By JOHN GREGG, Correspondent, TB Reporter

The inductees include five men and three women from seven different sports.

SAINT LEO – Saint Leo University inducted seven former student athletes and one former coach into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday (March 30) night in a ceremony at the Marion Bowman Activities Center.

The Hall of Fame was instituted in 1987 by the Saint Leo Alumni Association and Athletic Department. According to the university’s athletic website, saintleolions.com, its purpose “is to perpetuate the memory of those persons who have brought distinction, honor, and excellence to Saint Leo athletics and familiarize the entire campus community and alumni with the university’s rich athletic history.”

“I want to congratulate our eight outstanding Hall of Fame inductees for 2017. They represent all that is great about Saint Leo, its mission, and values. They are picture perfect examples for our current student-athletes to emulate and model as they continue their journey at Saint Leo,” said Francis X. Reidy, Saint Leo’s director of athletics and chair of the Athletic Hall of Fame committee.

 “These inductees helped Saint Leo athletics improve, grow, and prosper. I am thrilled for each of them to have this great honor bestowed upon them, and thank them for all they have done for Saint Leo and continue to do as alumni.”

This year’s class included five men and three women from seven different sports and was the largest since 2003 when seven people, including  New York Mets baseball executive J.P. Ricciardi, were inducted.

The 2017 Saint Leo University Athletic Hall of Fame inductees:

Matt Harkins (Class of 1995, men’s soccer): A two-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection and former team captain who was best remembered for his exceptional leadership skills.

Lauren Hudson (Class of 2009, women’s soccer): A National Soccer Coaches Association of America Third Team All-American and four-time All-Sunshine State Conference honoree.

Erin Brunt Kinberger (Class of 2007, softball): A four-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection and 2006 All-South Region honoree, who is now the softball program’s current head coach.

Michelle Nogueras (Class of 2010, volleyball): The school’s all-time career assists leader (5,373), who was also a three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association. All American and a four-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection.

Asmir Pervan (Class of 2007, men’s soccer): A former Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and NSCAA Second Team All American who led Saint Leo to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.

Jordan Prais (Class of 2010, men’s basketball): A four-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection who was the SSC’s Freshman of the Year in 2007 and is the program’s career leader in rebounds (878) and free throws made (496).

John Semeraro (Class of 2005, men’s golf): A dual-sport athlete who also played soccer for three seasons, was the Saint Leo Male Athlete of the Year three times and is a former chair of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Bob Sullivan (baseball): The first junior college baseball coach for Saint Leo, who served as an assistant men’s basketball coach under fellow Hall-of-Famer George Sullivan and was the first chair of the Physical Education department.

Past notable inductees include four former major league baseball players – Bob Tewksbury, Fred Cambria, Jim Corsi and Francis J. “Red” Barrett – and  former professional soccer player Jon Akin, who was the first Saint Leo athlete to be named Sunshine State Conference Athlete of the Year in any sport.

For information on the Saint Leo University Athletic Hall of Fame, go to saintleolions.com.

Photos courtesy of the Saint Leo University Department of Athletics.

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