Class of 1999

Arnie Atkinson '59 New Bedford Tech basketball
Kathleen Fitzgibbons '92 UMD track and field
Brian Holmes '89 SMU Ice Hockey
John Graham '93 UMD baseball
Kathleen (Regan) Maloney '93 UMD soccer
1976 men's soccer team

Hall of Fame inducts class of 1998

(Dartmouth, MA) -- Five former Corsair athletes who played for UMass Dartmouth and two of its predecessor institutions, along with the Corsairs' first men's soccer team to qualify for the NCAA Division III tournament, will be honored with induction into the UMass Dartmouth Corsair Hall of Fame on Friday, September 24, 1999.

The annual Corsair Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner are part of UMass Dartmouth's Homecoming Weekend '99. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner will take place at 7 p.m. in the Residents' Dining Hall on campus.

The Class of 1999 includes inductees Arnie Atkinson (NB Tech '59), Brian Holmes (SMU '89), Kathleen Fitzgibbons (UMD '92), John Graham (UMD 93) and Kathleen (Regan) Maloney (UMD '93). The 1976 SMU men's soccer team will be this year's team to be inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame.

For more information about tickets, contact the UMass Dartmouth Alumni Office at (508) 999-8031. Tickets are $30 each and are available until Monday, September 20. Tickets will not be available at the door.

The UMass Dartmouth Corsair Hall of Fame Class of 1999 includes:

Arnie Atkinson '59 New Bedford Tech basketball

Atkinson competed in basketball for New Bedford Tech for four seasons from 1955 through 1959. Among the top scorers for his team throughout his career, Atkinson amassed a total of 1,572 points, ranking him 11th overall in UMass Dartmouth men's basketball scoring history. In addition to his scoring ability, Atkinson was a key player on his New Bedford Tech teams, which captured three consecutive Southeastern Coastal Conference championships from 1957 through 1959. Atkinson is the third leading scorer among New Bedford Tech players, trailing only Richard Julio ('54) (1964 pts) and Steven McNamara (61) (1803 pts), both of whom have already been inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame.

Kathleen Fitzgibbons '92 UMD track and field

Kathleen Fitzgibbons joins an elite group as the fifth female track and field athlete inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame. A 1992 graduate of UMass Dartmouth, Fitzgibbons was among the top track athletes in the javelin during her three-year career with the Corsairs. Fitzgibbons made her first mark in New England track and field circles during her sophomore year in 1989. Fitzgibbons finished fourth in the ECAC Division III competition and finished her season with a sixth-place finish in the All-New Englands competing against athletes from Div. I, II and III schools. During her junior year, she placed third in the New England Division III competition, setting the stage for her senior season. In 1991, Fitzgibbons enjoyed her best year, earning a fourth in the New England Division IIIs and a fifth overall in the All-New Englands with a toss of 139'. She concluded her career with a throw of 136' in the NCAA Division III national championships, placing third overall and earning Division III All-America status.

Brian Holmes '89 SMU Ice Hockey

Corsair ice hockey coach John Rolli calls Brian Holmes "arguably the most exciting player and top play-making center" in the history of the program. A four-year center for Rolli's Corsairs, Holmes finished his career as the leading scorer in Corsair history with 89 goals and 117 assists for a total of 206 points. A graduate of Mt. St. Charles HS in Rhode Island, Holmes was no stranger to successful ice hockey programs. He was an outstanding player for the then SMU Corsairs as a 5-7, 150 pound center who was considered too small for everyone else. "Only his size kept him out of Division I hockey," said Rolli.

Coach Rolli describes Holmes as a Gretzky-type player who had the ability to elevate the game of those around him. He teamed with wingers Bill Kennedy and Bill Kewer resulting in the second most productive scoring line in the program's history. In his four years with the Corsairs, his SMU teams compiled a record of 89-14-1 (.861 winning percentage). Winner of the Corsairs' seventh player award as a freshman, Holmes concluded his career as a member of SMU's ECAC Championship in 1989. He was also a member of the 1987 ECAC North championship squad. Following his senior year, he was awarded the team's James Costa student athlete award for the team's highest grade point average and was an ECAC New England Ice Hockey Writers All-Star.

John Graham '93 UMD baseball

One look at the UMass Dartmouth baseball career record book is all it takes to know where John Graham ranks among the top baseball players in university history. Five years after graduating in 1993, Graham still holds six career records and is ranked in the top five in seven other season records.

A three-year All New England and ECAC First Team selection, Graham was twice named Division III All-America and was ECAC Player of the Year in 1992. Following his outstanding career, he was drafted and signed a professional baseball contract in June of 1993. Graham's career records include runs scored (161), hits (220), doubles (46), triples (15), total bases (372) and runs batted in (160). In his four seasons for Coach Bruce Wheeler's Corsairs, Graham had a career batting average of .411 with 25 home runs and 160 RBI. His .459 batting average as a senior in 1993 is the second best in the program's history. UMass Dartmouth qualified for three NCAA Division III tournaments while Graham was a team member and compiled a record of 104-48.

Kathleen (Regan) Maloney '93 UMD soccer

Kathleen (Regan) Maloney is the first member of the UMass Dartmouth women's soccer team to be inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame. Started as a club team in the late 1980's, the Corsairs women's soccer team put together an incredible record as a varsity team starting in 1989. Three years after its first varsity season, coach Ray Cabral's team was playing in the NCAA Division III national championship game. One of the main reasons for UMass Dartmouth's early success was the play of Regan at full back. A four-year starter for UMass Dartmouth, Regan earned All Little East Conference honors and All New England honors in 1992. Despite the Corsairs' 1-0 loss to Cortland State in the championship game, Regan represented the Corsairs on the All-Final Four team and was co-captain of the Final Four team, which was inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame in 1998.

1976 men's soccer team

The 1976 SMU men's soccer team becomes the third soccer team inducted into the Corsair Hall of Fame, following the 1960 New Bedford Tech men's team and the 1992 women's soccer team from UMass Dartmouth. Under the direction of head coach John Barrett and assistant coach Manny Matos, the Corsairs posted an impressive 12-1 regular season record. After losing their season opener to Tufts, the Corsairs ran off 12 consecutive victories to capture their league championship. The 1976 team earned the distinction of being SMU's first men's soccer team to earn an invitation to the NCAA Division III tournament. Despite the Corsairs' 2-0 loss to Brandeis in a game played on campus, the 1976 men's soccer team is considered one of the top soccer teams to have played for SMU.

In addition to coaches Barrett and Matos, team members included Jorge Amaral, Eduardo Borges, Bruce Botelho, Peter Carlin, Chris Dicecca, Paul Fernandes, Joao Fontinha, Jorge Goncalves, Joseph Hummel, John Hurley, Paul Lavoie, Thomas Ley, Robert Lucey, Robert Lundgren, Michael McNeil, Carols Medina, Isaac Pina, Ilias Potsis, Joseph Prata, Kevin Sarafin, Bruce Seich, Atilla Sencar, Randy Sharrow, Manual Silva, John Sousa, Mark Spaulding, John Sullivan and Charlie West.