SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – Two-time Middle Atlantic Conference Northwest League Field Hockey All-Star and 1988 graduate Sue Bailey of West Hollywood, Calif. (originally from Macungie), four-year starting linebacker and three-year Academic All-America and 1982 grad Dan Distasio of Mountain Top (originally from Nanticoke), early track stars and 1983 graduates Bill Laswell of Perkasie (originally from Wilkes-Barre) and Ernie Meisel of Mechanicsburg (originally from Montgomery), and softball record-setter and 1989 grad Meg Sorber of Horsham (originally from Glenside) are the 1999 class of inductees into the Susquehanna University Sports Hall of Fame.
The group will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame at halftime of Saturday's Homecoming football game vs. King's. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
The addition of these five athletes will bring the Hall of Fame roster to 137 members in 32 years. A summary of their accomplishments follows. Each new inductee will receive a commemorative plaque from University President Joel Cunningham during Saturday's induction ceremony. In addition to the formal induction ceremony, the new inductees will have the opportunity to speak at the annual Hall of Fame Luncheon in the Degenstein Campus Center Saturday, prior to the game.
Bailey was a four-year field hockey letterwinner who current Susquehanna head coach Connie Harnum calls "one of her best defensive players ever" from her center-back position. She earned MAC Northwest League All-Star honors as both a junior and senior, also earning the team's Best Midfielder Award in each of those seasons. She sparked a Crusader defense which surrendered just seven goals in 14 contests in 1986 while scoring two goals with two assists on a team which set the school record for wins at 11-2-1 and made the MAC playoffs for the first time ever. Bailey also played softball as an outfielder during her sophomore year -- batting .243 (9 for 37) with a triple, home run, three RBIs and seven runs scored.
She is now a writer/producer with Mars Productions and lives in West Hollywood, Calif.
Distasio was a four-year football starter at linebacker who was a three-time Academic All-American – leading the team in tackles in each of his last two seasons. He had 119 tackles (17 solo) with four quarterback sacks and two fumble recoveries in his senior season while earning first-team MAC Northern Division All-Star honors. Also a captain his senior year, Distasio was also the recipient of the team's Clyde Spitzner Memorial Award as the team's Most Valuable Player in 1981. He collected an even 100 tackles (28 solo) with three sacks, three fumble recoveries and two fumbles caused as a junior. He was second on the team in tackles as a sophomore with 74, ranking third as a freshman in 1978 – also with 74. Distasio had a whopping 367 career tackles.
He is now an attorney with Huoigan, Kluger & Quinn in Wilkes-Barre. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children and reside in Mountain Top.
Laswell was a four-year track and field letterwinner who was All-MAC in various events in each of his last three seasons and part of an NCAA Division III All-American 400-meter relay team in 1983. He also served as a co-captain during his senior year when he went on to finish 10th in the 100-meter high hurdles at the NCAA Division III Championships, and joined fellow Hall of Famers Dave German and Meisel, as well as Tony Holland on the All-American relay which placed sixth (:41.97). He helped lead the team to its first two MAC titles in his final two seasons. Laswell won MAC titles in both the 110 and 400-meter hurdles, and was also on the 400-meter relay team which finished 13th at NCAA Division III Championships in 1982. He led the team in individual scoring as a freshman and sophomore -- sharing team Most Valuable Performer honors with German in 1981.
He is now the release coordinator with Merck & Co. in West Point, Pa. He and his wife, Shari, reside in Perkasie, and have five children.
Meisel lettered all four seasons in track as a sprinter, earning All-MAC honors in each of his final three seasons. He also was a team captain during his senior year as he went on to earn the Blair Heaton Award as the school's top senior male scholar-athlete – also running on that All- American relay while qualifying for nationals in the 200-meter dash. The track team's Most Valuable Performer as a junior, he was part of the 400-meter relay team which won the MAC championship and set new conference records in both 1982 and '83 – finishing 13th at the NCAA Division III Championships in '82.
He is now an accountant for the Book-of-the Month Club in Mechanicsburg. He and his wife, Rebecca '83, reside in Duncannon and have two children.
Sorber was a four-year softball letterwinner who was an MAC-Northwest Section All-Star and her team's Most Valuable Player as a senior in 1989 – playing primarily at first base and as a designated hitter. She still holds school career records for doubles (20), home runs (8), runs batted in (83), slugging percentage (.641), and on-base percentage (.751). She is seventh in batting average (.380), and eighth in career hits (90). She also holds season records for home runs (4, 1986) and RBIs (32, 1988). She finished sixth in NCAA Division III in RBIs/game (1.52) in 1988, and was eighth in home runs per game in 1986 with four in just 20 games (0.2 per game). She also had the second-best school season totals in doubles (8, 1989) and slugging percentage (.821, 1989). Sorber batted an even .500 (28 for 56) with eight doubles, two homers and 27 RBIs during her All-Star senior season.
She is now a claims specialist with State Farm Insurance in Bensalem and resides in Horsham.
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