COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Five individuals and one coach will be formally inducted into the Ursinus Hall of Fame for Athletes later this month.
Making their way into college lore will be Mary Kate Daley '07, Brandon Evans '08, Jess Lamina Gray '08, Sarah Hennessey '08, Dane Mangin '08, and Robert B. Shoudt. The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 27 in the Wismer Center's lower lounge.
Daley was an integral part of the women's basketball team's last Centennial Conference championship, garnering first team all-league laurels after leading the Bears to the top of the heap as a senior in 2007. A three-time All-CC performer, Daley is the program's all-time leader in free throws made (354); she ranks second in points (1,501), third in field goals made (554), fourth in steals (163), and ninth in rebounds (658).
Evans was a dual-sport star at Ursinus but made his name as a sprinter on the track and field team. He was a three-time Most Outstanding Track Performer at the Centennial Conference championships, capturing an incredible 15 gold medals during his career. Evans is the owner of six school records, including a conference record in the outdoor 4x200-meter relay. Also a wide receiver on the football team, Evans earned second team All-CC honors in 2006.
Lamina Gray was a stalwart between the pipes for the field hockey team, backstopping the Bears to four Centennial Conference crowns and an NCAA title in 2006. She was a two-time All-American, including a first team nod during Ursinus' run to the national championship, and made the All-CC squad every year of her career. A three-time All-CC first teamer, Lamina Gray ranks second in school history in shutouts (20) and third in saves (380).
Hennessey was a standout in basketball and softball during her time in Collegeville. One of five softball players in school history to collect three first team All-CC awards, Hennessey led the Bears to conference titles in 2006 and 2008. She was a career .352 hitter with 153 hits, 33 doubles, three home runs, 93 RBI, and 66 runs scored.
On the basketball court, Hennessey was a two-time All-CC selection who ranks third in school history in assists (340), 3-point field goals (136) and steals (226); she also resides in the top-10 all-time in field goals made (416, 5th), free throws made (241, 6th), and points (1209, 7th). Hennessey was a team captain as a junior and senior and, alongside Daley, helped spearhead Ursinus to a CC title in 2007.
Mangin was the first great star on a fledgling men's lacrosse team that started competing in 2001. He was a three-time All-CC honoree, including first team laurels in 2007 and 2008, and received All-America honorable mention in both of those years to become the school's first All-American. Mangin stands as one of three three-time All-CC performers and one of five two-time All-Americans in program history. Mangin holds the all-time record for goals (110) as well as single-season records for goals (39) and points (53). A two-time team captain, Mangin is second in school history with 168 points and fifth with 58 assists. He was selected by the Boston Cannons in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse draft, one of just three Bears to play professionally.
One of the legendary cross country and track coaches in Pennsylvania, Shoudt started both women's programs at Ursinus and served two stints as head coach of the men's and women's teams. He led the Bears to the MAC championship in 1980, when his squad was runner-up at the Mideast Regional and placed 16th in its first-ever trip to the NCAA Championship.
Shoudt left Ursinus to take over at Villanova, where he coached the Wildcats to four Big East track titles (two indoor, two outdoor) and snagged six Big East coach of the year awards between track and cross country. Among other accolades with the Wildcats, Shoudt was named NCAA Division I National Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1984; the headline-grabbing moment that year was when the women established a world record in the distance medley relay at the Penn Relays.
Shoudt brought along the women's track program at Ursinus to the point that it captured three MAC titles. It was the conference runner-up in 1986, only its second year of varsity competition. The men's cross country team, led in no small part by his son, piled up conference titles as well. It made for quite a second act for Shoudt at Ursinus, where he remained through 1993 before returning to the high school ranks. Shoudt coached at Springfield (Montco) until 2006. He then had stints Lansdale Catholic (2006-07) and Valley Forge Military Academy (2007-08) before landing at Springside.
Shoudt is a member of more than ten halls of fame, including the PA Sports Hall of Fame (2018), the Delco Athletes Hall of Fame (2010) and the Montco Coaches Hall of Fame (2006).
Kathy Peck is the recipient of the Blanche B. Schultz '41 award, which 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.
Peck, who retired this year, was at the heart of Ursinus Athletics since she first came on board in 1990. As administrative coordinator, she was responsible for a wide range of departmental support and clerical activities, including managing the calendar for Director of Athletics Laura Moliken and assisting Moliken with internal and external communications. Peck coordinated travel arrangements, completed paperwork for new coaches, and kept minutes for weekly senior staff meetings.
Peck put a positive face on all athletic events, organizing and maintaining the hospitality area for conference championships and NCAA events hosted by Ursinus in addition to serving as the department's primary representative with students, parents, administrators, faculty and other external constituents by greeting in-person guests and fielding calls and inquiries. Additionally, Peck managed and maintained departmental budget information, executed vendor contracts, ensured payment of officals and processed a variety of financial transactions for coaches, teams and staff.
Peck's impact went far beyond her job description. She served as a trusted confidant, the one entrusted to answer questions of all kinds, a friend and a sounding board for coaches and staff alike.