COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Eight outstanding former student-athletes have received the call to the Ursinus College Hall of Fame for Athletes and will be honored as part of the 2017 class during the 33rd annual induction ceremony on Friday, September 15.
The 2017 Hall of Fame class is made up of four men and four women, two of whom are first-ballot selections. It includes two multi-sport athletes and four All-Americans and comprises some of the major players on a group of teams that combined to bring two national titles and ten Centennial Conference championships to Collegeville.
Barb Caffrey '88 – Lacrosse, Basketball
Caffrey was a three-sport athlete at Ursinus, though her greatest contributions to the school's rich athletic tradition came as a member of the women's lacrosse program, which reached the NCAA championship game three times during her tenure and captured the ultimate prize in 1986. A four-year starter on defense, Caffrey was an All-Pennsylvania and All-Philadelphia Area selection in 1987 before garnering first team IWLCA All-American honors in 1988. She also helped bring a national title to Ursinus as a coach, serving as an assistant on the 1990 championship team. Caffrey was also a member of the women's basketball program.
Allison Doutt Jenkins '07 – Field Hockey
Doutt was a two-time All-Centennial Conference performer who helped lead the Bears to their first national championship in 2006, when she was named first team all-conference and first team all-region and was a second team All-American honoree by womensfieldhockey.com. Doutt, who tallied three game-winning goals that season, was an integral part of the field hockey team's first three Centennial Conference crowns.
Mallory Greene '07 – Softball
Greene is one of the premier pitchers in Centennial Conference history. One of only two to be named CC Pitcher of the Year three times, Greene is one of just 19 players in the league annals to earn three first team all-conference nods. She led the CC with a 0.74 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 2005, when the Bears collected their third of five conference championships, before coming back to top the charts again the next year with 143 strikeouts. Greene ranks within the top five in school history with 390 strikeouts, 46 wins, 16 shutouts, and a 1.43 ERA, all of which place her in the top 15 in conference lore.
Andy Hawkins '00 – Baseball
Hawkins is, according to former UC head coach Brian Thomas, the best shortstop in the history of the baseball program. A two-time first team All-CC honoree, Hawkins was at the helm of conference championships in 1999 and 2000. He turned in a historic season as a sophomore in 1998, when he was an All-Mid-Atlantic Region choice, hitting .469 with team highs in runs (40), stolen bases (13), slugging percentage (.623), and hits (53). Hawkins' average from that campaign still ranks second in single-season program history, while his hits (tied for fourth) and runs (fifth) are also among the top five. Hawkins was also a first team all-conference selection in 1999, when he drew 34 walks to place second in school history.
Dan Mullen '94 – Football
Mullen is best known now as the successful head coach of the Mississippi State University football program, but before working with Heisman finalists and guiding the Bulldogs to the top of the college football landscape, he was a two-year starting tight end for the Bears and a first team All-Centennial Conference selection in 1993.
Mullen has spent the past eight seasons at Mississippi State, where he has taken the program to new heights in guiding the Bulldogs to a 61-42 overall record and seven consecutive bowl appearances. Following the magical 2014 season, in which Mississippi State ascended to the No. 1 national ranking, Mullen received the Maxwell Football Club's National Coach of the Year award and was named Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year.
Mullen graduated from Ursinus with a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science before moving on to Wagner College, where he served as wide receivers coach and connected with current Bears head coach Pete Gallagher, a graduate assistant at the time.
Following stints at Syracuse (1998), Notre Dame (1999-00), and Bowling Green (2001-02), Mullen spent two seasons as quarterbacks coach at Utah, where he developed NFL standout Alex Smith into a Heisman Trophy finalist. From 2005 to 2008, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida, helping to lead the Gators to two national championships and molding Tim Tebow into a Heisman Trophy winner.
Mullen and his wife Megan created the Mullen Family 36 Foundation, which has raised more than $325,000 for charity in the last four years; thirty-six was Mullen's playing number at Ursinus.
Scott Roesch '05 – Wrestling
Roesch is the all-time wins leader in the history of Ursinus wrestling with a remarkable career record of 163-19. A two-time Centennial Conference champion and four-time finalist, Roesch was named the CC's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2004 and was an All-American after a fourth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Roesch prevailed in 46 bouts in 2005, the second-highest single-season total in conference history. Roesch won 11 open and invitational tournaments during his illustrious career and helped lead the Bears to three CC crowns.
Steve Wilkes '03 – Soccer, Tennis
Wilkes ranks sixth in Ursinus men's soccer history in both goals (30) and assists (14), enough to place him fourth on the all-time charts with 74 points. A two-time All-Centennial Conference performer, Wilkes was a bright spot during a difficult time for the program, leading the squad in goals all four seasons. That included a nine-goal campaign as a freshman as well as an 11-goal effort in 2000. Wilkes was also a standout on the tennis team, playing number one singles and number one doubles for three seasons and even leading practices when the coach was not available. He was the recipient of the Ronald Kichline Prize in 2002.
Amanda Young '04 – Field Hockey
Young was a four-year starter for the field hockey program, which transitioned to Division III during her time in Collegeville. She was a first team all-region selection in both 2002 and 2003 and a first team All-CC choice when the Bears won the ECAC championship in 2003; Young was named the championship's Most Outstanding Player. Young put up impressive numbers for a midfielder, accruing 27 goals and 20 assists for her career; that included a 17-goal, 10-assist campaign as a senior.
Blanche B. Schultz '41 Award Winner – Dr. Gary C. Canner, M.D.
The Blanche B. Schultz '41 Award is one of the highest honors that Ursinus College can bestow upon an individual. It is named for the late emeritus professor, Blanche B. Schultz, who was, among many things, a champion for Ursinus Athletics. This prestigious award recognizes an individual who has displayed passionate support of and remarkable dedication to the advancement of athletics at Ursinus College. It acknowledges those alumni and friends who have unselfishly given of themselves to ensure the success of Ursinus Athletics and our student-athletes who participate.
This year we honor Dr. Gary Canner, who has dedicated so much of his time and energy, at no cost, to making sure our student-athletes are healthy and able to compete.
Dr. Canner has spent the past three decades working with Ursinus student-athletes, serving as game physician and consultant. He performs physicals, teaches and lectures, and also conducts research on campus.
Dr. Canner attended Brown University and graduated in 1973 with a degree in biology. After receiving his Doctor of Medicine degree from Brown in 1977, he went on to complete his Internship of Orthopedic Residency at The Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, training in sports medicine under the tutelage of Drs. Joseph Torg and John Gregg. Upon his graduation in 1981, Canner began practicing in Reading, eventually opening Berkshire Orthopedic Associates in 1985.
Along with colleague Robert Engle, Dr. Canner established the first Sports Medicine Center in the region. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Canner became Berks County's first active member of AOSSM, the team physician organization of the AAOS.
Dr. Canner has lectured in the fields of orthopedics and sports medicine at both the local and national level, with a list of published work that includes articles on the knee and shoulder. Over the past three decades, he has been the orthopedic consultant at Kutztown University, Wilson High School and a number of amateur and professional teams, in addition to his work with Ursinus. Dr. Canner has been the orthopedic consultant to the Berks County Chapter of the Easter Seals Society for over 30 years.