RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Felician University Athletics Hall of Fame will celebrate its 10th anniversary when it inducts five new members on Sunday, October 22, 2023. The University will honor its latest class of inductees as part of its Homecoming Weekend.

The Hall opens this year to one of Felician's earliest men's basketball frontcourt standouts, the late Jerrell W. Jeffries '03, and longtime public address announcer and business professor Dennis Huzey. They will be inducted alongside a trio of multi-year all-league performers from early in the last decade – women's soccer player Alysia Arcona Gonzalez '14, baseball's Joe Petosa '13, and Katrina Plummer of the women's basketball program. The 2023 class swells the membership in the Felician Athletics Hall of Fame to 36 individuals (29 athletes, five contributors, two coaches) and four teams.

"It is with great admiration and heartfelt congratulations that I extend my sincerest appreciation to each and every inductee," said Felician Director of Athletics Andrew Toriello. "Their unwavering dedication, unparalleled achievements and commitment to excellence have left an indelible mark on our institution's history and the world of sports as a whole."

Gonzalez was a three-time All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference selection for coach Thomas Notte's Golden Falcon women's soccer teams. Nearly a decade after her graduation, she still sits seventh in school history in goals (25), second in assists (19) and fourth in points (69). Equally as proficient in the classroom, Gonzalez was twice voted to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America team. Gonzalez, who was raised in Hackettstown and lives in Belvidere, was the 2013-14 Felician Senior Female Student-Athlete of the Year. 

Jeffries will be inducted posthumously after tragically losing his life in a motor vehicle accident on July 7, 2023. A graduate of Newark Tech, Jeffries was a key performer as the men's basketball team first emerged onto the CACC and regional scene under coach Darryl Jacobs. The dependable big man played in a then-record 111 games as a Golden Falcon, totaling 1100 points (7th all-time) and 835 rebounds (2nd). As a senior he was chosen All-CACC and All-Met as Felician captured the conference regular-season title. Jeffries returned to Felician to complete an MBA in 2020.

Petosa bookended his Felician baseball career with major CACC awards. The 2010 conference Rookie of the Year, he received a medical waiver for 2013 and returned as a graduate student for the 2014 campaign. It became one to remember, as coach Chris Langan's Golden Falcons claimed their first conference championship with Petosa being named Tournament Most Valuable Player. A .334 career hitter, he left the program as the all time hits leader (225, currently 3rd). Petosa was a four-time All-CACC honoree, earned all-region honors twice, and was twice named a CoSIDA Academic All-American. The Spotswood High product now resides in Matawan.

Plummer was a steady performer for coach Steve Fagan, departing Felician as the women's basketball all-time leader in rebounds (680, currently third) and steals (206, still first). As a sophomore she helped lead the Golden Falcons to the 2011-12 CACC North Division regular-season title. She is one of just three players in program history to be voted All-CACC three times. Plummer, who attended North Babylon (N.Y.) High School and recently relocated to Lawrenceville, Ga., ranks third in school annals with 1386 points.

Huzey, of New Milford, was an assistant professor of marketing and management at Felician from 2000 until his retirement in 2021. During those years he was also a volunteer public address announcer for several Golden Falcon sports. Often using his own equipment and never accepting payment, Huzey helped guide Felician Athletics through its formative years by providing a professional game atmosphere. An outspoken advocate for college athletics and student-athletes, Huzey was often the first faculty member coaches would bring prospective students to meet. Huzey, whose career in higher education spanned 42 years and nine institutions, possesses B.S. (1978) and MBA (1980) degrees in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The 10th Annual Felician University Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony will be held at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne at 11 a.m. on October 22. Tickets are $70 each and can be purchased by contacting Brendan Bonacum, Assistant Director of Athletics, at 201.559.3527 or BonacumB@felician.edu. Program book advertisements and other sponsorship opportunities are also available. 

Tickets can be found HERE.

The Felician Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2013. An induction ceremony has been held each year since, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

This year's event will conclude Felician's 2023 Homecoming Weekend. Several activities are scheduled on Felician's Rutherford campus on Friday and Saturday, October 20 and 21, to celebrate all alumni classes. On Saturday, the women's volleyball team hosts Wilimington (Del.) at 1 p.m. at the Wellness and Recreation Center.

Questions about Homecoming Weekend should be directed to Diane Sedlmeir, Director of Alumni Engagement, at SedlmeirD@felician.edu.