CUA inducts 2012 HOF class, debuts new Hall of Fame area

WASHINGTON – Catholic University inducted its 2012 Hall of Fame Class on Saturday, January 28 inside the Pryzbyla Center.  The newest members of the CUA Hall of Fame are Jim LeBuffe ’70 (basketball), James “Val” Van Deventer ’78 (baseball), Brian Wickes ’81 (football), Kimberly Robinson-Dean ’89 (swimming) and former Track and Field Head Coach Jerry McGee.

A three-year starter, Jim LeBuffe ranks 23rd all-time at CUA with 1,149 career points.  He was just the sixth player in school history to score 1,000 points, and he did so in only three seasons.  As a senior LeBuffe scored a game-high 27 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a 72-55 victory over Towson.  Also that year he netted 22 points vs. local rival American University.

LeBuffe now teaches graduate-level educational leadership courses at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

A member of the 1977 CUA baseball team that earned a trip to the Division I NCAA Tournament, James “Val” Vandeventer was a four-year starting centerfielder for the Cardinals.  He hit .346 in 1976, and the next year he hit .432 with 37 hits, five home runs and 29 RBI, helping lead CUA to a record of 18-8 and its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

In 1978, Vandeventer became the first Cardinal drafted to play professional baseball.  He is currently a vice president of institutional markets for Mainstay Investments in Atlanta.

Brian Wickes was a dominant offensive lineman for the CUA football team.  A three-year starter at right tackle, Wickes also played defensive tackle on goal line situations for Cardinals Hall of Fame Head Coach Joe Pascale.  Wickes, who was a member of the first recruiting class to play their entire career at the Division III level, helped pave the way for CUA quarterback Steve Stanislav and wide receiver Mike Stotz, both members of the school’s Hall of Fame.

Wickes teaches graduate, medical and dental studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.  He also works as a medical mycologist and directs his own research laboratory.

Kimberly Robinson-Dean went undefeated as a diver during her four years in the red and black, often competing vs. male divers.  She was the Cardinals lone diver during her career after turning down scholarship offers to Boston College and Division III powerhouse Kenyon College.

Robinson-Dean qualified for NCAA Nationals in 1989, which took place on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.   As a senior, Robinson-Dean was honored with the Rosemary Donley Cup, which is given to CUA’s outstanding female student-athlete, and she led the Cardinals diving team to its first-ever conference championship.

Robinson-Dean is currently an assistant professor of special education at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

Longtime Track and Field Head Coach Jerry McGee served as the Cardinals leader for more than 40 years before retiring at the conclusion of the 2006 outdoor season.  During his tenure, McGee helped to develop three National Champions, 38 All-Americans and countless All-Conference performers.  In the first 18 Mason-Dixon Conference cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships contested under McGee’s leadership, the Cardinals won 14 titles.  He concluded his career as cross country coach with Mason-Dixon championships in 1973 and 1974. 

McGee passed away in 2008 at the age of 74.

CUA also debuted its brand new Hall of Fame area on Saturday, which is located upstairs in the DuFour Center.  The project was completed by Marketechs Design Studio, which is based out of York, Pa.  The refurbished area displays nameplates for each of the members in the CUA Athletics Hall of Fame and also includes an interactive touch screen with information on the members and other related historical information.

CUA Director of Athletics Mike Allen is excited about the department’s newest addition.  “We were very pleased to debut our new Hall of Fame over the weekend in conjunction with the induction ceremony. Marketechs was wonderful to work with, from the first consultation through the installation.  We look forward to adding more and more information to the touch screen function, which will allow each of our visitors to remain connected to the wonderful history of our department.”