Binghamton University inducted five individuals and a historic BU men’s soccer team at its 27th annual Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday in the Events Center.

The class of 2023 included former director of athletics David C. Henderson (1954-1981), men’s soccer midfielder George “Skip” Curth (1986-1990), golf’s Jake Katz (2007-2011), women’s tennis player Julie Klein (1996-2000), softball pitcher/hitter Margaret Yerdon-Grange (1997-2002) and the 2003 men’s soccer team.

Henderson — posthumously inducted — was presented first. A video presentation detailed Henderson’s extensive work during his 28 years as director of athletics at BU. Included was his pivotal role in the expansion of athletics at BU and his work toward the development of the East and West Gym on campus.

Next to be inducted was Curth, from Stony Brook, New York, and a two-time all-conference and all-state selection during his time at BU. Curth was named team sports Athlete of the Year at BU for the 1988-1989 year, followed up with SUNYAC Eastern Division Player of the Year as a senior in 1989, leading BU to a 16-4 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Following Curth was Katz, the all-time scoring leader for the golf program, holding a career average of 74.36. Katz was the first ever NCAA individual qualifier in BU golf history, along with being the two-time America Sky Conference player of the year and a two-time All-Region selection.

Also a two-time Golf Coaches Association of America All-America Scholar, Katz spoke on the importance of finding time to focus on academics.

“Work hard, definitely carve out time to study [and] get in time when you can, even on the bus,” Katz said. “At times I found myself studying at pretty strange spots, but definitely found time to get the schoolwork in — it’s for sure important.”

Women’s tennis player Klein was next to be inducted. Klein, a native of Roslyn, New York, was a five-time conference champion, whose career spanned BU’s transition from a Division III program to Division II. In 1996, Klein was nationally ranked as a singles player and followed that up as an All-State selection in 1997. As a singles player, Klein tallied 69 career victories while also collecting 57 career doubles wins.

The final individual athlete to be inducted was two-way softball player Yerdon-Grange, from Lacona, New York. Yerdon-Grange holds multiple program records, including a career ERA of 1.40, a record 63 complete games on the mound and the program’s second-highest career strikeout total at 431. Yerdon-Grange also holds the unique distinction of having pitched at all three NCAA divisional levels during her time at BU.

Yerdon-Grange spoke on the lessons she learned during her time at BU, especially the importance of a strong work ethic as an athlete or in life.

“I think one thing that playing softball at Binghamton kind of instilled in me was […] hard work and dedication,” Yerdon-Grange said. “You’re not going to get anywhere in life without that. I think for the athletes now just keep working on your craft, and it will pay off in the long run.”

The ceremony concluded with the induction of the 2003 men’s soccer team, who posted a 12-3-7 record and captured the America East (AE) title en route to the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament. In the first round, the team defeated No. 15 FDU, making history as the first Binghamton team to ever win an NCAA matchup. The team went on a 14-match unbeaten streak bolstered by the number-one ranked defense in the country that allowed only seven goals for the season, along with 15 shutouts for the year.

Bryan Arnault, a member of the 2003 men’s team, gave a speech on behalf of the group and the collective competitive nature that brought them so much success.

“It reminds me what was so special about this group that’s up here today and what helped to develop, as coach liked to call, the Bearcat way,” Arnault said in a speech. “In everything we did — games, practice, preseason bowling with the women’s soccer team — it was a group of players who would put everything on the line, not only to win but also not to lose.”