The Drew Hall of Fame added four new members Friday, Oct. 1. Brent Archer (C’04), Stacie Brown (C’11), Jack Rivetti (C’92) and Raul Smego (C’13) took the stage to receive the ultimate athletic honor. Drew celebrated each inductee’s excellence not only in their respective sports, but as leaders off the field as well.
Archer was the night’s first inductee, speaking after a jaw-dropping introduction detailing his extensive list of accomplishments. Archer delivered a speech that was both humorous and appreciative, leading to an enthusiastic ovation.
Rivetti achieved a successful career as a true two-way force for the Rangers following his arrival at Drew. Most significantly, Rivetti helped spearhead one of the greatest offensive attacks in Landmark history, as the 1991-1992 squad broke the school record in points per game at 85.6. A true testament to his presence as a team-first player, Rivetti spent the majority of his speech praising his former teammates and coaches.
The highlight of the night, however, came when Brown took the microphone and opened by announcing that although she is 39 weeks pregnant, the Drew Women’s Lacrosse team’s defeat of Catholic University during Brown’s Junior campaign is still her life’s greatest moment. Brown also thanked her parents, referencing her mother’s enthusiastic, echoing whistles that she would let out during games. After a brief pause, a deafening whistle from Brown’s mother resounded through the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts, followed by a thunderous applause from the crowd.
Despite not being in attendance due to a conflict at his workplace, Smego made history at the event, becoming the first player in the illustrious history of the Drew Men’s Tennis team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Competing at both the No. 1 singles and doubles positions, Smego led the Rangers to four consecutive Landmark Conference Championships. In the process, Smego broke numerous school records in both singles and doubles and sits in the top 10 for nearly every prominent category.
The ceremony closed with a recognition of one of the most outstanding, iconic teams in Drew’s history: the 2012 Drew Baseball team. Led by now-Assistant Athletic Director and Compliance Officer Brian Hirschberg as head coach, the team represented one of the greatest underdog stories, completing its Cinderella run with a walk-off solo home run to defeat conference rival Moravian off the bat of Tom Murray (C’12).
The win clinched Drew’s first and only conference championship, and the team has been immortalized with a banner on Lonnstrom Stadium at Doc Young Field and is now recognized by the Drew Athletics Hall of Fame.
Devan Sutaria is a junior double-majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology.
Featured image courtesy of Drew University Athletics.
