Three alumni were welcomed into the Binghamton University Athletics Hall of Fame at the 21st Annual Induction Ceremony and Dinner on Saturday evening. The celebratory banquet was held in the Tau Bearcat Club Room of the Events Center, where Hall of Fame committee members and the inductees spoke on behalf of the honor.
The Hall’s class of 2016 includes men’s diver Avi Shaprut (1991-94), women’s soccer goalkeeper Tara DeFlippo (1994-96) and women’s basketball guard Rachel Laws (2002-06). The three inductees were also honored at halftime of the BU men’s basketball game on Saturday afternoon.
University President Harvey Stenger, the first speaker of the evening, related his pride in the athletes’ abilities to focus on both sports and academics.
“Our athletes are always able to stay focused on both of their duties here at BU and it amazes me, especially during finals week, when I see athletes walking from the West Gym to class early in the morning,” Stenger said. “Many students find it difficult maintaining success solely in the classroom, without the pressures of coaches and upcoming games.”
DeFlippo, a Vestal native, was the first to receive a plaque. She was a Divison III All-American at BU and started in goal during her three years at BU. As a junior, she allowed just eight goals through 19 games, garnering national recognition for her play. DeFlippo also set several records during her tenure at Binghamton, including lowest career goals against average (.52) and shutouts (35), both of which stand to this day.
Next was Laws, whose resume after her time at BU might even be more impressive than her achievements while here. A three-time America East (AE) all-conference player, Laws holds the fifth spot for career points in BU women’s basketball history (1,246) and was selected as an Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar and as SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete during her senior year in 2006.
After receiving a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2008, she became an English instructor at Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. There, she wants to implement the same support system that BU gave her 15 years ago.
“I verbally committed to Binghamton during my one visit here in my junior year of high school, even before walking out of the coach’s office,” Laws said. “My flight from Pennsylvania was canceled that day due to the September 11 attacks just two days prior. But you know who drove six hours round-trip to make my official visit happen? Coach Rich Conover, who will forever be my coach.”
Laws also stated that her favorite part about attending BU had nothing to do with playing basketball, but rather interacting with regular students on campus.
“I admired people so much when I would be studying with them and they would say, ‘I have to head to work now,’” Laws said. “I was fortunate enough where I didn’t need to have a job, so hearing that always made me work a little harder.”
The final inductee was Shaprut — the first men’s diver to ever make the Hall of Fame. He was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American at BU and finished eighth on the one-meter board at the 1994 NCAA Championships.
For Shaprut, who now works as a veterinarian in San Diego, California, the thing he remembers most from his time at BU is the people he met.
“This has been a road, not a moment,” Shaprut said. “The people I have met — whether it be my teammates, my coach, my roommates — are the most important to me. We shared so many great memories together, and they will always mean the world to me.”