The 2007 Hall of Fame Class: Roger Bertoia, Annette Gruber and Dr. William Daily with Athletic Director Mike Bobinski

2007 Hall of Fame Inductees

The Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome three new members in ceremonies on November 9, which will bring the total number to 99 inductees honored in the O'Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame. This year's three new inductees are former football star Roger Bertoia (`57), long-time athletic board member and supporter Dr. William Daily (`57) and former women's soccer standout Annette Gruber (`01). Gruber joins her sister Amanda, also a soccer star, and father Jim, a baseball standout, as members of the Xavier Hall of Fame.

The 2006 Hall of Fame Class: Pete Spoerl, Joe Sunderman and Jennifer Phillips

2006 Class of Xavier Hall of Fame Inductees

This year's three new inductees are former basketball standout and long-time radio voice of the Musketeers Joe Sunderman ('79), former baseball star Pete Spoerl ('83) and XU's first-ever Atlantic 10 Player of the Year for Women's Basketball, Jennifer Phillips ('01), who led XU to the 2001 NCAA Tournament "Elite Eight" run.

The awards dinner took place in the James Duff Banquet Center in Cintas Center, with over 300 in attendance. The trio of inductees will be honored again tomorrow at halftime of Xavier's men's basketball regular season opener against Coastal Carolina.

This year's three additions brings the total number to 96 inductees honored in the P. Dougles O'Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame on the Cintas Center concourse. The display, which opened in 2005, is the result of a gift from 1959 graduate P. Douglas O'Keefe. The hall was constructed on the Cintas Center concourse in an area that overlooks the student dining area of the Center. The hall includes display cases with a variety of memorabilia and trophies, video monitors and much more.

Jennifer Phillips is one of the most courageous Musketeers and best leaders in program history. Phillips is sixth all-time with 1,633 career points and fourth all-time with 742 career rebounds and is still the only Musketeer to be named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, as Phillips earned the honor following the 2000-01 season.

Phillips' senior year marked the best season in Xavier women's basketball history and it's clear to all that watched the season unfold that she was the heart and soul of a talented veteran squad. Phillips led Xavier to the 2001 Atlantic 10 Championship and ended the season fifth in the country in field goal shooting percentage. Phillips then helped the Musketeers advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, which included the program's signature victory, an 80-65 win over No. 3 Tennessee in the 2001 NCAA Mideast Regional Semifinal en route to a 31-3 record.

Pete Spoerl, who still holds the second-best career batting average mark at Xavier (.377), was one of the most talented and versatile players ever to play baseball at Xavier. It was his versatility that later won him a spot on the 1987 U.S. Pan Am Softball Team.

Spoerl made steady progress during his four-year Xavier career as a clutch hitter and a good fielder. He hit .348 as a freshman and .336 as a sophomore, playing first base and second base. He played second base as a junior, hitting a team-high .396 and displaying fine defense with only 10 errors the entire season. Spoerl moved to shortstop his senior year to make room for XU Hall of Famer Ted Shalloe at second base. He enjoyed his best offensive season as a senior, leading the team in hitting (.412), games (49), at bats (170), hits (70), runs (46), doubles (13) and game winning RBI's (four). Spoerl was named 1982 MCC Northern Division Player of the Year.

Joe Sunderman made a major impact on the court as a player, playing in 97 games and starting 74 times. He enjoyed his best season as a senior, averaging 9.6 ppg. and a team-high 8.6 rpg. and shooting 52.9 percent from the field before being forced to sit out the final seven games with an injury. Earlier in his senior season Sunderman helped XU capture what is still regarded as the most prestigious regular season men's basketball championship in school history, beating nationally-ranked Southern Cal and host Tennessee to win the Volunteer Classic. Sunderman had 19 points and 15 rebounds in the impressive win over USC.

Since graduation, Sunderman's name has been synonymous with Xavier basketball. Sunderman has been a part of Xavier's radio broadcasts for 26 years and counting and has volunteered for countless Xavier events and fund-raisers over the years, including serving as emcee at the annual basketball banquet.

The Establishment of the P. Douglas O'Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame
2005 Class of the Xavier Hall of Fame Dedicates New Display

Xavier University President Michael J. Graham, S.J. joined with the entire Xavier community as the University unveiled the P. Douglas O'Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, November 18 at Cintas Center and inducted three new members into the Hall of Fame. The impressive 2005 induction class included former golfer Steve Dixon ('99), former standout basketball player Joe Geiger ('64) and volleyball star Beth Osterday ('97). This trio brought XU's total number of inductees to 93 for its hall of fame, which was chartered in 1980.

The Athletic Hall of Fame is located on the west concourse of Cintas Center and was possible through the generosity of 1959 graduate P. Douglas O'Keefe.

"We are so grateful to Doug for his generous gift," said Xavier University President Michael J. Graham, S.J. "This is a gift not just to the University, but to the entire community. It celebrates the achievements of so many talented people who made a difference on the playing field and court for Xavier and then went on to make a difference in life through the lessons they learned here."

Steve Dixon can be found near the top of the Xavier golf record books in almost all individual categories. His nine medalist honors rank first in Xavier history. Dixon won the Atlantic 10 Championship twice, only the fourth player in A-10 history to repeat as champion.

Dixon was named Xavier player of the year all four years of his career, and ended his career as the leader in scoring average at 73.76. During his career with the Musketeers, the Xavier's men's team won an impressive nine team titles, including the Atlantic 10 title in 1998.

Joe Geiger was a three-year letterman in basketball and stands tied for 35th on Xavier's all-time scoring list with 1,073 points. Xavier compiled a 42-38 record during his three seasons on varsity, including 16-10 his senior season when Geiger served as team captain and averaged 11.2 rpg. while scoring 19.3 ppg. As a junior, Geiger helped XU capture the 1963 National Catholic Championship.

Geiger left his mark as a clutch shooter for the Musketeers, particularly from the free throw line. He led the nation in free throw percentage at 90.2 percent as a sophomore and was seventh in the nation as a senior at 86.9 percent. He still holds the XU record for free throw shooting in a season (.902) and a career (.843). After his graduation, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in the eighth round of the NBA Draft.

Beth Osterday was a four-year letterwinner on the Xavier volleyball team, leading XU to a 76-49 overall record during her career. She led XU to a 49-30 Atlantic 10 mark, including a 29-10 mark during her junior and senior years when Xavier finished tied for first (1998) and tied for second (1999) in the A-10, respectively.

Osterday still holds the school record for digs in a career (1,728). She holds the second, third, fourth and seventh spots for digs in a season. Osterday is also fourth all-time for kills in a career with 1,384. Osterday finished her career as the fifth member of Xavier's 1,000-1,000 club for kills and digs in a career.

The Hall of Fame Process

The Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame is designed to honor former athletes of Xavier University who participated in an outstanding way in intercollegiate competition between Xavier University and other recognized schools. The record of these individuals while attending the University must have been so outstanding that there is no question as to their qualifying for the Hall of Fame. In the selection of these candidates, past records must be considered; also considered are the sportsmanship exhibited by the prospective candidates at the time they were students, and the overall character and citizenship displayed by the candidates, not only as students, but later in life as well.

To be eligible for candidacy in the Hall of Fame, an athlete must have given outstanding performances in one or more intercollegiate sports for Xavier; must have earned a degree or diploma from Xavier; must have been graduated five years or more before the date of his/her selection: and must have earned two letters in one sport or one letter in two or more sports. An athlete whose education was interrupted by death is also eligible for nomination.

It should be realized that there are other people who might be considered for the Hall of Fame but under special categories. One category makes membership available to coaches, athletic directors and other people who have been connected closely with the athletic program at Xavier University.

The second special category applies to student-athletes who, in the opinion of the Hall of Fame selection committee, brought tremendous honor and distinction to the University through their participation in regional, national and international competition. All student-athletes in this category must still fulfill the degree, sportsmanship, character and citizenship requirements in the standard category.

For additional information regarding nominations, please contact Tom Eiser via e-mail at eiser@xavier.edu or by phone at 800 344-4698, ext. 3124 (or 513 745-3124).