[Kutztown Press Release] Kutztown to Induct Six Into Athletics Hall of Fame on October 20

[Josh Leiboff]

October 12, 2006

Kutztown to Induct Six Into Athletics Hall of Fame on October 20

KUTZTOWN, PA -- Kutztown University will add six new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame at this year's banquet on Friday, Oct. 20.

            This year's induction class includes Barb (Bergstresser) Dietrich '86, a record-setting forward for the field hockey team; Lorie (Erie) Schmalzle '98, an All-America short stop in softball; John Gabriel '78, a men's basketball player who went on to become a National Basketball Association (NBA) General Manager; Kevin Kelly '99, a multiple All-America decathlete in men's track & field; the late Dr. Dennis Roth, a long time administrator and track & field and basketball coach; and the late Clyde Rothenberger '31; one of Kutztown's first champions in men's track & field.   

            The ceremony will be held in conjunction with the school's Homecoming Weekend.  In addition to Friday's induction banquet, the Hall of Famers will be introduced at halftime of the Golden Bears' football game against West Chester on Saturday, Oct. 21.  Kickoff is at 1:05 PM.

            The six new inductees increase the membership to 143 since the Hall of Fame was formed in 1977.  The KU Hall of Fame Banquet will be held in the Georgian Room of Old Main on the Kutztown University Campus at 5:30 PM.  Reservations for the banquet can be made at the KU Athletic Advancement Office for $25 per person.  For information, call (610) 683-4755.

            A biography on each of this year's inductees follows:

            Barb (Bergstresser) Dietrich '86, was one of the most prolific scorers on the field hockey team in the early 1980s.  Dietrich, then Barb Bergstresser, was a forward for the Golden Bears from 1982-85.  She finished her career as Kutztown's all-time leading goal scorer, with 51 career goals.  That total is still good for second on KU's all-time list.  She finished with 118 career points, which was also a school record and currently ranks third on Kutztown's career chart.  Bergstresser scored a career-high 19 goals in 1984 and set a single-game record, which still stands, with four goals against Philadelphia Textile in 1985.  She was a four-time Philadelphia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (PAIAW) all-star selection and earned first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honors in 1984 and 1985.  A graduate of Exeter High School, Bergstresser is a 1986 Kutztown graduate with a degree in business administration.  Married to Mike Dietrich '87, Barb is a stay-at-home mother for the couples' three children - daughter Casey (15) and sons Matt (12) and Nate (11).

Lorie (Erie) Schmalzle (1992-96) was a record setting shortstop for the softball team.  Schmalzle, then Lorie Erie, set five school records during her KU career, all of which she still holds today.  She is the single-season record holder for steals (51 in 1994) and on-base percentage (.563 in 1994).  She holds KU career records for doubles (44), hits (215), runs (168) and stolen bases (140).  She ranks second in career batting average (.403) and third in triples (12).  During her four full seasons, KU won 100 games and had a winning percentage of .633.  She started 163 of 166 games over her career.  Erie was named first-team All-PSAC East and Kutztown University's Female Athlete of the Year in 1994.  She led all NCAA Division II players in stolen bases and led KU with a career best .450 batting average.  All of this culminated in the team winning a share of the PSAC East title and participating in the PSAC Playoffs and the NCAA Championship tournament.  Erie only played 11 games in the 1995 campaign after suffering a knee injury.  She bounced back the following season by earning All-PSAC East second team, first team Mid-Atlantic All-Region, second team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America honors and was named KU Female Senior Athlete of the Year.  She led the team in hitting, runs, doubles, slugging percentage and stolen bases as Kutztown placed second at the PSAC Playoffs and advanced to the NCAA tournament.  A 1998 graduate with a degree in sociology, Erie was named one of KU's Top Female Athletes of the 90s.  She is also a graduate of Whitehall High School.   Married to Henry "Todd" Schmalzle, Lorie is a full-time mother for the couples' three children.

 

John M. Gabriel '78, was a letterwinner and key member of the men's basketball program from 1976-78, who went on to become a top executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA).  Gabriel was known for his stellar defense while with the Golden Bears, often drawing the duty of guarding the opponent's top backcourt player. Gabriel averaged 3.8 points during his time at Kutztown.  He graduated in 1978 with a degree in education.  In 1982, Gabriel broke into the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.  From 1982-87, Gabriel served as an assistant coach, director of video scouting, scouting coordinator, group sales and broadcast coordinator.  During that time, the 76ers made the playoffs five times, winning the 1983 NBA Championship.  Gabriel joined the expansion Orlando Magic as the organization's first employee in 1987.  There, he served as assistant coach and director of player personnel and scouting from 1987-94, building the roster that led to a berth in the 1995 NBA finals in only their sixth season of existence.  In 1994, Gabriel was named vice president of basketball operations/player personnel, a role he held for two years.  In 1996, Gabriel was promoted to general manager, a position he held until 2003. During that time, the Magic qualified for the NBA playoffs five times.  Since 2004, Gabriel has held the position of NBA scout for the Portland Trailblazers.  He is a graduate of Delone Catholic High School.  Gabriel; his wife, Dorothy; and three children, Amelia (14), Meredith (10) and Jack (6); reside in Winter Park, Fla.

 

Kevin Kelly '99, collected multiple awards, championships, school records and honors during his time as a member of the men's track & field team from 1995-98.  Kelly was a three-time All-America performer in the decathlon, an eight-time PSAC/Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) champion, a member of four conference championship teams, and finished his career with six school records.  Kelly earned All-America honors in 1995, placing fourth at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship in the decathlon.  He repeated the honor in 1996, placing seventh in the event.  After red-shirting during the 1997 outdoor season, Kelly was the national runner-up in the decathlon, setting a school record with 7,288 points in 1998.  Kelly's eight conference championships came in six different events, including two relays.  He won the long jump at the 1996 PSAC Outdoor Championships and the 1997 ECAC indoor meet.  He won the 55 hurdles and the 4x400-meter relay at the 1997 ECACs and was a four-time champion at the 1998 PSAC meet, winning the 110 hurdles, pole vault, and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.  His efforts helped the Golden Bears win the team championships at the 1995 and 1997 ECAC Championships, as well as the 1996 and 1998 PSAC meets.  Kelly set school records in the 55 hurdles (7.62 seconds), 4x400 relay (3:17.78) and long jump (23-9 1/4) indoors, while establishing outdoor records in the 110 hurdles (14.25), long jump (24-0 1/2) and decathlon.  The 55 hurdles, 4x400 relay, 110 hurdles and decathlon records still stand.  He was named one of Kutztown's Top 30 Athletes of the 20th Century.  The Quakertown Community High School graduate completed his degree in sociology at KU in 1999.  He currently serves as assistant track & field coach at Rutgers University.  

 

Dr. Dennis F. Roth was a coach, professor and administrator at Kutztown from 1966-93.  Roth coached the men's track & field team during the late 1960s to the early 1970s.  During that time, he coached seven PSAC Champions, including three-time champion in the 440-yard dash Gary Mohylski.  His teams finished fourth at the PSAC meet in 1969 and 1970, the highest finish for the program since 1930. Roth also served as assistant men's basketball coach during that time.  Roth filled various other roles throughout his career at Kutztown.  He was a professor of physical science, dean of student life, director of housing and assistant and acting vice president for student affairs.  As the assistant VP for student affairs, Roth oversaw the student judicial system, student housing residence staff, counseling center, health center and commuting students.  He chaired numerous committees and remained a supporter of athletics until his retirement in August of 1993.  Roth passed away in September of 1994.  Roth was a graduate of Muhlenberg College, where he is enshrined in the Muhls' Hall of Fame as one of that college's all-time great basketball players.  He is also a member of the Lehigh Valley Basketball and Carbon County Sports halls of fame.  He received his master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his doctorate from the Teachers College of Columbia University.  A native of Lehighton, Roth is survived by his wife, Louise, their two sons, David and Thomas, and five grandchildren.

 

Clyde Rothenberger '31 was a multi-sport athlete at KU.  He was one of the first track & field conference champions in school history, and was a starter for the men's basketball team.  In 1928, Rothenberger was the first-ever Pennsylvania State Teachers' College Champion in the mile with a time of 5:00.  He and a pair of fellow KU Hall of Famers, Sammy Spayd and Arlan Baver, led the team to a second-place finish, the best finish for the program until 1982.  Rothenberger repeated as the champion in the mile at the 1929 championship with a time of 4:56.  Along with Spayd, he was the last individual champion for Kutztown until 1963.  He finished second in the event in 1930 and third in 1931.   Rothenberger served as team captain for the 1930-31 seasons.  He also excelled on the basketball court, starting at guard for four years before graduating in 1931.   A native of Leesport, PA, Rothenberger passed away in February of 1987.  He and his late wife, Elizabeth, had two children - Kent, who is also deceased, and Linda, as well as two granddaughters, Sara and Amy.

 

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Josh Leiboff
Kutztown University Sports Information
Phone: (610) 683-4182
Fax: (610) 683-4676
Email: leiboff at kutztown.edu
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