Army West Point Athletics
Nine To Be Inducted Into Army Sports Hall of Fame
June 18, 2015 | Football, Men's Basketball, Hockey, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Men's Swimming and Diving, Men's Track and Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Swimming and Diving, Athletics
WEST POINT, N.Y. - A three-time men's basketball All-America choice, a three-time lacrosse All-America selection, a two-time football and women's basketball All-American, the nation's most outstanding lineman, a hockey and men's soccer star, a 10-time varsity letterwinner, a two-time national champion in lacrosse and a legendary swimming and diving coach are just a few of the many accolades of the Army Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015.
Army West Point Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Boo Corrigan announced the class today.
Football and track and field standout Mike Fahnestock, men's basketball star Bill Hannon, men's lacrosse extraordinaire James Hartinger, women's basketball letterwinner and former administrator Kim Kawamoto, football All-Americans Frank Merritt and Casimir Myslinski, hockey and men's soccers' Michael Palone, coach Jack Ryan and national champion Don Tillar comprise the Class of 2015.
The Army Sports Hall of Fame is a subset of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, a comprehensive museum displaying Army's rich and proud intercollegiate athletic program. It is located on the third floor of the Kimsey Athletic Center, Army's state-of-the-art football training facility.
The announcement of the Army Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015 marks the end of a lengthy process that began in the spring. A 10-member selection committee, representing athletic administrators, academic administrators, former West Point athletes, graduates and representatives from the Association of Graduates, began the process of developing a workable list from the thousands of athletes, coaches and administrators that have represented the Academy on the "fields of friendly strife." Only individuals that graduated from or coached at the Academy and those 15 years removed from their playing and coaching days are eligible. The Hall of Fame Selection Committee voted and approved the change from five years removed to 15 this spring.
Once the selection committee finalized its recommended list, the names were forwarded to West Point's Athletic Committee for review and ratification before being passed on to Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen for final approval. The 12th induction class into the Army Sports Hall of Fame brings the total number of includes to 118.
The honorees will be officially inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 18. A special plaque unveiling ceremony will be held in the Kenna Hall of Army Sports inside Kimsey Athletic Center, with the formal black-tie Hall of Fame Induction Banquet set for Eisenhower Hall later that evening. The group will also be recognized during Army's West Point football game against Wake Forest the next day at Michie Stadium with a special photograph and autograph session planned on Black Knights Alley prior to the contest.
To purchase tickets for the dinner, please click here.
Fahnestock, a 1981 graduate, collected 10 varsity letters during his career as a football and track and field standout. The 1981 Army Athletic Association Award winner, Fahnestock collected four letters in football, four in outdoor track and two in indoor track.
On the gridiron, the wide receiver was named All-East and chosen to compete in the 1980 Blue-Gray Game. He was chosen as the Col. Thurston Hughes Memorial award winner as the team's most valuable player and also the Col. James B. Gillespie Memorial Award for his performance, dedication and contribution to the football team.
He finished his career ranked second all-time with 97 receptions and 1,726 receiving yards and currently stands in fourth place in both categories. He hauled in 13 touchdown passes over his career and set the single-season record with seven touchdown grabs in 1980, a record that still stands.
During the 1980 season, in addition to his seven touchdowns, he caught 47 passes for 937 yards and became the first player with five 100-yard receiving games in a season. That year, he set the single-game reception yardage record with 186 yards opposite Lehigh.
As a member of the track and field team, he finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1981 IC4A track championships and set the record in the 110 hurdles in the Army-Navy meet, a mark that stood for 15 years. Twice, he placed second in the 110 hurdles at the Heptagonal Championships and was selected as the Fred. E. McAniff Memorial Award as the outstanding member of the men's track team.
Hannon, a 1954 graduate, was a three-time Converse Yearbook honorable mention All-America selection as a men's basketball star. He led the nation in rebounding as a sophomore, averaging 20.9 per contest.
During his three seasons, he posted 1,101 rebounds and scored 1,115 points, the first Black Knight to surpass the 1,000 mark in both of those categories. He graduated as the school's scoring and rebounding leader and currently stands second and 21st, respectively, in those statistics.
A two-time team captain, Hannon played in 58 career games and averaged 19.0 rebounds per contest, a per season record that still stands. Hannon is second all-time to fellow Hall of Famer Gary Winton in career rebounds. Hannon led the team in scoring in all three of seasons and scored a career-high 44 points in a 101-46 victory over National University of Mexico in 1954.
He paced the team in free throw percentage in all three of his seasons and established an Academy record with 27 rebounds against Pittsburgh in 1954. He was selected to the 1954 East-West All-Star Game, was a member of the Armed Forces All-Stars and competed in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Hannon served multiple tours of duty and retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel.
Hartinger, a 1949 graduate, was a three-time first-team All-American as a midfielder on the lacrosse team. A National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee in 1975, he scored four goals and handed out four assists in the 1947 North-South All-Star Game.
A three-time letterwinner, Hartinger was the team co-captain during the 1949 season and was chosen as the team's most valuable player.
Following his lacrosse career, Hartinger rose to the rank of General in the U.S. Air Force, becoming the first member of the Air Force to rise from the rank of private to four-star general.
He served as Commander-in-Chief of both the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Air Force Space Command prior to his retirement in 1984.
Kawamoto, is a 1992 graduate and won the prestigious Army Athletic Association Award that year following a stellar women's basketball career.
A two-time American Women's Sports Federation All-American selection, she still holds career records for assists with 796 and steals with 287.
She established single-game and Army-Navy game records with 16 assists during the 1991-92 season, posted a single-game record 10 steals against Hofstra and set Christl Arena record with 14 assists against Fordham.
A four-year letterwinner, Kawamoto was named to the 1991 Patriot League All-Tournament Team and was an All- Empire State Conference selection in 1989-90.
Kawamoto served as an administrator at Army West Point, holding the role of Senior Women's Administrator.
Merritt, a 1944 graduate, was a two-time first-team All-American selection as an offensive tackle.
He earned a pair of varsity letters, helping the 1942 team to a 6-3 mark and the 1943 squad to a 7-2-1 record under Hall of Fame coach Earl "Red" Blaik. The 1942 squad opened the season with four straight wins, while the 1943 team began the year with five straight victories.
A 1996 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame inductee, he was also chosen to the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980.
Merritt served as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at the Air Force Academy from 1967-76.
Myslinski, a classmate of Merritt, was a first-team All-America choice at center and earned the Knute Rockne Award as the Nation's Outstanding Lineman during his senior campaign.
He was voted the team's most valuable player and served as co-captain during his senior season. He was a two-year letterwinner and was part of 13 wins during his two campaigns.
Myslinski entered the U.S. Air Force in 1944 and returned to West Point in 1952 as deputy director of the Department of Physical Education. He returned to Air Force in 1956 as the head of the Department of Physical Education in 1956 and also served as an assistant football coach.
He was named Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh where he served 14 highly successful years.
Palone is a 1968 graduate and earned the coveted Army Athletic Association Award at his graduation in 1968 following a standout career in hockey and men's soccer.
On the ice, he earned three varsity letters, scored 38 career goals, and provided 85 assists. At the time of his graduation, his 123 points placed him third in all-time assists and fifth in all-time scoring. He was also captain of the team his senior year.
Palone was part of 46 victories over his career and led the team in scoring during the 1965-66 season with 58 points and was honored with the Hal Beukema Award as the team's most valuable player.
On the pitch, he was a second team All-America choice by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as a forward after earning Regional All-America accolades.
Palone helped Army to NCAA bids in all three of his seasons as a varsity letterwinner.
Ryan served as long-time swimming and diving coach of both the men's and women's team and concluded his career with an overall record of 312-153-1. He guided the men's program for 29 years and posted a 262-126-1 record while he guided the women's program from 1983-88 and showed a 50-27 ledger.
Ryan's 1965-66 men's squad posted a 13-0 record and won the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League Championship.
He mentored 28 All-Americans during his tenure, including fellow Hall of Fame inductees John VanSant and Ann Marie Wycoff. VanSant was Army's first NCAA champion while Wycoff won nine Division II NCAA titles.
Ryan was chosen for a host of Coach of the Year honors, including Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in both men's and women's.
A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee in both 1972 and 1976, Ryan was the Chairman of the Men's and Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Committee from 1986-88. He was the Meet Director of the 1972 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships held at West Point and served as the President of the College Swimming Coaches Association.
He earned the prestigious National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy in 1983, coached the U.S. Combined Armed Forces Swim Team in 1970, served as President of the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League in 1967, was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Metropolitan Swimming Hall of Fame in 2003.
Tillar is a 1959 graduate who competed in both lacrosse and football.
He was a two-time first team lacrosse All-American choice as a defenseman and was part of two national championships in 1958 and 1959. He was awarded the Schmeisser Award as the nation's top defenseman and played a pivotal role during Army's 1958 undefeated season.
Tillar anchored a defense that allowed just 4.3 goals per game in 1958 and only 6.8 the next season. He served as team captain for the North team in the North-South Senior All-Star Game.
He later served as an Officer Representative and assistant coach under Hall of Fame coaches James "Ace" Adams and Dick Edell for seven seasons, including the 1969 national championship team.
As an offensive guard on the football team, he earned a varsity letter on the 1958 squad that posted an 8-0-1 record. That team beat Navy 22-6 after toppling South Carolina, Penn State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Colgate, Rice and Villanova. The lone blemish was a 14-14 tie at Pittsburgh.
Tillar embarked on a distinguished and decorated military career, including 10 years at West Point where he served as special assistant to the Superintendent before retiring with the rank of colonel.
Army West Point Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Boo Corrigan announced the class today.
Football and track and field standout Mike Fahnestock, men's basketball star Bill Hannon, men's lacrosse extraordinaire James Hartinger, women's basketball letterwinner and former administrator Kim Kawamoto, football All-Americans Frank Merritt and Casimir Myslinski, hockey and men's soccers' Michael Palone, coach Jack Ryan and national champion Don Tillar comprise the Class of 2015.
The Army Sports Hall of Fame is a subset of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, a comprehensive museum displaying Army's rich and proud intercollegiate athletic program. It is located on the third floor of the Kimsey Athletic Center, Army's state-of-the-art football training facility.
The announcement of the Army Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015 marks the end of a lengthy process that began in the spring. A 10-member selection committee, representing athletic administrators, academic administrators, former West Point athletes, graduates and representatives from the Association of Graduates, began the process of developing a workable list from the thousands of athletes, coaches and administrators that have represented the Academy on the "fields of friendly strife." Only individuals that graduated from or coached at the Academy and those 15 years removed from their playing and coaching days are eligible. The Hall of Fame Selection Committee voted and approved the change from five years removed to 15 this spring.
Once the selection committee finalized its recommended list, the names were forwarded to West Point's Athletic Committee for review and ratification before being passed on to Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen for final approval. The 12th induction class into the Army Sports Hall of Fame brings the total number of includes to 118.
The honorees will be officially inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 18. A special plaque unveiling ceremony will be held in the Kenna Hall of Army Sports inside Kimsey Athletic Center, with the formal black-tie Hall of Fame Induction Banquet set for Eisenhower Hall later that evening. The group will also be recognized during Army's West Point football game against Wake Forest the next day at Michie Stadium with a special photograph and autograph session planned on Black Knights Alley prior to the contest.
To purchase tickets for the dinner, please click here.
Fahnestock, a 1981 graduate, collected 10 varsity letters during his career as a football and track and field standout. The 1981 Army Athletic Association Award winner, Fahnestock collected four letters in football, four in outdoor track and two in indoor track.
On the gridiron, the wide receiver was named All-East and chosen to compete in the 1980 Blue-Gray Game. He was chosen as the Col. Thurston Hughes Memorial award winner as the team's most valuable player and also the Col. James B. Gillespie Memorial Award for his performance, dedication and contribution to the football team.
He finished his career ranked second all-time with 97 receptions and 1,726 receiving yards and currently stands in fourth place in both categories. He hauled in 13 touchdown passes over his career and set the single-season record with seven touchdown grabs in 1980, a record that still stands.
During the 1980 season, in addition to his seven touchdowns, he caught 47 passes for 937 yards and became the first player with five 100-yard receiving games in a season. That year, he set the single-game reception yardage record with 186 yards opposite Lehigh.
As a member of the track and field team, he finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1981 IC4A track championships and set the record in the 110 hurdles in the Army-Navy meet, a mark that stood for 15 years. Twice, he placed second in the 110 hurdles at the Heptagonal Championships and was selected as the Fred. E. McAniff Memorial Award as the outstanding member of the men's track team.
Hannon, a 1954 graduate, was a three-time Converse Yearbook honorable mention All-America selection as a men's basketball star. He led the nation in rebounding as a sophomore, averaging 20.9 per contest.
During his three seasons, he posted 1,101 rebounds and scored 1,115 points, the first Black Knight to surpass the 1,000 mark in both of those categories. He graduated as the school's scoring and rebounding leader and currently stands second and 21st, respectively, in those statistics.
A two-time team captain, Hannon played in 58 career games and averaged 19.0 rebounds per contest, a per season record that still stands. Hannon is second all-time to fellow Hall of Famer Gary Winton in career rebounds. Hannon led the team in scoring in all three of seasons and scored a career-high 44 points in a 101-46 victory over National University of Mexico in 1954.
He paced the team in free throw percentage in all three of his seasons and established an Academy record with 27 rebounds against Pittsburgh in 1954. He was selected to the 1954 East-West All-Star Game, was a member of the Armed Forces All-Stars and competed in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Hannon served multiple tours of duty and retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel.
Hartinger, a 1949 graduate, was a three-time first-team All-American as a midfielder on the lacrosse team. A National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee in 1975, he scored four goals and handed out four assists in the 1947 North-South All-Star Game.
A three-time letterwinner, Hartinger was the team co-captain during the 1949 season and was chosen as the team's most valuable player.
Following his lacrosse career, Hartinger rose to the rank of General in the U.S. Air Force, becoming the first member of the Air Force to rise from the rank of private to four-star general.
He served as Commander-in-Chief of both the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Air Force Space Command prior to his retirement in 1984.
Kawamoto, is a 1992 graduate and won the prestigious Army Athletic Association Award that year following a stellar women's basketball career.
A two-time American Women's Sports Federation All-American selection, she still holds career records for assists with 796 and steals with 287.
She established single-game and Army-Navy game records with 16 assists during the 1991-92 season, posted a single-game record 10 steals against Hofstra and set Christl Arena record with 14 assists against Fordham.
A four-year letterwinner, Kawamoto was named to the 1991 Patriot League All-Tournament Team and was an All- Empire State Conference selection in 1989-90.
Kawamoto served as an administrator at Army West Point, holding the role of Senior Women's Administrator.
Merritt, a 1944 graduate, was a two-time first-team All-American selection as an offensive tackle.
He earned a pair of varsity letters, helping the 1942 team to a 6-3 mark and the 1943 squad to a 7-2-1 record under Hall of Fame coach Earl "Red" Blaik. The 1942 squad opened the season with four straight wins, while the 1943 team began the year with five straight victories.
A 1996 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame inductee, he was also chosen to the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980.
Merritt served as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at the Air Force Academy from 1967-76.
Myslinski, a classmate of Merritt, was a first-team All-America choice at center and earned the Knute Rockne Award as the Nation's Outstanding Lineman during his senior campaign.
He was voted the team's most valuable player and served as co-captain during his senior season. He was a two-year letterwinner and was part of 13 wins during his two campaigns.
Myslinski entered the U.S. Air Force in 1944 and returned to West Point in 1952 as deputy director of the Department of Physical Education. He returned to Air Force in 1956 as the head of the Department of Physical Education in 1956 and also served as an assistant football coach.
He was named Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh where he served 14 highly successful years.
Palone is a 1968 graduate and earned the coveted Army Athletic Association Award at his graduation in 1968 following a standout career in hockey and men's soccer.
On the ice, he earned three varsity letters, scored 38 career goals, and provided 85 assists. At the time of his graduation, his 123 points placed him third in all-time assists and fifth in all-time scoring. He was also captain of the team his senior year.
Palone was part of 46 victories over his career and led the team in scoring during the 1965-66 season with 58 points and was honored with the Hal Beukema Award as the team's most valuable player.
On the pitch, he was a second team All-America choice by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as a forward after earning Regional All-America accolades.
Palone helped Army to NCAA bids in all three of his seasons as a varsity letterwinner.
Ryan served as long-time swimming and diving coach of both the men's and women's team and concluded his career with an overall record of 312-153-1. He guided the men's program for 29 years and posted a 262-126-1 record while he guided the women's program from 1983-88 and showed a 50-27 ledger.
Ryan's 1965-66 men's squad posted a 13-0 record and won the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League Championship.
He mentored 28 All-Americans during his tenure, including fellow Hall of Fame inductees John VanSant and Ann Marie Wycoff. VanSant was Army's first NCAA champion while Wycoff won nine Division II NCAA titles.
Ryan was chosen for a host of Coach of the Year honors, including Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in both men's and women's.
A member of the U.S. Olympic Committee in both 1972 and 1976, Ryan was the Chairman of the Men's and Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Committee from 1986-88. He was the Meet Director of the 1972 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships held at West Point and served as the President of the College Swimming Coaches Association.
He earned the prestigious National Collegiate and Scholastic Trophy in 1983, coached the U.S. Combined Armed Forces Swim Team in 1970, served as President of the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League in 1967, was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Metropolitan Swimming Hall of Fame in 2003.
Tillar is a 1959 graduate who competed in both lacrosse and football.
He was a two-time first team lacrosse All-American choice as a defenseman and was part of two national championships in 1958 and 1959. He was awarded the Schmeisser Award as the nation's top defenseman and played a pivotal role during Army's 1958 undefeated season.
Tillar anchored a defense that allowed just 4.3 goals per game in 1958 and only 6.8 the next season. He served as team captain for the North team in the North-South Senior All-Star Game.
He later served as an Officer Representative and assistant coach under Hall of Fame coaches James "Ace" Adams and Dick Edell for seven seasons, including the 1969 national championship team.
As an offensive guard on the football team, he earned a varsity letter on the 1958 squad that posted an 8-0-1 record. That team beat Navy 22-6 after toppling South Carolina, Penn State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Colgate, Rice and Villanova. The lone blemish was a 14-14 tie at Pittsburgh.
Tillar embarked on a distinguished and decorated military career, including 10 years at West Point where he served as special assistant to the Superintendent before retiring with the rank of colonel.
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