College Athletics
Rider Hall of Fame to Induct 5

LAWRENCEVILLE—Athletes from four different sports and three different decades and an administrator will be inducted into the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame on June 12, 2010.

Former Director of Athletics Curt Blake will be inducted along with soccer standout Keith Richardson ‘99, '09, basketball star Ron Simpson ‘91, record-setting swimmer Melissa Michalov ‘03 and golfing great William Buzz Costello ’66.

The 2004 field hockey team will also be honored with the Outstanding Team Achievement Award.

“Every year the Hall of Fame Committee works very hard in selecting the best nominees for this prestigious athletic honor,” said Don Harnum, Rider Director of Athletics. “Once again they did an outstanding job as all of our honorees are very well accomplished in their respective sports.”

Blake served Rider from 1991-2005 and was the NACDA AD of the Year in 2003. “It will also be very rewarding on a personal level to see former Director of Athletics Curt Blake inducted,” Harnum said.

During Blake’s tenure Rider added five sports, built new softball and baseball fields, a new track and renovated Alumni Gymnasium. While at Rider he was Chair of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, Commissioner of the East Coast Wrestling Association and President of the ECAC executive council.

Richardson won 29 games in three seasons as the Bronc goalie, compiling 13 shutouts, and led Rider to a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Richardson was the MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year as a sophomore, owning the ninth best goals against average in the nation. After his playing days he assisted the women’s soccer program for seven years.

Simpson compiled 1,735 points in just three seasons at Rider (20.9 ppg) and was the 1986-87 East Coast Conference Player of the Year. As a junior Simpson was seventh in the nation in three-point field goal percentage and as a senior compiled 660 points, a Rider record at that time.

Michalov was the Rider female Athlete of the Year in 2002-03 after earning the MAAC Championships Most Outstanding Performer award. In her career she won 20 MAAC gold medals, setting eight MAAC records, and set three Rider pool records and nine Rider team records in freestyle, backstroke, medley and relays.

Costello competed at both NCAA and NAIA Championships, earning All-America honors twice. Three times he won the District 31 Championship and placed fourth at the 1964 NAIA National Championship after placing ninth in 1963. Costello will be inducted posthumously.

The field hockey team won the 2004 Northeast Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament, finishing 18-3, the seventh best record in Division I, ranked in the national top ten in defense, and owned a team grade point average of 3.41.

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