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Athletics Inducts Three Into Hall Of Fame
The athletics department welcomed the three members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2011 in a ceremony on Saturday, October 1st when Victoria Spence ’03, Dan Howard '05 and Bryan Supple ’05 became the newest members of the school’s Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held during the culmination of Alumni Weekend and now includes 41 select alumni, coaches and administrators that have been honored since 2000.
An amazing competitor from her very first days as a member of the Johnson & Wales women’s tennis team, Tori Spence grabbed the number-one singles position as a freshman and never relinquished it, winning three Great Northeast Athletic Conference championships along the way. The GNAC’s Rookie of the Year in 2000, she was named to the all-conference first team in 2001 and 2002. One year later, she completed a sweep of conference awards, winning the 2003 GNAC Player of the Year trophy, after leading her teams to three conference crowns. In her four years, Spence compiled a 55-5 record in league matches and had 95 overall career victories—graduating second on the all-time wins list. Equally competitive in the classroom, she graduated with a 3.83 GPA.
With an uncanny ability to pound the strike zone or to come through with the big hit, Coventry, Rhode Island’s Dan Howard was a multi-talented part of the Johnson & Wales baseball team. He graduated as the all-time leader in most pitching categories, including victories (22); career earned run average (2.89), innings pitched (248), complete games (17), and appearances (38). Howard was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2004 and 2005, when his ERA in both seasons ranked among the top 13 in the nation. Named All-New England in 2005, Howard struck out 261 and walked only 39 in his four seasons. A dependable outfielder, his clutch home run in the last inning of the championship game gave JWU a share of the 2005 ECAC title.
Bryan Supple was a model of versatility, persistence, sportsmanship, and on-field consistency, and became one of the top players ever to wear a Johnson & Wales soccer uniform. The 2005 Great Northeast Player of the Year, Supple helped to lead the Wildcats to a GNAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III national tournament. The native of nearby Cumberland, Rhode Island, was named to the All-GNAC first team in 2003, 2004, and 2005, appearing in 57 matches over three years. Supple not only anchored a record-setting defensive unit in his first season, he was a major force in the Wildcat midfield during the rest of his career. He scored 42 points on 16 goals and ten assists.
The class of 2012 will be selected by the committee in the summer of 2012 and honored at the annual Alumni Reception and Hall of Fame Ceremony on early October of next year.
