Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Announce Hall Of Fame Class Of 2002
May 21, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT - Six former Central Michigan University standouts will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame as the Class of 2002.
New members will be: Jeff Bender (1991), football; Mary Bottaro (1986), field hockey coach; Dave Grauzer (1978), basketball; Denny McNamara (1990), baseball; Gloria Neve (1964), all sports; and Pam Stanley (1992), softball.
They will be inducted at the Hall of Fame banquet on Friday, Nov. 15, at the Comfort Inn and then honored at the CMU-Ball State football game on Saturday, Nov. 16.
This year's class will join the 107 members previously inducted into the Hall of Fame. The first CMU Athletics Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1984. Plaques honoring all the inductees will be on display at the Dan Rose Center.
"We'll be inducting another outstanding class into our Hall of Fame," said Herb Deromedi, Central Michigan University athletics director. "They've all been fine representatives of Central Michigan and we're thrilled to have a class of this caliber.
"I coached Jeff Bender and watched Dave Grauzer, Denny McNamara and Pam Stanley play, and they were tremendous. Gloria Neve was an excellent athlete before CMU had intercollegiate athletics for women and has excelled in her field ever since and Mary Bottaro's record as head field hockey coach speaks for itself. They're excellent additions to our Hall of Fame."
To be eligible, the following must hold true for athletes: one becomes eligible 10 years after leaving school; one must earn two letters in one sport or one or more in two sports, or brought recognition to the school by his or her athletic endeavors; and an outstanding career as an athlete must be continued in the individual's profession or occupation.
For induction as faculty/staff: a person becomes eligible five years after leaving his or her coaching position or athletic-related administrative position.
Following are thumbnail sketches of each new inductee:
JEFF BENDER - One of the premier quarterbacks in Central Michigan history, Jeff guided four Chippewa teams to a 26-13-6 record and a Mid-American Conference championship in 1990. He was MAC "Freshman of the Year" in 1988 and the MAC's "Most Valuable Player" as well as its "Offensive Player of the Year" in 1990. The Newberry native was a first team Academic All-American in 1991 and was first team All-MAC in 1990. Jeff still holds Chippewa records for yards passing (6,528), passes attempted (960), passes completed (502), touchdowns thrown (38) and total offense (6,518). He is now an orthopedic surgeon and lives in nearby St. Louis.
MARY BOTTARO- Central Michigan's field hockey coach from 1976-85, Mary directed the Chippewas to a fifth-place finish in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national finals in 1976 and a seventh-place slot in 1977 AIAW championships. They were two of the highest finishes ever for a CMU team and the Chippewas' first national recognition for a women's program. Her 10 teams posted a record of 119-74-8 and captured a pair of state and regional championships. A native of Highland Park, Mary earned a bachelor's in 1951 and a master's in 1957 from Wayne State, and is a member of the Michigan Amateur Sports Hall of Fame. She gained international recognition as a field hockey umpire. Mary is retired and lives in the Mount Pleasant area, and remains a loyal supporter of CMU athletics, particularly softball where she is the video specialist.
DAVE GRAUZER- A versatile guard for the Central Michigan basketball team in the late 1970s, Dave played on a pair of MAC championship clubs in 1976-77 and 1978-79 that reached the NCAA and NIT tournaments, respectively. The Chippewas were 53-29 in his three years at CMU, and he still holds school records for steals in a season (63) and assists (196), and the career mark for free throw percentage (.829). He was an All-MAC first team selection and team captain in 1979 and was drafted in the 10th round by the Detroit Pistons. A native of St. Clair Shores who prepped at Lakeshore High, Dave spent his first year in college at the University of Detroit before transferring. He currently lives in St. Clair Shores and works at General Motors, and has been an assistant basketball coach at Warren DeLaSalle High.
DENNY McNAMARA- An outstanding outfielder for the Central Michigan University baseball team from 1987-90, Denny was a first team All-American and MAC "Player of the Year" in 1990. He was a first team All-MAC choice twice and once an academic All-MAC pick. Denny still ranks in 22 offensive categories. His 28-game hitting streak is No. 1 while he's sixth in career hits (194), fifth in homers (31), fifth in RBI (122), seventh in batting average (.375), second in slugging percentage (.652) and third in total bases (337). He is a product of Toledo, Ohio, where he prepped at St. Francis High, and currently lives in Orlando, Fla.
GLORIA NEVE - A superb multi-sport athlete who toiled for Central Michigan in the 1960s before women competed in varsity sports, Gloria played four years in field hockey and two each in basketball, softball and volleyball. She made the Michigan All-Star field hockey team in 1963 that played the touring German National team. Gloria, who earned a bachelor's degree in 1964 and a master's in 1969 from CMU, has worked as a professor at Eastern Michigan since 1969. She also served as softball and basketball coach at EMU. A native of Howard City, Gloria has served as the president of the Michigan Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation and lives in Ypsilanti.
PAM STANLEY- Quite possibly the finest softball player ever to don a Chippewa uniform, Pam earned All-American honors three times in the early 1990s. She was first team in 1991 and second team in '90 and '92, and was named MAC "Player of the Year" in 1991 and '92. She was a first team All-MAC selection four times, and she's still first in career runs (143), hits (255), batting average (.377) and stolen bases (112). Pam still holds season marks for runs (52), hits (80), batting average (.404) and stolen bases (46). A native of Brighton, she currently lives in Grand Rapids.