The Daily Bulletin Archive

Former president Muriel A. Howard is one of six new members who will be inducted into the Buffalo State College Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 26, following the Bengals’ Homecoming football game against Western Connecticut State. The ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Hall of Fame lobby in the Sports Arena. Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar begin at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance through Tom Koller, associate director, Intercollegiate Athletics: 878-6514.

Josh Becker, ’04, led the Bengals basketball team to a SUNYAC championship and an NCAA playoff appearance as a junior when he was named second-team All-Region, first-team All-SUNYAC, and MVP of the SUNYAC tournament. Becker ranks 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list. He was recognized as the school’s male athlete of the year in 2003 and won the Hube Coyer Award for career accomplishments the following year.

Mike Grabowski, ’76, was a four-time All-American as a swimmer at Buffalo State. He swam a leg in the 400-meter medley relay that captured a SUNYAC championship in 1975 and set a school record with a time of 3:39.50, a mark that still stands. Grabowski also helped the Bengals capture a SUNYAC team championship in 1975.

Muriel A. Howard, Buffalo State College’s seventh president, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as an honorary member, in recognition of her support for Intercollegiate Athletics.

Cheryl Isbrandt, ’95, played shortstop for the Bengals softball team from 1992 to 1995, accumulating a .400 career batting average, the third best in the program’s history. A third-team All-American as a senior, she helped the Bengals to three NCAA regional berths and two New York State women’s championships. The school’s all-time leader in stolen bases (84), Isbrandt was recognized as the school’s female athlete of the year as a senior.

Valerie Krell-Capriotti, ’88, becomes the first women’s soccer player to gain induction into the Hall of Fame. A four-year standout from 1983 to 1986, she was recognized as All-SUNYAC in 1984. Krell-Capriotti led the team in scoring three times and still ranks second on the school’s all-time scoring list. Buffalo State won 40 games in her four seasons, the best four-year run in the history of the program.

Dan Lauta, ’99, anchored the Bengals’ offensive line in the late 1990s and helped lead the football team to four appearances in the NCAA playoffs. Following graduation, Lauta became the only Bengal to sign with an NFL team, securing a free-agent contract with the New York Giants. He went on to play in the Arena Football League with the Buffalo Destroyers.