Photo: Lee Pellegrini
Who Should Have Made Our List of BC's Greatest Athletes?
You spoke, we listened.
In the Winter 2021 issue, we asked a panel of experts to select the 25 greatest athletes in md传媒国产剧 College history. We received dozens of letters in response, and the list was the subject of countless social media posts and even a podcast or two. The sports-crazed BC community told us where we got it right and鈥攋ust as often鈥攚here we missed the mark. Below, we present the overlooked athletes (and one coach) who received the most support in your comments. First, though, we鈥檇 like to apologize to the BC hockey great Brian Gionta. He made our list of 25 but we mistakenly ran a photo of his brother, Stephen. Brian was a true gentleman when we called to apologize for the error. Here is the photo of Brian we should have run:
听 Photos: Burns Library & BC Athletics (unless otherwise noted)
听 Photo: Mike Gridley (lacrosse)
Kenzie Kent 鈥18
LACROSSE & HOCKEY
What鈥檚 the best way to sum up the numerous letters we received in support of Kenzie Kent? Probably to just run this one in its entirety from Greg Frankenfield P鈥17: 鈥淲here you missed the mark was the omission of Kenzie Kent. She starred in both hockey and lacrosse, is the only player ever to play in the Frozen Four and lacrosse Final Four, and is the only player ever to be named MVP of a lacrosse national championship game where her team did not win. She was an All-American and was on the watch list for the Tewaaraton Award as the best player in collegiate women鈥檚 lacrosse. Mea culpa?鈥
Joe Mullen 鈥79
HOCKEY
鈥淛oe Mullen is not one the top 25 athletes of all time? Are you nuts?鈥 wrote Jeff Kurpasaka 鈥78. 鈥淏y any measure he is the best hockey player to ever play for the Eagles.鈥 In fairness, Mullen did make our list of athletes who just missed the top 25. He was a two-time All-American and led the team with 68 points during the 1977鈥1978 season. 鈥淚 believe the greatest hockey player in BC history is Joe Mullen,鈥 said Rich Rapp 鈥80. 鈥淣ot including Joe in the list of 25 is a travesty.鈥
John Cunniff 鈥66
HOCKEY
鈥淚 am disappointed at the omission of John Cunniff,鈥 wrote Mike Kurylo 鈥66, pointing out that Cunniff was a two-time All-American who left BC with the career points record.
John Bagley 鈥83
BASKETBALL
鈥淭he most glaring omission on your 25 Greatest list is John Bagley,鈥 wrote Christian Teja 鈥94. A point guard, Bagley was the first Eagle to be named Big East Player of the Year. He scored nearly 18 points a game in his career, was twice named All-Big East, and led the Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen in his sophomore season and the Elite Eight in his junior season. 鈥淵ou left out the player most responsible for those Cinderella runs,鈥 said Angel Alsina 鈥83. 鈥淲ow, if you all had been there. What a run we had.鈥
Art Graham 鈥63
FOOTBALL
Gordon Dunn 鈥64 wrote to make his case for football star Art Graham being listed among BC鈥檚 25 greatest athletes. An All-American tight end, Graham set the school record for pass receptions in a season and went on to become an All-Pro receiver in the NFL.
Owen Murphy 鈥26
MULTIPLE SPORTS
鈥淚 know Owen Murphy was from a different era,鈥 wrote Greg Bonner 鈥68, 鈥渂ut I know of no one else who lettered in 4 different sports: baseball, football, track and field, and basketball.鈥
David Emma 鈥91
HOCKEY
Roman J. Uschak 鈥91, who covered hockey for The Heights, wrote to express his disappointment that Emma didn鈥檛 make our list. BC鈥檚 all-time leading scorer, Emma was a two-time All-American and also the University鈥檚 first winner of the Hobey Baker Award.
Ed 鈥淏utch鈥 Songin 鈥50
FOOTBALL & HOCKEY
Carlo Geromini 鈥51 spoke for a number of readers when he wrote of Songin鈥檚 omission: 鈥淲ow! You blew it big time.鈥 Michael Warren 鈥70 agreed, pointing out that Songin starred in both football and hockey for the Eagles: 鈥淗e played quarterback against Holy Cross on Saturday and laced up his skates for the hockey team on Sunday.鈥
Art Donovan 鈥50
FOOTBALL
鈥淵ou must include Art Donovan,鈥 Steve de Groot 鈥83 told us. 鈥淗e is arguably number 1. How many other pro-sport Hall of Famers do we have?鈥 (Donovan, a lineman, was selected for our list of athletes who just missed the top 25.)
Red Martin 鈥61
HOCKEY
Sixty years after graduation, Red Martin remains as beloved as ever. Many of you wrote to remind us of his two All-American selections, his Beanpot MVP, and, of course, his legendary stamina鈥攄id he ever come off the ice? 鈥淚n my considered opinion, Red was the best defenseman that has ever played at BC,鈥 wrote Jack Danahy 鈥63. And away from the ice, as Jim Nelson 鈥65, the retired athletic director at Suffolk University, pointed out, 鈥淩ed was a starter on the baseball team that made the College World Series in 1960 and 1961.鈥
Amber Jacobs 鈥04
BASKETBALL
鈥淛acobs鈥檚 accomplishments should put her on this list,鈥 wrote former Heights sports editor Tom Sugrue 鈥68. As a junior, the guard led the Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. In her senior year, she helped the team win its first Big East tournament championship.
听 Photo: Arthur Griffin
鈥淐huckin鈥 Charlie鈥 O鈥橰ourke 鈥41
FOOTBALL
A poem by retired BC English professor Paul Doherty
I scanned the list of athletes whom the panel deems our best.
I scanned once more, looked up, and thought, 鈥淲hy surely you must jest.鈥
For absent from your lengthy roll was my numero uno,
But as he played in olden tyme his name鈥檚 not one that you know.
The goalposts were of wood back then, the helmets were of leather,
But like today, they ran and kicked and passed the ball鈥攚hatever.
The highest-flying Eagle then was 鈥淐harlie鈥(Charles) O鈥橰ourke.
(Of whom you would have learned a lot if you had done your work.)
Thirteen the jersey number of this tailback, md传媒国产剧 College.
He often played defense as well, though sizewise somewhat smallish.
In 1940, senior year, the team was undefeated.
I鈥榲e checked the books but nowhere find this feat has been repeated.
Invited to the Sugar Bowl, thanks to that perfect season,
We had fat chance of winning there, Tennessee the reason.
Number one in all the polls, those mighty Volunteers!
But by game鈥檚 end their fans were glum; in fact were all in tears.
And let me tell you, panelists, just how this game was won.
鈥楾was tailback Charlie sealed the deal, his late-game touchdown run.
You鈥檝e heard enough. Let鈥檚 reconvene. I鈥檒l join you for the parlay,
And armed with facts covince you all to honor Chuckin鈥 Charlie.
Fernando Braz 鈥85
CROSS-COUNTRY
鈥淏raz had an exceptional career at BC which included many BC and Big East cross-country records,鈥 said William Ventola 鈥58; P鈥88, P鈥90. The 1982 Big East champion in the indoor and outdoor 5,000-meter run, Braz was a six-time all-conference selection.
Mike Ruth 鈥86
FOOTBALL
鈥淗ow is Mike Ruth, a winner of the Outland Trophy, not in the top 25?鈥 asked Paul O鈥橦ara 鈥88. In 1985, Ruth became BC鈥檚 first winner of the trophy, given each year to college football鈥檚 best interior lineman. Even more impressive, Ruth, who finished his career with nearly 300 tackles, won the award despite his team posting a losing record that year.
听 Photo: John Quackenbos
Greg Wilkinson
SAILING
We heard from readers who felt that sailing coach Greg Wilkinson should have been included on our list of BC鈥檚 greatest coaches. 鈥淲ilkinson has won north of 20 national championships while at the Heights (21 to be exact),鈥 said Holy Cross Athletic Director Marcus Blossom. 鈥淲hat he accomplishes year in and year out is very impressive.鈥 Mike Callahan, head sailing coach at Georgetown, agreed, writing: 鈥淗e took a program that was nothing and turned it into a perennial powerhouse. I should know. They have whipped our butts on numerous occasions!鈥
Sarah Behn 鈥93
BASKETBALL
Facebook poster Mike Atwood demanded a recount, noting that Behn graduated as BC鈥檚 all-time leading scorer and went on to a successful college coaching career. Twitter poster Randy Vera added that Behn 鈥渃ould be the best all-around athlete to ever play a sport at BC.鈥
Rev. Kevin MacDonald 鈥78
BASEBALL
A shortstop, Kevin MacDonald had a .407 career batting average. He later joined the Redemptorist Order of priests. 鈥淚 am certain that he forgives you for not selecting him,鈥 wrote retired Suffolk University AD Jim Nelson 鈥65. 鈥淚n fact he鈥檚 most likely praying for you.鈥
John Fitzgerald 鈥70
FOOTBALL
Fitzie鈥檚 omission motivated David McKay 鈥70, JD鈥73 to write in with this memory: 鈥淔itzgerald was a tackle. However, before practice we would run deep post routes and John would always throw the ball more than 50 yards in the air. We noticed that the NFL scouts would take note of this fact on many occasions.鈥 Fitzgerald went on to play in four Super Bowls.
Gerry Ward 鈥63听
BASKETBALL
鈥淵ou overlooked Ward, a mainstay of BC basketball in the early 鈥60s,鈥 Gordon Dunn 鈥64 told us. A guard, Ward was both a scorer and a tremendous rebounder who averaged 15.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game during his BC career. He was taken fifth overall in the 1963 NBA draft.