Providence College Athletics
Providence College To Induct 11 Into Athletic Hall of Fame
2/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
Feb. 20, 2009
Providence, R.I. -
The Providence College Athletic Department will induct 11 members into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, February 20, 2009. The 2009 inductees are Bob Amato (cross country/track coach), Bill Doyle (men's soccer coach), Bob Reall (men's ice hockey), Ed Walsh (baseball), Deb Matejka (volleyball), Shanya Evans (women's basketball), Sinead Delahunty (cross country/track), Stephanie O'Sullivan (women's ice hockey), Moira Harrington (women's soccer/cross country/track), Eric Williams (men's basketball) and Marie McMahon (cross country/track). A reception to honor the inductees will be held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Providence on Friday, February 20, starting at 6:30 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the men's basketball game versus the University of Notre Dame at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. on Saturday, February 21. Tipoff is scheduled for noon.
Bob Amato '63: Amato was one of the most successful coaches in the history of Providence College. A former Friar runner, Amato coached the PC cross country and track programs for 15 years (1969-85). He is credited with starting the flow of world-class runners from Ireland and England to Smith Hill. Beginning with Michael O'Shea in 1973, Amato brought in other greats such as John Treacy, Geoff Smith, Steve Binns, Ray Treacy and Brendan Quinn. He established Providence College as one of the most dominant cross country and track programs in the country. During his tenure, the Friars finished second at the NCAA Cross Country Championship in 1981 and 1982 and placed in the top-10 seven times. The Friars captured five of the first six BIG EAST Cross Country titles under Amato and recorded an unbeaten streak of 118 dual meets under his guidance. A 10-time New England Cross Country Coach of the Year, Amato compiled a career record of 162-14-1 in cross country.
Bill Doyle: As men's soccer coach, Doyle led the Friars to a 207-155-35 mark in 27 seasons (1968-94), marking the second longest tenure of any head coach ever at PC. He led Friars to the NCAA Tournament in 1983 and his squad earned the Sampson Trophy in 1983 and 1984 as the top team in the Eastern Region. The 1983 BIG EAST Coach of the Year, he was one of eight finalist for 1984 National Coach of the Year. In 1984, PC was ranked eighth nationally and first in New England.
Bob Reall '56: The Smithfield, R.I., native played four seasons for the Friar men's hockey team as a star forward. In 66 games, Reall put up outstanding numbers. He scored 43 goals, had 93 assists, and accumulated 136 total points. He is tied for 11th all- time among Friars in assists, as well as 23rd all-time in points. During all four seasons with Providence College, Reall ranked in the top three in points for the Friars.
Ed Walsh '88: Walsh is the career home runs leader at PC with 36 homers and ranks first all-time with a .375 career batting average. He was named Second Team All-New England in 1986 and First Team All-New England in 1987. Walsh has the fifth and 10th-best single-season batting averages at Providence, batting .406 in 1987 and .386 in 1986. He is tied for second on the single-season home runs list with 16 in 1987 and tied for eighth with 36 single-season walks.
Deb Matejka '91: Matejka was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year as a freshman and was a four-year All-BIG EAST performer and three-time All-BIG EAST Tournament Team honoree. She was a two-time All-Mideast Region selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and was the only active player to be nominated for BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Decade ('80s) while a junior.
Shanya Evans '91: Evans is the Friars' all-time career assists leader and ranks 15th in career scoring. She was the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner as the nation's top senior guard and made the ECAC Division I All-Star Second Team in 1991. Evans was a two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection (1989-90, 1990-91) and an All-BIG EAST Third Team selection (1988-89). She made the BIG EAST All-Freshman/All-Rookie Team in 1987-88 and was a BIG EAST All-Tournament Team selection in 1991.
Sinead Delahunty '93: Delahunty earned six All-America honors at Providence College. At PC, she established a school record in the indoor 1,000 meters and helped set the indoor and outdoor 4 x 800 meter relay mark and the outdoor distance medley relay record. In her junior year, Delahunty was second in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championship. She captured one BIG EAST title as a member of the 4 x 800 meter relay team in 1990. In 1993, she was named PC Female Athlete of the Year. A native of Kilkenny, Ireland, Delahunty competed in the 1,500 meters at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
Stephanie O'Sullivan '95: O'Sullivan is PC's second all-time leading scorer with 253 points and she ranks second all-time in career goals with 126. She also ranks first all-time in career assists with 127. She is one of only four Friars to have scored 40 or more goals in a season, as she scored 40 goals in the 1994-95 season. She was named the ECAC Division I Player of the Year, 1994-95 and the ECAC Division I Rookie of the Year, 1991-92. She was named to the ECAC 1990's All-Decade Team. O'Sullivan was a three-time First Team All-ECAC selection from 1993-95. Her Friar squads won four-straight ECAC Championships (1992-95). She played on four U.S. World Championship Teams in 1994, '97, '99 and '00.
Moira Harrington '95: In four seasons of play for the women's soccer team, Harrington scored nine goals and added five assists for 23 career points. She led the Friars to their only BIG EAST Tournament Championship in 1993. She also helped the team to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance (1993). Harrington also competed for the Providence cross country and track teams for just one year (1995-96) as a graduate student and earned All-America honors a total of four times. She helped lead the Friar women's cross country team to the 1995 NCAA title and was one of four All-Americans on the squad that season. She went on to earn All-America honors twice during the 1996 indoor track season in the 3,000 meters and as a member of the distance medley relay team. She completed her brief track career with All-America honors in the 5,000 meters during the outdoor season.
Eric Williams '95: Williams scored 1,001 points in just two seasons with the Friars (60 games). He averaged 16.7 points per game for his career, which ranks 12th all-time at PC. He led the Friars in scoring in 1994 (15.7 ppg) and helped the team capture its only BIG EAST title that year. In 1995, Williams averaged 17.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. He was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection his senior season. A first-round draft pick by the Boston Celtics, Williams played 12 seasons in the NBA.
Marie McMahon '98: McMahon finished her career at Providence as one of the most prolific runners in Friar history. She was a 10-time All-American, led the 1995 Friar cross country team to its first national championship and competed in the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2004. During her career, she captured eight BIG EAST titles (cross country, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters) and won the 1996 NCAA 5,000 meter Indoor Championship. McMahon won three Penn Relays titles in the 5,000 meters. The Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame was started in 1970 with 10 inductees. The 11 inductees of 2009 will join the 124 current members of the Hall of Fame.
