Moon Township, Pa. – The 29th annual class of inductees into the
Robert Morris University Athletic Hall of Fame is comprised of five former student-athletes, each of whom left an indelible mark on their respective programs.
The five new members to join the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame as the Class of 2019 include Chris Carper (track & field; 2010-14), Ray Gensler (football; 2003-06), James Noel (football; 2001-05), Jacek Przednowek (men's soccer; 2005-07) and Artemis Spanou (women's basketball; 2010-14).
Each of the inductees will be formally inducted at the seventh annual RMU Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, at the Sheraton Inn Pittsburgh Airport. Public recognition takes place at halftime of the RMU men's basketball game against Saint Francis U Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.
The
RMU Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to honor those who have made an outstanding contribution to Robert Morris University athletics. Nominations are solicited and individuals selected by the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame committee. Players, coaches and administrators are eligible five years after they have concluded their career at Robert Morris.
The Class of 2019 brings membership in the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame to 137 individuals and three teams. A closer look at the new members of the Robert Morris Athletic Hall of Fame:
Chris Carper
Track & Field
2010-14
The first student-athlete in track & field history at Robert Morris to garner All-America honors, Carper was bestowed the plaudit in the spring of 2014 thanks to his performance in the javelin. Owning each of the top 11 marks in program history in the event, Carper is a two-time Northeast Conference (NEC) champion (2013, 2014) and was also named All-NEC four times. At the 2014 NCAA East Preliminary Round at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., Carper, a native of Altoona, Pa. and inducted on his first ballot, posted a toss of 239'9," which stands as the school record, to win the event and advance to the 2014 NCAA Championships. He finished fourth at the 2014 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with a distance of 233'6" to earn All-America First Team honors.
Ray Gensler
Football
2003-06
A three-year starter for the Colonials on the defensive line, Gensler concluded his career with 183 tackles, including 75 solo stops. He held the program record for sacks (19) it until it was broken in 2012 by former defensive lineman Nolan Nearhoof (2009-12). As a senior in 2006, Gensler notched 65 tackles, including 11 sacks, which tied an RMU single-season record that was originally established by defensive lineman Jason Spencer (1994-97) in 1997. For those efforts, Gensler, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and a graduate of Keystone Oaks High School, earned a spot on the 2006 All-NEC First Team. In addition, Gensler was the first student-athlete in school history to earn Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) twice, earning second team accolades in 2005 and first time recognition in 2006. Gensler was also named NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football in both 2005 and 2006.
James Noel
Football
2001-05
One of just three student-athletes in school history to garner All-NEC honors each of his four years with the program, Noel joins former quarterback Tim Levcik (1998-2001) to accomplish the feat and be a member of the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame. Noel, a native of Miami, Fla., started 41 games at linebacker during his tenure, a school record, and compiled 437 career tackles, also a school record. Named the 2002 NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2004 NEC Defensive Player of the Year, Noel was also named a I-AA All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 2004 after finishing with 115 tackles, including 51 solo stops, and five sacks. Noel finished with at least 10 stops in a game 24 times over his four-year career, a school record, with a career high of 18 coming on two occasions. His 18 tackles against Sacred Heart (10/30/04) stands as the Moon Stadium record.
Jacek Przednowek
Men's Soccer
2005-07
In three seasons at Robert Morris, Przednowek compiled career totals of 38 goals and 11 assists for 87 points. He ranks third in program history in points per game (1.53) as well as fifth in both goals and points and over his career produced 10 game-winning goals. In each of his three seasons, Przednowek earned All-NEC honors, earning first team accolades in 2005 and 2007 and second team plaudits in 2006. In 2005, Przednowek, a native of Brantford, Ontario, was named the NEC Tournament MVP as the Colonials posted a 3-2 win @ Monmouth to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. His best season came as a senior in 2007, when he finished with 15 goals and four assists for 34 points.
Artemis Spanou
Women's Basketball
2010-14
Arguably the most decorated student-athlete in Robert Morris history, Spanou is the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She is the only student-athlete in RMU basketball history to eclipse 2,000 career points (2,124) while owning 1,563 career rebounds. Selected as the 2014 NEC Player of the Year, Spanou led the Colonials to the 2014 NEC Tournament championship and subsequent bid to the NCAA Tournament by being named MVP after averaging 25.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 blocks while shooting 65.7 percent (27-for-40) from the field. At the conclusion of her career, Spanou was one of seven student-athletes in NCAA Division I history to accumulate career totals of 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 blocks. Spanou, a native of Rhodes, Greece, and inducted on her first ballot, owns the RMU single-game record for points (39) and the single-season mark for rebounds (480). She scored 39 points in a 101-95 overtime win over St. Francis Brooklyn (2/8/14) at the Charles L. Sewall Center and grabbed 480 rebounds during her final season with the program in 2013-14.
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