PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation recently announced the Plattsburgh State Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Comprising the Hall of Fame’s 38th induction class are Teal Gove (‘13, women’s ice hockey), Mike Heymann (‘11 men’s cross country/track and field), Kyle Norchi (‘12 men’s lacrosse), Don Verkey (‘73 men’s basketball) and Karen (Wiley) Waterbury (‘87 women’s soccer head coach emerita).
The annual induction ceremony and dinner will be hosted on Friday, Oct. 13, in the Memorial Hall gymnasium on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, with a cocktail reception planned for 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Hall lobby before the induction dinner and ceremony at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium. Seats for this year’s event are $30 per person ($15 for children under the age of 12), and those interested in attending the ceremonies should register by Oct. 10 at http://alumni.plattsburgh.edu/HallofFame. Registration will become available on Aug. 18.
Teal Gove
One of the best combinations of a student and athlete in the history of Plattsburgh State Athletics, Teal Gove helped continue a tradition of success within the program during her tenure wearing a Cardinal jersey. The 2012-13 CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-American of the Year and the 2012-13 Laura Hurd Award winner, Gove was a two-time AHCA First-Team All-America selection and a two-time ECAC West Player of the Year in addition to being named the national Player of the Year by D3hockey.com and the New York Hockey Journal in 2012-13. The Berwick, Ontario, native was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America selection, helped Plattsburgh State win an ECAC West championship in 2012-13 and was named the Plattsburgh State Female Athlete of the Year in 2012-13 as well.
Mike Heymann
When the dust settled at the end of his career, Mike Heymann became the most decorated athlete in the history of the Plattsburgh State cross country and track and field programs. He is one of just 85 runners in the history of Division III cross country to earn three All-America honors, with his top finish of fifth coming during his senior year at the 2010 NCAA Championships. On the track, he was a four-time All-American, with two honors coming from the indoor national championships and two coming from the outdoor national championships. The Tully, N.Y., native was named to the SUNYAC All-Decade Team in both cross country and track and field in addition to being selected as the Plattsburgh State Male Athlete of the Year and the Plattsburgh State Senior Achievement Award winner in 2010-11.
Kyle Norchi
The story of the Plattsburgh State men’s lacrosse program’s history could not be told without mentioning Kyle Norchi, who remains the program’s career record holder in points (282) and goals (198). Norchi earned the Cardinals’ first-ever USILA All-America honor in 2011 and participated in the USILA All-Star Game that same season. The Hauppauge, N.Y., native earned All-SUNYAC honors each of his four years in a Cardinal uniform and was the first non-goalie to garner First-Team All-SUNYAC recognition in program history. His eight goals scored against Williams College on April 20, 2010, stand as the second most in a single game in program history, and he ranked among the national leaders in goals per game in 2009 (sixth, 3.29), 2010 (eighth, 3.12) and 2011 (11th, 3.19) and points per game in 2010 (eighth, 4.76).
Don Verkey
Don Verkey competed as a standout player on the Cardinals’ men’s basketball team in the early 1970s, and during his senior season in 1972-73, he served as team captain. He was a First-Team All-SUNYAC honoree in 1972-73 after earning Second-Team All-SUNYAC recognition in 1971-72, and he helped lead Plattsburgh State to an NAIA Tournament bid during his senior year. The Seneca Falls, N.Y., native holds all three of the program’s steals records with 296 for his career, 183 in a single season (1971-72) and 15 in a single game (1972). Verkey also ranks 10th in the program’s career record book in blocked shots with 78.
Karen Waterbury
For 23 years, Plattsburgh State women’s soccer was a consistent competitor in the SUNYAC under the leadership of head coach Karen (Wiley) Waterbury, who has the second-most wins in the history of SUNYAC women’s soccer. Waterbury fashioned a 278-151-32 record during her time leading the program and guided Plattsburgh State to SUNYAC and ECAC titles in 1998 in addition to an NYSWCAA championship in 1996. She also led the Cardinals to three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and currently ranks 50th all-time among Division III women’s soccer coaches in career victories, which includes her 1989 campaign at SUNY Potsdam. In addition, Waterbury was a former women’s soccer student-athlete with the Cardinals, earning All-SUNYAC recognition in 1986.