The Induction Class of 2023 for the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame has been selected and will be inducted on Saturday, November 4.

The five Saxon alumni and the Team of Distinction are:

• Nicole (Hedrick) Kivett ’12 – Softball
• Vinson Hendrix ’11 – Football
• Lyndsay (Murphy) Kieffer ’11 – Women’s Basketball
• Chad Pieri ’10 – Football
• Steven E. Miller ’73 – Men’s Lacrosse – Distinguished Alumni
• 1983-84 Men’s Swimming & Diving (Team of Distinction)

“We look forward to honoring these outstanding Saxons in November,” Associate Vice President for Student Experience, Athletics & Recreation, Deb Steward said. “Their legacy will remain in the McLane Center for all to celebrate and honor for generations to come.”

Hedrick was a four-year member of the Saxon softball team whose bat and arm placed her in the Top-10 in 15 statistical categories in the softball record book. Out of those, two were school records with one remaining still today. She still holds the pitching wins in a single season record with 19 in 2010 and is now No. 2 in single season hits with 66 in 2010. Hedrick was one run away from tying another school record as she had 102 career runs for her career. Upon graduating, she held the runs in a single season record with 46 in 2010 and the career batting average with a .410, going 149-for-363. She also tied the school record for career triples with eight. Inside of the pitcher’s circle, her efforts also have her in the Top-5 for career pitching wins with 37 and career shutouts with eight.

One of her top career accolades as a Saxon was becoming the first ever Alfred University softball All-American in 2010, helping the Saxons to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Hedrick was also named the 2010 Empire 8 Player of the Year and was First Team All-Region. She was selected to the All-Empire First Team in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Hedrick graduated from Alfred University with a degree in criminal justice in 2012.

Hendrix was a four-year member of the Saxon football team as a running back. He was selected to the All-Empire 8 First Team Offense in 2007 while also earning Honorable Mention Offense as an All-Purpose player in the same year. He then went on to earn his second All-Empire 8 First Team Offense in 2009. His top accolade was being named a D3football.com All-American in 2007 on the Third Team.

He helped the Saxons to three Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Bowl appearances, including back-to-back championships over University of Rochester in 2006 and 2007 and was the ’07 Most Valuable Player in the bowl game. Hendrix capped off a memorable career as he helped the Saxons to the NCAA Division III Playoffs in 2009 as AU was Co-Empire 8 Champions that season.

Hendrix is the only Saxon football player who is in the Top-10 more than once for rushing yards in a single season. His top year was in 2007, rushing for 1,406 yards, which was the Alfred University school record after his final year on the field. In his senior season, Hendrix ran for 1,339 yards which is still in the Top-5 of the 10-season list. In total, he sits at the No. 2 spot in AU’s career rushing yards list with 3,534 yards and is just one of five Saxons to breach 3,000 yards.

In 2007, Hendrix found himself in the Top-3 in rushing yards in a single game, not once, but twice as he ran for 228 yards in both of the games between AU and St. Lawrence University and University of Rochester. He was also second in career rushing touchdowns at the time with 34. Hendrix is still listed in the Top-10 for rushing touchdowns in a single season with his 12 from 2007 and his 11 from 2009. Hendrix is tied for the Saxon school record for most 100-yard rushing games in a single season, having eight games in both 2007 and 2009.

Hendrix graduated with a degree in psychology in 2011 from Alfred University.

Murphy was a three-year member of the Saxon women’s basketball team after transferring in for the 2008-09 season, playing for her father and longtime AU basketball coach, Jay. In only three years, Murphy climbed the Saxon record boards and was recognized throughout the Empire 8, ECAC and Alfred University for her efforts. Murphy was a two-time All-Empire 8 First Team selection and earned Second Team honors once. She also earned Basketball Coaches Association of New York All-College Team in 2009-10. Murphy was AU’s Most Valuable Player all three years and was recognized as the Muriel Strong Morley Award Recipient at the end of her senior season. The Muriel Strong Morley Award is given to the top female student-athlete at Alfred University. Murphy also earned the ECAC Merit Medal Award in the same year, for excellence both on the court and in the classroom.

In the record books, Murphy ended her career with 1,123 points, putting her at the No. 4 spot at the time of her graduation. She is one of two players to have multiple seasons in the Top-10 for most points in a season. She scored a career-high 396 points in 2010-11 and 374 points in 2009-10 to find those spots on the board. Since 2008, Murphy holds the school record for points per game for a career, averaging 15.1 points.

Besides scoring baskets and being one of the best in Saxon history, Murphy was also a key player for assisting on buckets. She finished her career not only in the Top-10, but in the Top-5 for career assists with 250 in her three years. She assisted 105 times in 2008-09 to finish as the No. 4 in AU history at the time of her graduation. Murphy also is in the Top-10 for career steals with 128 and has the school record for most field goals attempted in a single season (since 2008) with 388 shots taken in 2010-11.

Upon graduating with her undergraduate degree in childhood education, Murphy returned to Alfred University as the graduate assistant coach of the women’s basketball team, working towards earning her Master’s in Education in Scholl Counseling in 2014.

Pieri was a four-year player for the Saxon football team and one of only a few players in AU history to earn All-Empire 8 honors all four years. He earned All-E8 Second Team in 2006, 2009 and 2010 and was an All-E8 First Team selection in 2007. Although not playing in 2008, Pieri was a captain of the Saxons in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and was the Saxons’ Defensive Most Valuable Player in his junior and senior years.

He helped Alfred University become back-to-back ECAC Bowl Champions along with Hendrix in 2006 and 2007, defeating U. of Rochester twice. He then helped the Saxons become back-to-back Empire 8 Champions in 2009 (Co-Champions) and 2010, making the NCAA Tournament in both years with the Saxons advancing to the Elite 8 at Mount Union.

Pieri graduated with a degree in childhood education in 2010 and then returned to AU to earn his Master’s in Literacy in 2011.

Miller is the third Saxon to earn the Distinguished Alumni recognition since it’s conception in 2018 to recognize Alfred University student-athletes for outstanding achievement following their playing career at Alfred University. This award is not necessarily based on athletic achievement, but on the nominees’ career success following graduation via leadership, service, advancement, or other similar means. To make a nomination for the Distinguished Saxon Alumni Award, please complete the following form to the best of your ability.

Miller played three years for the Saxons’ men’s lacrosse team and has dedicated 50 years of his life to the professional world of lacrosse, starting with being named the Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach at Bishop Grimes High School…during his senior year at Alfred University in 1973.

As a Saxon lacrosse player, Miller was named All-ECAC Second Team Defense in 1972 while he was a captain of the team. His contributions to the lacrosse community since his playing days is extremely lengthy, including (but nowhere near limited to): officiating club tournaments as far west as Vail, CO to Lake Placid, NY, being an official in the NCAA Championship Tournament to being the official during the 1994 International Lacrosse Federation World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England. Miller has worked not only as an official for numerous states in the US and in major tournaments in three separate countries (England, Czech Republic and Germany), but is currently serving as a Board Member of US Lacrosse-Upstate New York Chapter, Co-Chair for Upstate Lacrosse Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, National Intercollegiate Lacrosse Officials Clinician and the Coordinator of Officials for the Skyline Conference, SUNYAC, Liberty League, United East Conference, North Atlantic Conference and even the Empire 8.

Miller was recently inducted into the Fayetteville-Manlius Sports Hall of Fame but also has a vast array of lacrosse-specific awards, including the 2018 Frenchy-Julian Award by the National Intercollegiate Lacrosse Officials, Central New York Lacrosse Officials’ Golden Whistle Award in 2008, the 2006 Blend Men and Criers Lew Andreas Award for outstanding contributions and service to the community, 2004 inductee to the Upstate Chapter of US Lacrosse’s Hall of Fame and the 1995 New York State Section III Man of the Year award.

Miller graduated from Alfred University with his degree in business administration in 1973.

The 1983-84 men’s swimming & diving team is the third Team of Distinction to be inducted into the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame, joining the 1971 undefeated football team, inducted in 2021 and the 1988 women’s soccer team who was the first women’s team to make the NCAA Tournament in AU history and was inducted in 2022.

The ’83-’84 team had an undefeated regular season as it went on to finish second in the Upper New York State Collegiate Association Championship. Upon completing that feat, the Saxons finished eighth in the nation during the NCAA Division III Championships in Atlanta, GA at Emory University on March 17. They broke 14-of-17 school records in the pool during the season under legendary Saxon coach, Mike Schaeberle.

Seven All-American performances where displayed at that NCAA Championships, led by the only Saxon in AU history with more than one National Championship Title, Howard Seidman ’84. Seidman is one of four Saxons throughout school history with a National Title, the other three have one each while Seidman has a total of six, including two during his senior year, winning the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events, both broke his previous national records set in his junior season. Cary Schaeberle ‘87 followed Seidman in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing 10^th for his All-American performance.

The other All-American honors in the 1984 Championships were:

• John Jewell – 500-yard Freestyle – 6^th
• John Jewell, Mark Ginn, Tim Jaenecke and Tim Schaeberle – 800-yard Freestyle Relay – 12^th
• Tim Schaeberle – 200-yard Freestyle – 10^th
• John Jewell – 1,650-yard Freestyle – 5th

Members of the 1983-84 men’s swimming & diving team (and their Hall of Fame inductions years) are:

• Art Apgar (2002)
• Karl Borst
• John Cassens
• Mark Cosentino
• David Flavin
• Jeff Francis
• Matt Gibbs
• Mark Ginn
• John Harrington
• Timothy Jaenecke (2019)
• John Jewell (1995)
• John Kidd
• David Lee
• James McNerney
• Eric Mosher
• Robert Nash
• David O’Brien
• Alan Rogers
• Cary Schaeberle (1998)
• Tim Schaeberle (1996)
• Howard Seidman (1994)
• Ray Snyder

Head Coach: Mike Schaeberle (2010)

Athletic Director: Gene Castrovillo (2007)

Team Captains: Tim Jaenecke & Howard Seidman

Seniors: Karl Borst, Mark Cosentino, Jeff Francis, Tim Jaenecke, Howard Seidman

The 1983-84 Men’s Swimming & Diving Schedule and Results were:

• Canisius, W 67-43

• Buffalo, W 60-42
• Rochester, W 63-50
• Ithaca, W 62-51
• Hartwick, W 63-26
• Binghamton, W 70-43
• Utica, W 72-40
• Geneseo, W 75-34
• Hobart, W 61-43
• RIT, W 64-49
• RPI, W 86-24
• Nazareth, W 63-49
• Fredonia, W 71-42
• Oswego, W 61-44
• Upper New York State Championships, 2nd
• NCAA Division III National Championships, 8th out of 76 teams