SUNY Delhi Inducts Athletic Hall of Fame Class

DELHI, NY (05/21/2010)(readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi will induct four members into its Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday, June 5, at 3 p.m. in the Clark Field House as part of the college's "Alumni Weekend" celebration. Inductees include Delhi's first Athletic Director Robert S. Brown, Edward Coates '60, Robert Hilfiger '79, and Ann Vitalo Welsh '82.

"This year's inductees embody what SUNY Delhi athletics represents: A great coach, stellar All-Americans, and a true team player and leader," said Athletic Director Robert Backus.

Robert S. Brown, a Delhi native and World War II veteran, devoted 25 years of his life to building and improving the physical education program at Delhi during a time of rapid growth and change. He was appointed in 1951, holding bachelor's and master's degrees in Health and Physical Education from Ithaca College. He later completed a master's degree in Counseling from SUNY Cortland. During his tenure at Delhi, Brown served as the college's first athletic director, having previously established a record of leadership by serving as a teacher, counselor and coach of Baseball, Cross Country and Basketball. Under his leadership, the 1955 Cross Country Team placed third in the Junior College AA Regional Tournament. Brown also led the Men's Basketball Team to break numerous records during the 1958-1960 seasons, including the most wins and the fewest defeats since 1924 while compiling a 19-2 record. His team ranked ninth in the nation defensively. The campus and community mourned his untimely death in 1976, and in 1988, a new athletic field complex to benefit Delhi students and local residents was dedicated to Brown in honor of the numerous contributions he made to his campus, community and country.

Edward Coates was the leading JUCO scorer in the Eastern United States and sixth in the nation in 1960 with a scoring average of 26.9 points per game. From 1958-1960, he led the Broncos in scoring with 1,047 points in 48 games, set a new record for points in one season with 633 points, broke the record for points in one game with 47 points, and led his team in free-throw accuracy, making 121 out of 154 tries. The Broncos won 19 out of 21 games in the 1959-1960 season, topping the prior season's record of 17 to 4. Coates made the All-Tournament Region XV Team two years in a row, earning the title of leading scorer both years and garnering the Sportsmanship Award in 1959. His senior year, Coates became Captain of the Basketball Team and was inducted into the Green Key Honor Society for high scholastic achievement with a 3.5 GPA. Coates graduated from Delhi with an associate's degree in Food Technology and went on to Middle Tennessee State where he obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in Physical Education and Biology. In 2001, Coates played on a seniors 55 to 60 basketball team that was named "Tennessee State Champs," winning a gold medal and qualifying for the national tournament.

Robert Hilfiger became Coach Frank Millard's first two-time NJCAA All American Wrestler in 1978 and 1979. He is the record holder for the most wins at the NJCAA National Wrestling Tournament, a mark that still stands today. He also set a record for the most superior decisions at the nationals. Hilfiger was selected to the Region III All-Decade Wrestling Team for the 142-pound weight class and earned a place in the Region III Wrestling Hall of Fame. SUNY Delhi named him Athlete of the Year in 1979. Hilfiger went on to Appalachian State University and became a two-time Southern Conference Champion. He was Appalachian State's outstanding wrestler both years he competed. Hilfiger will always be remembered as a slick takedown-to-pin artist.

Ann Vitalo Welsh started running in 10th grade and went on to excel at SUNY Delhi in Cross Country and Track and Field. She was the second female athlete in Delhi history to win All-American titles and was also All-Region in Cross Country for the 3,000 and 5,000 meter in both 1981 and 1982. She also earned the distinction of Academic All-American in Cross Country. Vitalo Welsh was the Empire District State Track Champion for Region III and XV in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter and earned the Outstanding Female Performer award at the national championships. At the nationals in 1981, she established two college track records and her time of 17:58.1 in the 5,000 meter remains a school record today. She placed second at the State Cross Country Championships held at Sunken Meadow her senior year. Vitalo Welsh was named Delhi's Female Athlete of the Year, also winning the Coach's Award for Cross Country and Track. Her coach, Robert Castellanos, credits Vitalo Welsh for her instrumental role in building the Women's Cross Country and Track programs at SUNY Delhi. Her success earned her an athletic scholarship to attend Indiana State University.

For more information about athletics at SUNY Delhi, contact the SUNY Delhi Athletics Department at (607) 746-4677 or visit the web at www.delhi.edu.