MADISON, N.J. – Drew University welcomed the four newest members of its Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night on campus at the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts Concert Hall.
The 33rd Hall of Fame class consisted of
Brent Archer C'04 (men's swimming & diving),
Stacie Brown C'11 (field hockey, women's lacrosse),
Jack Rivetti C'92 (men's basketball), and
Raul Smego C'13 (men's tennis).
In addition, the 2012 baseball team was recognized as a "Team of Distinction."
Archer made his mark as a tremendous performer for the Rangers while competing primarily in the backstroke and butterfly events. He was a five-time Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) champion who also earned the MAC Most Outstanding Swimmer Award in 2002, when he won three individual gold medals. Throughout his career he broke MAC records in the 100-backstroke and 200-backstroke and held school records in the 100-back (52.45) for 18 years and the 200-back (1:56.69) for 17 years. In addition, he was a part of multiple school record-setting relays. He also achieved an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark in the 100-backstroke. For his career, Archer racked up 13 First Team All-MAC honors, which was given to the top-three finishers in each event at the MAC Championships, and was a two-time MAC champion in both the 100- and 200-backstroke.
Brown excelled as a two-sport athlete, posting a stellar four-year career. In lacrosse, she was a four-time First Team All-Landmark Conference selection as an attacker and earned the 2008 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year award. In addition, she was a three-time IWLCA All-Region honoree. She held the career school record for draw controls (194) at the time of her graduation and still ranks among the top-10 in team history in a number of categories, including draw controls (third), goals (fourth), points (seventh), and assists (10th). At the team level, she helped the Rangers qualify for the Landmark Conference Championships four years in a row, including championship game appearances in each of her last three seasons. In field hockey, Brown was a three-year starting defender and helped the team reach the Landmark Conference Championships in three of her seasons and the ECAC playoffs twice, including a runner-up showing as a senior.
Rivetti posted an outstanding career as both a scorer and defender at the Forest. He netted 1,016 points despite playing just three seasons at Drew and currently ranks 19th on the school's all-time scoring list. As a senior he tossed in 527 points and averaged 21.1 points per game, which ranks sixth in team history. Defensively, he racked up 212 steals, a school record that still stands over 30 years later. He led the team in steals every season, including his junior campaign when he recorded 95 thefts, a mark that currently ranks second all-time at Drew. As a senior, Rivetti was part of a high-scoring squad that averaged 85.6 points per game, a school record that lasted up until this past season. The 1991-92 team also recorded the program's best record since the 1983-84 season.
Smego established himself as a tremendous performer during an incredibly successful era for the Drew men's tennis program. He led the Rangers to four consecutive Landmark Conference titles and a 50-27 record, including a 27-1 mark in conference play. Competing at No. 1 singles and doubles, he captured three straight Landmark Conference Player of the Year honors over his final three seasons and was also a four-time First Team All-Landmark selection in both singles and doubles. In one of his brightest moments, he was tabbed an ITA All-American in doubles by virtue of his title with Hunter Lathrop C'16 at the USTA/ITA Fall Regional in 2012. For his career, Smego finished with a 53-25 singles record and a 65-26 doubles mark, placing him seventh in school history in career singles wins and second in doubles victories. He also holds the Drew and Landmark Conference record for doubles wins in a season after finishing 23-6 in 2012-13.
The 2012 baseball team made history for the Rangers when they captured the first Landmark Conference baseball title at Drew, taking the conference crown in dramatic fashion with a 10-9 win at Moravian University. Tom Murray C'12 provided a storybook ending for the Rangers, smacking a walk-off solo home run in the championship game. By virtue of its conference title, the squad would also become the first baseball team to participate in the NCAA Division III Championships. Under first-year Head Coach Brian Hirschberg, the Rangers defied the odds after being picked to finish seventh in the Landmark Conference preseason poll. They became the first team in program history to reach the Landmark Conference Championships, where they stormed to the title with three straight wins.
