The Simon Brute Medal shall be presented as recognition of the highest honors conferred by the National Alumni Association of the University upon an alumnus/a who has distinguished themselves through:
Established in 1971 by the National Alumni Association, the Mount St. Mary's Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes annually former athletes who "have exhibited athletic prowess of an outstanding nature in an intercollegiate sport." The late Monsignor John L. Sheridan, former president and star athlete on basketball and football teams, has the distinction of being the first person elected to membership in the Hall of Fame. Since that auspicious beginning, the Hall of Fame has inducted other former basketball and football standouts, as well as representatives from the baseball, cross country, boxing, soccer, track, tennis, lacrosse, decathlon, field hockey, softball and golf teams. The inductees also include one other former president, the late Dr. John J. Dillon, Jr., and several coaches and individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletic program. Three teams have been enshrined, notably the 1962 NCAA College Division Basketball Champions.
To make a nomination for the Mount Athletic Hall of Fame, please complete the nomination form and submit it to the Office of Alumni Engagement.
Submit a Hall of fame Nomination
Mount Athletic Hall of Fame nomination form (.pdf) >
Primarily running in the dashes during her time in Emmitsburg, Israel ensured a spot in the record books up to the present day. For outdoor events, Israel held the school record in the 400-meter race for 29 years before Chalys Caruth edged her top time by four-hundredths of a second. On the outdoor circuit she also holds a tie for sixth place in the 100-meter and several spots in relay races. As for the indoor circuit, Israel also excelled in the 400-meter, continuing to hold down the second-best time in program history. That goes along with top 10 times for the 55 and 500-meter events.
Her efforts were not lost on the Northeast Conference, as she was a recipient of 10 All-NEC Honors throughout her career. Determined by finishes in championships, she earned a pair of first place finishes and eight runner-up marks. The wins came in the outdoor season—a 200-meter win in 1992 and a 400-meter win in 1993.
A four-year starter for the Mount in goal, DiBartolo minded the net for some Mount teams that reached historic heights. He earned spots on all-conference teams every year, taking First Team honors as a freshman, junior and senior. In his ultimate season, he guided the Mountaineers to the Northeast Conference title, garnering Tournament MVP honors alon gthe way.
When DiBartolo's career finished, he was the program's all-time leader in career saves with 726 and wins with 28, records that hold to this day. His totals regarding goals against average and save percentage are also in the top 10 for goalies all-time.
Turning the team's fourtunes around, his presence transformed a two-win team his freshman year into a 12-win finalist as a junior and a conference champion as a senior.
More recognitions came in the form of an Honorable Mention All-American honor and an appearance in the USILA North-South game.
After graduating, he joined Coach Gravante's staff as an assistant coach for a few seasons.
Competing for four seasons on the women's soccer team, Stevens burst onto the scene as a freshman with three goals and three assists. That proved to be just the beginning as she ended her career third in points scored and tied for fourth in goals. Today, Stevens remains seventh in the former category and eighth in the latter. Stevens also ranks in prominence for assists, standing in a four-way tie for 11th place with seven during her career.
The Northeast Conference took notice of her achievements as a junior and a senior, receiving First Team All-NEC honors in 2002 and 2003. That makes Stevens one of four players to have played for the Mount and taken more than one First Team honor. Her senior year was by far her most accomplished, logging a total of 19 points. That includes eight goals, still third-most in program history, with game winners against Delaware State and Wagner, and a pair of multi-goal efforts.
Merritt was a 1979 graduate of the Mount, running for legendary coach Jim Deegan. But his Hall of Fame credentials are largely based on his professional career as a coach in his own right.
Named the head women's track coach in 1988, he coached that team for 12 years up to 2000. Five years into his tenure, he tok on the role of coaching the men as well. Domination comes to mind when it came to championships for his teams, as an impressive 35% of them went on to win the conference title. Cross country featured the most victories with eight, followed closely by outdoor track with seven and indoor track with five. In 16 instances, Merritt was named Northeast Conference Coach of the Year.
Along with the outstanding teams came outstanding student-athletes, many of whom became All-Americans and All-NEC performers. One of those, Cliff Wong, went on to compete for his home nation of Guyana in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Merritt receives this honor posthumously, passing away in 2013.
A two-sport student-athlete, Molloy focused on soccer in the fall semester and lacrosse in the spring semester.
Arriving from Herndon, Virginia, she was recruited by Coach Wayne Sanchez to play soccer for the Mount and joined Coach Jenny Miller's lacrosse team—at the time an upstart program for the college. Molloy served as a mainstay starter for soccer, competing 70 times with 62 starts. The games played mark served as a school record for a few years. Teams she competed on played in the NEC Tournament five times—three for lacrosse and twice for soccer.
Her tenacity inspired many accolades, including serving as captain for both teams. She was MVP of the soccer team in 1999 and placed on the NEC's Academic Team in 2000. As Molloy wrapped up her career, she was the 2000 recipient of the John M. Kolon Memorial Award as the Most Outstanding Female Athlete and Scholar.
After graduation, Molloy volunteered as a youth coach and was recognized as a Top 40 under 40 for acumen in the American business community.
Reeder served as a valuable employee for Mount St. Mary's for 31 years, all the while serving as a promoter, booster and contributor for athletics. It began in 1990 when he was hired as the Director of Sports Information, a position he held for five years. Along the way, he assisted in the program's transition to a Division I institution, promoting the team as a "new" member of the Northeast Conference. He showcased the accolades of the three-time champion women's basketball team and their appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Moving to financial aid in 1995, Reeder served that department for more than 20 years, both as an assistant and a director. He continued to be involved in athletics, notably in the appointment of more than 15 coaches and administrators to that department over the years. Current Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications Mark Vandergrift, Head Men's Soccer Coach Bryan Cunningham and Head Water Polo Coach Alyssa Diacono were hired based on committee recommendations of which Reeder was a part. Another noteworthy item was his participation on athletic department reviews and a recommendation for the addition of women's swimming and an expansion of the track roster. The expansion resulted in a tripling of that roster size over a 15-year period.
Retiring in 2021 from full-time service, Reeder continues to have an impact, including his service as the public address announcer for women's basketball games.
The Academic Circle of Excellence recognizes distinguished Mount alumni who are leaders in their communities or in their chosen profession, have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from the university at least 10 years ago, have actively supported the Mount since graduation (as a guest speaker or lecturer, committee member, donor) and who are ethical leaders who are inspired by a passion for learning and lead lives of significance in service to God and others.
Alison Banziger is CEO and Founder of xScion. Since 2002, she has led the growth and evolution of the company to become the most trusted technology solutions firm that business leaders turn to for Agile Transformation, Data Services, and Enterprise Automation. Alison leads with a true passion for quality and doing business the right way from the start. Whether it be overseeing a multi-million dollar client engagement, an operational challenge or managing and mentoring internal talent, her focus is always placed on inspiring others to think outside of the box so they can move the needle forward together. As a result, xScion has been named a Best Place to Work in Virginia for five straight years - 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 - and supported some of the largest brands in the healthcare, financial service and non-profit sectors.
Prior to starting xScion, Alison served in various talent leadership roles for IT consulting companies and software solutions firms in the Washington, DC area. While Alison always had an entrepreneurial nature, it was her experience working for a forward-thinking DOT.com solutions technology firm in the late '90s that inspired her to pursue something on her own. The things she learned daily from their leadership, her colleagues and truly vibrant company culture are what she aims to practice and exemplify at xScion. Even back in 1999, their formula for success appeared easy - only pursue business opportunities that are the most complex, challenging and use leading-edge technologies; hire the best problem solvers who 100% believe in your company vision; treat everyone as you want to be treated; recruit and empower brilliant leaders who know way more than you do; and always deliver exceptional value to your clients by aiming for a 100% on-time, on-budget and honest track record. The amazing professional and personal friendships formed during this four-year span remain unchanged, and it is her hope that the xScion team will look back one day and feel the same way about their time spent here.
Alison holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount St. Mary's University where she studied Business and Finance, and Sociology. She currently serves as an Advisory Board Member to the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business for the mount. Alison plays an active role in the Advisory Council with STEM for Her and is an avid supporter of their many programs that foster enthusiasm and empower girls and young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Alison is a member of the Women Presidents Educational Organization's DC Chapter.
Kristy Galante is a Senior Director in the Immunology Development, Innovation, and Excellence Management Group - Leader, (DIEM-L) for Janssen.
Kristy has worked for two decades with Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) moving steadily through the leadership ranks. Early in her career, Kristy supported multiple programs in Portfolio Delivery Operations. Following this, as part of their Global Development Group, Kristy had a role in the Project Management Organization (PMO) of the Strategic Partnerships group where she created a team to establish a supplier focused framework for delivery, metric evaluation, innovation and implementation.
Most recently, Kristy held a pivotal role on the J&J COVID Vaccine Program as Implementation Leader where she focused on complex logistics, innovation and media communication to help support the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial in conjunction with Operation Warp Speed. Her colleagues note that her ability to think outside the box and bring innovation to reality in accelerated fashion brought tremendous value to the COVID Vaccine Program.
In her current role as a senior director and group leader, Kristy leads the Immunology Operations Group with a focus on timely delivery, active risk identification, risk mitigation, and oversight. She also works with other Janssen research and development leaders to set strategic operational direction, define Immunology operational priorities, and manage efforts to improve operational efficiency.
Kristy has a B.S. degree in Biochemistry from Mount St. Mary's and an MS in Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs from Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, PA. She is married to Mike Galante, also a Mount alum, C'00, (B.S. in accounting and M.B.A.) and former Mount Rugby player. Kristy and Mike have 3 children - Dominic 15, Vincent 14, and Rocco 12. Kristy is an avid world traveler, and currently spends most of her free time watching kids sports.
Dr. Ashley DeCruise graduated from Mount St. Mary's University in 2011, earning a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.
Determined to further her educational experience, Dr. DeCruise completed a Master's Degree in Special Education from Seton Hill University in 2013. She then began her teaching career with the Prince George's County Public School System (PGCPS). During her six-year tenure with PGCPS, Dr. DeCruise taught self-contained classes for students in grades 3 and 4 that were categorized with an Emotional Disability (ED). Additionally, Dr. DeCruise completed her dissertation on the successful reintegration of ED students in the mainstream environment and, in 2017, completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
Prior to her transition from PGCPS, Dr. DeCruise assumed several leadership roles including, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Chair, Transition Administrative Designee, and School Management Team Chair. In 2019, Dr. DeCruise transferred to Monument Academy as a Special Education coach. Later that year she was promoted to Director of Academics, which allowed Dr. DeCruise to infuse research-based practices with fidelity in all classrooms. Currently Dr. DeCruise serves as the Principal of Monument Academy. During her tenure, the Academy scored in the top quartile of DC Charter schools in 14 out of 15 domains and ranked in the 95% Percentile among DC Charters for Instructional Culture Index. Under Dr. DeCruise's leadership, the Academy demonstrated the highest student growth from winter to summer for the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment among all DC Charter Schools during the 2021 administration.
Father Ricardo Hernandez was born in 1965 and raised in Veracruz, Mexico.
He entered the College seminary in Mexico City and completed his philosophical studies receiving a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the Pontifical University of Mexico.
After arriving in the United States in 1995, he studied English as a Second Language at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. He received his final years of priestly formation at Mount St. Mary's Seminary where he earned his Master of Divinity.
Father Ricardo was ordained to the Priesthood by Bishop Doran on May 20, 2000, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Rockford, Illinois.
His assignments have included Parochial Vicar for Saint James Parish, Belvidere and then appointment Parochial Administrator of St. James; Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of Rockford; Parochial Vicar for St. Mary's Parish, Sterling; Parochial Vicar for St. Margaret Mary Parish, Algonquin; Parochial Vicar for St. Peter Parish, South Beloit; Parochial Administrator at SS Peter and Paul Parish, Rockford; Parochial Administrator for St. Patrick Parish, Rockford then later appointed Pastor of St. Patrick; Pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Aurora, IL.
On July 19, 2013, Father Ricardo became an American Citizen.
Currently, Father Ricardo is the Parochial Vicar at Saint Bernadette Church in Rockford, Illinois.
With the onset of COVID-19, Father Ricardo has served his diocese with incredible zeal and courage that has earned him the title of "COVID Priest" for the city of Rockford. At the beginning of the pandemic, Father Ricardo volunteered to minister to COVID-19 patients and strugged to gain the permission from the hospitals to visit those patients who asked for a priest. As the "COVID priest," he anointed many patients who were ill and dying in isolation in various hospitals of the city. He was able to assure that priests who were susceptible to serious side-effects of the virus did not have to take such a risk and yet their Catholic parishioners could receive the sacraments and comfort from a priest. He has shown fortitude and selfless love in service to God and neighbor. Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, Father Hernandez was often the only line of contact these patients had with their heartbroken family members who could not be in the room due to fear of contagion. For this reason, Father Hernandez has earned the respect and admiration of this brother priests and is a shining example to our seminarians and to the Mount community as a whole.
Like her father, George Gelles (C'64), Christine won the Flanagan Award, the Mount's top student honor, when she graduated. She then served the U.S. Department of Energy for over twenty-five years, first in the DOE's budget office and then in its Office of Environmental Management (OEM), whose focus in protecting, removing, and safely containing nuclear waste. Over the course of seventeen years, Christine assumed a variety of leadership roles in the OEM, fashioning contractual, technological, logistical, and managerial solutions to problems caused by sever environmental damage, even in instances when legal and regulatory systems had not kept pace with emerging needs. Her risk-informed strategies achieved environmental remediation, accelerated facility decommissioning, and optimized radioactive waste management. A visible spokesperson for the DOE, she hosted conferences and public meetings, partnered with state and local governments, and listened to concerned citizens. She has testified before Congress and briefed its members, staff and other senior government officials.
Christine's career with the Department of Energy was distinguished by steady advancement, collaborative leadership, and creative solutions, but two particularly exciting assignments booked her federal career. The first occurred in 1999-2002, when she joined a team tasked with cleaning up the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology site, which once developed nuclear weapons and is close to the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area. The second came in 2015, when she was called to stand up a field office at New Mexico's Los Alamos National Lab because a container had breached, shuttering a critical disposal site, impacting federal programs across the country, and raising legal issues with the state of New Mexico. In both cases, Christine and her team reviewed and revised policies, procedures and programs and then implemented major remediation projects that made the environment more safe.
In 2016, Christine joined Longenecker & Associates, a firm that undertakes projects similar to those she led within the Department of Energy and often subcontracts work with that agency as well as the National Nuclear Security Administration. In her current role as Senior Vice President for Operations, she has more than doubled the size of the company's portfolio and often travels to Europe, where she shares the better-resourced technologies and solutions she helped to develop with countries less experienced in those areas.
Christine has received numerous awards from the Department of Energy and serves on a variety of boards and commissions. She participates in domestic and international interagency efforts, has chaired the International Atomic Energy Agency's PRISM and CIDEr projects and serves as Senior Advisor to the Environmental Remediation Network (ENVIRONET). At the Mount, she has staffed numerous career panels and has served on the College of Liberal Arts Advisory Board since 2014. Her daughter, Kayleigh (C'09), is also a proud Mount graduate.
The purpose of this award is to recognize a young alumnus/a, who, through hard work, perseverance and education have reached a high level of achievement in their chosen professions. The award also honors graduates who have brought honor and distinction to their Alma Mater by their success, interest and support of the Mount through the National Alumni Association. This award is to be presented at the Hall of Fame Brunch during Winter Homecoming.
Submit a young alumni Nomination
Established in 1999, this award, named in honor and memory of the Most Reverend James E. Walsh, Prep Class of 1906 and College Class of 1910, is presented by the National Alumni Association to an alumnus/a who has rendered outstanding service to Mount St. Mary's University and Seminary and his/her community. It is the intent of the association that the award is presented in conjunction with a chapter or regional alumni event.
Cape Fear Chapter Kickoff, North Carolina -- April 27, 2019
Philadelphia Chapter's Boathouse Row Event - November 17, 2018
Mount St. Mary’s University 2017
Connecticut Chapter Golf Reception - July 9, 2013
New York Chapter Reception - January 12, 2013
Philadelphia Chapter Reception - May 22, 2010
Connecticut Alumni Chapter Loyalty Luncheon - November 8, 2008
Delaware Alumni Chapter Reception - October 12, 2005
Philadelphia Chapter Reception - November 11, 2004
New York Chapter Reception - October 30, 2003
Boston Chapter Fall Reception - October 8, 2002
Washington Chapter Reception - March 15, 2001
Alumni Reunion Weekend - June 1, 2001
Northern California Chapter Dinner - February 18, 2000
Boston Chapter Reception - November 10, 1999
Presented annually by the National Alumni Association at the Seminary Alumni Reunion Dinner to a Mountaineer priest for outstanding service to the Mission of the Church.
Rev. Michael S. Vona, S'68 — Diocese of Trenton
The Pride of the Mount Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Mount St. Mary's over the years through personal generosity of their resources, time and talent. Awardees represent the very best of American philanthropy and embody the very spirit of the Mount.