Oct. 11, 2007

VILLANOVA, Pa. - On Friday, November 16, a total of 11 former Villanova student-athletes will be honored with induction to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame. The Varsity Club will hold its 32nd Annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner that evening at the Connelly Center on campus. The 2007 induction class includes athletes from six different sports - football (3), baseball (2), men's basketball (2), women's track (2), women's soccer (1) and field hockey (1).

Below are capsules of each of the 11 inductees to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame.

Frank Boal ('69) - Football

Frank Boal played three seasons for the Wildcats from 1966-68 and was a senior captain for the team in 1968. During his career he helped Villanova post a 16-13 (.552) record while playing halfback. He carried for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns during his career while also catching 45 passes for 600 yards and two scores.

John Heim ('72) - Football

John Heim played for Villanova from 1969-71 and was a senior captain for the 1971 season. The Wildcats compiled a record of 21-9-1 (.694) in those three seasons, including a 9-2 mark in 1970. After starting on defense and leading the team with three interceptions in 1969, Heim moved to halfback for his final two seasons. As a halfback, Heim totaled 1,122 rushing yards, 427 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns in two seasons.

Bryan Russo ('90) - Football

Bryan Russo was the team's center from 1986-89 as the Wildcats went 27-14-1 (.655) during his career. Russo led Villanova to the NCAA playoffs in 1989 when the team went 6-2 and finished in first place in the Yankee Conference. As a senior in 1989, Russo earned first team All-Conference and All-ECAC accolades and was chosen as an All-American by the Sports Network and the American Football Coaches Association. He had his jersey retired on the Villanova Wall of Fame in Villanova Stadium in 2000.

Mike Neill ('92) - Baseball

Mike Neill helped lead Villanova to the only Big East Tournament titles in team history in 1989 and 1991. In 1989, the Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 28 years and came within one victory of advancing to the College World Series. In 1991, Neill was a first team All-American and was chosen in the second round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He eventually reached the Major Leagues with Oakland and is one of 54 Villanova players to play in the majors. At Villanova, Neill ranks in the top 10 in school history in eight different batting categories. He set single-season school records in 1991 with 101 hits and 184 total bases. Neill also represented his country in the 2000 Olympics and led the United States to a gold medal.

Gene Schall ('91) - Baseball

Gene Schall was a two-time All-American and All-Big East selection during his Villanova career, and led the Wildcats to the only two Big East Tournament titles in program history in 1989 and 1991. In the NCAA Tournament in 1989, Villanova won three games and came within one win of advancing to the College World Series. Schall was a draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies and is one of 54 Villanova players to reach the major leagues. He ranks in the top 10 in school history in RBI, total bases and batting average, and set a school record with a .484 batting average in 1989. Schall is also the only Villanova player to hit two home runs in one inning, which he did in 1991.

Joe Crews ('68) - Men's Basketball

Joe Crews played three seasons for Villanova and led the team to a 54-29 (.651) record in his years on the team. He helped lead the Wildcats to the postseason each season as Villanova made three NIT appearances during his career. The team advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT and won the consolation game in 1966. Crews averaged 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds during his career with a total of 960 points scored.

Doug West ('89) - Men's Basketball

Doug West ranks fourth on the all-time Villanova scoring list with 2,037 points and is one of only seven players in program history with over 2,000 points scored. The Wildcats compiled an 80-59 record in his four seasons and made two NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 1988 Elite Eight. West started in 121 of his 138 career games and twice led the team in scoring for a season. He was a Big East All-Freshman team honoree in 1986 and earned All-Big East accolades twice during his career. Just last week, West was named a men's basketball assistant coach here at Villanova.

Kate Fonshell ('91) - Women's Track

Kate Fonshell was a standout runner for the Wildcats and one of seven individuals from the women's program to become an Olympian when she competed for the United States in the 1996 Olympics. During her collegiate career, Fonshell was a two-time Big East champion, winning the 1990 indoor 5,000 meters and 1990 outdoor 10,000 meter races. She also won an ECAC outdoor championship in the 5,000 meters in 1990. Fonshell also ran cross country and helped lead Villanova to national titles in 1989 and 1990, starting a string of six straight titles in as many years for the program.

Sonia O'Sullivan ('91) - Women's Track

Sonia O'Sullivan is one of three Villanova individuals and the only women's track runner from Villanova to be a four-time Olympian. She competed in the Olympics for her native Ireland in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 and won a silver medal in the 5,000 meters in 2000. As a collegiate runner, Sullivan was a 10-time Big East champion and three-time NCAA champion for the Wildcats. She also ran cross country and led the program to three straight national titles from 1989-91. Sullivan was the NCAA individual champion in both 1990 and 1991 and each year won the Honda-Broderick Award for cross country.

Ann Brennan ('86) - Women's Soccer

Ann Brennan played for the first four varsity soccer teams in program history between 1983-86. The Wildcats owned a record of 44-26-5 (.633) during those seasons and made postseason ECAC Tournament appearances in 1983 and 1984. Brennan is the program's all-time leader in goals (45) and points (115) scored, and is tied for the all-time lead with 14 game-winning goals. She also is tied for fourth in team history with 25 career assists.

Mary Monahan ('89) - Field Hockey

Mary Monahan was the Villanova goalkeeper from 1985-88. She led the field hockey team to a 14-win season and the ECAC Tournament as a senior in 1988. The 14 victories that year were a school record that stood for 17 years. That same season, Monahan set a single-season school record by making 226 saves. She also is the school's single-season record holder with 10 shutouts in both the 1987 and 1988 seasons.