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Five to enter Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 19
January 1, 2002
Meadville, Pa. - The Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame nomination and selection committees have chosen five alumni for induction in the Hall of Fame. The annual induction ceremony will be held in conjunction with Homecoming Weekend, Saturday, October 19, at The Country Club in Meadville.
This year's inductees are Brenda Bates '87 (basketball, softball), John Bernhard '63 (wrestling), Molly Dietz '92 (volleyball), Terrence Gray '89 (basketball), Richard Seidel '88 (basketball).
Bates was a guard on the basketball team from 1981-85 who still holds school records in field goals in a game (15) and field goal attempts in a game (33). Her 501 career field goals are second in Allegheny history, and though it has since moved to sixth place, Bates set the then all-time scoring record with 1,075 career points. For three consecutive seasons she led the Gators in scoring - her freshman (11.8 ppg), sophomore (14.3 ppg), and junior (14.5 ppg) years. Bates helped Allegheny to two NCAA Tournaments (1984, 1985), the NCAC Championship (1985), and the Women's Keystone Conference Title (1984). She also earned four varsity letters as a softball player. Bates was named to the all-region team when she finished the 1984 season batting .338 with 22 runs and 29 RBIs. In 1983, she led the Gators to an East Regional championship and a fifth place finish at the NCAA Championship, where she earned all-tournament team honors. A native of Troy, Pa., and Troy Senior High School, Bates graduated from Allegheny with a degree in psychology. She currently resides in Park Hall, Md., where she is an adolescent specialist with Walden-Sierra Incorporated.
Bernhard established himself as one of the top wresters in the PAC during the 1960s, claiming four conference championships; three at 157 lbs., one at 147 lbs. At the time, he was just the second four-time champion in the PAC. He posted a career record of 29-10, losing just three matches over his junior and senior seasons. Bernhard served as team captain his junior and senior years and was the William Johnson Wrestler of the Year in both 1962 and 1963. During his career, the team went 22-19 in dual matches, winning the PAC Championship in 1960. A graduate with a degree in psychology, Bernhard currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he is a Vice President of Marketing for The Relocation Center.
Dietz is the greatest volleyball player in Allegheny history. She was a two-time All-American (1990, 1991) and was a three-time All-East Region, first team All-NCAC and NCAC Player of the Year selection (1989-1991). She also was an Academic All-American in 1991 and was named to the NCAC Tenth Anniversary Volleyball team in 1994. At the time of her graduation, she was the career kills leader (1,682). She currently also holds five other school records: season kills (611), season attack percentage (.366), career attack percentage (.328), season blocks (302), and career blocks (976). Dietz and Allegheny dominated the NCAC during her career, as she led the Gators to four consecutive conference championships (1988-1991). A Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a degree in political science, Dietz also earned a master's degree in political science from American University in 1996. Dietz is a native of Greeley, Colo., and Greeley Central High School, who currently resides in Falls Church, Va., where she works for the Center for Arms Control.
To this day, Gray is Allegheny's all-time leader in career games played (113). He also currently holds the NCAC career assists record with 684. Gray also ranks fourth in career steals (181) and 22nd in scoring (918). He appears in the single-season assists record book in three locations; fourth with 194 (1986-87), fifth with 183 (1987-88), and ninth with 160 (1984-85). He also posted the second-highest single-game assist output with 17 on Feb. 6, 1985, against Oberlin, which is also the NCAC record. He was twice awarded the Raymond P. Shafer Outstanding Player Award, after leading the Gators to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. During Gray's four years, the Gators posted an overall record of 80-33, with two NCAC Championships. Gray is originally from Meadville, Pa., where he went to Meadville Area Senior High School. He earned a degree in economics from Allegheny.
Seidel, one of the great long-distance shooters in Gator history, still holds the school record for career 3-point field goal percentage at .450 (126-280). He is also fourth in career three-point field goals with 126 and fourth with a single-season total of 81 three-pointers in 1987-88. He finished his career at Allegheny tallying 895 points, good for 24th all-time. Seidel earned three varsity letters with the Gators and served as a captain, with Gray, in 1987 and 1988. During that time, Allegheny made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and won two NCAC Championships. Currently residing in Edinboro, Pa., Seidel is originally from Meadville, Pa., where he attended Meadville Area Senior High School. He graduated from Allegheny with a degree in economics and is a financial planner with Seidel Financial Services in Meadville.
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