CACC Hall of Fame is Proud to Announce its Four-Member Class of 2016

CACC Hall of Fame is Proud to Announce its Four-Member Class of 2016

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (September 29, 2016) -- Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Commissioner Dan Mara on Thursday announced the four-member Class of 2016 for the CACC Hall of Fame, which includes former standouts Mike McLaughlin (Holy Family University women's basketball head coach), Matthew Stuart (Caldwell University men's basketball player) and Heather Walker (Georgian Court University softball and volleyball), and the 2007 Felician University Men's Cross Country team that claimed the league title that season.

The announcement of the 2016 Class comes on the heels of a wildly successful inaugural year for the CACC Hall of Fame, which honored six members in 2015. The CACC Hall of Fame now features 10 individuals, while Felician men's cross country becomes the first team in the Hall's history to be inducted.

Mike McLaughlin -- Class of 2016 Inductee Video

 

Mike McLaughlin (Holy Family Women's Basketall Head Coach): Holy Family has been one of the most successful programs in the nation -- regardless of division -- the past 20 years and much of that can be attributed to Mike McLaughlin. During his 14 seasons at HFU, McLaughlin compiled a 407-61 record for a winning percentage of .870. The Tigers won at least 25 games in each of his 14 seasons, including 30 or more in six years. Holy Family won either the CACC tournament or regular season championship in each of his final 11 years at the school. His teams qualified for six NCAA Division II Tournament appearances (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009), as the 2008 squad finished ninth in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll that season. McLaughlin also led the 2007-08 Tigers to a spot in the NCAA East Region Tournament Final. He reached 400 wins faster than any coach in NCAA women's basketball history, as he did so in just 459 games with the feat being accomplished during the 2008-09 campaign. McLaughlin won seven CACC Coach-of-the-Year awards and his student-athletes also got involved in collecting CACC accolades. Under his guidance, HFU student-athletes combined to earn 25 All-CACC honors while four of them combined to take home five CACC Player-of-the-Year awards. Three Tigers also claimed the CACC Rookie-of-the-Year award. During HFU's NAIA days, three student-athletes were named All-American, as McLaughlin led the program eight NAIA Tournament appearances.

 

Matthew Stuart -- Class of 2016 Inductee Video

 

Matthew Stuart (Caldwell Men's Basketball): The Caldwell men's basketball program has had a long line of terrific players, but none stood out more than Matthew Stuart. More than 20 years following his final collegiate game, Stuart -- a two-time CACC Player of the Year -- still ranks as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,888 points. He was a two-time NAIA All-American, including earning second-team status in 1993 when he led Caldwell to the CACC Championship -- the first CACC title for any team in school history -- and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament. A year later in 1994, Stuart took his national accolades a step further when he collected first-team honors. Stuart was also an All-CACC performer for three seasons and was inducted into the Caldwell Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 2010.


Heather Walker -- Class of 2016 Inductee Video

 

Heather Walker (Georgian Court Softball & Volleyball): Heather Walker was not just a two-sport standout at GCU, but also a terrific student who also gave to her surrounding communities. On the softball diamond, Walker was the 2007 CACC Player of the Year, as she led the team to the conference title and a spot in the NCAA Regional Tournament (the first of back-to-back trips to the NCAAs). In 2008, Walker achieved national recognition, as she was named an NFCA First-Team All-American and an Academic All-American from the organization. She also had a hand in the success of the volleyball program, as she was a letterwinner and helped lead the Lions to a pair of CACC titles in 2006 and 2007. Walker's academics also brought her acclaim, as she was named the 2008 GCU Presidential Award winner and the GCU Inspiration Award recipient. She was also a CACC All-Academic Team member in both softball and volleyball. Walker capped her amazing career in 2008 by being named the CACC Woman of the Year and becoming a finalist for the NCAA Woman-of-the-Year award which recognizes excellence in female athletics through athletic and academic accomplishments, while also making an impact in the local community.


2007 Felician Men's Cross Country Team -- Class of 2016 Inductee Video

 

2007 Felician Men's Cross Country Team: The 2007 Golden Falcons were one of the most dominant teams in CACC history, regardless of sport. Felician claimed the CACC Cross Country crown that year with just 22 points after all seven of the squad's runners finished among the top 15 of the individual standings to earn All-CACC status (the first time in conference history that feat had been accomplished). Paul Chegwidden set a new CACC meet record with his first-place performance that garnered him the individual championship and the conference runner-of-the-year award. Jay Rodgers was named the CACC Rookie of the Year for being the highest freshman finisher at the meet, while John Brennan's masterful guidance of the team allowed him to collect the CACC Coach-of-the-Year award. The other five individuals to earn All-CACC honors included Brad Schepise, Mike Burghoffer, Brian McDonnell, Alex Wright and Brenden Krewer. Felician's 22 points were 31 better then the meet's second-place finisher.

The four honorees came from a pool of several impressive nominees, who were submitted by their respective school’s sports information directors with the approval of the athletic director and president. A hall of fame committee comprised of administrators from various member schools considered each nominee when determining the inaugural class. Each honoree will be officially inducted during an event at their respective school during the 2016-17 year.

The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Nyack College, Philadelphia University, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.