MMA Hall of Fame

PRESENTING THE MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CLASS OF 2012:

Buzzards Bay, Mass.--  The Massachusetts Maritime Academy Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome five new members this spring, as standouts in the sports of baseball, soccer and football will be enshrined during ceremonies on campus on Saturday, June 2^nd.

Heading this year’s induction class is two-sport standout John Hendy ’82, who shined both in competition and in the classroom throughout his Buccaneer career.  Hendy, a native of Sandwich, Mass., sported a career .319 batting average and helped lead Head Coach Bob Corradi’s program to the best four-season mark in school history with a 98-43-1 (.694) slate.  Hendy was honored during his senior campaign with selection to the 1982 GTE/CoSIDA National Academic All-America Team, as he is the only student-athlete in Academy history to attain that prestigious accolade, and he helped lead Massachusetts Maritime to a school-record 28 victories and the ECAC Division III New England championship in the spring of 1982.  Hendy also shined on the soccer pitch for the Buccaneers, as he and his brother Bill played for their father, the late Commodore William Hendy.  John and Commodore Hendy become the first family members to be enshrined in the Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame in its’ 13-year history.

Bob Long ’81 shined on the gridiron for fellow Hall of Famer Don Ruggeri in the late 1970’s, as he helped Massachusetts Maritime captured the New England Football Conference crown during his sophomore campaign in 1977 and served as a Buccaneer team captain.  Over the course of his career, Long, a resident of New Bedford, Mass., earned all-New England Football Conference accolades and helped guide Ruggeri’s squad to an overall mark of 25-11 (.694).  Long’s contributions to the success of Athletics at the Academy are not limited to those on the football field, as he has continued to be a major benefactor to Massachusetts Maritime since graduation.

Derek Gagnon ’94 still holds 12 football records at the Academy despite graduating nearly two decades ago, as he ranks as the Buccaneer career leader in passing completions (421), attempts (906), passing yards (4,471) and touchdown passes (35).  A two-time all-New England Football Conference selection, Gagnon, a native of Lowell, Mass., also ranks as Massachusetts Maritime’s career leader in total offense with 5,277 yards, as he helped lead Ruggieri’s crew to 19 overall victories and the runner-up spot in the final 1992 NEFC standings.

Gagnon is also joined in this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction class by classmate Nate Gravelle ’94, who earned all-New England Football Conference honors on the defensive side of the ball during his career.  A two-time first-team ECAC Division III New England honoree, Gravelle received the prestigious Hal Chalmers Award from the NEFC during his senior campaign in 1993 for his work both on the field and in the classroom.  The Newburyport, Mass. native recorded a career-best 73 total tackles in earning all-conference and all-ECAC accolades during his junior season in 1992.

The final member of this year’s induction also shined on the football field during his matriculation at the Academy, as David Burrill ’02 graduated as one of the top rushers in school history.  A native of Umatilla, Fla., Burrill still holds five school records and ranks in the top 10 in seven total offensive statistical categories, as he is the third leading rusher in school history with 3,337 yards.  An all-New England Football Conference performer, Burrill also holds the school record for career 100-yard rushing games (18) and received the Gold Helmet Award from the New England Football Writers for his then-school record 315 rushing yards in a 28-7 win over Maine Maritime on September 15, 2001.

The purpose of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Hall of Fame is to honor former athletes, Academy staff, alumni and individuals that have made a significant contribution to Academy athletics. Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the oldest continuously operating maritime academy in the nation, has maintained a reputation of excellence for over 120 years. Student-athletes shall be eligible for consideration and induction into the Hall of Fame beginning no less than five years after graduation from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

“The contributions that these five individuals have made to the tradition of Massachusetts Maritime Athletics are something that the entire Academy takes great pride in,” Corradi says of the Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2012.  “Their legacy of excellence has made them an integral part of our athletic family, and I congratulate them all on this great honor.”

With the addition of the Class of 2012, the Massachusetts Maritime Athletic Hall of Fame will boast of 65 inductees after this year’s 13^th annual ceremony.  For more information on the Buccaneer Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, June 2^nd, please contact the Massachusetts Maritime Department of Athletics at (508) 830-5053 or log-on to www.mmabucs.com.