Posted: Jul 16, 2012

Five more to join Hall of Fame

Salve Regina will induct Connie Bettencourt Packard, Bob Schumacher, Steve Soba, Alisa Batten, and Nicole Johnson Fitzgerald in its Athletic Hall of Fame (Sat., Sept. 22).

NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University athletics department will induct five individuals into its Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies on September 22 as part of its homecoming weekend. The sixth hall of fame class will be recognized throughout the day during the university's Fall Festival Weekend with six different sports teams hosting events in addition to the 13th annual Mansion Run. The induction ceremony takes place at Ochre Court on the Newport campus.

The five individuals being inducted include soccer/basketball/track & field performer Constance Bettencourt '83 (West Roxbury, Mass.; formerly of Fall River, Mass.), baseball player Robert Schumacher '90 (Cumberland, R.I.; formerly of Warwick, R.I.), basketball/baseball player Steven Soba (Manchester, N.H.; formerly of Walpole, Mass.), softball player Alisa M. Batten '96 (Waterbury, Conn.; formerly of Wolcott, Conn.), and field hockey/basketball player Nicole Johnson '97 (Charlestown, R.I.; formerly of Stoughton, Mass.). Each of the five had been recognized as an athlete of the year during undergraduate studies at Salve Regina.

The Athletic Hall of Fame committee (comprised of athletics, faculty, student life, and alumni representatives) reviewed the nominations submitted by various members of the Salve Regina community, and chose this year’s class to bring the total membership in the Seahawk Athletic Hall of Fame to 25 outstanding athletes/administrators. Check out the previous Hall of Fame classes at the Salve Regina Web site: http://www.salveathletics.com/traditions/halloffame/index

The annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 6 p.m. at Ochre Court. For more information on the induction ceremony please contact 800-821-2343.

INDUCTEE BIOGRAPHIES

Constance Bettencourt Packard '83

Captained three different teams for the Newporters in the early 1980s (soccer, basketball, and indoor/outdoor track and field); twice recognized with the Hibernian Award as the school's female athlete of the year (1982, 1983); established the school record for the long jump in track and field (1982); enjoyed first-place finishes in the 100-yard dash, 200-yard dash, 400-yard relay team and the long jump (1981, 1982 and 1983); member of the women's soccer team when it had its first-ever victory.

Robert Schumacher '90

Division III national batting champion in 1990 with a .522 average (47-for-90), Schumacher never hit below .400 in the three years he played at Salve Regina and was first team All Commonwealth Coast Conference each year; his teams finished above .500 in winning percentage all three years, the first baseball squads to produce even back-to-back winning seasons, including a program-best .714 in 1989 (15-6).

Steven Soba '92

Graduated as the all-time leading scorer in men's basketball (1,405 points) in 1992 and was one of only four Salve Regina players to have reached the 1,000-point career milestone; as a freshman his basketball team captured the Commonwealth Coast Conference championship, the first in the history of the program; his 16.0 points per game scoring average ranked three points better than the previous record-holder; Soba was also the all-time leading rebounder when he left Salve Regina; in baseball, he was a regular position player while also pitching the Newporters to a conference championship in 1992.

Alisa M. Batten '96

Batten's pitching made an immediate impact in 1993 as Salve Regina won the first of three straight Commonwealth Coast Conference championships; pitched every inning of every game for a 20-4 record in 1994; pitched three complete-game shutouts in a row in the playoffs and a no-hitter in the CCC championship game in 1995; first team all-conference honors (1994, 1995, 1996) and the Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year (1995); career ERA of 1.88 over 516.2 innings with 17 shutouts and 514 strikeouts; still holds best career winning percentage (56-25, .691).

Nicole Johnson Fitzgerald '97

Graduated as all-time leading scorer (1,373 points) in 1997 while shooting a .481 field goal percentage; second all-time leading rebounder (1,030); one of only three players (Kerry Ceurvels ’96, Lindsay Frederick ’06) to have amassed over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds; one of only two players to average a double-double for career – 14.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg; helped lead Salve Regina to conference championship game appearances in 1993-94 and 1994-95; most valuable field hockey player at the Commonwealth Coast Conference invitational and the league's rookie of the year.