Jeanne Galvin (left) and Cynthia Wetmore, Herkimer County Community College Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 2013.
Herkimer County Community College Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2013 Inductees.
(Herkimer, NY – Oct. 4, 2013) Herkimer County Community College held its second induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 4, as part of the College’s Fall Fest & Alumni Weekend. Five individuals and one team were honored for making outstanding contributions to the institution through intercollegiate athletics. The class includes: Jeanne Galvin, associate professor emeritus and field hockey, basketball, volleyball and softball coach; Cynthia Wetmore ’80, field hockey, basketball and softball; Todd Allen ’07 baseball; Eileen Coyle ’07 women’s soccer; John Fornino, contributor; and the 1987 Field Hockey Team, Herkimer’s first ever national championship team.
College President Ann Marie Murray welcomed honorees and guests to the ceremony. “We are proud of our inductees who exemplify the same core values that make Herkimer one of the top junior college programs in the country – community, excellence, integrity and opportunity.”
Jeanne Galvin taught physical education and coached field hockey at Herkimer from 1971 until her retirement in 1995. As the first woman in the Physical Education department, the history of women’s athletics at Herkimer began with Galvin. Starting in 1971, she organized the field hockey, volleyball, women’s basketball and softball teams, coaching all four sports for four years. During her early years at Herkimer, women competed under the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). Later, when the NJCAA expanded to include women, Galvin became the women’s regional director, and also served as chair of the National Field Hockey Committee for many years. She also served as president of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Under Galvin, Herkimer’s field hockey program won national titles in 1987 and 1991, and Galvin was named NJCAA Field Hockey Coach of the Year both years. She coached the women’s basketball team for 17 years, winning the regional championship in 1979 and 1980, and was named Regional Coach of the Year both times.
Cynthia Wetmore ’80 was a multi-sport athlete at Herkimer, where she was outstanding in field hockey, softball and women’s basketball. As a first-year starter on the field hockey team, Wetmore scored 22 goals and was named to the All-Region team. In her senior year, the team had a record of 17-2-3, won the Region III championship and finished third in the NJCAA national tournament. That year, Wetmore was named Field Hockey MVP, first team All-Region, first team National Tournament and All-American. In her two years at Herkimer, she scored an incredible 46 goals, an accomplishment that will stand forever in Herkimer’s record book. During her first year on the women’s basketball team, the team finished 21-3, won the Region III championship and competed in the national tournament in Kansas. The following year, her team went 16-2, and won the regional championship, but only after Wetmore scored 18 points in the double-overtime championship game to help her team qualify for Nationals again. Wetmore continued her education at the University of Rhode Island on a field hockey scholarship, graduating in 1982. As head field hockey coach at SUNY Cortland since 1998, Wetmore led her team to an NCAA Division III title in 2001, being the only former Herkimer athlete or coach to have done so.
Todd Allen ’07 played baseball for the Herkimer Generals, and in 2006 was named to the All-Conference team, first team All-Region and first team All-American. As captain in 2007, Allen was named All-Conference player, first team All-Region, second team All-American and HCCC Male Athlete of the Year. He holds the second highest batting average for a season at .480. Allen went on to accept a baseball scholarship to the University of Vermont, making him the first Herkimer Generals baseball player to attend a Division I college to play the sport. He attended SUNY Brockport for his senior year, where he broke the RBI record and was named first team All-Region and first-team All-Conference.
Eileen Coyle ’07, a standout soccer player, was named Mohawk Valley Collegiate Conference Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006, and was a two-time first team NJCAA All-American. In 2005, Coyle played 21 games for Herkimer, scoring 29 goals with 7 assists. She was also first team All-Region and NSCAA All-American. Coyle was captain in 2006, scoring 43 goals with 15 assists in 19 games, and was again an NSCAA All-American. She went on to be the leading scorer at SUNY Geneseo in 2007 and was a member of their SUNYAC championship team in 2010. Coyle played soccer professionally for the Rochester Ravens FC in the W-League of the United Soccer Leagues from 2010 – 2011.
John Fornino, of Frankfort, NY, has made special contributions to the quality, growth and reputation of Herkimer County Community College’s nationally recognized soccer program. A successful soccer player and coach for over 30 years, one of Fornino’s biggest thrills was coaching the U17 Coliseum Girls as they won the International Tournament in Italy in 2001, as well as the U17 Indoor National Championship. Through his support, both as a fan and a contributor, he has made an extraordinary impact on the sport of soccer at Herkimer. By working with the family business, Casa Imports, he generously donated toward a new scoreboard that serves both soccer and lacrosse at Herkimer. Recently, Fornino also received the Coliseum Soccer Club’s Presidential Award for his support of soccer at Herkimer.
The 1987 field hockey team was the first team in the history of the College to win a national championship. After going 15-1 and winning the regional championship that year, Herkimer defeated Becker Junior College (Leicester, MA) 1-0 in the final game to win the NJCAA national championship. All but two of the team members were present to accept the honor. Coached by Jeanne Galvin, the team included: Dana Alberico Lonis, Christine Battisti Keane, LaRae Benedict, Carol Ann Champlin Hammons, Mary Clifford, Pam Comins Armstrong, Beth Crouch, Tracey D’Amore Burris, Terri Dean Jackson, Michelle Dudak Farrell, Shelly Fallon Reinold, Kathy Hawk Holden, Lori Lupini, Wendy Russell, Terri Scoville, Dexa Wojcik Iamele, Dori Yerina Gilman, Suzanne Yerina, Laura Zerrillo Morris and team manager Amy Geloso D’Amato.
Athletic Director Don Dutcher said, “As the athletic director here for nearly 10 years, I am humbled by these great coaches, leaders and athletes who left incredible legacies for our college community.”
Herkimer’s national championship athletic program is a Division III member of the National Junior College Athletic Association and has amassed 43 national, 92 regional and 136 conference championships. Herkimer placed third in the 2013 National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Cup competition. HCCC has placed in the top five of the competition since its inception in 2004, with three second place and four third place finishes.