The University of Guelph, Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that three athletes, one builder and two championship teams have been named the 2010 inductees into the Gryphon Hall of Fame.

Dual-sport athlete Colette McAuley, Basketball athlete Mike Ayanbadejo, Rugby athlete Maria Gallo, the illustrious Fred Ramprashad as a builder, the 1958 Men's Soccer team and the 1974-78 Track and Field team round out the list of inductees set to join the Gryphon Hall of Fame, this year.

The 26th Annual Gryphon Athletics Hall of Fame and Dinner Induction will be held on Friday, September 24, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Guelph Hotel & Conference Centre located at 601 Scottsdale Drive in the Oakwood Ballroom. If you're interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Lorraine Ness at 519-824-4120 , ext. 56133 or lness@uoguelph.ca. Tickets are $75 and must be purchased by September 7th, 2010. Guest rooms will be held at group rates for any individuals who require overnight accommodation at the above venue. If booking, please call 519-836-0231 and note the Group Code: AHF.

The ceremony will kick off Homecoming weekend where the Football team will face the Western Mustangs on Saturday, September 25th at 1 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

The Gryphon Athletics Hall of Fame has 158 members including such greats as Ken Lockett, Cassie Campbell, Mike O'Shea and Candy Clarkson. For a complete list of all members please visit the Hall of Fame website at: http://www.athletics.uoguelph.ca/Alumni/Hall.

Gryphons Hall of Fame Class of 2010

Mike Ayanbadejo – Basketball (1998-2003)
Mike Ayanbadejo dominated OUA and CIS Basketball throughout his athletic career at Guelph from 1998-2003. A native of Guelph, Mike brought special attention from the community with his on-court accomplishments as well as his tremendous contribution to the young people of Guelph. Mike's statistics speak for themselves. His impact at Guelph was immediate as he was named OUA West Rookie of the Year and UofG's Rookie of the Year in 1998. He established himself as the all-time leading scorer at Guelph with 1,389 points and 2nd all-time leading rebounder. In addition, Mike was a 2-time team captain, 4-time team MVP, 4-time OUA West All-Star, 2-time All-Canadian and named OUA West Rookie of the Year in 1999 and OUA West Player of the Year in 2003. In his final season, Mike led the Gryphons to the OUA West Division title and a silver medal at the national championships. To cap off an illustrious career, Mike was awarded the University of Guelph Athlete of the Year in 2003. Mike had multiple stints with provincial teams and played professionally in Europe. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Guelph in 2003 and a Masters of Teaching from Griffith University in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 2006.

Maria Gallo – Rugby (1996-2000)
Maria Gallo's ability to align her athletic endeavours with her academic achievements was nothing short of phenomenal. This native of Guelph led the Rugby Gryphons to 4 provincial titles and the inaugural CIAU National title in 1998 and silver in 1999. Throughout her career from 1996-2000, Maria received numerous accolades including honours as Guelph's MVP in 1998, 2-time OUA All-Star 1997 and 1998, an All-Canadian in 1998, 2-time CIAU Tournament All-Star and 2-time MVP of the CIAU Championship in 1998 and 1999 and ultimately the University of Guelph's Female Athlete of the Year in 1999. She graduated from Guelph with a B.Sc. Honours in Bio-Medical Sciences in 2000 and has her Ph.D. in Muscle/Exercise Biochemistry from Alberta. She is now a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Gene and Blood Doping at the School of Human Kinetics at UBC. This elite athlete has had an extensive playing career. In fact, Maria has represented the Canadian National Team since 1999. She brings her own unique style and charisma to any team she plays on and has matured into the role of captain for the 7's World Cup and the 15's World Cup teams.

Colette McAuley – Rugby and Track (1992-1997)
Colette's athleticism was immediately evident. This Guelphite was captain of the Track team from 1995-1997 and in the sport of Rugby developed into an omnipotent scoring threat on the Rugby pitch. Colette was a member of the inaugural OWIAA Rugby Championship team capturing the title for 3 consecutive years from 1994-1996. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Biology and Biomedical Sciences in 1997, acquired her Master of Science from Guelph in 2002 and attained a Master of Business Administration in Marketing at Wilfrid Laurier in 2006. Her accomplishments at Guelph were mirrored on the provincial, national and international stages. Her career peaked at the 2002 World Cup in Barcelona. Since her playing days, Colette has tirelessly carried the torch of the Rugby Gryphons and solidly established their position at the top of CIS Rugby. Colette has coached, mentored, recruited and inspired a decade of women at the University of Guelph.

Fred Ramprashad – Builder
For more than 30 years, Fred Ramprashad's influence on Gryphon Athletics has been far reaching. In the 1980's, Fred was instrumental in developing the Academic Advising handbook for student-athletes. In 2000, through the direction of the College of Biological Science alumni, Fred's commitment to the college and Department of Athletics was recognized with the creation of a scholarship in his name. He is an exceptional mentor, trusted friend, counsellor, professor, faculty advisor and kind gentleman with a sense of humour who can untangle any student from the quagmires of challenging academics and athletics performances. He had an intuitive sense of how to lead student-athletes to accomplish their goals. With an open mind, Fred challenged students to think for themselves and empowered them to grow. He has undoubtedly assisted countless athletes to be successful in their sport and academic achievements. Fred's support of Gryphon Athletics was not confined to helping students. His face is one of the most recognizable in the crowds in the gym, at a pitch or in the rink. In 2001, the Department of Athletics honoured Fred with the John T. Powell Award for exemplary effort and devotion to the UoG's Athletics program.

1958 Men's Soccer Team
It has been 50+ years since the Men's 1958 Soccer team was crowned national co-champions tying the Royal Military College 3-3 after upsetting perennial powerhouse and 5-time reigning champion Toronto. Not before, and not since, has Guelph won a national championship in Soccer. In a season characterized by many low scoring games, including a number of ties (there were no shootouts in that era) the Canadian University Soccer scene was one of parity. Under the guidance of coaches, John Flavell and Alex Peepre, the OA-VC Men's Soccer team was undefeated. The team was sparked by the outstanding play of Ian Thomasos, the team's leading scorer in all four of his years, the skilled back play of Don Beckford, also a member of the Jamaican Junior National team, the captain, Oscar van Binsbergen, always a threat to score from his half line position and a very able cast of other forwards, backs and keepers. Team members include: Hans von Amsberg, Vij an din, Ian Thomasos, Pat Hamilton, P. Meyers, C. Gray, E. Timothy, Rob Robson, Vincent St. Omer, Oscar van Binsbergen, Don Beckford, Conny Campbell, Remi den Tandt, V. Macins and Manager, Earle Timothy. Deceased: Coaches John Flavell and Alex Peepre.

1974-1978 Track & Field Team
The Track & Field athletes from the 1974-1978 era sported an extremely high degree of talent and achievement on campus, but with little to no support, they were unable to represent the University of Guelph as we understand that distinction today. Despite this, they are a critical bridge between the successes of the 1960's, when Guelph was one of the strongest Track and Field scenes in Canada and the teams of today, who are in regular contention for CIS titles. The achievements of the current Gryphons would not be possible without this small group who carried the torch and kept the sport alive during those lean years. The talent level amongst the athletes training during this time was phenomenal, and in fact, many of their results have stood as school records and all-time best marks for over 30 years. The athletes from this era won numerous national and provincial titles and represented Canada internationally. This group was comprised of the following athletes: Jerry Bouma, Bill Hazen, Ted Kennedy, Donna Valaitis, Kitty Jane Welter, Paul Williams and Dave Yaeger as well as Rachelle Campbell, who was a part-time student at the UofG in 1975-76 and Abigail Hoffman, who attended the University of Guelph and trained in 1974-75 as a graduate student and teaching assistant.