SSC Hall of Fame Banquet to be Held June 17; Includes Two Spartans
ORLANDO, Fla. - In just under two weeks, the Sunshine State Conference will welcome the newest members of the SSC Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 17, at the Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration.
This year's SSC Hall of Fame and Honors Banquet is sponsored by S3 Design and includes a pair of University of Tampa alums in Elias Gonzales and Malana Winskas.
Seven individuals were selected earlier this year for induction to the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame.
The newest class of SSC Hall of Fame inductees is comprised of six former student-athletes and one former SSC administrator. Named to the Class of 2012-13 were: Nicolas Boisvert (Lynn baseball), Megan Brown (Florida Southern softball), Denyve Duncan Boyle (Saint Leo softball), Elias Gonzales (Tampa men's cross country), Emelie Karlsson (Barry women's soccer), Malana Winskas (Tampa women's soccer), and Gregg Kaye (former SSC associate commissioner).
Anyone wishing to purchase a ticket to the SSC Hall of Fame and Honors Banquet should contact Maryanne Simkulak at msimkulak@sunshinestateconference.com no later than 3 p.m. EST on Friday, June 7.
This year's inductees represent the 21st class to be selected to the SSC Hall of Fame. A total of 179 student-athletes, coaches, and administrators have previously been inducted into the hall since the inaugural class of 1991-92.
The Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 to honor those persons who have made outstanding contributions to the conference. Its purpose is to perpetuate the memory of those who brought distinction, honor, and excellence to the SSC.
A proud sponsor of this year's event, S3 Design Inc is a full service architecture firm that specializes in athletics and recreation for colleges and universities. S3's leadership believes that athletics, recreation and wellness are integral parts of society. School or team spirit, team participation, and healthier lifestyles are only a few ways that athletics and recreation touch our lives. S3 believes that these connections can be imperative to the development of individuals, and the places that house them can have a profound impact on an individual's life experience. Due to this belief, it is S3's mission to design athletic and recreational venues that promote a team atmosphere, build relationships through competition, and encourage all users to strive for a healthier lifestyle.
A summary of achievements of each member of the SSC Hall of Fame Class of 2012-13 appears below.
Nicolas Boisvert - Lynn Baseball (2006-07)
A consensus All-America selection in 2007, Boisvert was also named
the SSC Baseball Player of the Year and SSC Male Athlete of the
Year in 2007. That season, Boisvert was tabbed a first-team
All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA),
Daktronics, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association (NCBWA). He was the first player in Lynn baseball
history to garner first-team All-America honors from all three
groups. He is the only player in school history to post a batting
average over .400 twice in his career. Boisvert led the Fight
Knights to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. He was a
first-team All-SSC selection in 2007 and grabbed second-team
recognition in 2006. In addition to collecting first-team
all-region accolades from the ABCA, Daktronics, and NCBWA in 2007,
Boisvert was tabbed a second-team honoree by each organization in
2006. He was inducted into the Lynn University Athletics Hall of
Fame in 2012.
Megan Brown - Florida Southern Softball
(2004-07)
Brown is the only softball player in conference history to be named
SSC Pitcher of the Year three times. Earning that distinction in
2004, 2006, and 2007, she is also the only freshman to have won the
award. Brown was an All-SSC selection each of her four seasons at
FSC, earning first-team accolades three times. She was also a
three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)
All-America honoree, picking up first-team distinction twice.
Brown's name sits atop every Florida Southern career pitching
record. Among those marks is an FSC career-best 124 wins and 0.69
earned run average. During Brown's tenure in Lakeland, the
Moccasins posted three top-five finishes in the NCAA tournament,
including a runner-up showing in 2004. She was selected as a member
of the SSC's Silver Anniversary Softball Team. For all of her
accomplishments in the circle, Brown was equally impressive in the
classroom. She is one of only two female athletes to be selected
SSC Athlete and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the same campaign,
earning both of those awards in the 2006-07 academic year. A
four-time member of the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Brown was a
first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2006 and 2007. Upon
graduating from Southern, she was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate
Scholarship. She played professionally in the National Pro
Fastpitch Softball League and helped Rockford win the league title
in 2009.
Denyve Duncan Boyle - Saint Leo Softball
(2002-05)
Duncan began her career by being named SSC Freshman of the Year in
2002 and would conclude her tenure as a four-time All-SSC
performer. Duncan was a first-team selection in 2002 and 2004 and
garnered second-team all-conference honors in 2003 and 2005. She
was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American in
2002 and 2004. Duncan was also tabbed the SSC's Player of the Year
in 2004. She concluded her career as the Saint Leo career leader in
a number of statistical categories, including hits (269) and stolen
bases (87). Named to the SSC Silver Anniversary Softball Team, she
also ranks among the top five of the league's career leaders with
269 hits. Duncan's talents extended beyond the softball field, as
she was a four-time member of both the NFCA All-America Scholar
squad and the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Duncan was inducted
into the Saint Leo University Hall of Fame in 2011 and works in the
development office at her alma mater, where she also serves as a
volunteer assistant coach for the Lion softball squad.
Elias Gonzales - Tampa Men's Cross Country
(2002-03)
Gonzales is one of the most decorated runners in SSC cross country
history, earning distinction as the top male runner on the SSC's
Silver Anniversary Men's Cross Country Team. He remains the
Spartans' only men's cross country All-American, earning that honor
in 2003. Gonzales was selected as the SSC's Runner of the Year in
2002 and 2003 after finishing as the top runner at the conference
championship each of those seasons. He also qualified for the NCAA
Division II Championship each of those years. Gonzales still holds
UT's record for the fastest 10K time, which he set at the DII South
Region Championship in 2002. He also held the program's best marks
for the 5K and 8K distances when he finished his UT career. Since
his graduation, Gonzales has served as a U.S. Army Reserves
Captain, logging multiple tours of duty in the Middle East.
Emelie Karlsson - Barry Women's Soccer
(2003-07)
Karlsson is the only player in SSC women's soccer history to be
named Offensive Player of the Year all four years of her career. As
if that weren't impressive enough, she also garnered SSC Player of
the Year honors three times after starting her impressive career by
picking up Freshman of the Year accolades in 2002. Karlsson's name
is etched all over the SSC and Barry record books, as she holds
both conference and school career marks for goals (75), points
(199), and game-winning goals (25). She also ranks second in SSC
history with 49 career assists, owning the Buccaneer career record
with that mark. With Karlsson leading the way, Barry won four
consecutive SSC regular-season titles from 2002-05. She was a
two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)
All-America selection, earning second-team honors in 2002 and
third-team distinction in 2004. She was also a four-time NSCAA
All-South Region first-team honoree. Karlsson still ranks among the
top 20 in the NCAA Division II career records for points and
assists.
Gregg Kaye - Sunshine State Conference
(2001-07)
Kaye served in the SSC office for six years, beginning as an
assistant commissioner in August 2001 and being promoted to
associate commissioner in September 2005. During his time in the
Orlando-based office, he served under two commissioners. Kaye
solidified the SSC's presence on the World Wide Web by creating the
league's first independent website. He also managed all of the
SSC's other media relations efforts, including publications and
news releases. He coordinated the league's annual TV package with
Sun Sports while acting as the SSC office liaison for numerous SSC
Championship events over his six-year tenure. Kaye also oversaw
nearly all aspects of the league's officiating program, including
payment of all officials. He was active in the NCAA Division II
governance structure, serving as a member of the DII Baseball
Committee, where he acted as chair of the South Region. Kaye left
his post at the SSC to become the first full-time commissioner of
the NCAA Division III Commonwealth Coast Conference on June 4,
2007. He still serves in that capacity and is the national chair of
the DIII Baseball Committee. He also serves as a member of the DIII
Conference Commissioners Association Executive Committee.
Malana Winskas - Tampa Women's Soccer
(2003-07)
Winskas is the only four-time Defensive Player of the Year in SSC
women's soccer history. She is also the only Tampa women's soccer
player to earn All-SSC first-team honors each year of her career.
In 2006, Winskas capped her impressive tenure by being named a
first-team All-American by Daktronics. She received honorable
mention for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA) All-America team on three occasions and was a four-time
member of the NSCAA All-South Region Team, collecting first-team
accolades three times. In 2003 and 2004, Winskas was tabbed as the
South Region Defender of the Year by Daktronics. She continues to
be an active participant in the sport, coaching girls youth soccer
teams in the Tampa area.