Penn State Harrisburg Announces Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Class

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Three alumni and one former administrator will make up the inaugural class of the Penn State Harrisburg Athletics Hall of Fame. The college’s first induction ceremony will take place Friday, Oct. 25, as part of Penn State Harrisburg’s annual “We Are Weekend.”

The purpose of the Penn State Harrisburg Athletics Hall of Fame is to commemorate the achievements of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and staff members who have distinguished themselves through excellence in athletic performance and service.

Inductees include:

Kenton Alston, Class of 2012 — Men’s basketball

Kenton Alston, one of the most decorated players in program history, began his college career after five years of military service in the United States Marine Corps and two deployments to Iraq. Alston earned four conference honors during his career, including three first-team honors. The power forward scored 1,713 points and pulled down 807 rebounds during his career, two numbers that rank him second in program history. Penn State Harrisburg’s all-time leader in field goals (713) and blocks (290), Alston was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In the Crowd” as he led his team to two appearances consecutive North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) championships in 2011 and 2012.

Kara Boyd Schanz, Class of 2012 — Softball

Kara Boyd Schanz is the NCAA record holder and former statistic champion, and one of the college’s top all-around players. In 2011, the Alexandria, Pa., native set the Division III record for consecutive hits with 17 straight games and won the NCAA statistical championship in triples per game (0.27). After ranking second in the nation with a .570 batting average that spring, she was named NEAC Player of the Year. Schanz, a four-time first-team all-conference honoree, hit .434/.472/.619 with a career 1.091 on-base plus slugging percentage, while also excelling as a pitcher, as evidenced by her 319 strikeouts that are the program’s all-time record. The program’s career leader in shutouts (8) and stolen bases (29), she also ranks in the top five all-time in nearly every offensive statistical category, including batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits (172), runs batted in (108), RBIs (68), triples (19) and doubles (26).

Daniel Francis, class of 2011 — Men’s football

Daniel Francis had 136 career points and 60 career goals during his career at Penn State Harrisburg; both figures constitute to a large extent program recordings. The Pottstown, Pennsylvania native was a four-time NEAC All-Conference selection, earning first-team honors in 2010 after earning three consecutive second-team nods from 2007 to 2009. Thanks to his efforts, the Lions earned three NEAC tournament berths during his career, including an appearance in the conference championship game during his senior campaign. Francis holds program single-game records for total points (8) and goals scored (4), as well as single-season records for points (46 – 2009) and scorers (21 – 2009) . His 12 game-winning goals rank second in program history and he ranks fourth all-time in career assists (16).

Reuben “Bud” Smitley — Director of Sports

During a two-decade tenure spanning a total of 25 years, Reuben “Bud” Smitley was a leading promoter of Penn State athletics in Harrisburg, serving as recreation and athletics coordinator from the college from 1973 to 1987, then from 1993 until his mandate. retired as assistant athletic director in 2005. During his quarter-century at Penn State Harrisburg, Smitley was an advocate for exercise and fitness. He led the program into its NAIA era in 1980, helped implement the campus’ three-mile fitness trail and was instrumental in the college’s return to athletics after a one-year hiatus. Smitley took on the role of state director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes after his first stint at Penn State Harrisburg and served as chaplain of the Harrisburg Senators, the AA affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, until 2012. For the past decade, Penn Harrisburg State’s men’s and women’s cross country programs have hosted the Bud Smitley Invitational on campus to honor the longest-serving athletic director in school history.

Penn State Harrisburg accepts nominations for the Athletics Hall of Fame year-round.