Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-- A limited amount of tickets are still available for the fifth annual Friends of Skidmore Athletics Benefit Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the College's Sports and Recreation Center.

The Friends of Skidmore Athletics annually recognize former student athletes, teams, and faculty and staff who have made a significant contribution to College's athletics program.

Featured speaker will be five-time Olympic speedskating team member Amy Peterson Peck. 

This year's Hall of Fame Inductees span four categories: student/athlete,  administrator/staff, special recognition, and team.   Student/athlete inductees are Carrie Bennett '99, women's swimming; Lacey French '01, field hockey; Brian McCawley '02, men's lacrosse; Andrew Simon '02, men's soccer.

Beverly Becker, professor emerita of physical education,  is the administrator/staff inductee.  Receiving special recognition will be Joyce Benedict Ricker '69 and Jim Ricker.  The team award will be presented to the 1999 Equestrian team of Lindsey Phibbs '02, Charlotte Harwood, '01, Caroline McKenzie '02, Kelly Sullivan '02, Catherine Tai '01, and Jennifer Thomas '01.

The event will also feature a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the athletics program.

For more information on the benefit contact call the Skidmore Office of Alumni Affairs & College Events at (518) 580-5670.

Profiles
Carrie Bennett '99, Women's Swimming
Bennett rewrote the Skidmore record book during her career with six individual and four relay records.  She still holds Thoroughbred standards in the 50 and 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 200 free relay.  She won the 1997 NYSWCAA 100 butterfly and represented Skidmore in the 1997 NCAA Division III Championships.  The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake graduate also broke pool records at SUNY Oswego and SUNY Plattsburgh.

Lacey French '01, Field Hockey
A three-time All-America selection, Lacey French was  instrumental in moving the Skidmore field hockey program to the national stage.  She led the Thoroughbreds to NCAA tournaments in 1998 and 1999. The 1999 team finished 18-2 and won the program's first  league championship on the way to the NCAA Elite Eight.   That team became the first Division III team to score 100 goals in a season, outscoring opponents 103-27.  French is fifth on Skidmore's career scoring list with 45 goals and 30 assists for 120 points.  French is in her sixth season as head field hockey coach at Union College.

Brian McCawley '02, Men's Lacrosse
The two-time All-American midfielder led the Skidmore lacrosse team to the program's first ECAC playoff appearance and first NCAA III national ranking.  McCawley dominated face-offs, winning more than 60 percent over the course of his career.  He was the first Skidmore lacrosse All-American and was a three-time Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association All-Star and a three-time UCAA All-Academic selection.  He represented Skidmore in the 2002 North-South All-Star game and won the 2002 Skidmore Senior Athlete Award.

Andrew Simon '02, Men's Soccer
One of the most influential players in the history of Skidmore soccer, Simon is the program's all-time leading scorer with 48 goals and 17 assists for 113 points.  He also holds the season record for goals (15) and points (33).  Simon was a three-time team MVP and was the 1998 UCAA Rookie of the Year.  A three-time all-region selection, Simon also was a three-time UCAA All-Star.  He was the first Skidmore soccer player to earn Academic All-America honors, when he was a first-team honoree in 2001.

1999 Equestrian Team
The 1999 Skidmore Equestrian team won the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national championship.  It was the program's fifth national title in the decade for the Skidmore riders.  The team consisted of Lindsey Phibbs '02 (captain), Charlotte Harwood '01, Caroline McKenzie '02, Kelly Sullivan '02, Catherine Tai '01, and Jennifer Thomas '01.

Beverly Becker
Professor Emerita of Physical Education Beverly Becker is widely regarded as the quiet architect of Skidmore Athletics.  From her arrival on campus in 1959 as an instructor to 1968, when she became chair of the Department of Physical Education and Dance, Becker's dedication to excellence in athletics, scholarship, and pedagogy, as well as her unwavering devotion to students and colleagues, set a standard that continues to define the department today. Under Becker, opportunities for both male and female students flourished. She was responsible for hiring the exceptional faculty administrators and coaches Tim Brown and Jeffrey Segrave, laying the foundation for the establishment of a comprehensive, intercollegiate sports program. Becker steadfastly worked to fulfill her vision of a truly coeducational, interdisciplinary athletics curriculum.

Joyce and Jim Ricker
Jim Ricker (Hamilton '68) and Joyce Benedict Ricker '69 are arguably the “Most Valuable Parents” in the history of Skidmore Athletics.  Not only did they enthusiastically support sons Jason '91, Justin '96, and Evan '97 in their college athletics careers, the Rickers spearheaded a successful campaign to save men's hockey from budget cuts undertaken by the College in 2003.  Rallying hockey alumni and parents, they helped raise an unprecedented amount of financial support for athletics in just two months and graciously partnered with newly installed President Philip A. Glotzbach and other college administrators to revive the Friends of Skidmore Athletics initiative and significantly expand its scope.  FOSA engages alumni, parents, students, faculty, and staff in an effort to ensure the on-going robust health of all athletic programs and facilities.  As co-chairs of FOSA from its inception in 2003 to 2007, the Rickers helped promote the establishment of the Skidmore Athletics Hall of Fame (donated by Lee Peyser '81 and Cathy Peyser) in the Sports and Recreation Center, the Annual Friends of Skidmore Athletics Benefit and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and the Thoroughbred Cup Golf and Tennis Tournament.