On Saturday, October 20, Hunter College celebrated the Silver Anniversary of the Athletic Hall of Fame with a ceremony that included the induction of four new members into the Hall and honored the achievements of over 100 years of excellence in athletics.
The Induction Class of 2007 includes
Vera Chuma-Bitcon, ’82, an All-American runner, wrestling standout
Richard Colbert, ’88, five-time All-American and two-time National Champion in track and field,
Nigel Franklyn, ’99 and all-time leading softball pitcher,
Dawn Gugliaro, ’96.
The Hunter College Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 1982 by then Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Brown as a way to honor the achievements of those who have put in years of hard work and dedication while representing Hunter Athletics over the past 100 years. Since 1982, 23 classes consisting of 97 men and women and one team have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Vera Chuma-Bitcon, ‘82
Chuma-Bitcon was a four-year member of the cross country and track and field teams, where she sustained a successful career including being named an All-American in 1982 as part of the Hawks 4x400 relay team. Excelling in the 800 meters, Chuma-Bitcon placed fourth at the New York State Championships in 1982 and later that year placed in the top ten at the NCAA Championships. She was also multiple team awards and was the Hunter College Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1982.
Richard Colbert ‘88
Colbert stands out as one of the top wrestlers at the 150 lbs. weight class in Hunter history. In his senior year, Colbert won the Metropolitan Conference championship, competing against athletes from all three NCAA Divisions. He would finish his senior season with a 36-6 overall record and went 19-1 in dual meets. As a junior, Colbert went undefeated in dual meets with a record of 12-0. He finished his career holding seven Hunter records and also logged two Northeast Division III Regional Championship appearances and one NCAA Division III Championship appearance.
Nigel Franklyn ‘99
Franklyn completed his four-year career as one of the most versatile and accomplished student-athletes in Hunter Track and Field history. A five-time NCAA All-American, Franklyn swept the 1997 NCAA indoor and outdoor track and field championships, bringing home the national title in the triple jump. He was a five-time Most Valuable Performer at the CUNYAC championships and helped lead the Hawks to four indoor and three outdoor titles. He currently holds 11 indoor/outdoor combined Hunter College records and five indoor/outdoor combined CUNYAC records. In addition, Franklyn was a four-year member of the men’s soccer program and was also the 1999 CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Dawn Gugliaro ‘96
Gugliaro finished her four-year career as the winningest softball pitcher in Hunter College history with 40 victories. Her talents on the mound helped guide the Hawks to two straight CUNYAC Championship titles in 1993 and 1994. To this day, Gugliaro holds a majority of Hunter’s pitching records including career games pitched, career innings pitched, career complete games, career shutouts, career victories and career strikeouts. In addition, Gugliaro was named a two-time CUNYAC Player of the Year and three-time CUNYAC Pitcher of the Year.
