Five to be Inducted into Allegheny Hall of Fame June 5

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Five new members will be inducted into the Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Sunday, June 5 at Schultz Hall on the school’s campus. The ceremony, which will also include the recognition of the 2003-04 Allegheny Senior Athletes and Scholar-Athletes of the Year and a special acknowledgement of the 1961 PAC championship football team, will begin at 11 a.m.

The five new members of the Hall of Fame include three dual-sport athletes, including cross country/track runner Laura Moeller (Class of ’95), football player/track runner Stanley Drayton (’93) and basketball/softball player Veronica “Ronnie” Bohm Titus (’91). This year’s class is rounded out by former Gator football player Mike Mates (’88) and the first player from a women’s tennis team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Victoria “Tory” Thomas (’87).

In her time at Allegheny, Moeller was a force on the cross country trails and the track. In cross country, she helped lead the Gators to four consecutive NCAC titles from 1991-94 and a pair of Mid East Regional crowns in ’91 and ’92. Moeller earned All-NCAC and All-Region honors twice in her career as well.

On the track, she may have been even better. Moeller was a five-time All-American and eight-time NCAC champion. She earned All-American accolades in the 400 Hurdles on three occasions and ran to All-American status in the 800 on two occasions. Her best finish at NCAAs came in 1995, when she finished fifth in both events.

Currently, Moeller, who graduated from Allegheny with a degree in English, is a teacher at Upper St. Clair High School near Pittsburgh.

Drayton earned his spot in the Hall of Fame with a spectacular football and track career. On the gridiron, he set 14 school records and was a two-time All-American. Drayton set nearly every single-season and career rushing record during his career, including single-season (1,375) and career (3,272) rushing yards and single-season (27) and career (54) rushing touchdowns. He was a two-time First Team All-NCAC pick and the conference’s Player of the Year in 1992.

On the track, Drayton set seven school records, won seven league championships and earned All-American status in the 200-meter dash in his junior year of 1992. He went on to graduate from Allegheny in 1993 with a degree in English.

Today, Drayton is still a Gator, as he was recently named the running backs coach under Head Coach Urban Meyer at the University of Florida. He has been coaching running backs at the collegiate level for nine seasons, including stints with Villanova University and Mississippi State University among others, and Drayton worked with the Green Bay Packers for three seasons.

The final two-sport star is Titus, who was a part of five championship teams at Allegheny. On the basketball court, she scored 1,126 career points, which is still the sixth-best all-time in school history, as she helped the Gators win a pair of conference crowns in hoops. Titus was a two-time All-NCAC pick in 1988-89 and 1990-91.

In softball, Titus was a member of the 1988 Gator team that set the school record for wins and was the national runner-up. A part of three regional championship teams at AC, Titus earned Second Team All-American for her play at second base in 1991.

Titus graduated from Allegheny in 1991 with a degree in Mathematics and is currently a teacher at Mantis High School in Ohio.

While anchoring the Gator offensive line during the mid-1980’s, Mates helped the Allegheny football program begin its ascent to national attention. A two-time First Team All-NCAC pick in 1986 and 1987, Mates was instrumental in Allegheny winning its first NCAC title and first ever NCAA playoff berth in 1987. That season, the Gators went 6-0 in league action and finished 9-1-1 overall.

Following the campaign, Mates went on to receive First Team Kodak and Pizza Hut All-American honors and a spot on the Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American team. At the end of the year, he was also named the Allegheny Male Student-Athlete of the Year and he was later named to the conference’s All-10 Year Team in 1995.

A 1988 graduate with a degree in Political Science, Mates is currently working for Progressive Insurance in Medina, Ohio.

Rounding out the inductees is Thomas, who had a remarkable career on the tennis court. She was a three-time NCAA Division III National Tournament qualifier. Twice, Thomas finished the year ranked in the top 25 nationally in singles action and she also earned a Top 25 spot once in doubles.

A three-time NCAC champion and the 1985 Conference player of the year, Thomas compiled a record of 115-27 during her career, including 62 singles wins and 53 doubles triumphs. She was also named to the NCAC’s All-10 Year Team in 1995.

Thomas, who graduated from Allegheny in 1987 with a degree in economics, is currently the vice president for the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association.

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