Four athletes, one team named to 2019 Athletics Hall of Fame

The Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019 has been selected and the group features four individuals plus one of the most accomplished teams in school history.

Set to be enshrined on Dec. 7 are tennis player Anna Edelman ‘11, basketball player Larry Gainen ‘68, track and field athlete Hasani Hampden ‘06 and volleyball player Michelle McDonough ‘11 along with the 1999-00 women’s basketball team. They were voted in by a 15-member committee of coaches, staff, alumni, current HOF members and members of the media.

In the 23 years since its inception, the Hall of Fame has seen 111 inductees spanning 19 sports.

Edelman was a three-time all-conference tennis player and the 2011 America East Player of the Year. She posted 144 combined singles and doubles victories in three years and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the East Region and No. 104 in the nation. Her singles win total of 77 ranks third all-time at Binghamton - despite missing one year. Edelman also was the America East Rookie of the Year in 2008. As a senior she racked up a record 34 singles wins, was ITA regional runnerup and led the Bearcats to a runnerup conference finish. She was selected as Binghamton University’s Athlete of the Year in 2010-11.

Gainen averaged 19.3 points over his final three seasons and was the school’s lone Athlete of the Year selection in 1967-68. A four-year standout who also played on the golf team, Gainen graduated holding six school records, including a school-best career field goal percentage of 44%, notable given the bulk of the 5-foot-7 guard’s shots were taken 20 feet from the basket in the days before the 3-point category. He made 85% of his free throws as a senior and his career 82% accuracy ranks third after 73 years of basketball at the University.

Hampden was a track walk-on who became an America East champion. A five-time all-conference performer, he captured a pair of America East heptathlon titles and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in the 400 hurdles as a senior. He was the unanimous Most Outstanding Performer at the 2006 America East Indoor Championship and still ranks among the program’s top-10 in four events: 55 hurdles, 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles, heptathlon and 4x400 relay. He was honored with the prestigious Jake Pitler Award for career achievement and leadership in 2006.

McDonough is the school’s all-time kills leader with 1,469 over her four-year career. She was a three-time America East first team all-conference selection and twice was named to the conference all-tournament team. As a junior McDonough led the Bearcats to an America East title and NCAA tournament berth. She is one of just three players in program history to amass more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. A two-time University Athlete of the Year, McDonough also was given the prestigious John Bilos Alumni Award for career achievement.

The 1999-00 women’s basketball team, coached by Laurie Kelly, nee Trow, completed a near-perfect season during Binghamton University’s Division II transitional era. The team went 27-2 with a perfect 16-0 season in the New England Collegiate Conference and was ranked as high as No. 17 in the country. Ineligible for NCAA consideration during the school’s elevation to Division I, the Bearcats played in the ECAC Championship and won the title after defeating two opponents by a combined 49 points. The team defeated two Division I teams, went 5-1 against NCAA tournament teams and lost just one game against a Division II foe, setting records for wins and consecutive wins (16).

The induction ceremony will take place on Dec. 7 following a home men’s basketball game at the Events Center.