Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 1993 Announced

June 25, 1993

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Nine former Tiger athletes are the newest inductees into Wittenberg University's Athletics Hall of Honor. They were announced at Saturday's annual Varsity "W" Breakfast at Wittenberg. The inductees, who will be formally honored Nov. 6, 1993 during halftime of the Wittenberg-Denison football game, are: Rocky Alt '71, (football and baseball); Tyrone Curtis '81 (basketball); Randy DeMont '74 (football); the late William Farmer '23 (football, baseball); the late Olie Gregory '04 (football, baseball, track); John "Red" Johnson '41 (football, swimming, track); Chet LaBuda '48 (basketball, baseball); Linda Napoli '79 (basketball, field hockey, tennis) and Lois Raimondo '81 (basketball, field hockey, lacrosse).

Alt was a three-time most valuable player, twice in baseball and once in football. A quarterback, he received the Mike Gregory Award as the Ohio Athletic Conference's most valuable offensive back in 1970. During his career, Alt threw for 4,195 yards and 46 touchdowns. During his last two seasons at the helm Wittenberg was 19-0 with two OAC titles. As a pitcher in baseball, Alt was 9-1 his senior year and led the OAC in wins, earned run average (1.00) and strikeouts (78). He was in the top 10 nationally in wins and ERA. He still holds three school career records: innings pitched (248.1), strikeouts (241) and ERA (1.64). The Crestline, Ohio native is now an assistant football coach at the University of Hawaii under another former Wittenberg gridder, Bob Wagner.

Curtis had the unusual distinction of starting every game in his college basketball career--115--and led the Tigers to four-year record of 96- 19 including four OAC championships and a third place in the 1980 NCAA Division III tournament. A two-time All-American, Curtis was the national player of the year and most valuable player player in the OAC in 1981. He still ranks as the third leading scorer in Wittenberg history with 1,739 points, and average of 15.1 points per game. Now a Dayton resident, Curtis hails from Bluefield, W.Va.

DeMont served as co_captain of the Tigers' 1973 NCAA Division III Championship football team and received the Hank Critchfield Award as the most valuble defensive back in the OAC. He still shares the school record with three interceptions in a game. Now a resident of Evergreen Col., DeMont is a native of Niles, Ohio.

Farmer earned four varsity letters on the baseball team and three in football as an end, playing for College Football Hall of Fame Coach Ernie Godfrey before graduating in 1923. Farmer later coached football at Urbana High School, leading the Hillclimbers a 35-23-3 record between 1923 and 1929. The 1928 team was 9-0 and outscored their foes 391-13. He coached later football and basketball coach at Triadelphia High School in his native Wheeling, W.Va. Before retiring as principal of Triadelphia in 1967 he rewrote the regulations and bylaws of the West Virginia High School Athletic Association. He died in 1969.

Gregory is believed to be the first Black athlete to compete at Wittenberg and scored the first touchdown at Zimmerman Field in 1902, now used as the football practice field and the precedent to Wittenberg Stadium, During three years of varsity action he missed only 10 minutes of action and in 1903 he scored 62 points. In a game against Ohio University in 1903 he scored five touchdowns and kicked five field goals. He served as a court bailiff and librarian of the Springfield Bar and Law Library Association for 45 years. A Springfield High School graduate, he died in 1969 at age 87.

Johnson was a member of wittenberg's famed 1940 undefeated and OAC championship football team, playing as a lineman. During his final two seasons, Johnson missed a total of two minutes of action. He was selected second team All-Ohio by United Press International as a senior. While at wittenberg, Johnson also earned two letters in track as a shot putter and two years as a diver in swimming. A native of Middletown, Johnson was a member of the Middies' 1936 undefeated football team which shared the mythical state title with Massillon. He now resides in Aurora, Col., where he served as president of the Metropolitan Denver YMCA from 1967 to 1985.

LaBuda is believed to be the first Wittenberg basketball player to earn a starting berth as a freshman and started every game during his college career. He was the second athlete in Wittenberg history to earn four letters in one sport. He also earned three letters in baseball. A resident of Millbury, Ohio, LaBuda served 33 years as an educator, including eight years as an assistant principal at Toledo Waite and seven at Toledo Libbey. He is a Warren native and graduate of Warren Harding High School.

Napoli earned four most valuable player honors in three sports during her career. In tennis she played No.1 singles all four years and was team MVP twice. She also earned MVP honors in basketball and field hockey. A 1975 graduate of Orange (0.) High School Napoli is now a resident of Rocky Hill, Conn. where she is employed by Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co.

Raimondo earned letters in field hockey, basketball and lacrosse while at Wittenberg. She still holds school records in field hockey for goals scored in a game (7), season (24) and career (38). In field hockey she was invited to the U.S. Olympic camp in Colorado Springs, eventually making the B team in the Olympic Trials. Raimondo is a graduate of Rocky Point (N.Y.) High School.