April 24, 2006
NORFOLK, VA--This year's Old Dominion University sports Hall of FameInduction class features two Kodak Basketball All-Americans, a national championsailor, a field hockey All-American and an All Conference baseball player. The 2006Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and Athletic Honors banquet will be held Tuesday,April 25 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside.
This year's class includes Ticha Penicheiro and Clarisse Machanguana (women's Basketball), Sean O'Hare (baseball), John Torgerson (sailing), and Winnifred Sanders (field hockey)Ticha Penicheiro's playing style was one of a unique mixture of panache andskill which earned her many a fan in the Hampton Roads area as she led the Lady Monarchs to the 1997 NCAA championship game. During her career at ODU, she collected 1,304 points, finished her career as ODU's all-time steal leader with 591, andsecond all-time assist leader with 939.
The two-time Kodak All-American became ODU's second winner of the prestigious Lifetime/Wade Trophy and the first international player to win this honor.A four-time All-CAA honoree, Penicheiro was named the CAA's Player of the Yeartwice as well as the Rookie of the Year. Ticha is a member of the WNBA's SacramentoMonarchs, which captured the 2005 WNBA championship. She is a four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA first team selection.
Clarisse Machanguana, a 6-5 forward from Mozambique, teamed with Penicheiro to help lead the Lady Monarchs to the magical 1997 season of 34-2 as the team reached the NCAA title game. Machanguana completed her career with 1,813 career points. Every year she stepped onto the hardwood for ODU, she led her teams in scoring and field goal percentage. The 1997 Kodak All-American shot .624 from the floor during her career and averaged 18.3 points per game. In 1997 she was the recipient of the CAA's prestigious Dean Ehlers Leadership award. She was the 1995 CAA Player of the Year and the 1996 and 1997 CAA Tournament MVP. Clarisse played three seasons in the WNBA with Los Angeles, Charlotte and Orlando. She also played in the ABL with San Jose. She is married and resides in Mozambique.
Together, Machanguana and Penicheiro helped lead ODU to an 88-11 three-year mark from 1994-95 to 1996-97. Penicheiro who played four years was 117-14.John Torgerson was the 1998 ODU Alumni Association Male Athlete of theyear. He was the number one ranked sailor on the U.S. men's national team as a senior.Torgerson helped lead the Monarch sailors to two ICYRA National Championships as asenior, wining the Team Race and the Co-Ed Dinghy National titles in 1997-98. As a junior, Torgerson won the ICYRA Singlehanded National championship in Charleston,SC. The three-time All-American placed third in the Australian International regatta asa junior and he also competed for the USA in the 1998 World Championships held inChile. He also competed in the 2000 US Olympic trials.
Torgerson hails from Annapolis, MD, and works in the world of finance for consulting firm called the Reymann Group.Winnifred Sanders lettered for the Lady Monarch field hockey squad from 1987-90 helping ODU to two national championships and one runners-up spot. A 1990 first team All-American, Sanders was also named the 1990-91 ODU Alumni Associations Female Athlete of the Year.
Sanders led the Lady Monarchs with 46 assists on the 1989 NCAA runners-upSquad and led the 1988 national championship team with 34 assists. In 1990, she wassecond on the national champion squad with 31 assists and third on the team in total points with 34. She completed her career with 145 career points and 134 career assists.She graduated in 1991 with a BS/BA in business and financial management and currentlylives in London, England. Sean O'Hare was part of one of the most dominating Monarch baseball teamsin the school's history. In 1985, ODU compiled a 50-11 record, captured the Sun BeltChampionship and advanced to the NCAA regionals. That team averaged 9.1 runs pergame which ranked ninth nationally. In addition, three of Sean's Monarch teamsare ranked in the ODU top five among team batting averages at ODU. His 1983 team hit .355, 1985 hit .342 and 1986 team which compiled a 44-16 record hit .334.
O'Hare completed his career at ODU as the school's fifth all-time homerun hitterwith 30. The three-year starter at first base earned All-Sun Belt honors in both 1984and 1985. He knocked in 87 runs to lead the league in 1985 along with a .390batting average with 13 home runs. His 179 career RBI's is still fifth all-time at ODU aswell as his .545 slugging percentage. O'Hare was drafted in the 17th round by theCincinnati Reds. The Prince George, Va. native is coaching and teaching at his high school, Clover Hill.
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 $30.00 and can be purchasedat the Old Dominion University athletic ticket office. For more information, call 683-5484.