FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT:
Gregory Spicka, Director of Athletic Communications (610) 500-3632; gdspicka@widener.edu

CHESTER, Pa. - Widener University is excited to announce that eight exemplary former-student athletes will comprise the 2024 Class for the Widener Athletics Hall of Fame.

The 2024 Widener Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at the Springfield Country Club on Friday, October 25. More information regarding ticket pricing and a registration link will be released in the near future.

The eight inductee bios can be found below in alphabetical order by last name.
 
Phil DiAngelo ('84) is one of the top pitchers in Widener baseball's history. In 1984 alone, DiAngelo's record on the mound was 8-2 with a 1.40 ERA. Not only did he notch 85 strikeouts in over 77 innings, but he only allowed 12 earned runs and 22 walks. He was the 1983 and 1984 MVP for the MAC Southern Division (now called the MAC Commonwealth). DiAngelo was an All-American three consecutive years from 1982-84. DiAngelo's impact on baseball goes beyond Widener, as his 313 career strikeouts in just 48 games is among the top of the NCAA charts.
 
Kim Faulkner ('84) left her mark on women's basketball in the early 1980s. As a member of Widener's 1000-point club, she ranks 10th all-time with 1,253. At the time of her graduation, her 1,253 points ranked third. She is fifth all-time in rebounds with 674, and she shot 52.5% from the field in her final three seasons. As a senior, Faulkner averaged 20.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She holds the single-game record with seven blocks, which was set in Feb. 1984 against Swarthmore. For her play, she was awarded All-Conference First Team and All-American in 1984. During her tenure, Widener women's basketball held a 67-30 overall record.
 
Louis Horner ('62) was the first African-American student-athlete at Widener, formerly known as Pennsylvania Military College (PMC), and the third African-American to graduate from PMC. During his PMC days, Horner was a dual sport athlete for the baseball and men's basketball teams. Horner won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) batting title in 1962. Throughout his life, Horner broke the color barrier in multiple areas. This included playing Little League baseball in Stratford, Conn., serving as his high school's class president, and graduating from Peekskill Military Academy. Outside his PMC days, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps upon his graduation. Horner created the Shadow Bracelet, which was designed to promote global peace, unity, and mutual respect. He also authored a book about his PMC class of 1962, entitled Who Will Water the Flowers?
 
Hal Johnson ('80) made his legacy at Widener in both track and field and football. On the gridiron, he is third all-time or higher in four categories: career rushing yards per attempt (7.1), single-season rushing yards per attempt (9.1, 1980), career rushing yards (3,087), and career rushing touchdowns (27). In 1979 and 1980, Johnson ran for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Johnson's play earned him a multitude of Middle Atlantic Conference and national awards. In 1979 and 1980, he was named to the All-MAC First Team, and an Honorable Mention All-American. He would play for the then-Oakland Raiders in 1981.
 
Johnson's accomplishments in track and field are equally impressive. He was a three-time MAC champion between 1978-80, two of them being for outdoor track and field in the 100 and 200-meter dash. The indoor championship in 1978 was for 60-yard dash. At the time, Johnson set an outdoor 400-meter school record in 1980 for 48.36 seconds. In 1976, Johnson was an All-American for outdoor track and field in the 4x100 relay.

Jennifer Kowaleuski Loughlin ('92) has her name across Widener softball's record book. She was part of a winning season in all four seasons with a career record of 66-41 (.617). The team earned PAIAW champions for 1990 and 1991. In 1992, Loughlin was the team captain and ECAC South Region Player of the Year. Loughlin would help the 1992 team set the program record for wins in a season at the time with 17. She had 13 doubles and batted .457 that season, the former of which is third all-time. Until 2011, she held the fourth and fifth spots on the single-season strikeouts list which stood for 19 years. Loughlin is second in innings pitched and third in all-time wins. Loughlin, a graduate in computer science, works as a technology project manager at JPMorgan Chase.
 
Tony Stefanoni ('83) was a dynamic student-athlete for Widener football. He was the first freshman to start at Widener, where he recorded seven sacks. Stefanoni continued to improve each year to earn a spot on the All-MAC and All-ECAC First Teams and produce 12 sacks as a sophomore. Stefanoni almost doubled his number of sacks in 1981 with 22.5, and he was an All-ECAC selection and the Most Valuable Defensive Lineman. Widener claimed their second national title in 1981. Stefanoni had a season for the record books in 1982. He had 13 sacks as a defensive tackle and led the team in tackles. His accolades included MVP, All-MAC and All-ECAC, Most Valuable Defensive Lineman, and ECAC Player of the Year. Additionally, Stefanoni was the Philadelphia Eagles College Player of the Year. For his Widener career, he had 54.5 sacks, 20 caused fumbles, and 10 fumble recoveries. He would later go to the professional level, signing with the Eagles, the CFL's Montreal Concordes, and USFL's Jacksonville Bulls.
 
Mark Tucker ('79) is one of the most-decorated student-athletes in Widener men's basketball's history. Tucker is a member of Widener's 1,000-point club, clocking in at 1,317 points. His most-successful season was the 1977-78 campaign. In that season, Tucker was the team's second-leading rebounder and scorer, and he was named to the All-Conference, All-District, and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America teams. Tucker was also named an All-MAC player in 1978-79 and an All-American in 1979. Widener made the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive years from 1976-78 with a Final Four appearance in 1978. To date, Widener has only had one additional Final Four appearance.
 
Keith Wilford ('99) was a standout men's lacrosse student-athlete. During his time at Widener, Wilford was a factor in Widener's back-to-back MAC championships in 1998 and 1999. In those two seasons, he was a defensive All-MAC First Team selection. Wilford earned a spot on the 1999 All-American team.