Cabrini College had the honor of inducting four new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 23. The honored Cavaliers were alumni Tim Anderlonis, Megan Dillon Grant and Christy Mallone as well as former men’s soccer coach Duncan Hubley.
The ceremony began with remarks by Cabrini President Dr. Marie Angelella George and athletic director Joe Giunta. Each inductee clearly brought a number of accomplishments and attributes to the table.
The first accolades were offered to basketball star Tim Anderlonis, class of 2000. Anderlonis led Cabrini’s men basketball team to two Pennsylvania Athletic Conferences (PAC) championships as well as two NCAA tournament appearances. Anderlonis is currently serving in the United States Marines and was unable to attend the ceremony.
After Anderlonis was introduced by John Dzik, former men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Cabrini, his sister Karie Steinmetz and daughter, Olivia, took the stage to deliver Anderlonis’s acceptance remarks.
In his speech, special thanks went out to his parents, whom Anderlonis credited for paving the road for him and always being there. The military runs in his family as Tim’s father was also a Marine as is his wife Mary, who is currently serving in Afghanistan.
“I am already part of the best team ever, the Anderlonis family,” Steinmetz said.
The next honor was given to women’s basketball PAC champion and 1994 Conference Rookie of The Year, Megan Dillon Grant. Grant was a graduate of the Cabrini class of 1997 and was introduced by her husband, Greg, and one her of her four daughters, Maggie.
Grant attended Cabrini in order to be closer to home, even though she had many opportunities to leave not only her hometown, but her home state as well. Grant was able to earn her degree in special education at Cabrini while returning home every weekend to spend time with her mother, who at the time was battling Alzheimer’s disease.
While at Cabrini, she led the women’s basketball team to three NCAA Tournaments and helped the team win the PAC title in 1994-95. Grant is Cabrini’s all-time leader in assists with 618 and steals with 253. With Grant in their lineup, the women’s basketball team won 85 games between 1993-97.
The third inductee was Duncan Hubley, a coach for Cabrini’s men’s soccer team. For 11 seasons, Hubley coached the team from 1988 to 1998 and led the Cavs to their first appearance in the ECAC Tournament in 1998. Hubley left a legacy behind him with an incredible 140-87-4 overall record. He is a legend to this day among Cabrini’s soccer players, alumni and coaches.
“I especially want to thank Coach John Dzik for hiring me,” Hubley said on stage. “He is the one who said to me one day ‘Good coaches have good players, and you have good players.’”
Hubley was introduced by former Cabrini soccer star, Paul Hollinger. Hollinger was one of his old players and came all the way from his home in Florida to give his coach a touching introductory speech. Hollinger was one of the many former soccer players who came to the Dixon Center on Friday night to honor coach Hubley.
“I want to thank all of those who nominated me for this award and Cabrini,” Hubley said. “I’m nervous right now; I’ve never been nervous before.”
The final inductee on this special evening was former women’s lacrosse player Christy Malone. Malone was a key player on Cabrini’s women’s lacrosse team, leading them to four consecutive PAC championships and two ECAC Tournament appearances from 1998 to 2001.
Malone, a goalkeeper for the Cavs, ended her Cabrini career with a 7.37 goals against average and 783 saves. Malone was introduced by her old coach, Jackie Neary.
“Christy always led with heart,” Neary said. “Some may see this as a weakness, but I see it as a super power.”
Malone, already armed with tissues and a little misty eyed from Neary’s welcome, made her way to the podium. Malone noted that Cabrini, or even college in general, had not always seemed to be an option in her past.
“Growing up in a three-bedroom house with five siblings was an experience,” Malone said. “I knew college would not be something easily acquired for me. But my mom said to me, ‘There is a God, we can do this.’”
So they did. Malone describes her experience at Cabrini, both on the lacrosse field and in the classroom, as priceless. Malone spent time coaching at Philadelphia University, St. Bonaventure University and now does the same at Neumann University. Here she carries on the athletic tradition and inspires her players to play as hard and to have as much fun as she did.
“I love my job and I know I am living the dream,” Malone said.
Cabrini is honored to have these four members enshrined in their sixth Athletic Hall of Fame class. These are four people who have contributed so much to the athletic department at Cabrini College, both on and off the field.
