In all, 74 women have been inducted since 1993 and 227 men have been honored since 1977.
The 2007 class includes: Men – Andy Dumpis (volleyball), Ivan Gilbert (fencing), Marv Homan (administration) and Pete Johnson (football); Women – Kristy Dascoli (tennis), Yelena Kalkina (fencing), Conny Kirsch (rowing), Susan Mallery (cross country/track and field) and Anna Smith (softball).
The Ohio State Varsity O Women’s Alumnae Society inducted five members into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in early September. The class was officially inducted in a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 7 at the Longaberger Alumni House in Columbus. They were introduced to the public at halftime of the Ohio State-Akron football game in Ohio Stadium the following day.
In all, 78 women have been inducted since 1993, and 227 men have been honored since 1977. The Varsity O Women’s Alumnae Society is pleased to present the following individuals for induction into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame:
Kristy Dascoli – Tennis (1997-2001) A four-time member of the All-Big Ten team and the first Buckeye to be named an All-American in singles competition, Kristy Dascoli rewrote the Ohio State record books during her time as a Buckeye. She was named the team’s most valuable player four times and was the conference’s first back-to-back recipient of the Big Ten Player of the Year award. Dascoli won 31 singles matches as a senior in 2001 to set the OSU single-season record. She was the first Buckeye to qualify for the NCAA singles championship and appeared in both the singles and doubles tournaments all four years. As a senior, Dascoli reached the national quarterfinals in both singles and doubles, earning All-America accolades. Dascoli, who played at No. 1 singles and doubles throughout her career, still holds the Ohio State career record for most singles wins with 104. She was named the Tennis Player of the Century at Ohio State.
“My parents, without a doubt, have been my major source of influence to excel in tennis. My dad was an athlete all through high school and college, playing multiple sports. Then into adulthood he picked up tennis. My mom wasn’t an “athlete” but she always pushed me to be the best player I could be. Both of them made huge sacrifices in their lives for me to excel in this sport and obtain a college scholarship.”
Yelena Kalkina – Fencing (1997-99) Yelena Kalkina made Ohio State fencing history in 1997, becoming the first woman to win a national championship for the Buckeyes in the foil competition. During her run to the title, Kalkina compiled a 69- 0 record and was named a first-team All- American. She was later awarded the Outstanding Athlete of the Year honor by the Touchdown Club of Columbus for her efforts. Kalkina went on to finish first in the women’s foil in the Midwest championship in 1998 and ‘99 and finished third in foil at the NCAA championships in ’99. Named NCAA Best Fencer of the Year in 1998, Kalkina finished her career at Ohio State as a three-time All-American (two first-team and one second-team honor). She also earned Ohio State Scholar-Athlete accolades. “My parents, my grandmother and my fencing coaches are the outstanding people in my life who gave me the strength and confidence to become a strong fencer and the person I am today. They have always been my support group.
It was my Mom’s idea to introduce me to the sport of fencing. She thought it was the most glamorous and beautiful sport she ever witnessed. Mom believed that as an athlete I would have more opportunities to meet people, travel the world and become a more wellrounded person. I know that the reason I became a National Fencing Champion was because my parents, my grandmother and my coaches gave me the emotional support, love and confidence necessary to allow me to become a strong fencer and the person I am today.”
Conny Kirsch – Rowing (1998-2002) Conny Kirsch helped the rowing team make OSU history by lifting the program to its first Big Ten championship in 2002. Kirsch was a part of the varsity eight boat that won the grand final and because of her efforts, she was named the Big Ten Co- Rower of the Year, the first in program history. That same varsity eight crew went on to win the Central Regional championship grand final. The Buckeyes followed their conference title with a then-program best fourth-place finish at the NCAA championships. Kirsch’s individual accolades include earning first-team All-America honors in 2002 to complement her secondteam laurels in 2000 and 2001. She also was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten and All- Central Region selection (2000, 2001 and 2002). Kirsch was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2001 and 2002, as well as a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. She is the first rower to be inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
“At OSU, I would not have been able to compete without the support of my teammates. They were the most important people in my life, dealing with being away from home and becoming independent. Professors were helpful also especially when they showed their understanding of missing classes for competitions and I am still very appreciative of that. My coaches Andy Teitelbaum and Robbie Tenenbaum were the reason why I came to Ohio State. Without their recruiting efforts I would have never been able to compete at a school like OSU. I am thankful to have been part of the rowing program from the very beginning of program existence and seeing it continue successfully year after year is very satisfying to me.”
Susan Mallery – Track and Field and Cross Country (1973-76) As a competitor, Susan Mallery competed on the track and field and cross country teams before the introduction of the NCAA championships, but participated in its predecessor, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national meets. She garnered three Top 10 finishes at the AIAW nationals, including eighth-place finishes in the 2-mile (10:40) and the firstever AIAW cross country meet (17:46) in 1975. During her junior season, she finished fourth in the 2-mile in the Madison Square Garden Invitational in New York City, competing amongst an elite field of runners. At the inaugural Women’s Big Ten Track an Field Championships in 1976, Mallery finished second in the 3-mile. She was selected the co-captain (track) and captain (cross country) during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Mallery won the women’s division of the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C., in 1976 and ’77 with times of 2 hours, 54 minutes that ranked her among the Top 20 women in the world. Mallery has four degrees from Ohio State and currently is a tenured professor in the College of Dentistry.
“Being a varsity athlete provided both tremendous self-confidence and the focus to pursue my goals. I would not have changed any aspect of my undergraduate career. Currently, when I am spending many long hours writing NIH grant proposals or conducting experiments and analyzing data, I am grateful for the discipline and drive that I learned while an OSU varsity athlete. In my laboratory, I aspire to lead my students by example, which is reminiscent of my years as a captain on Ohio State's athletic teams.”
Anna Smith – Softball (1999-2002) Anna Smith became the first Buckeye softball player to be named to the NFCA firstteam All-America squad. She also was a four-time member of the All-Big Ten team and in 2002 was named the Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year. During her career, she set eight Ohio State records, including career hits (243), career runs scored (166), career stolen bases (108), single season batting average (.507), single season hits (105), single season runs scored (68), single season stolen bases (40) and single season triples (8). Smith, who was a member of the U.S. Softball National Team, is 12th all-time in the NCAA record books for hits in a season (105).
“A memorable game for me occurred in 2002 at Michigan…We were down by one run, there was a runner on second base, and I hit a homerun over the fence, to put us ahead by one. This was my first homerun over a fence ever; it was a pretty big accomplishment for me! When I was fourteen years old I said that by the time I was done with my athletic softball career I would hit a homerun, by the time my senior year came around, I decided that might not be possible. Usually I would get base hits or an occasional triple, so after making contact I sprinted around the bases. It was not until I was about to hit third that I realized it went out. It was a great feeling to have my teammates at home plate waiting to congratulate me!! Unfortunately, we lost the game, but it was still a very memorable game. My college roommate and good friend Jennifer Link and I both hit home runs that game, which was something neither of us had done before.”
The 2007 men’s class includes Andy Dumpis (volleyball), Ivan Gilbert (fencing), Marv Homan (administration) and Pete Johnson (football). For more information on the men’s class of inductees, visit www.osumensvo.com.
