Pace athletics saw its past, present, and future come together for one night, as the 2014 Pace Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on March 28 at the Willow Ridge Country Club in White Plains.

Teams and individuals were honored, including Dr. Joseph Pastore, Jr., who was named the fourth recipient of the Peter X Finnerty Leadership Award for his 40 years of dedication and service to Pace. Pastore has served the University in a variety of roles, from dean of the Lubin School of Business (1976-1980) to University Provost (1985-1991), remaining a strong advocate for the athletics department throughout his tenure at Pace.

“It feels wonderful,” Pastore said. “I am incredibly honored and grateful for this recognition, but I stand here today representing not only myself but many others who work tirelessly to help better their community.”

The 1984-85 women’s basketball team was then presented with the first-ever Team of Distinction Award, which was created to recognize Pace varsity teams that have achieved unparalleled success in a particular season. A team record 28 wins lead the ’84-85 team to capture the NCAA Division II East Region championship before falling to Hampton College in the national quarterfinals.

The team featured five 1,000 points scorers, including Jennifer DiMaggio, the program’s all-time leading scorer.

Four individuals were also inducted into the Hall, bringing the total number of members to 50. Former football player Tom Grega, former volleyball player Kory Langley, former baseball player, current coach Henry Manning and former lacrosse player Joe Vuotto were each honored.

“I’m not a public speaker so I was a bit nervous, but it’s certainly the greatest honor of my life,” said Grega, who played for Pace from 1969-72. “I never imagined that one day I would be standing here after being inducted to the Pace Hall of Fame.”

Grega is best remembered for what has become known as “The Play” when he fought off tackles to score the game winning touchdown against Westchester Community College his freshman year. The Setters won their first-ever Met Bowl Championship the following week, helping pave the way for the program to earn varsity status.

Langley, who helped lead her team to four consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins, guided the Setters to the Sweet 16 in 1996-97 and to the Elite 8 in 1998. Her success showed both on the court and in the classroom, as Langley is the program’s all-time leader in digs. She was also named to the GTE Academic All-District Second Team in 1998.

Manning, who returned to Pace in 2000 as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach the following year, becomes the 11th baseball player inducted. He joked that his son had hoped to get a Frank Thomas autograph when hearing his father was to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, only to have his hopes dashed when being told it wasn’t the MLB Hall of Fame.

“It really feels quite special to be able to go down in Pace history like this,” said Manning, who holds the school freshman record for most hits and runs scored. “Going up there wasn’t too different from addressing my team so it was rather enjoyable.”

Vuotto was recognized for his excellence as Pace’s top goalie during the late 1990s. He helped lead the Setters to the 1999 Northeast-10 Conference title, earning tournament most valuable player honors along the way.

The department’s successes have helped pave the way for an exciting future that is sure to bring many more memories.

“The school has only gotten bigger and better since my time here, and I think that it’s only going to continue to grow from here,” Grega said.