Six inducted into Seahawk Athletic Hall of Fame

On October 4, in a ceremony in Salve's Ochre Court, six former Seahawks were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame – tennis player Beth-Anne Rafanelli '96, soccer player Sean McAllister '12, volleyball player Jennifer Duggan '15, football player Phil Terio '15, baseball player Zack Smith '19 and ice hockey player Blake Wojtala '18 '20 (M).

The event recognizes the outstanding contributions of the all-time greats in Salve's rich athletic history. 

Dr. Sean Sullivan, director of athletics, said, "The Class of 2026 is a marvel as it features all-time program greats, dominating performers and multiple team record-setters. We are tremendously excited to formally acknowledge the comprehensive excellence each of our inductees exhibited on the fields of play, in the classroom and throughout our community. Their success at Salve continues to serve as an aspirational standard for today's Seahawk student-athletes. And we now have the opportunity to thank them for setting such a wonderful example for all of us. On behalf of the University and its athletics department, I want to congratulate them."

The inductees shared some of their thoughts.

Jennifer Duggan '15

Women's volleyball inductee Jennifer Duggan '15 still holds three of the top five single-season kill marks in Seahawk history. She graduated as the school's all-time leader in kills, games played and matches played. She led Salve's volleyball program to its best four-year stretch in school history with an 83-44 record, which included four straight ECAC postseason appearances, a championship win in 2014, and two Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) finals appearances.

"I want to thank my family for everything," said Duggan. "I want to thank my teammates and their families for all their support. The whole team also loved seeing other student-athletes coming to our games. We all supported each other and showed up for everybody's games."

After graduating in 2015, Duggan began working for BAE Systems and has remained with the company, working her way up through leadership roles. She attributes her early career success to what she learned as a student-athlete.

Duggan was especially honored to return to campus this fall because she could cheer on her classmate, Katelyn Beaubrook '15, as the program's recently appointed head coach.

Sean McAllister '12

Sean McAllister '12, an inductee from the men's soccer team, was recognized in back-to-back seasons as the Salve Male Athlete of the Year (2009-10, 2010-11). In 2010, he established the men's soccer program record for points in a single season and his assist mark stood as the all-time record for eight seasons. A three-time all-conference and all-New England performer, he still holds the school's all-time points mark.

"I attribute my success to coach Craig O'Rourke II because he did such a great job leading by example," stated McAllister. "During my early years at Salve, I was more of a selfish player. When I became an upperclassman and eventually an assistant coach, it became the opposite. It's where I had a turning point in my life and Coach O'Rourke is the main reason for this."

"This runs parallel to my career because I started off as a sales rep in cybersecurity about 10 years ago being an individual contributor," continued McAllister. "I stuck with the career, and now I'm leading a team of 20 people. I wouldn't be in the position I'm in without the examples that were set by my coach and teammates."

These days McAllister translates his competitiveness and high-achieving mindset to both his work and his family – and he still plays soccer in a competitive adult league.

Beth-Anne Rafanelli '96

Women’s tennis inductee Beth-Anne Rafanelli '96 left her mark on Salve as a two-time captain who led the Seahawks to three consecutive Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championships in addition to a runner-up finish (1992-1994; 1995). She established Salve's single-season doubles win mark and her career doubles winning percentage still ranks first all-time in program history.

What the stats don't show for Rafanelli was the growth she felt as she progressed from first year to senior year, and eventual graduate assistant coach, as well as the connections she made along the way.

She credits coach Ed Habershaw, now Salve’s director of athletic communications, for helping her grow as an athlete and coach. "Ed helped me grow so much in tennis—his skills and teaching me confidence as an athlete made me a better player as I got older and that translated to coaching. His family became a family too. His wife Lynne and daughter Taylor went to all the home matches and most of the away ones too. They're all family to me."

Today, Rafanelli is an elementary school teacher, and tennis is still part of her life. “I play USTA (United States Tennis Association) still and I coach. In the summer when I have more time, I coach ages three up to 80. I've had kids play with me who are graduating from high school now. It's amazing to see how much they've improved." 
 

Zack Smith '19

Setting goals and trusting the process are core values inductee Zack Smith '19 attributes to his Salve baseball experience. He finds that they still drive him today.

"Achieving goals is easy to do when your team and coaches are instilling a work ethic around you," said Smith. "I always set goals for myself no matter how unrealistic. I do this now at work with sales quotas."

Smith was recruited by current head coach Eric Cirella '05. He credits the successful team culture and camaraderie to Cirella and assistant coach Harrison Barlow.

A three-year captain, Smith earned four All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) honors. He was D3Baseball.com Rookie of the Year in New England (2016), CCC Player of the Year (2019) and All-New England (2016/2019). With Smith on the team, Salve baseball reached conference finals all four seasons and claimed three CCC championships which led to NCAA regionals appearances (2016, 2017, 2019).  

Smith graduated from Salve with a degree in finance and found a role in sales. Since then, he has remained with the same company and is now first vice president at Horvath & Tremblay, a commercial real estate firm.  

Phil Terio '15

"You're always competing no matter what," said inductee Phil Terio '15. "You always want to beat the person next to you even if you're tying your shoes. That kind of determination and passion that I learned at Salve has always stuck with me."

In 2012, Terio set an NCAA record with four touchdowns off interception returns, scored on a punt return and a 93-yard kickoff return and led the team with seven interceptions. He was named New England Football Conference (NEFC) Defensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year, Division II-III All-Region cornerback, BSN All-American, D3football.com All-American cornerback and return specialist. He bookended his four-year career with ECAC Bowl Championships in 2011 and 2014.

"There are little memories that I have on and off the field. Living off campus with friends is one of them. There were times when we would be in the library together or going to Miley during camp for an eating contest. Those are the kind of memories we joke about to this day."

Terio is a data analyst for Pennant Services but still finds time to play football in his postgraduate life. For a little over a year after graduation he played for the Boston Blaze, an arena football team.

Blake Wojtala '18 '20 (M)

Men's ice hockey goalie Blake Wojtala '18 '20 (M) holds many of the program's records to this day, but the 2026 inductee most values the sense of purpose and work ethic that playing a DIII sport at Salve taught him. 

"Hockey and being a student-athlete has formed and guided me to have that same detail-oriented mindset," said Wojtala. "I learned to wake up and make sure I have a purpose each day and execute that game plan. You show up to contribute, not to just go through the motions."

A four-year starting goalie, Wojtala led the Seahawks to their only conference championship in 2016 and first-ever appearance in the NCAA. Two years later he was an All-American and led Salve to the championship game of the Frozen Four. He holds the top four marks for wins in a season as a goalie. He also holds two of the top five single-game save marks and the top three single-season save marks. In a national semifinal win, Wojtala set a DIII postseason record with a 55-save shutout performance.

Hockey has remained a part of Wojtala's life alongside his role as a client solutions manager for Robert Half. He is currently a goalie coach for anywhere from eight to 10 AAA organizations at a given time in the Michigan area. This involves both college and high school.

Amidst all of his accolades as a goalie, Wojtala credits both his family for their continual support and his "found family" – the teammates he will have for life.