Maplewood, N.J. - On Thursday night at Maplewood Country Club, Seton Hall Athletics enshrined four individuals and a team into its Hall of Fame Class of 2017, honoring Doug Cinnella '86 of the baseball team; Debbie Hartnett '89 of the women's basketball team; John Kelly '63/MBA '68, a former chairman of the Seton Hall Board of Regents; Bryan Spoonire '95 of the men's track & field team; and the entire 1952-53 men's basketball team that finished ranked No. 2 in the nation and won the National Invitation Tournament.
The Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame now includes 232 individuals and two teams.
The 1952-53 men's basketball team was the first inductee of the evening, and three members of the squad were in attendance - Henry Cooper, Jack Milani and Arnie Ring. Ring is also in the Hall of Fame as an individual, inducted in 1980.
Led by coach John "Honey" Russell, the Pirates won 27 consecutive games to start the season, qualified for the National Invitation Tournament and defeated St. John's in the championship game at Madison Square Garden to win what was then considered the premier postseason tournament in college basketball. Seton Hall was ranked No. 1 in the country for six consecutive weeks and ultimately finished the year ranked No. 2 with a 31-2 record. The 31 wins match the 1988-89 team for most victories in school history, though the 1952-53 team still holds the school record for best winning percentage (.939).
"1953 was a great year for Seton Hall basketball," said Henry Cooper, who was a junior on the team that season. "We all gave up certain things in order to make that team work, and a team like the one that we had was very finely tuned. We had two All-Americans, a premier shooter in Harry Brooks, a racehorse that could cover the court in nothing flat in Ron Nathanic and Arnie and I did our work trying to keep Walter from fouling out. I had a very good record for percentage as a foul shooter, so I think I could have shot the ball, but everybody has to give up something, and I think that most of us that have some time under our belts now realize every day in life."
Spoonire, originally from Asbury Park, N.J., and a graduate of Asbury Park High School, is one of the most accomplished track runners in school history after four years that included helping Seton Hall win the 1993 BIG EAST Indoor Track & Field Championship while also winning eight individual BIG EAST titles of his own. In 1994, he was named an All-American after anchoring a distance medley relay team that finished second at the NCAA Championship. In 1994, he was named the BIG EAST Outdoor Championship Most Outstanding Male Performer after winning the 5,000 (14:19.30) and 10,000 (30:28.27) races. He owns five Seton Hall school records, including the indoor mile (4:05.18), indoor 3,000 (8:00:03), indoor 5,000 (14:11.33), outdoor 5,000 (14:05.3) and outdoor 10,000 (29:42.0) and also is a record holder in three relay teams.
"I'm truly honored and humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Spoonire said. "Running for me was an outlet; it made me feel whole. I truly enjoyed the intense workouts on the track with my teammates. There's nothing like preparing for a BIG EAST Conference battle against some of the best teams and runners in the country - Georgetown, Providence, Villanova - but as a Pirate, we always knew that we were the beasts of the east. Thank you again, Seton Hall, for the induction; it was always my pleasure to do what I enjoyed most."
Kelly served a five-year term on the Seton Hall University Board of Regents from 1986-91, during the renaissance of the men's basketball program, and also served as the board's chairman. In addition, he was President of the Seton Hall University Alumni Association and President of the Stillman School of Business Alumni Association. In 1986, he received the Many Are One Honoree-Service Award, and in 1991, he was the recipient of the University's Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award. Among his many positions in business, he was previously employed as a Senior Vice President for Finance at Pfizer, Inc.
"If we are having a great period, a great renaissance, it's both academics and athletics. They go together; they are critical to the success of our university. We were blessed to have that happen. That was a period of time when SAT scores were up, academics were up, we built new facilities and had great sports programs. That's the type of teamwork that we brought back then and it's what we have today."
Hartnett originally from Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and a graduate of Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, was a four-year letterwinner for the Pirates, and at the time of her graduation from The Hall, she was the program's third all-time leading scorer with 1,632 points. That number still ranks fifth in school history. She was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection, including second-team honors in 1988 and 1989. Her 1988 season was one of the best in school history; she averaged 18.3 points per game, which at the time was the highest in program history and still ranks fifth-best today. Her 89.7 percent free throw shooting in 1986-87 is still No. 1 in the record book.
"Thank you to Seton Hall University for the great education. My experience at The Hall has shaped me into the person I am today through education, sport and friendship. I am forever grateful for the time spent at this wonderful university."
Cinnella originally from Paramus, N.J., and a graduate of Paramus High School, was a four-year starting pitcher for the Pirates under the great Mike Sheppard, Sr., and finished his career with 24 victories, 210 strikeouts and 11 complete games. As a freshman in 1983, he tied a school record with 17 strikeouts in a game. The following year, he was the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Pitcher of the Year and helped the Pirates reach the NCAA Tournament. After his collegiate career, he was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the 1986 MLB Draft, and he went on to pitch in Minor League Baseball for seven years.
"As all of you can attest, tonight is truly a celebration of unity," Cinnella said. "No one can do it alone. The support provided by those around us is the real celebration. The patience, the guidance and the understanding provided by those closest to us is unmeasurable and is really what is on display here tonight. As I stand up here tonight, many others stand up here with me too."
http://www.shupirates.com/news/2017/6/2/general-seton-hall-inducts-hall-of-fame-class-of-2017.aspx
