Jan. 15, 2002
Colonials Round Up
Honoring the Past...
Seven Colonials will join the GW Athletic
Hall of Fame on Jan. 25, when they are honored for their achievements
as student athletes. The honorees are: Hank Bunnell, ’71, baseball;
Cheryl (Farley) Dodds, ’89, volleyball; Steve Frick, ’87,
men’s basketball; Debbie Hemery, ’95, women’s basketball;
Ray Looney, ’58, baseball and football; Mike Tallent, ’72,
men’s basketball; and Tanya Vogel, ’96, the first women’s
soccer inductee and current Colonials head coach.
The GW Athletic Hall of Fame, which will now includes
105 members, welcomed its first honorees in 1959. This year’s ceremony
will take place at the Washington Marriott Hotel with a reception at
6:15 pm, followed by the induction at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $40 per person.
Call 994-5778 for tickets and more information.
...Welcoming the Future
As the men’s basketball team enjoys early season success on the
court, Head Coach Karl Hobbs and his staff have worked hard off the
court to bring in a nationally-ranked recruiting class for the 2002–03
season.
Four recruits have signed national letters of intent to play for the
Colonials. GW’s recruiting class is ranked No. 22 in the nation
and No. 1 in the Atlantic 10 by RivalsHoops.com.
Omar Williams, a 6' 9" 180-pound star from Philadelphia,
can play four positions. At Celestial Prep, he is averaging 22 points
and nine rebounds per contest. “There’s no doubt in my mind
that Omar is one of the top 20 players in the country,” Hobbs says.
“He’s got terrific perimeter skills.”
Mike Hall, a 6' 6", 180-pound forward from outside
of Chicago, will join the Colonials as an even more versatile player
than Williams. Hall is netting 14 points and 10 rebounds per game this
season at Alan Shepard High School. “Of our four early signees,
Mike is the most versatile,” Hobbs says. “He’s got terrific
size, he’s a good perimeter shooter and ball handler, and he’s
a real good athlete. Academically, he’s as good as it gets.”
Hall, who also was recruited by Princeton University, is considering
medical school at GW.
Six-foot-seven NaNa Mensah Bonsu, a native of London,
England, is a small forward who averaged 10 points, nine rebounds, and
three blocks a game last season at St. Augustine Prep in Richland, NJ.
“He plays with the same level of intensity and energy as (senior)
Jaason Smith and that’s what I love about him,” Hobbs says.
Alexander Kireev, a 6' 11", 240-pound forward
originally from the Ukraine, rounds out the recruiting list so far for
Hobbs. The Shreveport, LA, resident is averaging 10 points and nine
rebounds at Evangel Christian. Hobbs predicts Kireev will give the Colonials
the much-needed size they need for their inside game. “Because
of his size and skill level, he will be expected to play right away,”
Hobbs says.
“The most difficult thing in our business is
recruiting,” Hobbs notes. “It’s difficult because you
have to find kids that are good students, that are good players, that
are of good character. You try to find those three qualities in every
player you recruit.”
Gymnastics Squad to Host
Invitational Jan. 19
The gymnastics team will open its season and defense of its fourth consecutive
conference championship Jan. 19 at the GW Invitational, beginning at
noon at Smith Center. Teams scheduled to appear include North Carolina,
Temple, Pennsylvania, Cornell, and William & Mary.
The Colonials are looking for their fifth consecutive title under Head
Coach Margie Cunningham. Nine letter-winners return from last season,
including four seniors: Kelley Banks, Jessica Mantak, Devin McCalla,
and Jamie McNally. The quartet of gymnasts serve as team captains and
aim to make the program’s first bid to the nationals. Last year’s
team finished 17th in the country, establishing school records for overall
score (196.000) and records on the beam and floor exercises.
Three Athletes Named to
Academic All-Conference Team
Cross country runners David Azari and David Talbird, along with men’s
soccer player Matthew Osborne, have been named to the Atlantic 10’s
Fall Academic All-Conference Team for their accomplishments in the classroom
and on the playing field. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have
a grade point average of at least 3.00 and be a starter or key reserve
on his/her team. Voting is conducted by the conference sports information
directors.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
