors certificate
and a bachelor of arts degree in communication. In addition, she
was a member of the Omicron Beta Kappa Honor Society and named Who's
Who in American College Students.
As an
athlete, Torrance excelled in volleyball, basketball and softball.
As the captain of the volleyball team, this three-year letter-winner
guided the Lady Lions to a first place finish in the PAC Conference in
1984 after finishing second the two prior years. She earned
three more letters as a starter on the women's basketball team and
in her junior season, led the team to the conference title. That
team advanced to the regional playoffs in southern Maine. In
addition, she served as the basketball captain in her senior year, and
was a starting catcher on the women's softball team in 1983.
In
1985, she coached the St. John's girl's basketball team to the
state finals. The team finished as the runner-up. Since
1991, Torrance has served as an insurance agent for the Erie Insurance
Group.
DONALD
VAUGHN JR.
Don
Vaughn was a great basketball player. This three-year starter is
one of only two basketball players to ever score 1,000 points and grab
1,000 rebounds. He guided the Lions to eighteen or more
victories in each of his three seasons.
Vaughn's
resume is sharp. It is filled with several accolades such as
District 18 All-Star, First Team ('81-'82) and Second Team All Big
Five ('80-'81). He scored 552 points in the 1981-82 season,
third most in a season, and has an average of 20.4 points per game,
which is eleventh best. That year he led his team in scoring and
rebounding as they entered the District 18 playoffs for the second
time in three years. Vaughn's 1,002 rebounds are second best
all-time, and are an average of 9.1 rebounds per game. An
impressive note about Vaughn's point scoring ability is that his
career field goal percentage is an outstanding 55.2 percent.
This is third best in a career.
Vaughn
graduated with a bachelor degree in applied science in 1982. He
earned his MBA in management in 1990 and another master's degree in
mechanical and aerospace engineering in 1993. He is now a United
States postal engineer designer in Washington, D.C.
GREG
VAUGHN
Greg
Vaughn was known as an explosive and athletic basketball player.
He was all of this and more. Vaughn used his talent and his
internal drive to excel on the basketball court as a four-year
starter, and has continued to do so throughout his life.
In
1978-79, Vaughn became the first sophomore to earn the Big Five Player
of the Year award. He averaged 15.9 PPG and was the team's
second leading rebounder, averaging 9.9 per game. In that same
year he was also named the MVP of the Mercyhurst College Tournament.
The following season Vaughn's game improved and he was recognized as
a First Team All Big-Five player and as a District 18 All-Star.
He led the Lions in scoring and rebounding with averages of 17.1 PPG
and 11.3 RPG. During his career on the basketball court, Vaughn
served as the team captain for three years and led his team into the
District 18 playoffs during the '79, '80, and '81 seasons.
Vaughn
earned his BA from Penn State Behrend in general arts and science in
1981. He then earned his MPA in Public Administration from Troy State
University in 1992. In addition, he served as a Commissioned
Officer in the United States Army for an 11-year period in which he
received seven medals for outstanding service. He is currently working
as a program manager for RS Information Systems in Northern Virginia.
His love for the game now sees him as a certified high school
referee.
BRETT BANKER: COACH
Brett Banker was "Mr. Everything" in his four years at Penn State
Behrend. He successfully served the College in several areas: as
an assistant athletics director, head softball coach, and as
intramural director. Banker was a workhorse with a personality
beloved by all while at Penn State Behrend.
As
the head softball coach, he resurrected the women's program and
developed it into a respected power which is still flourishing.
His career coaching record is 78-36; an average of nearly twenty wins
a year. In each of his four seasons at the helm, his teams
improved steadily. In 1992 his team won the ECAC Southern
Championship. Banker's teams were regionally ranked in '90,
'91, and '92. The 1990 ranking was the first for any Penn
State Behrend sports team. Additionally, he was an assistant on
the College's first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference
Championship with the women's basketball team in the 1991-92 season.
Banker
wore many hats because he made things improve. He has touched
many programs, many lives, and has reserved a special place in our
hearts at Penn State Behrend. He received his bachelor of
science degree in 1984 and master's of athletic administration from
Springfield College in 1988. He is currently the athletic
director and head of physical education, recreation, and intramurals
in the Kenmore School District in Buffalo, New York.
JENEPHER
BANKER: COACH
To
say that Jenepher Banker has left her mark on the Penn State Behrend
women's basketball program is a great understatement. Banker
took a mediocre program and, within four years, it achieved national
recognition.
Banker
is the all-time leader in women's basketball coaching victories with
67. Her teams hold women's basketball records for the most
wins in a season (23), fewest losses (4) and best winning percentage
in a season (85%).
In
1991-92, her team captured the school's first-ever ECAC
Championship. In that same year, her team garnered the
College's first-ever national ranking for any sport. Also,
they earned recognition for having the fifth-best team defense in the
country, limiting opponents to only 51.8 PPG. In the 1992-93
season, Banker again guided the team into the postseason with an 18-7
mark, which is the third best record in Penn State Behrend women's
basketball history. In the 1993-94 season, the team was selected
for the NCAA tournament, under the leadership of six seniors that
Banker recruited. That team, coached by Roz Fornari, won 21
games.
The
Penn State Behrend women's basketball program will always feel the
positive affects of Jenepher Banker. Banker, a three-time
academic All-American, always stressed academics and athletics, and
this emphasis consistently produce team grade-point averages above the
3.0 mark. She earned her master's in physical education in
1985 and is currently an assistant professor of physical education at
Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.
DOUG
ZIMMERMAN
Doug
Zimmerman was a three-sport star during his two years at Penn State
Behrend. He was the starting center on Roger Sweeting's
perfect 20-0 team in 1968-69. Zimmerman averaged 16.8 PPG and
12.1 RPG. He put together some amazing performances: 45 points,
an all-time single game record, and 30+ points in his best games.
He devastated opponents with his athleticism and completed his career
with a scoring average of 21.4 PPG. He is among leaders in
several offensive categories, including his 520 points scored in
1969-70. The most impressive note about all of Zimmerman's
achievements is that he accomplished them in only two seasons at Penn
State Behrend.
The
hardwood is not the only place where he left his mark. As a
soccer goalie in 1969, he recorded 112 saves, which is the ninth best
all-time. He also starred as a baseball pitcher and catcher.
In the 1970 season, he hit .316 and had an earned run average of only
1.96. His ability was clear. He was then drafted by the
Pittsburgh Pirates and played in the New York Penn League.
Zimmerman
returned to Penn State Behrend and coached the men's basketball team
for seven seasons and in 1988 guided them to the school's first
appearance in the ECAC playoffs. He earned his bachelor of
science degree in 1972 and his master's in 1973 from Slippery Rock
University. He is coaching the women's basketball team and the
men's tennis team at Gannon University.