The Canisius College athletic department announced today that Dr. Ellen Conley – athletic administrator and women's sports advocate, Veronica Maher '02 – softball and Jénel Stevens '04, MS '05 – women's basketball have been chosen as the 52nd induction class to the Canisius College Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally, Don and Pat McMahon – long-time supporters of the athletic department, will be presented with the Rev. Paul J. Dugan, S.J. Award, an honor that recognizes individuals for their significant contributions to Canisius athletics.
The Canisius Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, when the women's basketball team hosts Iona in the Koessler Athletic Center. Game time is set for 2 p.m. The annual Hall of Fame Day will begin with a special “Induction Lunch” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Montante Cultural Center. The cost is $25 per person and includes a buffet lunch, beverages and a ticket to the game. Those interested in taking part in the “Induction Lunch” are asked to RSVP to the Canisius Office of Alumni Engagement by calling 1-800-201-4952 or register online by clicking here.
To be eligible for the Canisius College Sports Hall of Fame, a former student-athlete must have completed his/her eligibility 10 years prior to induction, be a graduate of the College, been acclaimed as an undergraduate as one of the outstanding athletes in the history of the school and, since graduation, the student-athletes' life must have continued to reflect favorably on the College. Non-athletes may be inducted if they have made outstanding contributions to Canisius College athletics.
The Canisius Sports Hall of Fame, which began in 1963, now boasts 183 individual members and four teams with the addition of this group. This marks the first time in the 51-year history of the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame that all of the inductees are females.
Dr. Ellen Conley – Dr. Conley served the Canisius College community from 1970-2014, most recently as Vice President for Student Affairs. Her impact on the athletic department has been immeasurable, having served as assistant director of athletics for women's sports and financial aid from 1987-89, and athletic scholarships coordinator from 1987-90. Under Dr. Conley's direction, the women's athletic program at Canisius was formed, and grew from one club level team to the current 10 varsity teams that the school currently sponsors. Dr. Conley also served as chair of the undergraduate Physical Education Major Program, and Coordinator of the Physical Education Graduate Program. While Vice President for Student Affairs, the Canisius Department of Athletics was under her supervision. In 2014, she was a member of the MAAC Honor Roll as part of the conference's exhibit in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Veronica Maher '02 – One of six players in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history to be named the MAAC Tournament MVP two times, Maher is the 15th Canisius softball player to be inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame. In her four-year career from 1999-02, Maher appeared in 108 games, making 84 starts. Her 84 starts rank second in school history. She posted a career record of 56-27 with a 1.47 ERA and 368 career strikeouts. In 2000, she set a school record with 21 wins in the circle and her 56 career victories ranks seventh in conference history as well. Her 525 innings of work ranks third in school history and she ranks sixth in career strikeouts and career ERA. She helped Canisius to an overall record of 127-66 and a MAAC mark of 50-14 in her four seasons in Blue and Gold, and she appeared in four MAAC Championship games and two NCAA Division I Softball Tournaments. A native of Warsaw, N.Y., Maher was named the MAAC Pitcher of the Year in 2000, earned two MAAC All-Tournament honors and she was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team three times.
Jénel Stevens '04, MS '05 – Former Griff Jénel Stevens is the 12th Canisius women's basketball player to be inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame. The 2004 MAAC Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Stevens finished her four-year career in Blue and Gold with 1,590 career points and 876 career rebounds. She ranks fourth in career scoring at Canisius, third in career rebounding, sixth in career steals (227) and ninth in career blocked shots (63). A member of the MAAC's 25th Anniversary Team, the Freeport, N.Y., native was a two-time All-MAAC First-Team selection and she earned second-team honors in 2002. Her 615 total points scored in 2002-03 is the second-most in school history and she helped lead the Golden Griffins to the program's first appearance in the MAAC Championship game in 2004. After she closed out her eligibility, Stevens served as an assistant coach on Terry Zeh's staff in 2004-05 when the Griffs became the first Division I women's program in Western New York to earn a berth into the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.
Don and Pat McMahon – Long-time supporters of the Canisius athletic department, Don and Pat McMahon are the second winners of the Rev. Paul J. Dugan S.J. Award, presented to individuals who do not qualify for consideration into the Sports Hall of Fame but whose acts or efforts have significantly benefitted Canisius athletics. The McMahons are staples at Golden Griffin games, both at home and on the road, and the couple epitomizes the definitions of loyalty, friendship and support. Don was a former member of the Canisius golf team during his undergraduate days at the College, and after he and Pat were married in 1958, the couple became regulars at Canisius sporting events, often bringing their five children to games. After Don retired from his position as a guidance counselor at Alden High School, he became an equipment room assistant in 1995 and he still handles equipment duties for the men's basketball program. Pat became a part of the Canisius team when she and Don began providing a hospitality area for the parents of the women's basketball team during home games.
