St. John's University Athletics
RedStormSports.com St. John's Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2004 Announced
| St. John's Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2004 Announced May 6, 2004 Queens, N.Y. - St. John's University announced today that three individuals, the Belson Family (Jerome, Maxine and Tad) and the 1996 men's soccer national championship team will be inducted into the St. John's Athletics Hall of Fame as the Class of 2004. Michael Ricigliano, Esq. ('57C, '60L), David Masur ('03Ged), Jerome, Esq. ('48L); Maxine ('98HON) and Tad Belson, Cozette Ballentine ('93CBA) and the 1996 Men's Soccer NCAA titlists, will be inducted as part of the Hall of Fame ceremony at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on Saturday, June 5, 2004. A three-time letter winner for the baseball team, Ricigliano co-captained the team as a senior and led St. John's to a 21-5 overall record. He was an All-Star selection in each of his three seasons with St. John's and graduated from St. John's College in 1957 and went on to complete his law degree from the University in 1960. He is a senior partner in the law firm of Margiotta & Ricigliano. As a two-time recipient of National Coach of the Year honors, Masur has established himself as one of the most successful soccer coaches in the country. He has reached unprecedented success with St. John's, leading the men's soccer team to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 12 seasons. In 1996, his team was crowned national champions, the first-ever NCAA national championship at St. John's. Masur's teams reached the 2003 NCAA Championship game, have made three Final Four appearances (1996, 2001, 2003) and have reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last nine seasons. Masur, who recently earned his doctorate from St. John's, has guided his team to 11 BIG EAST Championships in 13 years.
The evidence of the Belson's love for St. John's is visible to anyone visiting the Queens campus, as their generous gift made it possible for the construction of the Belson Soccer Stadium, home of the men's and women's soccer teams. The law school buildings were renamed in their honor, as well as the designation of the law school's new facility, "The Belson Moot Court Room." Jerome is a 1948 graduate of the Law School and both he and wife Maxine hold honorary doctorate degrees from St. John's. In addition, their son Tad has been very instrumental in the St. John's Athletics program as a loyal fan and devoted supporter of the University.
Ballentine was a member of the women's basketball team from 1988-92 and is third on St. John's all-time scoring list. The 1991 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, she holds the record for most points (42) in one game and had a 45-game streak of scoring in double figures. She set a school record for scoring average (22.4 points per game) and became the 11th player to reach the 1,000-point plateau. After graduating from St. John's in 1992, she began her professional playing career in Europe. The 1996 men's soccer team is being honored for having captured the first NCAA Championship for St. John's University. With a 22-2-2 overall record, the team finished the season ranked #1 nationally, having won the National Championship game 4-1 over Florida International at Richmond Stadium in Virginia.
Mike Crispino (MSG-TV, ESPN 1050 AM - radio voice of the Red Storm) will serve as master of ceremonies for the 2004 Hall of Fame Induction. The Roosevelt Hotel is located on Madison Avenue at 45th Street in New York City. For additional information about the induction ceremony, please contact Susan Abbott, Director of Special Events at 718-990-7566 or abbotts@stjohns.edu. |
