Home Richmond Athletics announces Hall Of Fame inductees
Sports

Richmond Athletics announces Hall Of Fame inductees

Contributors

ur-spiders1Individuals representing four unique eras of Spider Athletics excellence will come together to be honored as the University of Richmond’s Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2016, announced today by Director of Athletics Keith Gill.

The four-person class includes Washington Redskins’ President Bruce Allen, a standout punter for the Spiders from 1974-77; George Edelman (1985-89), the first men’s swimmer to be enshrined; Warren Mitchell, men’s basketball standout from 1953-57; and Kristen Samuhel Clarey (1998-2001), the most decorated women’s soccer goalkeeper in program history.

The induction ceremony and reception is scheduled for Saturday February 13, 2016 at noon in the Jepson Alumni Center on campus. The 40th Hall of Fame class will be introduced at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Fordham at 6 p.m. in the Robins Center.

Ticket information for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reception can be obtained by calling Megan Dooley at (804) 289-8694 or by email at [email protected].

 

BRUCE ALLEN – Football 1974-77

Before becoming a household name as an executive in the National Football League, Bruce Allen left his mark on the college game as a record-setting punter with the Spiders from 1974-77.

His 40.1 yards per punt average is the third highest career mark in UR history.  Allen enjoyed a stellar junior season, which included the fifth-highest punt average in a game (50.8 yards per punt vs. East Carolina), the second highest punt average in a season (42.9 yards per punt), the third longest punt in UR history (76 yards vs. ECU) and the 16th-best punt average in the nation in 1976.  Allen was named All-ECAC and All South Independent following his junior year.

Those efforts followed a sophomore season in which he booted the 10th-longest punt in UR history (72 yards vs. VMI) and established the fourth-highest punt average in a season (41.9 yards per punt).

Allen was a 12th-round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1978.  He is a former NFL General Manager with Tampa Bay and Oakland, and just completed his sixth year with Washington, which captured the NFC East title in 2015.  He was instrumental in bringing the Redskins’ training camp to Richmond in 2013.  Allen is also President of the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation.

 

GEORGE EDELMAN – Men’s Swimming 1985-89 

The first men’s swimmer to be inducted into the UR Athletics Hall of Fame, George Edelman capped his unprecedented collegiate career by being named Colonial Athletic Association Swimmer of the Year in 1989.

In his senior season, he won the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle at the CAA Championships, completing a career in which he won seven of eight events at the conference championship event.  As a junior, he won the 500 and 1650 freestyle; his sophomore year he captured the 200 and 500 freestyle.  He missed the championships his freshman year because of an illness.

Edelman is the Spiders’ all-time men’s leading point scorer, and at the time of his graduation he held four individual and two relay records.  He was named one of 25 swimmers on the CAA’s 25th Silver Anniversary Team.

He is currently a physical therapist and has been an active member of the Sports Medicine Committee of USA Swimming since 2000, traveling with the National Team as part of the squad’s medical staff.

 

WARREN MITCHELL – Men’s Basketball 1953-57

More than 50 years after his record-breaking senior season in 1957, Warren Mitchell’s name is still etched in the Spider men’s basketball record book.

In addition to being team captain, and leading the Spiders in scoring and assists, Mitchell set a school record for best free throw percentage in a single-season (82.7%).  That effort is still 10th on the all-time UR single-season list.  He was 18th in the nation in free throw percentage in 1957.

His career free throw percentage was 77.8%, tops in school history at the time of his graduation, and just outside the top 10 currently.  His 153 free throws made in 1957 is currently sixth on the single-season list.  He set the mark for best free throw percentage in a single game, a record that stood for 39 years.

Mitchell was named First Team All-State and First Team All-Southern Conference and All-Tournament Team in 1957.   He was also selected to the All-East Team squad which competed against the USA Olympic Team.

Following his stellar UR playing career, Mitchell moved to the sidelines, first as a high school coach in Newport News (1960-64).  He then became a college assistant coach at Davidson (1964-66) and was head coach at the College of William & Mary from 1966-1972.

 

KRISTEN SAMUHEL CLAREY  – Women’s Soccer  1998-2001 

Kristen Samuhel wore Spider uniform jersey number zero, more than appropriate for the UR women’s soccer goalkeeper who holds the top three single-season records for shutouts.

A former captain and member of the school’s first NCAA tournament team, Samuhel holds records as the all-time leader for games (81), starts (81), minutes played, saves (410), saves per game, wins (46 – 20 more than 2nd) and shutouts (28.5).  She is number two all-time in save percentage (.802) and number three all-time in goals against average (1.22).

In addition, she is number one in single-season goalkeeper wins (13 in 2000) and single-season shutouts (10.5 in 1998).  She is also second in single-season shutouts with nine in 1999 and owns the single-game record for saves (16 vs. Dartmouth in 1999).

Sanuhel earned the victory in goal in the Spiders’ first NCAA Tournament game, a 5-1 home-field triumph over West Virginia in 2000.   She was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team in 1998 and the Atlantic 10 All-Conference and All-Tournament Teams in 2001.

She was honored with the prestigious Helen Reba Humbert Award as a senior, awarded for outstanding athletic, leadership and scholarly attributes.  She went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina’s Medical School, and is currently a practicing surgeon.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.