The Le Moyne College Gold Wave will enshrine four new members of the Gold Wave Hall of Fame at the on Oct. 20.
Sheila Doyle, Ken King, Jon Ratliff and Robert Tifft make up the Class of 2006, while longtime Syracuse SkyChiefs Executive Vice President Anthony Tex Simone will receive the Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J. Dolphin Award at the annual Gold Wave Hall of Fame Dinner.
Doyle, a 1995 graduate, started four seasons for former women’s soccer coach Christine Rizzeri and was team captain in her final season. She holds the program’s all-time record for goals, assists and points.
She completed her distinguished four-year career with 71 goals, 35 assists and 177 total points. Doyle’s 53 points in 1995 is a single-season school record. Her totals from each of her first three seasons also rank among the top seven in program history.
As a sophomore, Doyle helped lead Le Moyne to its best winning percentage in program history. The Dolphins went 12-4-1 (.735) that season. Today, Doyle is a special education reading teacher at The Norman Howard School in Rochester.
King, an honorary inductee, has been a part of the Le Moyne College department of athletics for 19 years. He has been the head volleyball coach since 1991 and took over the softball program in 1997.
Under King’s direction, the softball program has become on of the nation’s premiere Division II programs. The softball team has made five consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament and won four regional championships in the last five seasons.
In 2003 and 2005, King’s staff was honored as the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year. He is 284-140-3 (.669) overall and 248-96-1 since the turn of the century as the Le Moyne softball coach. The 2003 team posted a program-record and New York state collegiate record 47 victories.
King’s volleyball teams have posted a 261-183 (.589) record. He has coached six all-conference volleyball performers over that period. King is also a member of the Liverpool High School Hall of Fame.
Ratliff, a 1994 graduate, lettered three seasons for current Le Moyne athletic director Dick Rockwell on the baseball team.
After three seasons with the Dolphins, he was drafted in the first round (24th pick) of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs. Ratliff was named an All-America in 1993, all-state in his final two seasons and all-MAAC in each of his three seasons.
Ratliff completed his career with a program Division I record 22 wins (currently second), is second all-time with a 2.18 ERA and second with 17 complete games. He went 10-1 with 64 strikeouts and a 2.04 ERA as Le Moyne posted a 34-6 record in 1993. He made his major league debut in 2000 when he pitched one scoreless inning with the Oakland Athletics. Currently, Ratliff is employed by Pfizer Company in its sales department.
Tifft, a 1994 graduate, lettered three seasons under former men’s lacrosse coach Rob Didio. Tifft, the captain of the 1993 team, is the first Le Moyne men’s lacrosse player to be named to the Gold Wave Hall of Fame.
He graduated as the program’s all-time leader in points, goals and assists. His 131 goals currently rank second on the career list, 66 assists are fifth and 197 points are fifth on the all-time chart.
The program’s first-ever first-team All-America selection, Tifft was named the Empire Lacrosse League Most Valuable Player in 1992 and 1993. Tifft has been the Director of Human Resource at Blasland, Bouck & Lee for six years. He serves as a volunteer youth soccer and baseball coach in Liverpool.
Anthony Tex Simone has served in various capacities with the Syracuse SkyChiefs (formerly the Syracuse Chiefs) since 1961. Since taking over as the executive vice president and general manager in 1970, Simone has offered support to the Le Moyne baseball program. The Triple-A SkyChiefs have scheduled an exhibition game with Le Moyne each of the last two seasons.
When Syracuse University discontinued the sport of baseball in 1972, Tom Niland received a call from Tex the following day saying that he and the Syracuse ball club would do everything possible to help the baseball program at Le Moyne, Dick Rockwell said.
True to his word Le Moyne has received equipment, speakers for the baseball clinics and camps, the use of their stadium, and games between the two teams. Anytime Le Moyne has asked, Tex, and now John, have stepped forward to help. There is no question the baseball program at Le Moyne is so strong because of the support of Tex Simone.
The Gold Wave Hall of Fame was established to honor those men and women who have been affiliated with Le Moyne who have exhibited a degree of accomplishment and have established themselves in their field of endeavor.
To be eligible, candidates must be a graduate of Le Moyne (at least 10 years ago), distinct participation in a minimum two years of varsity athletics and exhibit exceptional accomplishments in professional endeavors and interpersonal relationships which reflect well on the honoree, his/her character and the alma mater.
Honorary candidates are those who are ineligible under the selection criteria, but have distinguished themselves as supporters of athletics at Le Moyne, and exhibit exceptional accomplishments in professional endeavors and interpersonal relationships which reflects well on the honoree’s character as well as on the college.
The Dolphin Award, given presented in recognition of outstanding loyalty, dedication and service to Le Moyne College Athletics and its student-athletes, has been renamed in honor of Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J.
Tickets for the 2006 Gold Wave Hall of Fame dinner are available for $55 each. The evening begins with cocktails in the Curtin Special Events Room at 7 p.m. with dinner to follow at 8 p.m. at the LaCasse Dining Center. For event information, please contact Debra Teske at (315) 445-4450 or [email protected].
