Alumnus Frank Cusumano, BA speech communication 1984, received the 2014 Marty Hendin Distinguished Service Award as part of UMSL’s induction of the 2014 Sports Hall of Fame class. (Photo by August Jennewein)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis Department of Athletics inducted its class of 2014 into the Sports Hall of Fame tonight at a ceremony and dinner at the St. Louis Hilton Ballpark in downtown St. Louis.
The class featured four student-athletes, two teams, one coach and one distinguished service honoree. The new inductees include: Greg Bierling (baseball), Steve Buckley (men’s soccer), Dan Chinnici (baseball), Kevin Missey (men’s soccer), the 1981 and 1982 women’s soccer teams, the 1977 baseball team, Beth Goetz (former women’s soccer coach) and Frank Cusumano, the recipient of the Marty Hendin Distinguished Service Award.
GREG BIERLING – baseball
Greg Bierling was a four-year standout pitcher on the baseball team from 2000-03. He still owns career records for wins (23), strikeouts (244) and innings pitched (299.2) and is fourth all-time in earned run average (2.97). As a freshman, he was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, while being selected to the All-GLVC Second Team. After battling injuries during his sophomore and junior years, he returned to the field as a senior where he had a memorable year. Bierling helped the program to its first and only GLVC Tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Regional Tournament. That season, he recorded 88 strikeouts, which ranks second all-time on the single season charts, and posted an ERA of 2.67, which ranks fifth. His 97.2 innings pitched that season is third most. For his efforts, Bierling was a First Team All-GLVC and All-Region selection.
STEVE BUCKLEY – men’s soccer
Steve Buckley was a two-time All-American (1971 and 1972) as a defender, garnering the accolades in each of the two seasons he played at UMSL. He also earned All-Region honors in both of those years and helped the 1972 team to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Buckley came to UMSL following two seasons at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley. He was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 2010.
DAN CHINNICI – baseball
A four-year offensive power for the UMSL baseball program from 1993-97, Dan Chinnici still remains the career leader in several categories. A two-time first team all-conference and all-region honoree, he earned Second Team All-American honors as a sophomore. During the five years Chinnici was on the UMSL roster, the program was 156-65 and made two World Series appearances. He appeared in one game during the 1993 season before being redshirted. As a sophomore in 1995, he earned First Team All-MIAA, First Team All-Central Region and Second Team All-American honors after batting .383 and recording 62 hits, 41 RBIs and 51 runs. He also drew a school-record 50 walks. As a junior in 1996, Chinnci earned Honorable Mention All-MIAA honors, while helping his team to a 37-9 record. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Central Regional, hitting .778 in the regional to help UMSL to the World Series. Chinnci batted .375 on the season, recording 57 hits, 38 RBIs and 53 runs. As a senior in 1997, he earned First Team All-GLVC and First Team All-Region honors. Chinnci posted a batting average of .462, which led the GLVC and ranked in the top five nationally in NCAA Division II. He also posted a league best 16 doubles and was second with 44 RBIs.
KEVIN MISSEY – men’s soccer
The only three-time All-American in men’s soccer program history, Kevin Missey was a midfielder during the 1970, 1973 and 1974 seasons. He was also an All-Region selection in each of those years. He helped the 1973 team to the NCAA Division II national championship, earning tournament MVP honors after scoring two goals in the 3-0 win over the University of California-Fullerton. UMSL finished 11-0-3 that season. Missey still ranks ninth all-time in shots (128).
BETH GOETZ – women’s soccer (coach)
Beth Goetz spent 11 seasons (1998-2007) as head coach of the UMSL women’s soccer program, producing a 120-90-9 record, which included eight winning seasons. During her tenure, she led UMSL to 10 straight Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournaments, including an appearance in the 2007 championship game during her last season, where UMSL fell in penalty kicks to Drury, ending their season with a 12-7-3 mark. From 2000 to 2003, Goetz directed UMSL to the GLVC Tournament semifinals and twice appeared in the championship game (2000 and 2002).
Under Goetz’s guidance, UMSL had 26 players earn all-conference recognition, including 10 players who were first team selections. Each of those 10 players were in her final six years on the sidelines. Goetz also coached eight all-region players. She was named the GLVC Co-Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading UMSL to a third place finish, four spots higher than the seventh place finish the year before.
Goetz served as interim coach in 1997 and was named the head coach in March 1998, becoming the second head coach in program history. She took over as interim coach after Ken Hudson, another UMSL Sports Hall of Fame member, resigned just prior to the start of the 1997 season. She had served as an assistant for Hudson during the 1996 campaign.
Goetz also served as an assistant athletics director and senior women’s administrator at UMSL.
1981 & 1982 WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAMS
1981
Coached by Ken Hudson, UMSL’s first intercollegiate women’s soccer team burst onto the scene, dominating their competition by winning a school record 16 straight wins including a 15-game undefeated regular season in which they outscored their opponents 92 to 6. They finished with an overall record of 16-2. Included in their regular season schedule were victories over The University of Cincinnati and two wins over the University of Wisconsin. In the first-ever women’s soccer national poll, UMSL ranked fifth and by the end of the regular season they ranked second behind the University of North Carolina. The team received a bid to participate in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women or AIAW national championship soccer tournament, where UMSL earned a first round bye before beating previously undefeated Texas A&M University, 2-1, in the second round. The team lost its semifinal game to the University of Central Florida and went on to finish fourth overall after falling in the consolation game to the University of Connecticut. The team produced five All-Region players and three All-Americans (Joan Gettemeyer – first team; Cindy Deibel – second team; Jan Gettemeyer – third team).
1982
Coached by Ken Hudson, UMSL finished with a 16-2-1 record in its first season as an NCAA team. They ranked as high as second in the national poll, finishing the year ranked fourth, and still hold the school record of a 17-game unbeaten streak. During regular season competition, UMSL defeated 1981 national champion the University of North Carolina, 2-1, at a tournament in Florida. The team received a bid to the NCAA Tournament, placing fourth. They defeated Harvard, 2-1, before North Carolina avenged its earlier season loss with a 2-1 victory. UMSL then lost a 2-1 decision to the University of Connecticut in the consolation game. The 1982 team had four players earn All-America honors, including Joan Gettemeyer, Jan Gettemeyer, Patty Kelley and Sue Richert.
1977 BASEBALL TEAM
Coached by Jim Dix, the 1977 baseball team posted a 30-13 record and appeared in the program’s third World Series. The team defeated SIU Edwardsville, 9-5, in the first round before losses to Cal-Riverside, 12-0, and Valdosta State, 11-4. Led by four All-Americans (Dennis Olson – third team pitcher; Jim Winklemann – third team outfield; Grayling Tobias – honorable mention outfield; and Greg Ready – honorable mention outfield), UMSL set six team records that season. Their record of 188 stolen bases is still second all-time on the single season charts. They also set marks for batting average (.315), runs (307), RBIs (255), doubles (73) and strikeouts (207).
FRANK CUSUMANO (Marty Hendin Distinguished Service Award)
Frank Cusumano was a member of the UMSL men’s basketball program from 1980-84, where he played in 94 career games. He graduated from UMSL in 1984 with a bachelor of arts in speech communication. A popular member of the St. Louis sports media, Cusumano is currently a sports anchor and reporter for KSDK News Channel 5 in St. Louis, where he has won 15 Emmy Awards and 20 Associated Press Awards. He also hosts The Pressbox on CBS Sports 920 AM. Cusuamano remains involved with UMSL Athletics and serves as emcee of several events, including the annual Tip-Off Luncheon.
This year’s induction ceremony and banquet will be held on Friday, February 7, 2014, at the St. Louis Hilton at the Ballpark beginning at 6 p.m. The inductees will also be introduced at halftime of the UMSL men’s basketball game on Saturday, February 8, 2014 against Indianapolis.
