9-16-04
BEHREND ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES 2004 HALL OF FAME CLASS
Penn State Behrend will induct five new members into the Behrend Lions Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 25 honoring them for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the college. The ceremony will take place at the annual Hall of Fame Dinner, which begins at 6:00 p.m. For dinner reservations, call Jackie May at 814-898-6180. The 2004 Hall of Fame class includes:
Anne Bonner
Anne Bonner, who attended Behrend from1990 to 1994, along with her teammate, Wendy Ebinger Sunderman, formed an awesome one-two punch that led the women's basketball program to the most successful three-year run in the history of the sport. Bonner led the team to Behrend's first ECAC championship and its first NCAA tournament appearance and win. With Bonner on the court, the team set a school record for wins with an impressive 23-4 record. She was named the 1991-92 ECAC tournament MVP, and after pouring in 431 points during her senior season, was named to the ECAC Southern All-Star team. Bonner, who graduated from Avonworth High School in Pittsburgh, was Behrend's Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1994 and an Academic All-American. She earned Dean's List honors in seven of eight semesters and graduated with a degree in communications. She works for the government in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Wendy Ebinger Sunderman
From 1990 to 1994 Wendy Sunderman and teammate Anne Bonner led the women's basketball program to 70 wins in four years, an ECAC championship, another ECAC appearance, and the NCAA Tournament. As a point guard, Sunderman sparked the team. She could not only score, play defense, and distribute the ball, but also excelled at providing maximum effort and playing with a sense of urgency. As the leader of the ECAC championship team that finished fifth in scoring defense in 1991-92, she motivated the defense. Sunderman completed her career ranked in fifteen categories and ranked first in all-time steals with 290. Sunderman, a graduate of New London High School in New London, Ohio, was named Behrend's Female Athlete of the Year in 1994. She earned Dean's List honors in seven of eight semesters and graduated with a degree in English. She teaches in Findlay, Ohio.
Eric Good
Eric Good, who played for Penn State Behrend from 1990 to 1994,
remains one of the most successful men's tennis players in the history
of the program. Good, a very gifted player, still sits atop the
Behrend Lions all-time statistical leaders. He led the men's program
to a school record of 14 wins in 1993 and 13 wins a year later. Good
posted a career 47-30 mark in singles play and completed his career
ranked number one all-time. His 40-16 record in doubles play is still
the most doubles victories. In the 1993 season he posted an 18-5 mark
which is the most single-season wins in school history. Good, a
graduate of Punxsutawney High School in Punxsutawney, was named
Behrend's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1994. As a GTE
Academic All-American, he was named Male Athlete of the Year in
1992-93. Good earned Dean's List honors in six of eight semesters and
graduated with a degree in mathematics.
Don Plyler
Don Plyler, who attended Penn State Behrend from 1990 to 1994, and
teammate Byron Thorne were two of the best to run the court in Erie
Hall. Plyler directed the team from the guard position and was an
outstanding long-distance shooter. He ranked number one in
three-pointers made, with 196; number two in three-pointers made in a
season, with 89 in his senior year; number two in steals with 56
behind teammate Byron Thorne; and number one in three-pointers made in
a game, with 9. In addition, Plyler was named to the Hamot Classic
all-tournament team for three years. He also won the three-point
shoot-out at Westminster College that featured NCAA college players
battling NAIA all-stars. Plyler, a graduate of Maplewood High School,
was named the Behrend Lions Male Athlete of the Year in 1991-92 and
graduated with a degree in communications in 1994. He teaches and
coaches in Berwick, PA.
Byron Thorne
From 1990 to 1994 Byron Thorne was one of the most athletic players to ever sport a Behrend Lions uniform. Thorne's athleticism allowed him to make game-deciding plays on both ends of the floor during his 102 career games. As a senior he was named to the Division III News All-America team, a first in Behrend basketball history. Along with his teammate Don Plyler, Thorne guided the squad to the program's most wins in eleven seasons and garnered the team's second ECAC tournament appearance. The dynamic duo worked together to form arguably the most formidable backcourt in the history of the program. They finished their careers with a combined effort for 44 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, and 8 steals in a 104-84 win over La Roche in historic Erie Hall. Thorne completed his outstanding four-year career ranked number two in all-time scoring with 1,386 points and number one in steals with 171. He was named the Male Athlete of the Year as a senior, and totaled a career-high 37 points in a game that season. He was twice named the ECAC Player of the Week and made the honor roll an additional six times. He also scored 568 points as a senior-third most all-time-and was among the national leaders in points per game. Also, Thorne was named to the Hamot Classic all-tournament team for three seasons, claiming one MVP award. A Vincentian High School graduate, Thorne earned a degree in MIS, and he continues to coach at the college level.
This will be the fourteenth class inducted by the Penn State Behrend since establishing the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991. The Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Behrend Lions Athletic Association, currently includes 77 individuals and ten teams as members.
Contact: Jen Town 814-898-6522 e-mail: jlt234@psu.edu