June 3, 2002

Rhode Island College Announces
Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2002

Providence, RI—Rhode Island College will induct seven former student-athletes and one former staff member into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 5 in conjunction with Homecoming.

Brian Allen ’96 is one of the finest wrestlers in Rhode Island College history. He was a two-time NCAA All-American, earning honors in 1989 at 126 pounds and in 1991 at 134 pounds. He owns a collegiate career record of 141-33 with 45 wins by fall. After college, Allen continued to wrestle and owns a lifetime record of 376-49. He was a four-time New England Champion, winning at 126 pounds in 1988, ’89 and ’90, and at 134 pounds in 1991. Allen has 14 individual titles to his credit.

Allen is one of only five former RIC wrestlers who were a part of New England College Conference Wrestling Association (NECCWA) Championship teams in each of their four years at RIC. He is one of three RIC wrestlers, along with Scott Martin ’89 and Scott Carlsten ’94, who were inducted into the inaugural NECCWA Hall of Fame in 2002.

After his college career was over, Allen went on to coach wrestling at Burrillville High School (1992-97) and was Tim Clouse’s Assistant Coach at RIC in 1997-98. He is currently an assistant coach at Johnson and Wales, a position he’s held since 1999. In addition to wrestling, Allen played four seasons of soccer (1988-91) and three seasons of tennis (1988-90) at RIC.

He is a 1996 graduate of Rhode Island College and is currently a physical education/health teacher in the City of Providence’s School Department. He resides in Providence, Rhode Island with his fiancée Melissa Galligan.

Mike Creedon ’70, 73 was a four-year starter in men’s basketball during his days at Rhode Island College. From 1966-67 through 1969-70, Creedon totaled 1,468 career points, which ranks him eighth all-time.

He played in 100 consecutive games, not once missing a game over the course of his entire career. He captained the team as a senior in 1969-70 and led the club to the NESCAC Championship. The Anchormen averaged 100.4 points per game that season, a record that still stands to this day. He helped lead the Anchormen to a 24-2 record during his junior year in 1968-69, establishing RIC records for the most wins and highest winning percentage (.962) in a single season.

He went on to coach girls’ basketball in Cranston for 16 years, all without a losing record. He coached the Western Hills Junior High team to the State Championship in 1993 and 1995. He coached Cranston High School West to the Division I Central League Championship and was named the Central Division’s Coach of the Year in 1997-98.

He is a 1970 graduate of Rhode Island College, earning a bachelor’s degree in education. He earned a master’s degree in education from RIC in 1973. Creedon is currently a technology education teacher in the City of Cranston’s Public School Department, a position he’s held since 1970. He is also the City-Wide Supervisor of Technology Education in Cranston, a position he’s held since 1998. He resides in Cranston, Rhode Island with his wife Barbara. They have two children Kevin (29) and Colleen (27).

Walter Crocker ’59 was a four-year starter in men’s soccer while at Rhode Island College. Crocker captained the Anchormen as a senior in 1958 and also played one season of men’s basketball. Crocker was a defensive specialist who was also an excellent playmaker.

During his years at RIC, he was a member of the Men’s Athletic Association from 1955-59, serving as its President during his senior year. He was a member of Kappa Delta Phi fraternity from 1956-59, serving as its President as a junior and senior.

After graduation, Crocker was a teacher in the East Providence School System from 1959-65. He was the Job Corps Principal in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1965-66 and then served as the Peace Corps Director in Belize, Central America in 1967-68. He began a 14-year career at RIC in 1971, starting as an assistant professor in the secondary education department and then serving as the Assistant Dean of the School of Education. He started the Continuing Education program at RIC in 1978 and served as Dean until 1984. Crocker served as the Dean of the University of Rhode Island’s Providence campus from 1984-2001.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from RIC in 1959, his master’s degree from URI in ’69 and his doctorate from Wayne State University in ’71. He resides in Johnston, Rhode Island with his wife Terri. They have six children, Ed (44), Lisa (42) Jeff (40), Michael (39), Patti (36) and Jennifer (30) and have ten grandchildren.

Claudia DeFaria ’96 is one of RIC’s all-time greatest women’s basketball players. In just two years at RIC, DeFaria scored 1,048 points, which ranks her eighth all-time in career scoring. She remains the only RIC player to ever score 1,000 points in just two seasons. She is also fourth all-time with 592 career rebounds.

As a senior in 1994-95, DeFaria was named the Little East Conference’s Player of the Year, First Team All-LEC and to the All-LEC Tournament team. DeFaria led the LEC in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.2 ppg and 11.8 rpg, a double-double for the entire season. She was named a New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) Second Team All-Star and was named a Distinguished Student-Athlete by the Rhode Island Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (RIAIAW).

As a junior in 1993-94, she was named a NEWBA Second Team All-Star, an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Front Court Second Team All-Star and First Team All-LEC. She ranked in the top 30 nationally in scoring and led the LEC in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.

Prior to coming to RIC, DeFaria starred at the Community College of Rhode Island from 1990-92. She was an NJCAA Division III Second Team All-American, an All-Region 21 First Team All-Star, team Co-MVP and was an RIAIAW Distinguished Student-Athlete in 1991-92. She is CCRI’s all-time leader in career scoring and assists and was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

DeFaria is a 1996 graduate of Rhode Island College, earning a bachelor’s degree in justice studies. She is a 1993 graduate of CCRI, earning an associate’s degree in business with a concentration in law enforcement.

She is currently a night shift supervisor with the Key Program, Inc. She resides in Central Falls, Rhode Island.

George Fleming ’62, ’68 was a two-sport athlete while at Rhode Island College, playing soccer from 1958-61 as a right halfback and was the Anchormen’s number one singles player in tennis from 1959-62. As a senior in 1962, he was undefeated at the top spot. Over the course of his career, Fleming co-captained both teams.

Upon the passing of long-time coach Robert Brown, then Athletic Director Bill Baird hired Fleming as the men’s tennis coach in 1966-67. He spent 14 years as the Anchormen’s coach, compiling a record of 84-65 and won the NESCAC Championship in 1970 and 1974.

Upon graduation, Fleming embarked on a 33-year teaching career. He is a retired mathematics teacher, having taught at Cranston High School West from 1962-66, Scituate High School from 1966-90 and finished his career at Mt. St. Charles Academy from 1991-96. He is a 1962 graduate of Rhode Island College with a bachelor’s degree in education. He earned his master’s degree in mathematics from RIC in 1968.

Fleming has continued to stay active in the sport of tennis, competing in the USTA Adult Tennis League. His teams have won two New England Championships and have competed at the USTA National Championships in 1994 and 1997. He resides in Cumberland, Rhode Island with his wife Joan. They have four children, John (39), David (38), Michael (36) and Jane (35).

Kathy Laquale was Rhode Island College’s first female athletic trainer. She came to the College in 1984 and spent 14 seasons overseeing the health and welfare of RIC’s student-athletes. In addition to the coordination and supervision of preventive and injury care to varsity and club sports, she also served as an advisor to the Athletic Training Club and conducted continuing education courses for high school coaches.

Prior to coming to RIC, she was the first female athletic trainer at Providence College from 1977-84. She began her career as an assistant athletic trainer at Indiana State University in 1976. She has been an athletic trainer at numerous major national events, including the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships, the U.S. World Cup Soccer Championships and served on the sports medicine staff at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Laquale is currently an assistant professor at Bridgewater State College where she teaches courses in athletic training and health.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Rhode Island in 1976 where she was a three-sport athlete, competing in field hockey, basketball and track and field. She earned a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University in 1977 and her doctorate in food science and nutrition from URI in 1994.

She is a member of the North Providence Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as the St. Mary’s-Bay View Academy and Indiana State University Hall of Fame. She is nationally certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification.

She resides in East Providence, Rhode Island with her husband William.

Annmarie (Gower) Marino ’84, ’89 had an outstanding career in both women’s cross country and outdoor track and field during her undergraduate days at Rhode Island College. Many of her records still stand today, even though it’s been 18 years since she last competed for the Anchorwomen.

Marino’s accomplishments culminated in an outstanding senior season in 1983-84. In cross country, she was named All-American, All-New England, All-Region and ran the all-time best time in Anchorwomen history, completing the 5,000 meter course in 17:43, a record that still stands today. Marino still holds the top ten best times in RIC women’s cross country history.

During the 1984 outdoor track and field season, Marino broke RIC records in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meter events and still holds the top times to this day. She was a member of RIAIAW Division III Cross Country Championship teams at RIC in 1981, ’82 and ’83. She competed at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in 1982 and 1983. In addition to competing as a student-athlete, Marino worked in the athletic department in each of her four years at RIC.

Marino embarked on a career as a physical education teacher at Barrington Middle School in 1985 after one year as an assistant athletic director at Barrington College. She has coached the basketball, cross country, and the indoor/outdoor track and field teams at Barrington High School over the past 17 years. Marino currently coaches the cross country team. Among a host of accomplishments, her cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams were the Rhode Island State Champions in 1994-95.

Marino resides in Cumberland, Rhode Island with her husband Mark and daughters Kari (10) and Caitlin (7).

Tim Mercer ’78 was an outstanding baseball player at RIC from 1974-77. He also played three seasons of basketball for the Anchormen from 1973-76.

Mercer, a two-time All-NESCAC selection as a shortstop, was the Anchormen’s career leader in hits and runs upon his graduation. He is the Anchormen’s all-time leader with 339 career assists. He currently ranks fifth with 131 hits and fourth with 97 runs all-time at RIC. He is also seventh with 24 doubles, fifth with ten triples, fifth with 59 walks and second with 425 career at-bats. For a single season, Mercer holds the top two assist marks with 104 in 1977 and 98 in 1976.

As a senior in 1977, Mercer helped RIC to a 20-12 overall record and an 8-0 mark in the NESCAC as the Anchormen captured the league championship. He batted .308 with 33 hits, 26 runs, five RBI, nine doubles, five triples and two home runs on the season.

As a guard in basketball, he stills holds the RIC record for assists in a game with 18 set against the University of Maine in 1976.

Mercer earned a bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College in 1978 and is currently a captain in the City of Pawtucket’s Fire Department. He is Vice President of Union Local #1 of the Pawtucket Fire Fighters.

He resides in Lincoln, Rhode Island with his wife Kimberly. They have two sons Christopher (25) and Jeffrey (21).

The Rhode Island College Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2002 will be officially inducted at the Athletic Recognition and Hall of Fame Dinner, held in conjunction with Homecoming, on Saturday, Oct. 5. Tickets are $40 each. The deadline for ordering tickets is September 16. Please contact the Rhode Island College Office of Development at 401-456-8105 to purchase tickets or for additional information.

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