Since Drexel’s establishment in 1891, there have been several notable athletes who have come through the university. As the Triangle celebrates its 100 years on campus, it is on theme that we dive into Drexel’s Hall of Fame and highlight some of the past athletic accomplishments Drexel students have pursued.
The Drexel Athletics Hall of Fame was established in the mid-1970s, and the university’s first inducted class was honored on Jan. 24, 1976. The Hall of Fame was created to honor former Drexel student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and athletic personnel who have contributed to the success of the Drexel Athletics Department through their outstanding accomplishments. On Dec. 5, 2012, Drexel unveiled the Janet E. and Barry C. Burkholder Athletics Hall of Fame, the first permanent home for the Hall of Fame of Drexel Athletics. Located in the Recreation Center Gallery between the Recreation Center and the Daskalakis Athletic Center, the Hall of Fame is interactive, with four touch screens that allow you to scroll through the years of Dexel’s athletic success.
1910s
The only Drexel Hall of Fame inductee from the 1910s is Ernest N. Calhoun. Calhoun was a basketball varsity letterwinner for three years, from 1916 to 1918, and served as team captain in his senior year. In his 1917-18 season, he served in leadership roles as the team had no coach during that time. In addition to his athletic success, Calhoun served as the student body’s athletics representative in all four years on campus. Furthermore, he became the assistant athletics editor of the Lexerd yearbook, as well as an active member of the Dramatic Society and the Debating Society. In 1918, Calhoun graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. Calhoun was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.
1920s
The 1920s also saw only one Hall of Famer, star athlete Ralph C. Connell, who graduated from Drexel in 1924 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971. Connell played four seasons of both basketball and football (no, not the comedy club). He captained the basketball team as a senior and led the team in scoring in the 1924 season. On the football team, Connell played a key role, scoring multiple goals for the team in their competition against teams such as Washington and West Chester. Furthermore, Connell also played two years on the track team (yes, we had that too at some point) and one year on the tennis team. Following his graduation in 1925, Connell worked as a professor at Drexel.
1930s
Michael La Bove was Drexel’s first All-American and was considered one of Drexel’s first football greats. During his freshman year, La Bove played as a running back and set a kickoff return record, taking one back 95 yards for a score. He was a four-year letter winner on the field, often considered one of Drexel’s best in his position. As a team captain, he closed out his All-American senior year by scoring the final touchdown in a 21-0 rout of Saint Joseph’s, giving Drexel a 7-1 record on the season. Michael La Bove graduated from Drexel in 1932, later becoming a teacher. He was inducted into Drexel’s Hall of Fame in 1973.
Olga Assante Fort was a trailblazer in women’s intercollegiate athletics at Drexel. She played on one of the first teams in both field hockey and basketball. As a junior, she was a leading scorer in field hockey and, as a senior, acted as team captain. Fort served as President of her class as both a junior and a senior. Additionally, she won the J. Peterson Ryder Award in 1934 for her overall excellence as a senior. In 1971, she earned the Harriet E. Worall Alumni Award for outstanding civic service. Fort was also active in Drexel’s General Alumni Association, Women’s Alumnae Planning Board, and Women’s Athletic Association. She was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Charles A. Knapp was a four-year letter winner in both baseball and football at Drexel, where he was the captain of both teams. Prior to his graduation in 1936, he also played for three years on the basketball team. After his graduation, Knapp went on to play professionally in both baseball and football. He played with the Eagles for one year as a reserve halfback and quarterback. Additionally, he played with the Phillies before he was forced to retire due to injury. He was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
1940s
Norman Parmet exhibited his versatility as an athlete by excelling in three different sports during his time at Drexel: football, basketball, and tennis. In the midst of his college athletic career, Parmet was called to serve his nation in World War II from 1942 to 1945. After serving, Parmet returned to Drexel to complete his degree and continue to play sports. In the 1946-47 season, Parmet was a starting guard on the basketball team, which finished second in the Middle Athletic Conference. He continued these skills on the tennis court, as well, where he played predominantly in first singles throughout his career and also became the team’s captain as a senior. In 1947, Parmet earned the Alumni Varsity Club Award as Drexel’s most outstanding senior athlete. In 1973, Parmet was added to the list of Drexel Hall of Famers.
Clarence “Andy” Andrews, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, was a star on the men’s lacrosse team from 1946-1948, where he earned three letters and served as team captain for his last two seasons. In 1947, Andrews earned a spot on the All-America Team, which he did again in 1948. Additionally, he became Drexel’s first All-American goaltender andwas twice named a USILA North/South All-Star and a Pennsylvania/Delaware All-Star. Furthermore, he was named to the Drexel Lacrosse 75th Anniversary team.
1950s
Alfred MacCart graduated from Drexel in 1953 as a four-year starter on the men’s basketball team and a co-captain for two years. MacCart was a unanimous selection to the 1950-51 MAC All-Conference Team, and was also named to the Philadelphia All-College Team as selected by the Philadelphia Writers Association. During his junior year at Drexel, he averaged 17.4 points per game and led the Middle Atlantic Conference in scoring. He had 295 points, which at the time set a school record. MacCart finished his collegiate career with 865 points and averaged 12.9 points per game.
A 1954 graduate from Drexel, Tom Grebis was a star halfback for the Dragons football team from 1952 to 1954, and served as the team’s co-captain in 1953 and 1954. Grebis was a top scorer and pass receiver during the 1952 season, where he scored 36 points and received nine passes to gain 249 yards. However, Grebis was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004 for his time spent coaching Drexel’s football team. Grebis served as the head coach of Drexel football from 1961 to 1968. During his time as coach, he secured the highest winning percentage among Drexel football coaches (.625). He is the second-winningest coach in Drexel history, earning 39 victories. He also coached the Drexel team that scored the most points in a season – 206 in 1964. Grebis finished with a career record of 39-24-2.
The second woman elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977, and one of the most decorated women athletes in Drexel history, was Barbara Boyle Sullivan ‘58. Across four sports, including basketball, field hockey, tennis, and softball, she won 12 letters. She played for four years on the basketball and field hockey teams, and two seasons on the tennis and softball teams. Boyle Sullivan won the Blazer Award, Drexel’s highest honor for a woman athlete. She is a three-time award recipient of the Athlon Plaque Award, an award given to athletes for earning three letters in the same year. During her time at Drexel, Boyle Sullivan was also an active member of the Women’s Athletic Association, where she served as the secretary-treasurer and as the social chairman.
1960s
A familiar name to Drexel students, John Daskalakis was a member of the men’s lacrosse team at Drexel from 1960 to 1962. He was named an Honorable Mention All-America as a senior and served as co-captain of the team. Daskalakis was also a two-time Pennsylvania-Delaware All-Star. In 1962, he was named to the All–USILA Atlantic “B” Division team and, later on, was also named to the Drexel Lacrosse 75th Anniversary Team. Our familiar fitness center, the John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center, also coined the “DAC”, is home to many of our sports teams, including the basketball teams, the swimming and diving teams, and the wrestling team. It also houses our fitness center, workout classrooms, climbing wall, and indoor track.
Tom “Peaches” Pecsvaradi was a star on the soccer field, playing four years of varsity soccer and acting as co-captain for the 1962 team. During his time on the field, his teams were a combined 25-5-2. Although he did thrive in soccer, his biggest accomplishments were in the sport of fencing. Since Drexel did not have a fencing team, Pecsvaradi represented Drexel as an individual. He finished fifth in the Saber Division of the 1962 NCAA Championships. In 1963, he finished second overall. A 1964 graduate, Pecsvaradi earned All-America recognition in 1962 and 1963. He was the 1963 winner of Drexel’s J. Peterson Ryder Award and qualified for the 1964 Olympic Trials.
1970s
A 1972 graduate, Ronald Coley earned three varsity letters as a member of the men’s basketball team. He was the first ever Drexel basketball player to score 1,000 career points. As a senior, Coley acted as team captain and won Drexel’s Outstanding Player Award, as well as the Outstanding Varsity Athlete Award in both 1970 and 1971. In 1970, he became the second Drexel player to score 400 points in a season. Coley averaged 16.9 points during his collegiate career, and ended his career with 1,098 career points, shot 49.2 percent from the floor, and 80 percent from the free throw line. He was a two-time All-MAC and a Philadelphia Sportswriters’ Small College All-Star.
Theresa Walsh ‘79 was a member and captain of the first women’s swimming team at Drexel. The team went undefeated in dual meets and won the PAIAW Swimming championship, where Walsh gained All-American recognition. She won the 50- and 100-yard backstroke, the 100- and 400-yard medley relays, and the 400- and 800-yard freestyles. Walsh was the only Drexel swimmer at the 1976 EAIAW Championship, where there was no other women’s team at the time. Even so, she scored 49 points in five events for Drexel, and the team finished 20th out of 42 in the final team standings. In the 1976-77 season, before the establishment of the women’s swimming team, Walsh swam on the men’s team, where she earned a win at the Swarthmore meet in the 200-yard backstroke. Walsh was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.
1980s
James J. Browne, who graduated in 1985, was an exceptionally talented first baseman with Drexel baseball from 1982 to 1985. Browne set the single-season records for hits (57), doubles (22), home runs (8), total bases (107), RBI (42), walks (33), slugging percentage (.991), and batting average (.528) by the time he graduated. He was the 1985 NCAA batting champion and led the country in doubles per game and slugging percentage. Browne was also ranked second nationally in RBI per game, as well as nationally ranked in the top 10 in hits and home runs per game. Browne was a four-year letter winner and two-time team co-captain. He was selected All-East twice and was named an All-East Coast Conference pick. In 1985, he was an ECAC All-Star and team MVP. He was a 1987 Drexel University Athletic Achievement Award Winner, with a career .351 average with 108 hits and 80 RBI. In 1985, Browne was drafted by the Texas Rangers and played for two seasons before he had to retire due to a shoulder injury.
Barbara Kigour-Cleghorn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 as a head coach for Drexel’s women’s swimming and diving team. She led the team to East Coast Conference Championships in 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1991. She was named ECC Women’s Coach of the Year in the 1986-97 and 1989-90 seasons. Kigour-Cleghorn served as assistant coach of the women’s team during the time they won ECC Championships in 1983 and 1984, as well as helped guide the men’s team to ECC Championships in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, and 1991, also as an assistant coach. In 1988, she was appointed to the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Rules Committee, which governs the National Championships.
1990s
Inducted this year, Malik Rose ‘96 was one of the most dominant student-athletes in Drexel men’s basketball history. The Philadelphia native played for the Dragons from 1992-96 and helped lead the team to three consecutive conference championships and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1994-96. During Drexel’s historic 1995-96 season, Rose’s impact was seen when Drexel recorded a school-record 27 wins, including a 15-game winning streak, and won the North Atlantic Conference championship. The team went on to defeat the fifth-seeded Memphis, 75-63, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. This was Drexel’s first and only NCAA Tournament victory to date. As a player, Rose has one of the most prominent careers in program history. He finished with 2,024 career points, as well as remains the school’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,504 boards. He was named North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year in both ‘95 and ‘96, earned Tournament Most Valuable Player honors in all three of Drexel’s championship runs, in addition to being a three-time First Team All-Conference selection. During his final season, he averaged 20.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. Following his time at Drexel, Rose was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 44th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He went on to play a 13-year NBA career, which included eight seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. It was during this time that he won two NBA Championships. Rose’s Drexel jersey number is retired and now hangs in the rafters of the DAC.
Rebecca Murphy is Drexel’s all-time leader in tennis singles winning percentage at .859. The 1997 graduate recorded 61 wins, which stood as the program record for more than 20 years. She is still ranked third all-time in singles victories and suffered only 10 losses across the four seasons she played. Murphy was the number one singles player and played first doubles all four years. In doubles, she finished her collegiate career with a 44-11 mark. In 1993, Murphy was a First Team All-North Atlantic Conference singles selection and appeared twice on the All-NAC Second Team in 1994 and 1995. She is a two-time East Coast Conference Scholar Athlete selection and is the only two-time winner of the Mary Semanik Award in school history, which she earned in both 1995 and 1996.
2000s
Mikki Miller was named to the Drexel University All-Millennium team in 2000. She was a two-time team co-MVP and the 1998 team’s most improved player. She was a two-time America East Conference Third Team selection and was the 11th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. At the time of her graduation in 200, she ranked 10th in all-time scoring with 1,050 points in 106 career games. She also ranked 10th in career field goals (283) and fifth in career field-goal percentage (.455). As of her induction year in 2017, Miller sits seventh in rebounds per game (7.7), ninth in career rebounds (813), 10th in free throws made (284), and 10th in free throw attempts (391) in program history.
Jeff Parke ‘03 had a successful career for Drexel’s soccer team from 2000-03 before going on to play 10 seasons in Major League Soccer. In 2000, he was selected for the All-North Atlantic/America East First Team and, in 2022, was chosen Second Team All-Region. Parke was also selected for the 2000 All-North Atlantic/America East Rookie Team, and was a two-time Philadelphia Soccer Seven All-Star and the 2003 Donald Yonker Team MVP award recipient. After Drexel, Parke was a sixth-round selection by the NY/NJ Metrostars in the 2003 MLS Draft. Over his 10-year professional career, Parke played 254 games with the New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders, Philadelphia Union, and DC United. He also made an appearance for the United States National Team against Panama, and helped the US win with a 1-0 victory on Jan. 25, 2012. Parke was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017 for his outstanding soccer career.
2010s
Finally, honored in 2025 as the most decorated women’s basketball player in Drexel history, Gabriela Marginean was the 2010 Mary Semanik Award winner and Honorable AP All-American. She set the Philadelphia women’s basketball career scoring record with 2,581 points – a record that was set for almost a decade. Additionally, she was a three-time All-CAA First Team selection, was named the 2009 CAA Player of the Year, and led Drexel to its first-ever CAA title, while being named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. The native of Romania holds Drexel’s career records for points per game (20.6), free-throw percentage (.889), and field goals made. She is second in rebounds (947), fourth in field-goal percentage (.471), and eighth in steals (203). In 2007, Marginean had school records of 47 points and 22 rebounds in a five-overtime win against Northeastern. In addition to her school accomplishments, she also led the nation in free-throw percentage as a sophomore. The CAA named Marginean the 2010 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award winner, as well as the CAA Rookie of the Year and All-CAA Third Team as a freshman in 2007. She received the 2009 Philadelphia Sports Writers Outstanding Athlete Award. After her astonishing Drexel career, she was selected in the third round of the WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She became the first Drexel player to play in the league.
These athletes from the past 100 years show the accomplishments of our school’s athletic program. And although Drexel may not be widely known for its athletic program, taking a look at the school’s past successes is a reminder of the changes the program has seen and the legacies it has produced. To read more about Drexel’s Hall of Fame inductees, you can visit the Hall of Fame website or go in person to the DAC.