Photo Gallery
Feb. 5, 2011
Bronx, N.Y. -
The ranks of Fordham University Athletic Hall of Famers grew by five on Saturday, February 5th, as the Rams inducted the newest class at the annual Hall of Fame Awards Brunch in the McGinley Center.
Joining the likes of such Fordham notables as Frankie Frisch, Vince Lombardi, Vin Scully, Wellington Mara and Peter Harnisch were Kirstin Gellatly FCRH '03 (Women's Soccer) , Tad Kornegay GSB `05 (Football), Mollie Welsh Kruger FCRH `87 (Swimming & Diving), Edgar Nanne FCRH '03 (Men's Rowing) , and Bill Slater GSB '64 (Track/Cross Country).
The day started with a special mass at the University Church and the Hall of Famers and their guest then assembled in the McGinley Center Ballroom for the formal induction ceremony. Master of Ceremony Brian Clark FCRH '10 introduced each new Hall of Famer and they were presented their Hall of Fame plaque by University President, Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J. and Executive Director of Athletics, Frank McLaughlin.
Following the awards ceremony, Kornegay spoke on behalf of the group, describing how difficult it was to be both a student and an athlete at Fordham but emphasizing how doing both brought out the best in them. "Being a student-athlete at Fordham is hard, trying to balance school work with sports, but the hard work and long hours helped shape us to be successful."
Kornegay also passed along thanks from his fellow Hall of Famers to their families, coaches and friends. But he had a special person to thank: Sister Anne Walsh, RSHM. "Sister Anne was a big part of my experience here at Fordham," said Kornegay. "She was diligent at setting up study halls for the football team and that made all of us better students."
Kornegay closed by relating two stories, one from Welsh Kruger, whose coach helped her gain the confidence to try a move off the three meter board, and one of his own on how the coaches at Fordham saw something in them that they themselves didn't see.
"My sophomore year I was having a bad game against Holy Cross and I took myself out of the game, convinced I couldn't do the job," said Kornegay. "But my coaches argued that I was capable of playing and they gave me the confidence to go back in the game." Kornegay not only went back in the game but intercepted a pass on the Fordham ten yard line late in the game to seal the win as the Rams went on to win their first Patriot League title that fall.
Fr. McShane then spoke to those in attendance, thanking the Hall of Famers for their devotion to the University.
Here is a bio on each of the new Fordham Athletic Hall of Famers:
KIRSTIN GELLATLY, FCRH '03 - SOCCER
One of the top offensive players in Fordham women's soccer history, Kirstin Gellatly starred for head coach
Ness Selmani from 2000-02.
Gellatly finished her Fordham career as the school's second all-time leading scorer in both goals and total points, netting 33 career goals and adding seven assists for 73 career points. She trails only Fordham Hall of Famer Denise Corrado on the Rams' career lists.
As a senior in 2002, Gellatly tied for fifth in the Atlantic 10 in goals scored and tied for tenth in total points, earning Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors. As a junior, she found the back of the net 14 times and accumulated 31 total points, setting a school record for most goals and most points in a season.
During her first year at Fordham in 2000, Gellatly quickly etched her name in the Fordham record book, scoring five goals and adding one assist in a win over Saint Peter's. The eleven points broke Danielle Tanzi's previous school record of ten in a game, set in 1996, while the five goals tied Tanzi's school record.
Gellatly started her collegiate career at Pittsburgh, transferring to Fordham following her freshman year after being named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.
A native of Hopewell Junction, N. Y., Gellatly currently resides in Huntington, N.Y.
TAD KORNEGAY, GSB '05 - FOOTBALL
A defensive stalwart for the Football Rams from 2001-04, Tad Kornegay enjoyed a record setting career at Rose Hill, capped by earning All-America honors as a senior in 2004.
As a senior in 2004, Kornegay was named First Team All-Patriot League for the second straight season, leading the league in interceptions with eight, while twice setting a school varsity record with three interceptions in a game. He first accomplished the feat against Duquesne on September 25th and then repeated it on October 9th versus Brown. The eight interceptions also tied for the second-best single season performance in the Patriot League, tying Kornegay with Bucknell's Kevin Eiben, who had eight picks in 2000. The league record is nine, set by Holy Cross' Dave Murphy in 1987.
Following that season, Kornegay was named a 2004 First Team All-America by the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as well as a Walter Camp Division I-AA and Sports Network I-AA All-American. He was also a finalist for the 2004 Buck Buchanan Award as the NCAA I-AA Defensive Player of the Year as awarded by the Sports Network, finishing 14th in the voting and was one of 40 players named to the 2004 NCAA I-AA.org All-Star Team. Kornegay was also named the 2004 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year.
Over his Fordham career, Kornegay recorded 14 interceptions, tied for second-best in school history and third best in Patriot League history. He also amassed 198 total tackles, 148 solo and four for loss, and broke up 34 passes.
Kornegay capped his career by winning the 2005 Vincent T. Lombardi Memorial Award at the annual Block F Awards Dinner.
A native of Trenton, N.J., Kornegay currently plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He just completed his fourth year with the team after playing his first two years in the league with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He helped lead the Roughriders to the 2007 Grey Cup title.
MOLLIE WELSH KRUGER, FCRH '87 - SWIMMING & DIVING
One of the most accomplished divers in Fordham history, Mollie Welsh Kruger graduated with four school records and was twice named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Most Outstanding Diver.
Welsh Kruger won MAAC titles on both the one and three meter board as a freshman (1984) and sophomore (1985), earning Most Outstanding Diver honors both years.
As a junior in 1986, Welsh Kruger set a MAAC record at the conference championships on the one-meter board (406.55), while also placing second on the three-meter board. She qualified for the NCAA championships on the three-meter board in 1986 and was named 1986 Female Athlete of the Year by The Ram.
In her senior year Welsh Kruger served as team captain and won the one and three meter competitions at the 1987 Metropolitan Championships, earning Diver of the Meet honors.
Welsh Kruger graduated with school records on both the one and three meter board.
A native of Trumbull, Conn., Welsh Kruger received a master's degree from Fordham in 1990. She currently lives in the Bronx with her husband, John B. Kruger, FCRH '88, and their daughter, Olivia Therese Kruger. Welsh Kruger serves on the faculty at the Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan.
EDGAR E. NANNE, FCRH '03 - ROWING
In just two years at Fordham, Edgar Nanne became one of the top male rowers in school history, winning gold medals at the Dad Vail Championships and the ECAC National Championships while also competing in international championships for his native Guatemala.
After transferring to Fordham prior to his junior year from the University of Guatemala, Nanne made an immediate impact for the Rams' squad, rowing with the lightweight 8 that won the 2002 Dad Vail Championships as well as competing with the varsity 8 that won the New York State championship, and advancing to the finals at the IRA championship with the varsity 4.
In the fall, Nanne won the lightweight and heavyweight single titles and lightweight and heavyweight quad titles at the Central American Games and then, in the summer following his junior season, he placed tenth in the World Championships in the lightweight single, one of only a handful of collegiate rowers to advance to the semifinals at the World Championships.
As a senior in 2002-03, Nanne was a member of the varsity lightweight 8 that won the ECAC National Championship and he won gold with the varsity 8 at the New York State championship.
Internationally, Nanne won the lightweight 8 and heavyweight singles titles at the Central American and Caribbean Games while in the summer after graduation, he placed 17th in the World Championships in the lightweight single, one of only a handful of collegiate rowers to advance to the semifinals at the World Championships. Nanne also won a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games, finishing ahead of an entry from the U.S., and advanced to the finals of the Crash B Sprint World Ergometer Championships for the second straight year.
Nanne also won U.S. National Championships in the lightweight 4 and in the lightweight singles and a Canadian Henley U23 Championship.
A native of Guatemala, Nanne received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Columbia in 2010 and currently resides in Guatemala with his wife, Graziela Gimenes, where he works as an engineering consultant.
BILL SLATER, GSB '64 - TRACK/CROSS COUNTRY
A mainstay with the Fordham Cross Country and Track programs in the early 1960's, Bill Slater set numerous school records and was a member of numerous skilled relays team before having his career curtailed by injury.
As a freshman in 1960-61, Slater was undefeated with the freshman cross country team, setting ten course records and winning the Metropolitan IC4A championship. On the track that year, he was a member of school record indoor and outdoor medley relay teams and the mile relay and was named the freshman team Most Valuable Player.
The following year Slater ran with the varsity, earning MVP honors with the cross country team and setting the sophomore school records for all cross country courses. He also was a member of the second place IC4A Championship indoor two mile relay.
As a junior, Slater again ran with the two mile relay, a squad that recorded the fourth fastest indoor time in world up to 1963. He was also a member of the NYAC Games record-setting relay and the school-record setting distance medley relay. However, he missed part of the season due to injury.
Unable to regain his health, Slater missed most of his senior year with injuries. The injuries related to severe third degree burns he suffered on over 80% of both legs in 1947 which left Slater with no sweat glands in affected areas. This would cause his legs to swell when practicing and competing, causing severe pain. However, he never missed a practice until his junior year. But because of the severity of his burns, his ligaments and tendons atrophied, causing increasing muscle and joint tightening and spinal misalignment resulting in left leg instability and debilitating back pain.
A native of the Bronx, Slater currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his wife of 32 years, Jane. They have one daughter, also named Jane. He retired after teaching English for 37 years at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx.
Anyone who wises to nominate someone for the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame can download the nomination form by clicking here.