Ryan Kirlin and Dave Montani to be Inducted into Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame

Bronx, N.Y. - Today is day seven of the release of the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 2019, and today we move down to the river for our next honorees, Ryan Kirlin and Dave Montani from the men's rowing program. They join head track and field/cross country coach Tom Dewey, head golf coach Paul Dillon, men's track and field standout David Rosa, softball record-setter Jen Mineau, Atlantic 10 multi-event swimming winner Brienne Ryan, All-American placekicker Patrick Murray, record-setting track star Melissa Salerno, and baseball standout Greg Smith in the class of 2019 and will be among the eleven inductees who will be announced over the next week.
 
Kirlin and Montani will join the likes of Frankie Frisch, Vince Lombardi, Wellington Mara and Vin Scully in the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame when the new class is inducted on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at 583 Park, during the Fordham Athletics Gala and Hall of Fame ceremony.
 
As part of the Gala, Fordham will also present the Victory Bell Award as well as honor all current Fordham Athletic Hall of Famers. The Victory Bell will be presented to an individual or individuals who have brought distinction and honor to Fordham University Athletics through achievements not related to competition, coaching and/or administration. The honoree(s) will be selected by the Hall of Fame Committee and will embody a sense of leadership and passion for Fordham Athletics and serve as inspiration to the Fordham Athletics Family.
 
Kirlin and Montani rowed together for three years at the stern with Montani at stroke and Kirlin at either the seven or three seat. They are the only two rowers in Fordham rowing history to compete on the US National Team at the World Championships or Pan American Games other than John Mulcahy, who rowed on the team at the Olympics in 1904 and won a gold medal, and Frank Sulger who was a Pan Am spare.
 
The pair helped the Rams to an undefeated season in 2006-2007 and were gold medalists at the Dad Vails in the men's lightweight four. They followed that with another undefeated season in 2007-2008, winning the men's lightweight eight at the Dad Vail.
 
In 2008-2009 Kirlin and Montani took third and fifth, respectively, in the lightweight men's collegiate event at the Crash B's (the World Indoor Rowing championships). It was the best finishes by Fordham rower in history of this event.
 
Kirlin was a four-year medalist at the Dad Vails (two bronze, two gold) and a two-time All-American. He rowed on the US National Team, stroking the lightweight four without coxswain at the Pan Am Games the year after he graduated. Kirlin is the 6K record holder for Fordham men's lightweights and third all-time in the 2K.

Montani rowed on the US National Team lightweight four without coxswain at the World Championships following his sophomore year and was invited to the men's U-23 national team as a that same year, making the team and competing at the U-23 World Championships in Germany, finishing ninth in the men's lightweight four. He also competed in the world indoor rowing championships for lightweight men as a junior, finishing fifth in Collegiate event.
 
Montani, who was named first team All-Region, Northeast ACRA and second team All-American as a junior, closed out his Fordham career by winning the Head of the Charles as a senior in the men's collegiate four and setting the course record (only Head of Charles win in Fordham men's rowing history). He also earned first team All-Region, Northeast ACRA and second team All-American as a senior.