2013 UB Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony Set For Saturday, June 15th

Bridgeport, Conn. – University of Bridgeport Director of Athletics Jay Moran has announced that three new members will be inducted into the University of Bridgeport Athletic Hall of Fame, and Richard Ellis will receive the second Fran Bacon Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching and Tommy Valuckas will be honored with the inaugural Purple Knights Shield of Merit on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

The members of the University of Bridgeport Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2013 are: Craig Pepin, who will be inducted posthumously (Men's Soccer, UB Class of 1972), Vito Savo (Baseball, UB Class of 1978) and Diahann Tabor (Women's Basketball, UB Class of 1993).

The 2013 University of Bridgeport Hall of Fame Class will be enshrined with the Fran Bacon Award for Lifetime in Coaching and the inaugural Purple Knight Shield of Merit will be awarded during a ceremony and dinner that will begin with a 6:00 p.m. reception in the Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. duPont Tower Room of UB's Arnold Bernhard Arts and Humanities Center on the University of Bridgeport campus. 

Hailing from nearby Bolton Connecticut, Craig Pepin backstopped the UB men's soccer team in net from 1969 to1972.  His ability to lead the defense and make key saves in important situations fueled his teams to success, especially in the 1972 season when the Purple Knights finished second in the New England College Division.  Pepin stands fourth all-time in career shutouts for a Bridgeport goalkeeper with 16.

After a standout high school career at Notre Dame in Bridgeport, local product Vito Savo came to the University of Bridgeport as a highly touted pitcher and did not disappoint while wearing a UB uniform.  As the Purple Knights ace on the mound from 1974-77, Savo led the Purple Knights with his dominating pitching style.  During his senior campaign in 1977, Vito was voted a New England Region All Star, as he ranked second in the region in earned run average.

A 6-1 post player from West Alexandria, Ohio, Diahann Tabor was one of the true bright spots on the University of Bridgeport women's basketball teams from 1989-1993.  A powerful plus cerebral player, Diahann ranks second all-time in career points scored (1,537) and career rebounds (800) plus according to then coach Harvey Herer would have been an All-American candidate with had the Purple Knights had more success as a team during her season season in which she scored an impressive 500 total points and brought down 236 boards.

The recipient of the second Fran Bacon Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching, a 1955 UB graduate, Richard Ellis served as captain of the swim team along with being a class president his freshman and junior years.  An accomplished swimmer to this day, Ellis holds numerous United States Masters Swimming records along with hundreds of Master Championship medals.  Ellis went on to coach for the New York Athletic Club swim team for 30 years; a tenure that included coaching several Olympic swimmers.

The Fran Bacon Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching honors the legacy of a man who worked on the sidelines as the head coach of the UB men's soccer program for 18 seasons from 1969 through 1986 when the team made 10 NCAA Championship appearances and also served as head baseball coach for the Purple Knights from the 1970 season through the 1987 campaign.

The inaugural Purple Knight Shield of Merit, which is given to a person or persons who have shown exceptional passion and commitment to the Purple Knights' athletics family, is Tommy Valuckas.  A 1975 Bridgeport graduate with a degree in Journalism, Valuckas began his association with the UB Department of Athletics while still an undergraduate, when his voice could be heard as the public address announcer for the men's and women's basketball teams, plus his passion for journalism could be followed as he served as Sports Editor for the campus newspaper, The Scribe.  His love of the University and selfless attitude in assisting in any way possible makes Tommy a true member of the Purple Knights' athletic family.  That devotion can still be seen and heard today, as Valuckas carries on as the P.A. voice for Bridgeport basketball plus makes occasional appearances behind the microphone at other events, and he can often be found at stadiums and gymnasiums throughout the region supporting his beloved alma mater from the stands.

The UB Athletic Hall of Fame was formed in 1981, and this year marks the seventh year of a revitalization that began in 2006 after 15 years without a class being inducted. This year's three inductees bring the total number of members to 78.

For ticket information for the June 15 Hall of Fame awards dinner, please contact the UB Athletic Department, (203) 576-4017.