ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Elmira College Department of Athletics welcomed the 2022 Hall of Fame Class on Saturday afternoon at Stephans Lounge inside Meier Hall. The third group enshrined into the Hall of Fame included Robert Barsamian ’82 (Men’s Soccer), Bernie Herceg ’87 (Men’s Golf), Tony Bego ’94 (Men’s Basketball), Sasha Zavadska ’13 (Women’s Volleyball), the 1977-78 Men’s Ice Hockey Team, and the 1999 Women’s Volleyball Team.
The four individual inductees and two teams join a Hall of Fame group that includes Pat Thompson ’75, Joey Spinelli ’92, Laura Hurd ’05, Carol McClelland Dopp ’79, Bob Basel ’80, Helen B. Downes ’03, Glenn Thomaris, the 2001- and 2002-women’s ice hockey teams, and the 2000 and 2007 cheerleading teams.
Below is a bio for each of the inductees to the 2022 Elmira College Athletics Hall of Fame:
Sasha Zavadska ’13 – A three-time AVCA Division III All-American, Zavadska earned back-to-back Empire 8 Player of the Year honors for Elmira College. Second in career kills (1,967) and third in career digs (1,506), Zavadska helped lead the Soaring Eagles to the 2011 Empire 8 regular season championship. Following graduation, Zavadska played professionally in the Slovak Republic and currently works for the European College of Sports Science.
Bernie Herceg ’87 – Herceg was one of the most decorated golfers to call Elmira College home. An Academic All-American, Herceg graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business management and would go on to play professionally. A winner at the 2000 Boilermaker Open, he also played in the 1993 B.C. Open. As the head golf coach at Binghamton University, Herceg has guided the Bearcats to over 75 tournament victories.
Bob Barsamian ’82 – Barsamian left his name etched in several different areas of the men’s soccer record books. Barsamian’s 107 career points rank fourth all-time, while his 37 goals rank fifth, and his 33 assists are tied for second all-time at Elmira. Since graduating, Barsamian has involved himself with various non-profit organizations and city youth programs.
Tony Bego ’94 – Bego holds several program records for men’s basketball and left Elmira College as the all-time leading scorer with 1,884 points. One of the most accurate shooters for the Soaring Eagles, Bego finished his career shooting 57.4 percent from the field and averaged 17.4 points per game wearing Purple & Gold, both of which are program records. Since graduating, he has worked in various positions with the East Asia Super League.
1999 Women’s Volleyball – The fifth team to join the Elmira College Athletics Hall of Fame, the 1999 Women’s Volleyball program, coached by Rhonda Faunce, would put together a run to the NCAA DIII Tournament and finish the 1999 season with a 30-10 overall record. The Soaring Eagles would go undefeated on their home court (10-0) with all ten victories being 3-0 sweeps. The 1999 squad won its opening-round matchup at the NCAA Tournament against Merchant Marine 3-0 before falling against nationally ranked SUNY Cortland in the next round. Leah Malliris ’01 would go on to earn AVCA All-Region First Team honors after recording 586 kills, 163 total blocks, and 102 solo blocks.
1977-78 Men’s Ice Hockey – The sixth team to join the Elmira College Athletics Hall of Fame, the 1977-78 Men’s Ice Hockey program, coached by Barry Smith and Al McCormack, would go on to capture the first-ever ECAC West Championship and play in the NCAA Division III Third-Place contest against Mankato State. Tim Strasdauskas ’80 set a single-game record for most assists with six, while Jeff Cristina ’80 set the single-game points record with eight (8) against Sheridan College. Elmira finished the 1977-78 season with a 26-6 overall record and a 16-1 record at the Murray Athletic Center.
