The Allegheny College Department of Athletics is proud to announce the eight individuals who will be recognized as members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
This year’s group will be the 45th class inducted into the Hall of Fame and consists of seven former student-athletes across six sports and the inaugural recipient of the Victor “Vic” P. Kress ’60 Meritorious Service Award. The Allegheny Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes:
- Bill Andrews ’01, Football
- Patrick Cole ’14, Men’s Tennis
- Kira Kliment ’11, Women’s Soccer
- Ron Levea ’72, Baseball
- Jensen Paterson Pincus ’11, Women’s Lacrosse
- Fran Riordan ’97, Baseball
- Bill Watson ’86, Men’s Swimming and Diving
- Ed Mailliard, Vic Kress Award
This year’s ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 16, in Schultz Banquet Hall. Inductees will also be recognized at the home football game against Washington & Jefferson College on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Robertson Athletic Complex. More information regarding the formal induction, including ticket availability for the public, will be released later this summer.
Bill Andrews ’01, Football
A cornerstone of Allegheny’s offensive line during a successful stretch in the late 1990s and into the 21st century, Bill Andrews ’01 was a three-year starter at center and a member of the 1997 NCAC championship team. He was a three-time All-NCAC selection, earning first-team nods en route to All-America honors as a junior and senior. Andrews anchored one of the top rushing offenses in all of Division III, ranking 10th nationally in 1999 and fifth in the fall of 2000. During his senior campaign, the Gators averaged more than 288 yards per game on the ground and were eighth in total offense with nearly 480 yards per game behind Gagliardi Trophy finalist Shane Ream ’02, a Class of 2012 Hall of Fame inductee. The Ridgeley, West Virginia, native earned a spot on the Football Gazette All-America Third Team in 1999, before being promoted to the first team by both Football Gazette and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) the following year. A chemistry major, Andrews also received Academic All-America honors.
Patrick Cole ’14, Men’s Tennis
Arguably the greatest tennis player in Allegheny history, Patrick Cole ’14 is the first men’s tennis student-athlete from the program’s modern era to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. During his four years with the Blue and Gold, Cole set numerous records and garnered multiple awards while playing in the ultra-competitive NCAC. A seven-time All-NCAC honoree, he was named to the All-NCAC First Team for singles in each of his four seasons. Cole quickly ascended to the top of the lineup as a freshman never losing more than four matches in a season playing out of the No. 1 spot, and was named the 2010-11 NCAC Newcomer of the Year. He earned regional rankings in each of his last three seasons, reaching as high as No. 10 in both singles and doubles. As a junior, the Livonia, Michigan, native won the Central Region’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. During his senior year, he was crowned Allegheny’s NCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Cole graduated with — and still holds — team records for the most career singles victories (83) and combined victories (161).
Kira Kliment ’11, Women’s Soccer
Former team captain Kira Kliment ’11 was the heart of an impenetrable Allegheny defense. In three seasons with Kliment as a starting center back, the Gators surrendered only 31 goals in 59 games with a combined 38 shutouts. The Gators were also regularly featured in the national rankings during Kliment’s junior and senior seasons, reaching as high as No. 16 in the country. In 2010, the AC defense opened with 10 consecutive shutouts, and after reaching the NCAC championship game, the Gators received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championships. As a senior, Kliment received a bevy of awards after leading the Blue and Gold to a share of the NCAC regular-season crown. The Gators tied team records for fewest goals surrendered (8) and most shutouts (14) while going 6-0-1 with zero goals allowed on their home pitch. For her effort guiding a defensive unit that ranked eighth nationally in goals-against average (.400), Kliment was voted the NCAC’s Defensive Player of the Year and garnered All-Region First Team and All-America Second Team honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Roebling, New Jersey, native was also recognized for her academic achievement as an NSCAA Scholar All-American. Kliment was further cemented into Allegheny history as one of the top women’s soccer players in program history after being named the College’s 2011-12 Female Senior Achievement Award winner.
Ron Levea ’72, Baseball
Widely regarded by his peers as one of the best defensive catchers in Allegheny baseball history, Ron Levea ’72 was a field general who played an invaluable role on four PAC championship teams. More than just a standout behind the plate, Levea served as the team’s de facto pitching coach. His batterymates credit him with helping refine pitching mechanics, and his tremendous baseball IQ helped cultivate one of the top staffs in the PAC. Twice during Levea’s tenure, the Gators posted the lowest earned-run average in the conference, with a 1.83 ERA against PAC foes in 1970 and a 1.40 ERA in 1972. Levea caught all but five innings as a freshman and every inning the team played 1970 and 1971, before splitting time at first base during his senior season. Known primarily for his defensive abilities, Levea batted a career-high .316 as a junior and was second on the team with 19 RBIs over a 16-game schedule. Across four winning seasons, the Gators were 37-16 against conference opponents and won the league title outright three times. Levea, originally from Kenmore, New York, was recognized as an All-PAC First Team selection at catcher in 1970, 1971, and 1972.
Jensen Paterson Pincus ’11, Women’s Lacrosse
The only All-American in the history of the women’s lacrosse program, Jensen Paterson Pincus ’11, takes her rightful place in the Hall of Fame. By the time she graduated in the spring of 2011, she had set nearly every offensive record, many of which remain standing 15 years later. As a senior, Pincus was voted the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-West Region First Team and All-America Third Team after posting an incredible 112 points (74g-38a) in 18 games. She set both team and NCAC records for points in a season while ranking fourth in the country in points per game (6.22) and seventh in total points. In a 21-3 win over Medaille College on March 15, 2011, she established single-game records for points (12) and assists (9) that have since been tied but never broken. She also had an eight-goal performance in a dramatic 12-11 overtime win over Wittenberg University in the regular-season finale, which secured Allegheny’s berth in the NCAC Tournament while setting a then-record for wins in a season with 12. Over her four-year tenure with the Gators, Pincus set another record and currently ranks second all-time with 301 career points. The Atlanta, Georgia, native was elected to the All-NCAC First Team in each of her four seasons and was chosen as the College’s 2010-11 Female Senior Achievement Award winner and Athlete of the Year.
Fran Riordan ’97, Baseball
Former Gator slugger Fran Riordan ’97 boasts an impressive resume that not only includes multiple accolades as a student-athlete but also as an award-winning manager at the professional level. Originally from Clarence, New York, Riordan blossomed into one of the best hitters in program history in his three seasons as a starting first baseman. He graduated as Allegheny’s all-time leader in hits (184) and home runs (32), and over the last three decades, no one has come close to his single-season record of 83 hits. Riordan hit at a blistering .441 clip with 10 home runs in 1997, leading the Gators to an NCAC championship and a record-setting 40 wins while earning all-region accolades for a second consecutive spring. After leaving Tool City, Riordan played professionally on the independent circuit for seven years before becoming a full-time manager. He’s the all-time winningest manager in Frontier League history, a member of the league’s inaugural Hall of Fame Class, and the honorary namesake of the Frontier League’s annual citizenship award. Since 2015, Riordan has coached affiliated minor league baseball, mentoring some of the top organizational prospects for the Athletics. In 2025, he won his third Pacific League Manager of the Year award after guiding Triple-A Las Vegas to its first league championship since 1988. The 2026 season marks his 25th as a manager in the pros.
Bill Watson ’86, Men’s Swimming & Diving
Bill Watson ’86 was a four-year member of the men’s swimming and diving team during a remarkable era that included two PAC championships and three top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships. During the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons — Allegheny’s final two in the PAC before joining the NCAC — Watson helped the Gators dominate conference competition en route to back-to-back titles and an undefeated dual-meet schedule as a sophomore. As a freshman, the Shaker Heights, Ohio, native was part of a 400-yard freestyle relay team that captured a PAC championship in 3:12.4, setting both school and conference records. The following year, he swept the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes with a pair of gold-medal performances. Watson qualified for nationals all four years and earned seven All-America awards. A backstroke specialist, he collected five of those accolades in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke races. His best individual finishes on the national stage came in 1983, when he placed eighth in the 200-yard backstroke and 10th in the 100-yard race. His 200-yard time of 1:57.06 still ranks 10th in program history more than four decades later. Watson also contributed to Allegheny’s relay success, helping the 400-yard medley relay team earn All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in 1985 and an eighth-place showing in 1986.
Ed Mailliard, Vic Kress Award
Ed Mailliard was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Victor “Vic” P. Kress ’60 Meritorious Service Award, which honors alumni and community members who have made significant contributions to Allegheny’s athletic excellence through achievement, leadership, service, and support. For decades, Mailliard’s lens has captured defining moments in Allegheny athletics, producing images that have become lasting centerpieces of the College’s print and digital history. A Meadville native, he also provided extensive local and regional coverage of the Gators for more than 40 years as a sports writer and editor for The Meadville Tribune. When he first joined The Tribune in 1972, he volunteered time to assist the sports staff at The Campus and regularly contributed sports articles to the college newspaper. Already a member of both the PennWest Edinboro Athletics Hall of Fame and the MLB Cactus League Hall of Fame, Mailliard’s photography has appeared on thousands of Topps baseball and football cards since 1981. The College previously recognized him for his service and unwavering support of the Gators with the Friend of the Program Award (2012) and the Norm Sundstrom Friend of Athletics Award (2016).
