BC Varsity Club Honors Eight

The Boston College Varsity Club held its 40th annual Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, honoring eight former BC athletes yesterday. Men's basketball player Danya Abrams, BC '97; men's soccer player Gordie Farkouh, BC '83; wrestling and football player Antonio Garay, BC '02; women's basketball player Becky Gottstein-Holden, BC '03; baseball player Gerry Hamel, BC '61; men's hockey player Craig Janney, BC '87; football player Tom McManus, BC '92; and football player Tom Nalen, BC '93, were the former Eagles recognized for their stellar accomplishments.

As a freshman, Abrams played a key role in the men's basketball team that reached the Elite Eight in 1993, averaging just over 10 points a game. Though he was never part of a squad that went farther than that, the forward consistently carried the load for the Eagles. He averaged over 19 points a game in the next two years and capped off his senior season with 16.4 points per game, a Big East title, and another NCAA tournament appearance. Abrams ranks seventh all-time in scoring and third in career rebounds.

Farkouh, a former high school football player, helped lead a ragtag group of soccer players against national powerhouses on the soccer pitch in the early 1980s, setting records for a BC goalkeeper in the process that stand today. He still is the all-time leader in saves, goals-against average, shutouts, and wins, and he helped the Eagles win 15 games in each of his last three years.

Garay is only the second wrestler to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he is certainly a deserving candidate. After qualifying for the NCAAs in his first two years, he entered his junior and senior years as the top wrestler in the country. Unfortunately for Garay, his senior season did not exist, as Title IX regulations stripped BC of its wrestling program. On the football field, he battled injuries in every season, yet he showed enough flashes to be chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round. His career is actually ongoing, as he was called by the New York Jets to join their active roster a few days before the ceremony.

Gottstein Holden, who is still a member of the BC community as an employee in University Advancement, asserted herself on the basketball court in her first year: She led the team in rebounds and field goal percentage as a freshman. Injuries plagued the forward after that, yet she still led the team in scoring and rebounds as a junior. After a medical redshirt in her senior year, she recorded the most rebounds per game with 8.2 en route to being named Eagle of the Year. Her rebounding prowess still exists in BC records, as she is second with 884.

The last time the baseball team appeared in back-to-back College World Series, Hamel was a big bat in the lineup. Under legendary head coach Eddie Pellagrini, Hamel batted better than .300 for his BC career, twice leading the team in RBIs. In three years, Hamel and his fellow players compiled a 46-18 record.

Janney stands as one of the most successful hockey players in BC history. He set his single-season scoring marks as a sophomore on the 1986 team that went 31-9 and won the Hockey East regular season and playoff titles. Showing promise on the Heights, the Boston Bruins selected him in the first round, and he participated on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. He finished his professional career with 174 goals and 531 assists in 760 games.

A ferocious inside linebacker, McManus flourished in his final two seasons, accumulating the still-standing single-season record for tackles as a junior with 165. He sits fourth all-time with 427 tackles, and added more tackles to his career record as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1995-1999.

Collecting two Super Bowl rings and five Pro Bowl selections, Nalen completed an illustrious career after an improbable start. The Denver Broncos selected him with the 218th overall pick, but after cracking the starting lineup in 1994, the coaching staff never got him off the field in 14 years. At BC, he was a steady lineman who NFL coach Mike Shanahan called "the best center to play the game."

All inductees except Nalen and Garay spoke emotional words of gratitude, acknowledgement, and praise for BC athletics and their time at the University, happily accepting their recognition; Nalen's coaching duties in Colorado and Garay's new position on the Jets prevented their attendance. Family members spoke on their behalf.