Five former Montclair State athletes will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at a ceremony Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Valley Regency in Clifton.

The inductees include basketball and softball standouts Kim Wilson and Debra Emery, cross country/track competitor James Harris, men's basketball player Ed Riche and former softball coach Wilma "Willie" Rucker. The new class, the 31st, brings the total number of inductees to 168. Read what made these athletes standouts for their time:

Ed Riche--Men's Basketball (1979-82)
Riche compiled quite a career for the then-Indians in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Described by his head coach as "the most complete player on our ball club," Riche scored 1,193 points and grabbed more than 500 rebounds, making him one of eight players in history with those accomplishments. But while his statistics are noteworthy, more impressive was his leadership ability. In the 1980-81 season Riche led Montclair State to the New Jersey State Athletic Conference (NJSAC) Championship, which included an upset of top-seeded Glassboro State in the NJSAC Tournament. Montclair went on to upset number-two ranked Roanoke in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament before falling to Upsala in the quarterfinals. Riche helped Montclair State to back-to-back NJSAC championships in 1981 and 1982 as well as consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. A team captain and four-year starter, he was named First-Team All-NJSAC in 1981 and 1982 and was a First-Team All-College Division selection as well. He was a member of the NCAA All-South Atlantic Regional District Team in 1981 and 1982. By the time he graduated, Riche was the 10th all-time leading scorer in school history and is still ranked in the top 15 in field goals made (468), field goal percentage (.513), free throws (257) and assists (192).

Kim Wilson--Basketball/Softball (1987-1991)
One of the finest two-sport athletes in Montclair State history, Wilson was a dominant player on the basketball court and softball diamond. On the hardwood, Wilson's statistics speak for themselves--1,757 points, 755 rebounds and 246 steals, all of which ranked her in the top three at the time of her graduation. She helped Montclair State to three consecutive 20-win seasons, a feat the program had not seen since its heyday in the late 1970s. She helped Montclair State to its first two appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1989 and 1990, and capped off her basketball career in 1991 by leading Montclair to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) NY/NJ Metro Championship as she was named Honorable Mention All-American. On the softball field, Wilson was equally talented, boasting a career .364 with 31 doubles, 72 runs scored and 69 RBI. She helped Montclair State to its first-ever NJAC softball championship in 1989 and was an All-Conference, All-Region and All-American selection. By the time she graduated, Wilson was ranked in the top five for career batting average, slugging percentage, doubles and triples. Wilson was also a four-time Montclair State Female Athlete of the Year, and was chosen as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Year in 1990.

James Harris--Cross Country/Track (1964-67)
Most people on campus know Harris as the associate dean for Student Development. But he's also known as a pioneer in the cross country and track program, running four seasons for the then-Indians in the mid-1960s. On the cross-country circuit, perhaps no runner in Montclair history was better than Harris. In his first home meet in 1964, he set the course record at the Cedar Grove reservoir, the site of Montclair State's home meets. In his MSU career, Harris went on to set the course records at the United States Coast Guard, Monmouth College and Van Cortlandt Park in New York City. His greatest achievement, however, came during the 1966-68 seasons when he posted a streak of 15 consecutive victories in cross country meets, and was named the Montclair State Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1968 for his efforts. On the track, Harris won three events at the NAIA Region Championship (880 yards, Mile and Two Mile) in 1967, and duplicated the feat the following year. Despite his busy track schedule, Harris also competed for the fencing team from 1966-68. A fixture at Montclair State since his competition days, he went on to coach cross country from 1975-85, posting a composite record of 85-40.

Debbie Emery--Basketball/Softball (1982-86)
Another talented two-sport athlete, Emery was a star on the softball diamond and basketball court. She was the first top-flight pitcher in the history of the softball program and helped transform the Indians into a regional and national contender. In her four years, Emery recorded 42 victories and posted a career earned run average of less than one run per game. She allowed just 217 hits in 380 innings pitched and struck out 126 batters. In addition to her pitching numbers, Emery also provided offensive punch, batting .330 with 69 runs scored and 74 RBI. She helped Montclair State to two NCAA Division III World Series berths (1984 and 1986) and was named a two-time All-American in 1984 and 1985. Emery still holds the record for the best single-season and career earned run average marks (0.52 in 1986 and 0.98 career). She also ranks top 10 all-time in slugging percentage (.492), triples (14), RBI (74) and pitching victories (42). On the basketball court, Emery scored 1,408 points, the fourth highest total at the time of her graduation (she now ranks fifth). There has also been no better free throw shooter in the history of the women's basketball program than Emery, who connected on 280 of 338 career attempts for an 82.8 free throw percentage. An All-University and All-State selection, Emery was also a Dean's List student.

Wilma "Willie" Rucker--Softball Coach (1984-90)
In the 17 years prior to her arrival, the softball team had established itself as a top-flight program. In 1984, Rucker took over the reins and Montclair soared to even greater heights. In her seven seasons as coach, Rucker's teams won no fewer than 27 games and three times they won 30 or more. She posted a 209-87 record for an outstanding .706 winning percentage, and only once during her tenure did Montclair post a sub-.700 winning percentage in a season. Rucker guided Montclair State to the NCAA Regional Tournament each year, and Montclair reached the NCAA Division III World Series in 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1988. Rucker also led Montclair State to its first-ever NJAC championship and was tabbed as the 1989 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year by the National Softball Coaches Association. In her final season in 1990, Rucker achieved her 200th victory as the Red Hawks completed a double-header sweep over Rutgers-Camden with a no-hitter and perfect game. At the time she became the third coach in the history of Montclair State athletics to win 200 or more contests, joining legendary coaches and Hall-of-Fame members Bill Dioguardi and Ollie Gelston. In her tenure, Rucker coached 14 All-Americans, 22 all-regional selections and 27 all-conference performers. Of those 14 All-Americans, six have also been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Go back to the Insight index