ALFRED, NY -- Alfred University inducted four former Saxons into its Athletics Hall of Fame during an on-campus banquet ceremony at Ade Hall on Saturday evening.
 
Inducted into the Hall were: the late Bob Carley, football All-American; Jesse Raynor '03, record-setting football player; Alicia (Ballard) Cordle '05, women's tennis standout; and Matthew Weems, '05, All-American swimmer. Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held as part of Homecoming weekend.
 
Carley, who was inducted posthumously, played four seasons (1983-86) on the football team as a linebacker, starting the final three. As a senior in 1986 he made 122 tackles, which at the time was the third-highest ever for a season in AU history, and was named a Pizza Hut Third Team All-American.
 
He helped lead the Saxons to the program's first-ever postseason victory, a 30-3 win over Plymouth State in the 1986 ECAC North Bowl Championship. He was named a First Team ECAC Upstate all-star that year and finished his career with 308 tackles, which at the time ranked second all-time at AU.
 
Carley died at age 23 in March 1988, less than two years after concluding his stellar playing career at Alfred University. At the time of his death, he was serving as a private in the U.S. Army in Fort Ord, CA, and suffered a heart attack while participating in a platoon run.
 
Each year, the football team presents an award named in his honor. The Bob Carley Memorial Award is given to a player "who displays a positive attitude and exceptional work ethic."
 
"It was very exciting to hear that Bob got nominated. When I got the call (over the summer) saying he had been chosen, well, it was a great way to start the weekend," said Pete Carley, Bob Carley's younger brother and one of his biggest fans when he was playing at AU.
 
Pete Carley recalled his brother as a man with many friends, well-liked off the field. He was a fierce competitor on the gridiron, who was humble about his accomplishments.
 
"He was a likeable guy, easy to be around. He had exceptional morals and a really big heart," Pete Carley commented. "He was truly at home on the field. He was proud – proud of the 1986 ECAC title and proud when he was named an All-American. But he didn't talk about it."
 
Raynor played for the Saxons from 1999-2003 and set the school's record for rushing yards, with 3,865. At the time of his graduation, he held two of the top four single-season rushing totals in school history, with 1,235 in 2001 and 1,184 in 2003.
 
He was one of the most versatile players ever to suit up for the Saxons. In the 2002 season opener against visiting St. John Fisher, he ran for 115 yards and three touchdowns, caught 11 passes (which is tied for the school single-game record), kicked a 42-yard field goal, and blocked a punt. He also played several snaps as a defensive back.
 
Raynor was the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2003, earning First Team all-conference honors as a tailback and Second Team recognition as a punter. He was also a First Team ECAC Northwest All-Star in 2001 and 2003. A two-year captain, he holds school records for rushing touchdowns in a game (five, accomplished twice) and career (40), 100-yard rushing games in a career (20), and points scored in a career (336).
 
"I'm truly honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Raynor said. "I could spend all evening talking about the memories of playing here, but instead I'll talk about three lessons I learned.
 
"The first is: it's not important where you are, but the people who are around you. I developed friendships here that have lasted for years. The second is to not let fear control your destiny. Life is like football: if you overcome your fears in life you will be successful. Third: learn how to handle adversity. How you handle adversity will determine your outcomes in life."
 
Raynor gave thanks to his parents, for the support they showed him, and also to Alfred University and head football coach Bob Rankl, who was the Saxons' offensive line coach and run game coordinator when Raynor played.
 
 Raynor graduated from AU in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and went on to earn his MBA from Columbia College in Syracuse. He is Warehouse Project Manager/Materials Analyst for the Carrier Corp. in Syracuse. Raynor and his wife, Katie, live in Brewerton, NY, with their daughters, Averiana and Berkley.
 
Cordle is arguably the best-ever women's tennis player at Alfred University. She played first singles all four years with the Saxons and earned First Team Empire 8 all-conference honors four times.
 
She was Empire 8 Rookie of the year in 2001 and was the conference's Player of the Year as a junior in 2003 and as a senior in 2004, when she led the Saxons to an unbeaten season that culminated in the program's only Empire 8 Conference championship tournament victory. She was also named a Second Team New York State all-star in 2004.
 
Cordle, a two-year team captain, set records (since broken) for singles and doubles victories in a career.
 
She credited her coach at AU, Brian Friedland, for guiding her while she was at AU, particularly early in her career when she was struggling with academics.
 
"Tennis wasn't my highlight at AU. Graduating, for me, was the greatest accomplishment I was a ceramic engineering major and it was really hard. (Friedland) was a steadying force for me. He was a coach and a colleague; I want to thank him so much."
 
Cordle also expressed gratitude to her parents. "My dad came to pretty much every match I played at Alfred. I really appreciated having that bit of home. And my mom, I thank her for always being there to support me."
 
Cordle earned a bachelor's degree in ceramic engineering from AU in 2005. Since June of 2005 she has been a ceramic engineer at Ludowici Roof Tile Inc. in New Lexington, OH.  She directs production processes and shipping operations for Ludowici, a leading tile manufacturer. She lives in Rushville, OH, with her husband, Chad, and their son, Waylon, and has three stepchildren: Savannah, Justin and Megan.
 
Weems was a five-time All-American swimmer at AU from 2000-04, earning certifications four times for relays and once individually. In his senior year of 2003-04, the freestyle specialist set a school record (since broken) in the 50 free and went on to earn All-American honors in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard, 400-yard and 800-yard free relays.
 
For his career, Weems was a 10-time First Team Empire 8 Conference all-star, earning top E8 honors for the 200 free three consecutive years from 2002-04. As a senior, he also won an Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association (UNYSCSA) title in the 200 free.
 
In his junior year of 2002-03, Weems was instrumental in leading the Saxons to their first-ever UNYSCSA team title. Fir his career, he swam on teams that won six UNYSCSA relay titles (three in the 200 free relay, two in the 400 free relay and once in the 400 medley relay. Weems swam on teams that set school and Empire 8 records in the 200 free relay in 2002 and the 400 relay in 2004.
 
"The experiences I had swimming at Alfred were exhilarating, and I had a lot of fun," Weems said. He took time to credit his parents for their support and his coaches for teaching him how to get better.
 
"I had talent, but if it weren't for my parents getting me involved in swimming, and my coaches critiquing me, I wouldn't have gotten to where I did. And it was my friends and teammates who made it enjoyable and worth staying in it. Thank you."
 
Weems graduated from AU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in geology.  He resides in Manteo, NC.
 
Also during Saturday's banquet and throughout Homecoming weekend, the University honored Women in Athletics. In addition to being the second oldest co-educational institution in the United States, Alfred University was a forerunner in providing opportunities for collegiate athletics to women.
 
Title IX is the federal legislation which mandates equality between men and women regarding access to any educational program (including athletics) that receive federal funding. AU had supported women's athletics programs long before Title IX was enacted in 1972.
 
Mary Beth (Dooley) Horsington, '76, a Hall of Fame swimmer at AU, spoke to those gathered at the banquet Saturday. She enrolled at the University in 1972, shortly after Title IX became law, and was a member of the first women's intercollegiate varsity women's team at AU.
 
"Colleges had been slow to provide opportunities for women to compete at a high level. I had been a competitive swimmer for years, and I thought my career would end when I graduated from high school," she recalled. "Then, in 1972, two things happened: Title IX passed and I began attending Alfred University. Alfred did a wonderful job embracing Title IX."
 
Horsington praised Doris Harrington, former head of the physical education department at AU, for laying the groundwork for continued expansion of women's athletics offerings.
 
"Title IX gave her the momentum" to grow women's athletics at AU, she said. "What it did for me and all women is provide a chance to enjoy the benefits of opportunity, the joy of participation, the camaraderie of teamwork, and the thrill of winning."