3-28-2023 4:23am

STEVENSON TO HONOR

Jeff Barto Editor

Stevenson Announces 2023 Dick Watts Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The Stevenson University department of athletics is proud to announce the inductees for the 2023 Dick Watts Athletics Hall of Fame, marking the tenth class enshrined since its founding in 2014.

The banquet will take place during Homecoming Weekend on Friday, October 20 at 6 p.m. in the Owings Mills Gymnasium.

The 2023 class features six student-athletes, one contributor and a Team of Tradition. The inductees include Avery (Moorman) Gabbard '13, Cat (Connelly) Graham '08, Peter Green '13, Nikki (Hentz) Murphy '03, Matt Waltrop '07 and Kenny Wood '06. Current men's lacrosse coach and associate athletic director Paul Cantabene will be inducted as a contributor, while the 2013 men's lacrosse team will be honored as a Team of Tradition.

Gabbard played four years for the women's volleyball team. She is currently second all-time in kills at 1,369, attack attempts at 3,812 and is seventh in digs at 1,114. She is tied for fifth in matches played at 139. She was an All-MAC Commonwealth Honorable Mention selection in 2012.

Graham, a two-sport athlete in field hockey and women's lacrosse, was ninth in career assists and nine in individual game assists as a lacrosse player. She served as a midfielder on the field hockey team.

Green, a member of the 2013 National Championship team, was a second-team All-American and a first-team All-MAC and All-Region selection during his tenure.

Murphy, played four years for the soccer team and three years for the lacrosse team, serving as captain for both teams during her senior season. After leaving Stevenson, she went on to a successful coaching career at Harford Community College, leading the Fighting Owls to the 2019 and the 2022 NJCAA National Championship in women's lacrosse. While at HCCC, she coached 22 All-Americans.

Waltrop, batted .346 in 164 career games at third base. He totaled 41 doubles, four triples and three home runs to go along with 113 RBI. He ranks tenth in career batting average, and second in career hits. During his senior season, he was the 12th toughest to strike out in all of Division III.

Wood, the school's all-time leader in assists with 384 and in assists average at 5.6, had 205 assists during the 2004-05 season. He later returned to Stevenson to help coach the women's basketball team, which culminated in an ECAC bid and the most wins in a season.

Cantabene, who currently serves as associate athletic director as well as men's lacrosse coach, is in his 18th season as the coach of the Mustangs. He has over 250 wins in his career and has coached numerous All-Americans during his tenure. Under his leadership, Stevenson has appeared in the NCAA tournament 12 teams and has won seven MAC Commonwealth titles. The Mustangs also captured the 2013 NCAA Division III Championship with a victory over RIT. An accomplished player, he was a standout face-off specialist at Loyola from 1990-93 and was a second-team All-American his senior year. He went on to play professionally in the National Lacrosse League for 11 seasons, being named to the inaugural PLL Hall of Fame in February 2022.

The 2013 men's lacrosse team went 22-2 with a perfect 8-0 record in the MAC Commonwealth, winning the title with a 9-8 victory over Widener. The team would win the NCAA title on May 26, with a 16-14 victory over RIT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Mark Panneton was named the Most Outstanding Player as he had five goals in the win. Fourteen players were named All-MAC from that team, while 11 were named All-Americans by the USILA.

The Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie College) Athletics Hall of Fame serves to honor those who have brought distinction to and/or made exceptional contributions to the overall development, success and prestige of the Department of Athletics while maintaining the high level of core values set by the University. All inductees are judged on the University's four core values of excellence, integrity, community and learning as part of the great distinction they have brought upon themselves and the University.