Local Educator Inducted into SUNY Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame

Donna Clark-Gayne Excelled in Women's Soccer As Student-Athlete

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OSWEGO, NY (11/14/2012)(readMedia)-- Donna Clark-Gayne of Mexico was honored for her achievements in women's soccer by being inducted into the Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 27 in the Sheldon Hall Ballroom at State University of New York at Oswego.

Clark-Gayne was the first player in program history to reach the 100-point plateau and ranks third in points (104) and goals (48), which remain 24 points and 20 goals ahead of fourth. She was a two-time SUNYAC All-Western Division Team selection in 1987 and 1988, while also being named the 1988 SUNY Athletic Conference Western Division Most Valuable Player.

"I feel like I've come full circle, because this is where my sports career began," Clark-Gayne said in her acceptance speech. An Oswego native, she grew up playing soccer with her seven brothers at many college facilities before becoming a star player for the Lakers.

During her senior year, Clark-Gayne was a member of the squad that went 13-3-1, which is the highest single-season winning percentage in school history.

"It was awesome being a part of this team and this program from the start," she said.

Clark-Gayne works as a special education teacher assistant for Pinnacle Preschool in Fulton and coaches volleyball.

A 151-year-old comprehensive college, SUNY Oswego enrolls about 8,000 students in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; School of Business; School of Communication, Media and the Arts; and School of Education. U.S. News Media Group counts SUNY Oswego among the top public regional universities in the North for 2013, and the Princeton Review includes Oswego in its 2013 college guidebook "The Best Northeastern Colleges," as well as its 2013 list of "best value" colleges and universities nationally.

PHOTO CAPTION: Donna Clark-Gayne, right, accepts her Oswego State Athletic Hall of Fame plaque from SUNY Oswego interim Athletics Director Cora Brumley Oct. 27. An Oswego alumna, Clark-Gayne set numerous records while playing women's soccer for the college.

PHOTO CAPTION: JIM RUSSELL/SUNY OSWEGO

(Contact: Shane M. Liebler, SUNY Oswego Alumni Association, 315-312-3120, shane.liebler@oswego.edu)