INDIANA, Pa. – The Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) department of athletics will induct the 2024 Hall of Fame class on Saturday, September 28, prior to the football home opener against Clarion.
The class consists of 10 former student-athletes, two long-time coaches and one team to make up the department's 28th induction class. Along with the coach/administrator and team categories, Larry and Barbara Kubala will be recognized as the Honorary Bell Ringers.
The full IUP Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 is listed below:
- Tim Buffone; football, 2002
- Mario Hardison; football/track & field, 1997
- Crystal Heder Kosecki; women's soccer, 2008, M'12
- Mike Higgins; cross country/track & field, 1979
- Jaclyn Hynson McKelvy; women's swimming, 2012, M'14
- Alexa Lodovici; women's lacrosse, 2013
- Christine Wheeler Schrott; cross country/track & field, 1990
- Ashton Smith; men's basketball
- Nick Sudzina; baseball, 1969
- Jimmie D. Wooding; track & field, 1977
- Team: 1964 Football Team
- Coach/Administrator: Rich Hornfeck (1969-79)/James. G Mill; football (1970-81; posthumous)
- Honorary Bell Ringer: Larry Kubala '68 and Barbara Kubala '68, M'73
"The 2024 Hall of Fame Class is another outstanding example of excellence across the storied tradition of our athletic department," IUP director of athletics Todd Garzarelli said. "We are excited to recognize this accomplished class this weekend for their many contributions to the university."
The new inductees bring the total to 329 former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and teams who have made significant contributions to IUP Athletics and have enhanced its image and reputation as enshrinees in the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame.
Members of the 1964 football team will be recognized following the first quarter of Saturday's football game against Clarion, while the remaining inductees will be honored at the start of halftime.
More details on the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 can be found below, courtesy of Bob Fulton:
Tim Buffone
Tim Buffone gained a fair share of accolades as an immovable object along the defensive line during his days as a member of the IUP football team.
Buffone earned first-team All-PSAC honors in each of his last three seasons, and as a junior and senior was named a Daktronics Northeast Region and ECAC South first-team all-star. He was accorded honorable mention on the Don Hansen and D2football.com All-America teams.
Buffone served as a defensive team captain as a junior and senior and was voted the team's most inspirational player on three occasions.
Coach Frank Cignetti's Indians, as they were then known, qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of Buffone's four seasons in uniform and captured PSAC West titles in 2000 and 2001. IUP teams compiled a 35-11 record during his career, highlighted by a 10-2 season his freshman year.
After graduation, Buffone spent two seasons playing professionally for the Wheeling, W.Va.-based Ohio Valley Greyhounds of the National Indoor Football League. He earned first-team All-NIFL honors on the defensive line both years.
The Shannock Valley High School graduate has also made a name for himself as a wrestler. He was a USA Wrestling Veterans Division Greco-Roman silver medalist in the 130-kilogram class at Las Vegas earlier this year.
Buffone, who earned an IUP degree in geography in 2002, works as a senior associate geospatial technologist for DRT Strategies, based in Arlington, Va. He is also the head wrestling coach and an assistant football coach at West Shamokin High School in Rural Valley.
Buffone and his wife, Darcie, a 2002 IUP grad, reside in Kittanning. They have two children, Rocko, 16, and Cruz, 13.
Mario Hardison
Mario Hardison utilized his speed to excel on the football field and on the track during his time at IUP.
Hardison debuted as a wide receiver in 1993, when coach Frank Cignetti took his team to the national championship game. IUP finished 13-1 that year to set a school record for victories, three of them coming in the NCAA Division II playoffs. North Alabama, playing on its home field, handed the Indians, as they were then known, a last-second 41-34 defeat to deny IUP a national title.
The Indians won 39 games in Hardison's four seasons, won or shared three PSAC West crowns and were twice awarded the Lambert Cup as the premier Division II team in the East. He earned PSAC West first-team honors as a senior, moving up from the second team the year before. Hardison was named team MVP in 1996, when he led IUP with 43 receptions for 928 yards (a sparkling 21.6 average per catch) and 11 touchdowns.
Hardison ranks 12th in IUP history in career receptions with 118, 10th in receiving yards (2,093) and fifth in receiving touchdowns (23). The highlight of his senior season came in a wild 62-55 win over Shippensburg when he caught six passes for 192 yards and three TDs.
On the track under coach Ed Fry, Hardison won PSAC titles in the 100 in 1995 and the 4x100 relay with Al Taylor, John Stuart and Taun Henderson in 1995 and with Taylor, Stuart and Brian Spickler in 1996. He set school records in the 100 (10.5), 4x400 relay (41.6) and the rarely run 4x200 relay (1:28.3), which still stands. Hardison participated in the Penn Relays in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and ran the 100 at the 1996 NCAA Division II meet in Riverside, Calif.
A 1997 IUP grad with a degree in marketing, Hardison is a self-employed entrepreneur in Harrisburg, where he lives with his wife, Trina, a 1997 IUP grad. They have two sons, Quincy, 23, and Omari, 17.
Crystal Heder Kosecki
Crystal Heder Kosecki, a four-time All-PSAC selection at forward, had a nose for the goal during her soccer career at IUP and was also adept at finding open teammates.
Playing under head coach Adel Heder—her father—Kosecki was part of some of the most successful teams in program history. The Indians, as they were then known, went 60-21-1 during her time in uniform, the best four-year stretch ever at IUP.
The 2004 squad finished 19-4 to set school records for wins and winning percentage (.821), became only the second IUP team to win a PSAC title and were the first selected to participate in the NCAA Division II tournament. The Indians traveled to Long Island to play two-time defending Northeast Region champion Adelphi (N.Y.), falling 2-0. The Panthers went on to play in the national title game.
Kosecki is one of only four players in program history to have scored more than 100 points. She ranks fourth all time in goals (42), third in assists (28) and fourth in points (112). Kosecki scored three goals in a 7-1 win over California in 2004, a total that had been exceeded only once in IUP history at the time.
She earned PSAC first-team honors in 2004 and 2006 and was a second-team selection in 2003 and 2005. Kosecki earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America all-region honors as both a sophomore and senior.
Kosecki graduated from IUP in 2008 with a degree in sport management and earned a master's degree in health and physical education from her alma mater in 2012.
She is still active in soccer as a youth coach. Kosecki and her husband, Joshua, live in Apollo with their five children: Zering, 7; Adrena, 6; Antero, 4; Torin, 3; and Minka, 1. She is a stay-at-home mom.
Mike Higgins
Mike Higgins collected All-America honors in cross country and set numerous distance-running records in track despite battling an assortment of injuries.
Higgins sat out the 1978 cross country season after surgery to remove bone spurs, but he came back with a vengeance in 1979, placing 18th at the 1979 NAIA national meet in Kenosha, Wis., to earn All-America honors. His performance helped the Indians, as they were then known, finish fifth as a team.
His first All-America honor came in 1977. IUP tied for third at the NCAA Division II meet in Chicago, the best performance in school history. Coach Lou Sutton's entire team—Higgins was joined by Dick Wolf, Ken Trilli, Dan Cunkelman, Jeff Tomecek, Jake Hepp, Tim McVeagh and Andy Pheiff—was accorded All-America status.
Higgins finished second at the NCAA regionals in 1979, still the highest finish in school history. He earned All-PSAC honors in 1977 and 1979, when he placed fourth and ninth, respectively. Only five runners in program history have finished higher than his fourth in 1977. IUP won the PSAC title that season with Higgins competing.
In track, Higgins set records in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and was twice a national qualifier: in the steeplechase at the 1977 NAIA meet and in the 5,000 at the 1978 NCAA meet.
Higgins graduated from IUP in 1979 with a degree in computer science and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986. He is founder/principal of SPI Consulting and founder/managing partner of Spark Automation, companies that help manufacturers automate their processes on the plant floor. Both are based in Mars.
He and his wife, Mindy, a 1980 IUP grad, reside in Mars. They have two children, Angela and Matt, and two grandchildren.
Jaclyn Hynson McKelvy
As Jackie Hynson, McKelvy won a national championship in the 200-yard butterfly in 2012 and earned 11 All-America honors in five different events during her distinguished IUP career.
The highlight was her first-place finish in the 200 fly at the NCAA Division II meet in in Mansfield, Texas, as a senior. McKelvy set school and Division II records with a time of 1:58:84. That still stands as the IUP record.
McKelvy placed in the top six seven other times at nationals under coach
Chris Villa. She finished third in the 200 fly and 200 backstroke as a sophomore; third in the 200 fly and 200 back as a junior; fifth in the 200 individual medley as a senior; and sixth in the 400 IM as a junior and the 100 fly as a senior.
McKelvy set six school records during her career and still holds two—the 200 fly and the 200 back (1:59.35). She also holds PSAC meet records in both events. McKelvy won six PSAC titles all told in butterfly, backstroke and IM events.
She was named the PSAC Women's Swimmer of the Year in 2011 and the IUP Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2012. McKelvy was a two-time winner of the PSAC Top Ten Award, given for combined athletic and academic excellence. As dominant as she was in the pool, McKelvy was even better in the classroom, graduating in 2012 with a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average as a speech-language pathology major. She earned a master's degree in speech-language pathology from IUP in 2014.
McKelvy works as a senior speech-language pathologist with Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh. She also mentors Pittsburgh-area undergraduate and graduate students interested in the head/neck cancer field and lectures at local universities to increase awareness for best practices in dysphagia and lymphedema therapy.
McKevy resides in Pittsburgh with her husband Caleb, a 2006 IUP grad, and their children: Emmylou, 8; Samson, 6; and Molly, 2.
Alexa Lodovici
No player in IUP lacrosse history made opposing goalkeepers more weak-kneed than Alexa Lodovici, the 2013 PSAC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American.
Lodovici, a relentless offensive threat at the attack position, ranks as the program's leader in career points (292) and is third in goals (167) and assists (125). She led the Crimson Hawks in scoring in 2012 with 91 points and in 2013 with 101, the top two totals in IUP history.
A three-time All-PSAC selection, Lodovici was twice accorded all-region honors and in 2013 was named a first-team Synapse Sports All-American and a second-team Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-American. The native of Voorhees, N.J., earned a New Jersey Distinguished Athlete award for her performance. She concluded her career by participating in the IWLCA all-star game in Philadelphia.
Lodovici is tied for third in IUP history for points in a game, recording 11 in a 21-10 win against Millersville in 2012. She scored 10 or more points in a game four times during her career, a feat no other player in program history can match. Lodovici had a seven-goal outburst in an 18-10 win over Gannon in 2013.
The IUP program had produced only one winning season when Lodovici arrived on campus. The Crimson Hawks went 11-7 in her sophomore season and 11-6 a year later, when they qualified for the PSAC tournament for the first time.
Coach Mindy Richmond's team again qualified for the conference tourney in Lodovici's senior season, finishing 13-3 and establishing school records for wins and winning percentage (.813). No IUP team since has topped 13 victories.
A 2013 IUP grad with a degree in sports management, Lodovici works as a district sales manager for Boathouse Sports in Philadelphia. She resides in Voorhees.
Christine Wheeler Schrott
Christine (Wheeler) Schrott earned All-America honors in cross country while running for IUP and won a pair of PSAC championships in track, where she set numerous school records.
Schrott, who had excelled in both sports at Indiana High School, quickly made her mark at IUP, qualifying for cross country nationals as a freshman in 1986. A year later, she placed fifth in the PSAC meet and seventh at regionals. Coach Ed Fry's team reigned as PSAC champions both seasons.
Schrott saved her best performances for last, finishing second at the PSAC meet in 1989, fourth at regionals and then sixth at the NCAA Division II meet in East Stroudsburg to earn All-America honors.
She earned accolades in track, too. Schrott won the PSAC 3,000-meter title in 1989 and the 5,000 in 1990, having set school records in both. Points she earned during her career helped IUP finish second as a team at the conference meet in 1987, first in 1988 and third in 1989.
Schrott qualified for nationals in the 5,000 in 1990, but she had to drop out during the race due to hamstring and knee injuries.
Schrott graduated from IUP in 1990 with a degree in physical education and sport. She earned a master's degree in sport management from Old Dominion University in 1991.
Still active as a recreational runner, Schrott is a self-employed Pilates and yoga instructor in Fernandina Beach, Fla. She and her husband, 1990 IUP grad David Schrott—who also competed in track and field at his alma mater, under coach Jim Wooding—reside in Fernandina Beach. They have three children: Nicholas, 25; Julia, 23; and JT, 20.
Ashton Smith
Ashton Smith ranks among the finest backcourt players ever produced by IUP's nationally renowned basketball program, acclaimed as a top-notch scorer and distributor of the ball.
Smith ranks sixth in school history with 1,635 career points and is third in assists (456) and 10th in steals (138). He started at point guard for teams that won more than 100 games and raised IUP's national profile under coach
Joe Lombardi.
As a sophomore in 2010, Smith helped the Crimson Hawks reach the NCAA Division II championship game for the first time. IUP lost to Cal Poly Pomona, but the Hawks took solace in the fact that they had posted a 33-3 record—a school record for victories—and won the PSAC West title and the PSAC and Atlantic Region tournaments.
IUP compiled a 104-23 record during Smith's four seasons in uniform, won two PSAC titles and earned four NCAA tournament berths. The native of Oakville, Ontario, was a two-time All-PSAC first-team selection and was named the PSAC West Player of the Year as a senior, when he averaged a team-high 18.4 points per game. Smith also earned all-region and first-team National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-America honors that year, and capped his career by participating in the NABC-Reese's Division II all-star game at Northern Kentucky University.
Smith played professionally for teams in Canada, Colombia, Austria, Romania, Germany and Indonesia before embarking on a coaching career. He served as an assistant for two teams that won league championships: The Hamilton Honeybadgers claimed the Canadian Elite Basketball League title in 2022 and the London Lions reigned as British Basketball League champs in 2023, becoming the first British club to qualify for the EuroCup playoffs. He is currently a player development coach for the NBA Atlanta Hawks.
Smith majored in communications media at IUP. He resides in Atlanta with his wife, Falan Arnold-Smith, and their children, Kairo, 4, and infant Kalina.
Nick Sudzina
Nick Sudzina wielded a torrid bat during his four seasons as a starter in the IUP outfield, two of which ended with NAIA District 18 championships.
Sudzina batted .429 as a senior in 1969 and compiled a .388 career average. An outstanding contact hitter, he struck out only four times in his four seasons under coach Owen Dougherty.
Sudzina contributed to IUP's success from the very outset of his career, helping the Indians, as they were then known, to a 16-5 record in his freshman season of 1966, a school record for victories. IUP equaled that total (16-10) in Sudzina's second year, claimed the District 18 title and defeated New Haven (Conn.) and Fairmont (W.Va.) State in the NAIA Area 8 tournament, falling just short of a trip to the NAIA World Series.
IUP again won 16 games in 1968 (16-8), repeated as District 18 champion and advanced to Area 8 play. As a senior in 1969, Sudzina was named to the NAIA District 18 and Western Pennsylvania all-star teams. The Indians beat heavyweights Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia that season and again qualified for the District 18 tournament, but were eliminated by California in heartbreaking fashion, 5-4.
After the season, Sudzina played in the Tri-State Area Coaches All-Star game at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, clubbing a double in three at-bats.
IUP went 59-26 during his four seasons in uniform, setting what was then a school record for wins and winning percentage (.694) over any four-year span.
After leaving IUP, Sudzina spent two seasons in the Detroit Tigers organization, playing with Lakeland of the Florida State League and Batavia of the New York-Pennsylvania League.
A 1969 IUP grad with a degree in criminology, Sudzina works as a trial court administrator for the Tenth Judicial Circuit, state of Florida, in Lakeland.
He and his wife, Dr. Pamela Sudzina, reside in Lakeland They have a daughter, Amanda, and two grandchildren.
Jimmie D. Wooding
A case could be made that IUP has produced no better all-around athlete than the man who went by Jim Wooding during his time on campus. After all, he competed in the decathlon on the grandest stage in sports—the Olympic Games.
Wooding gave an early indication of his prowess when he broke the school high jump record with a leap of 6-8¼ in his very first meet at IUP. He wrapped up his career as a seven-time All-American under coach Lou Sutton, seemingly setting a record every time he stepped onto the track.
He then represented his country at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, finishing seventh in the grueling 10-event decathlon. Wooding's time of 47.62 in the 400-meter run—his specialty while at IUP—was second best among the 26 competitors, behind only the 46.97 clocked by Daley Thompson of Great Britain, the gold medalist.
Wooding won the 400 at the PSAC meet in all four of his years at IUP and also went four-for-four as a member of the 4x400 relay team. He earned four All-America honors in the decathlon, three times at the NAIA national meet and once at the NCAAs; two more in the NAIA indoor high jump; and one in the 4x400 relay at the 1977 NAIA meet in Arkadelphia, Ark. He anchored a team that included Don Freedline, Steve Schunk and Ron Steele to a time of 3:12.45, still the school record.
Wooding twice narrowly missed winning a national championship. He placed second in the high jump at the 1976 NAIA indoor meet in Greensboro, N.C., and earned runner-up honors in the decathlon at the 1977 NAIA outdoor meet, with a total of 7,107 points, shattering his own school record.
He continued to improve in the decathlon after graduating from IUP. Wooding represented the United States in the decathlon from 1980 to 1984 and twice won The Athletics Congress national championships. The highlight of his decathlon career was his performance in Los Angeles, where he held his own against the premier athletes on the planet.
Wooding, a 1977 IUP graduate with a degree in health and physical education, is retired after working as a pit boss at several Atlantic City casinos. He and his wife, Liya Chen, reside in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. They have two daughters, Christine and Brittany, and three grandchildren.
1964 Football Team
The 1964 Indiana State College football squad is being inducted in the team category, for what its members accomplished on the field and what they achieved following graduation.
The Indians, as they were then known, finished 8-2 under first-year coach Chuck Klausing, the winningest season to that point in program history. IUP qualified for the PSAC state championship game for the first time—East Stroudsburg won the title, 27-14—after sweeping its six-game PSAC West slate.
But the Indians weren't just winners on Saturday afternoons. They were winners later in life, too. Many distinguished themselves in a variety of fields after hanging up their pads for the last time.
Nineteen went on to become educators, providing 553 years of service to school districts throughout the United States. Three became principals, one was a superintendent and another was an assistant superintendent.
One received a doctorate and 24 earned master's degrees. Four became college professors and one received the University of Pittsburgh's Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, which recognizes excellence by a member of the faculty.
Eleven became executives for Fortune 500 companies, privately owned businesses and the NFL.
Seventeen went into the military, totaling 157 years of service, and won numerous medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Meritorious Service medals. Several were awarded purple hearts.
And 15 became coaches, combining for 236 years' experience. Five worked at the collegiate level, at IUP, West Point, Utah and Harvard.
Klausing led the Indians to a 46-11 record in his six seasons at the helm, including a 25-3 record over the last three years. His teams won two PSAC West titles and nearly upset powerhouse Delaware in the 1968 Boardwalk Bowl.
He holds the IUP record for highest winning percentage (.807) by a coach. Klausing was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Richard Hornfeck (Coach/Administrator Category)
Rich Hornfeck, who served IUP in many different ways during his 30-year association with the university, is being honored in the coach/administrator category.
Hornfeck came to IUP in 1969 as offensive coordinator under head football coach Chuck Klausing, then stayed on when Bill Neal—who was an assistant coach at George Washington when Hornfeck played there—was hired as Klausing's successor. Hornfeck directed the IUP offense for 11 seasons.
During that time, the Indians, as they were then known, posted a 65-35-3 record, highlighted by 8-1 seasons in 1969 and 1972 and an 8-1-1 mark in 1975. Hornfeck coached two first-team All-Americans—quarterback Lynn Hieber, the NCAA Division II total offense leader in 1975, and wide receiver Terry Skelley—and second-team center Ed Paradis.
Hornfeck played three seasons as an interior offensive and defensive lineman at Division I George Washington, then a member of the Southern Conference. He later served as GW's interior line coach for a season before the program was discontinued.
After earning a degree in health and physical education from George Washington in 1963, Hornfeck went on to obtain his master's in health and physical education from GW in 1967 and his doctorate in highway safety administration from Michigan State in 1979.
He joined the IUP faculty as a member of the Health and Physical Education Department in 1969 and later served as director of the university's highway safety center. Hornfeck was able to acquire federal highway safety grants to develop highway safety programs for Pennsylvania.
Hornfeck resides in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., with his wife, Charlene. They have four children: Sandra, Karen, Helen and Patricia. Helen (1986) and Patricia (1987) are IUP grads. The Hornfecks have 10 grandchildren.
James G. Mill; posthumously (Coach/Administrator Category)
Jim Mill, who wore many hats during his 32-year association with IUP, is being honored in the coach/administrator category. He excelled in both capacities.
Mill came to IUP in 1970 as defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Bill Neal. He remained in that position through the 1981 season.
The Indians, as they were then known, went 67-44-3 in his 12 seasons, highlighted by an 8-1 record in 1972, an 8-1-1 mark in 1975 and a memorable upset of Youngstown State and future NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski in 1972. Mill coached two first-team All-Americans during his time at IUP—defensive end Jim Haslett, who went on to play eight seasons in the NFL, and defensive tackle Joe Cugliari—and second-team linebacker Gregg Schmidt.
Mill had himself been a distinguished football player, at Slippery Rock. He played on both the offensive and defensive line for the Rockets and as a senior co-captain was voted the team's MVP. He earned first-team All-Pennsylvania State College Conference and Pittsburgh Press Small College All-District honors in 1964 and played in the Gem City Bowl, an all-star game that included Division I players. Mill was inducted into the Slippery Rock Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
He graduated from Slippery Rock in 1965 with a degree in health and physical education, earned a master's degree from Temple in therapeutic physical education in 1968 and added a doctorate in physical education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981.
After serving as a professor on IUP's health and physical education faculty, Mill was promoted to department chair. He also served as associate athletic director from 1980 to 1983.
His lifelong dedication to fitness prompted IUP to name the workout facility at Zink Hall the James G. Mill Fitness and Wellness Center, affectionately known as Jim's Gym.
Mill passed away in 2023 at the age of 82. He is survived by wife Bonnie, four children—Shannon, Jodi, Jim and Mark—and 12 grandchildren.
Larry R. & Barbara B. Kubala (Honorary Bell Ringer Award)
Barb and Larry Kubala began their long association with IUP back in 1963. when they arrived on campus as freshmen. They expected to move on after graduation, but eventually chose to stay and carve out careers in Indiana.
The Kubalas have been selected as recipients of the honorary Bell Ringer Award in recognition of their enthusiastic support of IUP athletics. They are avid fans of the Crimson Hawks who rarely miss a home football or basketball game and often travel to road games.
Larry graduated from IUP in 1968 with a degree in English. Barb also received her diploma that year, in art education, and then earned a master's degree in art education from IUP in 1973.
Larry served as senior vice president at First Commonwealth Bank in Indiana for 22 years before retiring. He had previously worked as assistant vice president at PNC Bank in Indiana. Barb was an art instructor in the Indiana Area School District from 1968 to 1999.
The Kubalas have been involved with IUP in numerous ways, as volunteers, leaders and contributors. Both were active in the formation of and continued growth of the University Museum as members of the board of directors, and have volunteered their time to organize and hang shows in the museum.
Over the years, the Kubalas have served on various committees on campus, such as the Leadership Society, the Division of University Advancement's Athletic Council and the College of Arts and Humanities Advancement Council. They have also established two scholarships in IUP's Endowed Scholarship Program.
The Kubalas reside in Indiana. They have a son, Michael, a 1989 grad, and three grandchildren.
