SPORTS TALK

      ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University at Albany enshrined four former athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 2 at the 16th annual HOF Brunch and Induction Ceremony.  The event was held in the Recreation and Convocation Center (RACC) Athletic Hall of Fame Room on campus.  Albany's football game with Stony Brook followed. The new inductees and their sports:  Rob Clune '81, basketball; Jason Graber '94, basketball; Frank Villanova '76, football; and Wendy Williams '86, softball. With this year's class, there are 82 former athletes, coaches, and administrators who have been inducted into the University's Hall of Fame.
    
     Rob Clune (1977-81) -- One of the top scoring guards in Albany basketball history, Clune led the Great Danes to three straight NCAA tournaments and one ECAC Upstate New York championship during his career. Clune, who played in 105 consecutive games as a four-year team member, ranks 20th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,019 points, and is eighth in both assists (306) and assists average (2.89 per game). Clune, the 1980-81 University Male Athlete of the Year, averaged a team-leading 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists as a senior captain. He was chosen first-team All-SUNY Athletic Conference and All-New York State, and was selected to the SUNYAC all-tournament squad.  Albany reached the NCAA East Regional, and finished with a 23-5 record. In 1979-80, Clune led the Great Danes to a 21-6 mark, and the NCAA East Regional.  He averaged 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Albany recorded a 20-win campaign en route to a NCAA South Regional appearance during his sophomore season. He scored at an 8.3 clip, and handed out 2.8 assists per game. A native of Oneonta, N.Y. (Oneonta H.S.), Clune was named to the ECAC Upstate New York all-tournament team as a freshman, when the Great Danes upended Hamilton, 101-96, in the championship. Clune, who received a B.S. in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, is entering his fifth season as the head men's basketball coach at Bethany College in West Virginia. He also serves as the school's women's soccer coach, and is a lecturer in the physical education department. Clune played professionally in Sweden from 1981-83, before working in the New York City financial district.  He entered the college coaching ranks in 1989 as a volunteer assistant at Plattsburgh, and then was an assistant for six years at Allegheny (Pa.) College. He lives in Bethany, W.V. with his wife, Linda, and sons, Trevor (4) and Jason (2).

     Jason Graber (1990-94) -- An All-America and All-East forward and center, Graber led the Great Danes to two NCAA tournament appearances, and established himself as an all-around clutch-performer. Graber, a 6-foot-5, 198-pound athlete, is second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,608 points, and also stands second in field goal percentage (.561) and free throw percentage (.825).  He ranks third in both career scoring average (18.3 ppg) and steals (179). A well-decorated senior, Graber was named to the Basketball Gazette All-America team, and was first-team All-East by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).  In addition, he earned All-ECAC Upstate New York first-team recognition. Graber led his 1993-94 team to a 25-3 record, including a school-record 16-game winning streak, and a NCAA Elite Eight appearance.  He averaged 20.3 points and 8.6 rebounds, and was chosen to two all-tournament teams. Graber scored 35 points against Potsdam, and remains the only UA player to reach that single-game plateau since 1978. A two-time captain, Graber ranked 26th nationally in scoring with a 21.7 average, and grabbed 7.2 rebounds per game in 1992-93. He was named to the NABC All-East squad, and voted All-ECAC (second team) and All-New York State.  As a sophomore, Graber averaged 17.5 points and 5.4 rebounds with a .613 field goal percentage, and was picked second-team All-ECAC. He led Albany to a 21-7 record and the NCAA's second round. Graber holds six school records, including the single-season scoring standard with 568 points.  Additionally, he owns single-game records for steals (8) and free throw percentage (1.000). He twice canned 13-of-13 free throw attempts during his senior season. A native of Pattersonville, N.Y. (Schalmont H.S.), Graber has worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. as an account manager for the last five years. He and his wife, Stacie, reside in Schenectady.

     Frank Villanova (1971-75) -- Among the school's all-time tackles leaders, Villanova was a key figure on the first Albany varsity football teams, and a member of the program's only undefeated squad in 1974. A 5-foot-11, 225-pound defensive tackle, Villanova was prominent in Albany's 4-4 alignment.  He ranks third among the career leaders with nearly 300 tackles, and registered 100-plus hits in back-to-back seasons.  Villanova played on three varsity teams which won 23 of 27 games, including a perfect 9-0 season in 1974. He was also a member of two club teams which defeated Siena in both 1971 and 1972. Villanova was named to the Capital District College All-Star Team three times. He received the 1975 team MVP award, and was the program's outstanding defensive lineman on three occasions. In 1974, the Great Dane defense limited opponents to three rushing touchdowns and 91.7 yards per game.  Albany defenders also allowed just 9.6 points per contest. Villanova, who has  B.S. in business administration, is the Northeast Division Manager for Sales and Circulation for General Media, a magazine publishing business. He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, Jessica, Jennifer and Angela, and the family resides in Clifton Park. Villanova, a native of Schenectady, attended Mont Pleasant High School.

     Wendy Williams (1983-86) -- A Regional All-America pitcher in the mid-1980's, Williams led Albany to the 1985 New York State AIAW championship, and two other top-three finishes in NYSAIAW tournament play.
     Williams was voted the 1984-85 University Female Athlete of the Year, when she posted a 15-6-1 record with two no-hitters, and ranked 10th nationally with a 0.74 earned run average. In 149.0 innings on the mound, she recorded 139 strikeouts and 28 walks, while allowing 16 earned runs and 74 hits.  She was second among the nation's top Division III hurlers in strikeout ratio at 6.53 per seven innings. Williams, who had a .285 batting average in 1985, was spectacular in the NYSAIAW tournament.  She totaled three victories, including a four-hit shutout against Oswego in the championship, and added a 10-strikeout shutout vs. Staten Island.  At the plate, she batted .625 with three extra-base hits, five walks, seven runs and four RBI, and was named to the all-tournament team. An All-SUNY Athletic Conference selection, Williams was named to the NCAA East Regional All-America team. She continued to be a dominant pitcher as a senior, when she was responsible for most of the team's 21 victories, and a second-place finish in the 1986 NYSAIAW tournament. Williams, who hails from Weedsport, N.Y. (Weedsport H.S.), received a B.S. in medical technology, and went on to graduate from Albany Medical Center's Physician Assistant Program in 1993. She currently is a member of the renal transplant staff, and has previously worked in the cardiothoracic surgery division. Following her undergraduate career, Williams played four years of fast-pitch softball with the Capitaland Jimmies, a traveling semi-professional team.

Football
      Quarterback Michael Oliva passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more scores to lead Albany to a 44-21 Northeast Conference victory over Stony Brook on Hall of Fame Day at University Field.
     Oliva, who made his first collegiate start, amassed a career-high 323 total yards, and helped Albany (3-1, NEC 3-0) race to a 27-7 halftime lead.  He fired a 49-yard touchdown strike to Chris Phillis, and hooked up with Jay McFarlane on a 48-yard bomb to stake the Great Danes to a 13-0 first-quarter lead. 
    A 5-foot-11 senior, Oliva completed 14 of 17 passes for 235 yards, and ran 15 times for 88 yards on the day.  He is the first Albany player to account for five TDs since November 1997. Williams, who had made 14 consecutive starts at quarterback, missed the contest to attend a family funeral.