STEUBENVILLE —The 1981 women's basketball team advanced farther than any other women's basketball team in the history of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Franciscan University will induct the players and coaches of that 1981 team, as well as five male athletes, into the Baron Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 6, 2010.

The 1981 team won its District 22 NAIA championship and advanced to regional finals in Joliet, Illinois.

Joe Nolan '67, chair of the Baron Hall of Fame Committee, says the 1981 team members, then known as the Lady Saints, deserve recognition because no other women players have been as successful in the University's history.

The 1981 women's basketball team inductees include: Suzanne Blicharski, Doris R. (Kanz '82) Buzzard, Lisa A. Frankovitch, Beverly G. (Solomon '82) Glenn, Ann R. Koch '83, Cathy L. (Campanell '83) Kovach, Kathleen A. Madigan '83, Colleen A. O'Brien '83, Deborah A. Przepasniak '81, Periann A. Powell, Lisa A. Ulrich, and Tamara L. (Hoffman '82) Walker. Coach Michael Garan, Assistant Coach Ronald Beebe, and Team Statistician Philip A. Rujak '86 will also be inducted.

Frank J. Cortez, Sr., Paul P. Carapellotti, Sr., Rev. Dr. Daniel M. Rogich '79, John F. Lemal '55, and John J. Blanda '60 will also be inducted into the Baron Hall of Fame.

"This group of inductees covers a wide range of time, which speaks well of the rich history of athletics at both the College of Steubenville and Franciscan University," Nolan says.

Cortez, Carapellotti, and Lemal were football players and letter winners at the start of the College of Steubenville's existence.

"These three are part of the 'Greatest Generation,' the World War II veterans who returned to begin their lives and get an education," Nolan says. "They have been significant gentlemen, not only at the University, but also in the community, as educators and businessmen."

Cortez has volunteered much of his time in the local community over the years, Nolan says. Carapellotti, who attended the College from 1946 to 1949, also served as a trustee from 1980 to 1992, and received the Founders' Award in 2008. He passed away in 1993, and will be honored posthumously. Lemal, after serving in the military during the Korean War, returned to the College for his degree and has worked his entire life as a teacher and administrator at local schools.

Rev. Dr. Rogich, who played basketball in the 1970s, is one of the few 2,000-point scorers in the University's history. He now serves as the parish priest for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Canton, Ohio.

John Blanda played on the 1958 Baron basketball team, which was voted “Number One Small College Basketball Team in the U.S.” by the United Press Board of Coaches. The team was inducted into the Baron Hall of Fame in December 2008, and Blanda is the second individual player to be inducted after Jim Smith '58.

Blanda is the fifth leading scorer and the sixth leading rebounder in Baron history. He graduated from the College of Steubenville with an accounting degree, received his JD from Capital University, and worked for Battelle Memorial Institute. He is the brother of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker George Blanda.

The day will begin with the Lady Barons taking on Hilbert College at 1:00 p.m. in Finnegan Fieldhouse, followed by the men's game at 3:00 p.m. Between the two games, the 1981 women's basketball team will be introduced. A reception will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the Gentile Gallery at the J. C. Williams Center, followed at 6:15 p.m. by a formal induction of the entire 1981 women's team and the male athletes.

The public is invited to attend the Baron Hall of Fame Induction and Reception. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information or to register, contact the Alumni Relations Office by calling 740-284-5210 or by e-mailing alumni@franciscan.edu.