VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton athletics celebrated its Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2023 Saturday at the Events Center. The luncheon event was part of Homecoming Weekend on campus. Earning entry into the Hall were longtime athletics director David C. Henderson (1954-81), soccer player George "Skip" Curth '90, golfer Jake Katz '11, tennis player Julie Klein '00, softball player Margaret Yerdon '01 and the 2003 men's soccer team.
"Congratulations ... this is a pretty exciting day," University President Harvey G. Stenger said in his welcome remarks. "I know if I was ever invited into a hall of fame, I would be extraordinarily excited ... but that's not going to happen. So great job to you and your families. Enjoy the day!"
"Enjoy this ceremony and the weekend," Director of Athletics Eugene Marshall said to the inductees. "We need you to come around more, because your experience can help our young, soon-to-be alums follow in your footsteps. Please don't be a stranger ... we want our current student-athletes to be as successful as you have been. Go Bearcats!"
Henderson was inducted posthumously but the other four individual inductees and their families, friends and former teammates were on hand. A strong contingent of men's soccer players from the 2003 championship team traveled back to Binghamton for the ceremony during the team's 20-year anniversary.
Henderson played a pivotal role in the foundation of the athletics department as its longest-tenured athletics director (25 years). He helped plan the construction and usage of the two original athletics facilities on campus - the East Gym and West Gym. Henderson expanded offerings in athletics, physical education, club sports, intramurals and open recreation. He hired six future Hall of Fame coaches and one Hall of Fame administrator. Henderson also coached cross country, baseball and golf.
Curth was a four-midfielder who led the men's soccer team to three straight NCAA tournament appearances. He was a two-time All-SUNYAC and All-State selection who capped his career as the SUNYAC East Division Player of the Year in 1989. As a junior he was team MVP and was the school's Athlete of the Year. Curth was selected as the John Bilos Award winner in 1990 for his career achievements. During his tenure, the Colonials won 13+ games a season, captured three SUNYAC titles and won at a 73% clip.
Katz holds the distinction of owning the lowest career scoring average in golf program history (74.36). He amassed 25 top-10 tournament finishes and capped his stellar career with an at-large NCAA Regionals selection in 2011. He was a two-time America Sky Player of the Year and two-time all-region honoree. Katz has claim to the two lowest season scoring averages in history, including his record 72.2 mark in 2010-11. He also was a two-time Golf Coaches Association of America All-America Scholar and the John Bilos Award winner in 2011.
Klein's tennis career spanned BU's Division III and Division II era and she graduated as a five-time conference champion. She began her career as a nationally-ranked Division III singles player and a first-team all-state selection (1998). Klein won singles and doubles titles as a freshman, leading the Colonials to their 12th and final SUNYAC title. She then led the program in its transition up to NCAA Division II by winning another conference title and lifting the team to the first of back-to-back New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) crowns. Klein totalled 126 combined career singles and doubles wins and was the Binghamton University Athletic Club's Citizenship Award winner in 2000.
Yerdon also began her career as a Division III pitcher and finished it as a Division I America East all-conference selection. She was a four-year standout and three-time all-conference selection. She is the program's career leader in ERA (1.40) and ranks second with 431 strikeouts. As a freshman in 1998, she won nine games and had a 0.90 ERA as BU advanced to the NCAA Regionals and earned a final national ranking of No. 11. She followed that with back-to-back NECC Pitcher of the Year honors before finishing with first team America East all-conference laurels in 2002.
The 2003 men's soccer team became the first BU team to win an NCAA game when they knocked off No. 15 FDU 1-0 on the road in the first round of the national tournament. Along the way, head coach Paul Marco's team rattled off a 14-match unbeaten streak and captured the America East title after losing just once against conference opponents. The team went 12-3-7 overall, had five all-conference selections and earned a final NSCAA ranking of No. 26.
Nominations for future classes are accepted year-round and can be sent to committee chair John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu).
