April 23, 2004
NORFOLK, VA.-This year's Old Dominion University Sports Hall of Fameinduction class features the school's first Rhodes Scholar, a wrestling All-American, a baseball All-American and two basketball standouts. The 2004 Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies and Athletic Honors banquet will be held Tuesday, April 27 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
This year's class includes Matt Quatraro (Baseball), Roger Randall (Wrestling), Samantha Salvia (Field Hockey), Petey Sessoms (Basketball) and Charlie Smith (Basketball)
Matt Quatraro was the 1996 Old Dominion University's Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year and Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. The all-purpose performer played the outfield, firstbase, thirdbase and caught while hitting .413 in 1994 and .416 in 1996. He is one of only two Monarchs to hit .400 for his entire career. Quatraro helped lead ODU to CAA championships in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and three straight NCAA tournament appearances. Quatraro was named second team All-American by the Baseball Coaches Association and BASEBALL AMERICA in 1996. He was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American squad that year. In 1994, Quatraro was selected CAA Tournament MVP. He was drafted in the eighth round by Tampa Bay and graduated with a degree in history. In 2002, Quatraro was presented the Citizenship Award while playing for the Durham Bulls for his contributions in the Durham area. Quatraro is currently working with Tampa Bay as the training catching coach.
Roger Randall compiled a 64-14-2 record in two seasons at Old Dominion. Hecaptured the Virginia State Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships in 1980 and 1981. In 1981, Randall was runner-up in the NCAA East Regionals, and was awarded an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where he placed seventh at the National Championships to earn All-American honors while compiling a 36-9 record. Randall also won the Monarch Civitan Classic, the Clemson Tiger Open and the US Navy Turkey Bowl Championship. Randall came to ODU in 1980 after earning junior college All-American honors at Chowan. He is currently living in Rancocas, NJ., where he works for the Philadelphia area Construction Union. He graduated in 1981 with a degree in business.
Samantha Salvia became Old Dominion University's first Rhodes Scholar inDec. of 1995, and was a finalist for the NCAA Women's of the Year Award. That same year, Salvia was ODU's Alumni Association's Female Athlete of the Year, Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and the Tom Scott Award winner. A four-time CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, Salvia was the University's Presidential scholar. On the field she was a member of the US under 21 National Field Hockey squad. Salvia was a first team All-CAA selection three straight years, an All-South Region pick in 1994 and 1995, and a third team All-American in 1995. She was also selected first team CoSIDA Academic All-American and as a senior, Salvia ranked fourth nationally in assists. She helped guide the Lady Monarchs to four straight NCAA Tournaments. Salvia graduated in 1996 with a perfect 4.0 grade point average in Civil Environmental Engineering. She then graduated from Oxford in England in 1998 with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and earned an M.S. degree in Environmental Fluid Mechanics from Stanford University in2000. Samantha is currently living in Oakland, CA where she works for Contra Costa Water District.
Petey Sessoms, the school's fourth all-time scorer with 1,985 career pointsscored 35 points in ODU's triple overtime upset win over #3 seed and BIGEAST champion Villanova In the 1995 NCAA first round in Albany, NY. Sessoms is also theschool's 13th all-time rebounder with 779, and sixth all-time free throw percentageleader at .819. The Portsmouth, VA., native led the Monarchs in scoring in 1993 at 16.9,and in 1995 at 22.1. He also led the team in rebounding in 1995 at 8.4. In 1995, Sessoms was named CAA Player of the Year, and CAA Tournament MVP. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors by BASEKTBALL WEEKLY andthe National Association of Basketball Coaches. Sessoms was named the ODU Alumni Association Male Athlete of the Year in 1995. He graduated with a degree in recreation and leisure studies and is playing in Israel.
The late Charlie Smith was the Monarchs main man when the game was on the line. He won three games with last second heroics, but none bigger than in the 1985 Sun Belt Conference semi-final game against Alabama-Birmingham. Down 19 with more than nine minutes left, Smith helped lead ODU's rally and capped it off with two free throws in the final seconds for a 68-67 victory. The Monarchs would eventually earn an atlarge bid to the NCAA Tournament. Smith scored 1,250 career points and ranked 11th on ODU's all-time assist list with 385, Smith led the team In assists as a freshman in 1984 and was named to the Freshman All-American Team by BASKETBALL WEEKLY magazine. During his four years at ODU he helped Lead the Monarchs to two NCAA Tournaments and two NIT tournaments as well as Three Sun Belt Conference Final appearances. Charlie graduated with a degree in management information systems in 1985. He passed away on May 11, 1998. In his hometown of Wilmington, DE. The annual Charles Smith Memorial Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament is held the first weekend in April for kids from 12 under through 19-under.
The evening begins with a social at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Hall of FameCeremony at 6:15, and the banquet at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchasedat the Old Dominion University athletic ticket office. For more information, call 683-5484.