Gannon University Athletics

ERIE, Pa. - Gannon fans will get their first look at the 2010 Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Saturday, January 9 during halftime of the Gannon-Bloomsburg men’s basketball game.

Five individuals and the 1986-87 men’s basketball team will be honored at halftime and later inducted into the Hall of Fame Saturday night during a banquet at the Yehl Ballroom of the Waldron Center. The new class increases the Gannon Hall of Fame membership to 37 inductees.

The 2010 inductees include former women’s basketball standout Mary Kay Lynch Poppe; former men’s soccer coaching great Rob Russo; former men’s soccer standout Gerry Vandemerwe; former men’s soccer standout and current Gannon head men’s soccer coach Rob van Rheenen; and former men’s basketball standout Harold “Butch” Warner. In addition to the five individual inductees, the Athletic Hall of Fame will induct the entire 1986-87 men’s basketball team. A brief summary of the 2010 inductees’ achievements follows in alphabetical order.

Mary Kay Lynch Poppe (Women’s Basketball ‘85) is Gannon’s all-time women’s basketball rebounding leader and ranks fourth all-time in scoring. A 6’0” forward, Lynch scored 1,743 career points and grabbed 1,194 career rebounds. She shattered every rebounding mark and pulled down 122 more rebounds than any other Lady Knight to wear the Maroon and Gold. Her career rebounding average of 12.1 ranks first. She holds two of the top four single-season rebounding marks, including a school-record 354 in 1983-84. In addition, the Oil City, Pa., native holds four of the top eight season totals.

Lynch paced Gannon in scoring as a junior and senior, with 581 points as a senior ranking seventh on the single-season charts. She ranks third in career free throws made (329), free throws attempted (528), field goals attempted (1,434) and blocked shots (137). She is fourth in career scoring average (17.6 ppg.) and field goals made (707).

Rob Russo (Men’s Soccer Coach) is Gannon’s all-time men’s soccer leader in coaching victories (133) and winning percentage (.772). He guided the Golden Knights to an amazing 133-35-12 record in eight seasons (1982-90). Six of the program’s seven NCAA Division II Tournament appearances came under the guidance of Russo. He led Gannon to double-digit victories every season. In fact, the Golden Knights never lost more than six matches during his last seven years and lost more than three contests only twice during that time span.

Russo was named 1985 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) NCAA Division II Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Knights to a school-record 20 victories. He led the program to arguably its best season ever in 1989, when the Golden Knights advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four. Gannon finished second in the 1985 and 1986 national polls, as well as third in 1989 and sixth in 1988.

Gerry Vandemerwe (Men’s Soccer ‘88) is Gannon all-time men’s soccer leader in career points (186) and career goals (76). A four-year letterwinner, Vandemerwe also ranks fourth all-time at Gannon in career assists (34). As a result, he was a three-time All-America first-team selection.

Vandemerwe’s 27 goals in 1985 represent the best single-season total in school history. Overall, he produced two of the top five single-season goal totals in school history. Vandemerwe also owns three of the top 10 single-season point totals in school history, including a second-best 61 points in 1985.

Gannon was 61-16-5 and qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament three times during Vandemerwe’s collegiate career.

Rob van Rheenen (Men’s Soccer Player and Coach) has brought success to the Gannon men’s soccer program as both a player and coach. A four-year letterwinner as a player, he is Gannon’s all-time leader in career assists (50). He ranked third all-time at Gannon in career points (166) and fourth in career goals (58). The two-time All-American led Gannon to a 53-9 record and two NCAA Division II Tournament appearances during the final three years collegiate career.

van Rheenen’s successful playing days have translated into a successful coaching career. He entered the 2009 campaign 31st among active coaches in career victories (141) and 44th in career winning percentage (.530). The Zeist, Holland native ended the 2009 season with a 147-134-16 career coaching record in 17 years, including a 132-94-12 mark in 13 seasons at Gannon.

Harold “Butch” Warner (Men’s Basketball ‘85) is the only Gannon men’s basketball player to top 2,000 career points, completing his illustrious career with 2,090 points, an average of 18.2 ppg. The 6’3” guard from Atlantic City, New Jersey was Gannon’s leading scorer in 1983-84 and 1984-85, averaging a school-record 24.0 points as a senior, with a school-record 743 points. In addition, he also paced the Knights in assists his final three years, and ranks fifth in career assists with 378.

A four-year letterwinner, Warner scored 30-or-more points 12 times. He helped lead the Knights to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1983-84 and 1984-85.

The 1986-87 men’s basketball team is the only basketball team in school history to play in the NCAA Division II National Championship game. The Golden Knights finished 28-6 overall, setting the school record for victories in a season at the time. Led by head coach Tom Chapman, the squad won the NCAA Division II East Regional en route to the national title game. It played in front of jammed-packed crowds at the Hammermill Center throughout the year and hosted the NCAA East Regional and NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals at the ‘Mill.

The 1986-87 men’s basketball team was coached by Tom Chapman. The coaching staff included assistants John Ruby and Chuck Schramm (‘87M). The roster included John Bowen (‘89), Mark Chase (‘87), Stacey Hitt (‘87), James Jamison, Yoav Kadman, Mike MacDougall, Bruce Martin, John Matthews (‘89), David Morris (‘02), James Rocco (‘89), Mike Runski (‘89), Roland Shannonhouse and Mitchell Smith.