Boston College Athletics
Eight To Be Inducted Into Varsity Club Hall Of Fame
May 12, 2000 | Boston College Athletics
May 12, 2000
CHESTNUT HILL - Eight of the finest athletes in Boston College history have been selected for induction into the Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame.
The athletes being honored this year are: John Coyle '62 (baseball), Bill Donovan '62 (basketball), Jim Mullen '66 (ice hockey), Byron Hemingway '77 (football), Coach Joe Yukica (football, 1968-77), Kelvin Martin '87 (football), Katie Connelly Conry '90 (soccer and lacrosse), and Julie Obear '95 (field hockey and softball).
The eight will be inducted in ceremonies on Friday, Oct. 13, and will be honored at halftime of BC's football game against Syracuse the following day.
Here are short biographies of the eight new Hall of Famers:
John Coyle '62: A graduate of St. Sebastian's School, John Coyle was a three-year varsity starter at second base for the Eagles from 1960 to 1962. He finished his career with a .326 batting average, leading the club in hitting as a sophomore and a junior. Coyle helped lead Boston College to the College World Series in 1960 and 1961, and the Eagles also won the New England Championship during those two seasons.
Following his career at BC, Coyle served on the Norwood Little League Board of Directors for five years and managed in the league for 10 years. He is one of the founders of the BC Diamond Club. His two sons also graduated from Boston College.
Bill Donovan '62: A three-year starter and former team captain, Donovan became just the fourth player in Boston College basketball history to reach the 1,000-point mark during his career. The Eagles posted a 40-29 record in Donovan's three seasons. He averaged 16.5 points per game as a sophomore during the 1959-60 season and was the team captain as a senior.
According to former teammate Jim Hooley, a 1979 Varsity Club Hall of Fame inductee, Bill was a "prolific scorer and a terrific shooter ... if he played today he'd have a lot more points because most of his baskets came from three-point range ... He was an iron man. He never missed a game at BC."
Jim Mullen '66: A three-year standout who helped lead the Boston College hockey team to the national championship game during the 1964-65 season. That year, he teamed with classmates Phil Dyer and John Cunniff to form the highest-scoring line in America. The Eagles posted a 58-27-1 mark during Mullen's career. In his three seasons, Mullen scored 106 points - 60 goals and 46 assists, including 23 goals and 23 assists during his junior campaign.
Byron Hemingway '77: A native of Newburgh, N.Y., Hemingway was the first-ever winner of the prestigious Eagle of the Year Award. He was an All-East defensive end for and a four-year starter for the Eagles. He was also an All-East performer in track, where he set the BC record for the high hurdles, winning the New England Championship and reaching the finals at the Penn Relays.
Following his two-sport career at BC, Hemingway was selected in the ninth round of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went on to become an All-Canadian Football League player with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 1978.
Hemingway, who graduated with a degree in marketing, now works as a marketing executive for Loud.com after stints at both Microsoft and Apple Computer.
Coach Joe Yukica 1968-77: The all-time leader in football coaching victories, Yukica compiled a stellar 68-37 record during his ten years with the Eagles. His .648 winning percentage ranks third among all BC coaches who served five or more seasons. He led the Eagles to their first-ever win over Army, as well as victories over national powers such as Texas and Miami.
Yukica's legacy as a coach lives on through former staff members who are still coaching at the college and professional levels. His former assistants include the likes of Jack Bicknell, who was the head coach at BC and is now the coach of the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe. Current Eagle assistant Pete Carmichael also worked with Yukica.
In addition, several of Yukica's players, including former All-Pro Fred Smerlas, went on to enjoy successful careers in the National Football League. His teams also ranked consistently among the nation's leaders in graduation rates.
Kelvin Martin '87: An All-America flanker, Martin set a new Boston College football record for career receptions (134) during his career. He is BC's all-time punt return leader as well as the career leader in receiving touchdowns (28). As a junior in 1985, he led the nation in punt return yardage with 510 yards, and he had four punt returns for touchdowns during his career.
Following his stint at BC, Martin went on to an outstanding career in the National Football League. Martin led the Dallas Cowboys in receiving in 1989 and 1990, and he won a Super Bowl ring with the Cowboys in 1991. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks during his career.
Katie Connelly Conry '90: A native of Needham, Katie Connelly came to Boston College as a highly-touted two-sport star, and she did not disappoint, entering on a soccer scholarship and earning Eagle of the Year honors as a senior for her efforts in lacrosse.
On the lacrosse field, Katie led the Eagles in scoring three times. She ranked eighth nationally in scoring as a sophomore. The following season, her 32 assists led the nation and she earned Second Team All-America honors. Katie was also a four-year starter in soccer, leading the team in scoring three times and earning All-Region honors three times as well.
Katie and her husband, Joe Conry, live in Needham with their two children, Kailey and Joey. She is a Senior Operations Manager for Lotus, and she is an active golfer with a 10 handicap.
Julie Obear '95: A three-sport star at Bishop Fenwick High School, Obear ranks as one of Boston College's finest ever female athletes after a stellar two-sport career.
Obear was a three-time All-American in field hockey, where she led BC to the 1994 BIG EAST championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. She was eighth nationally in scoring as a senior with 18 goals and nine assists. In addition, Julie walked on to the softball team as a freshman and ended her career by earning First Team All-BIG EAST honors in 1995. She is the first Boston College softball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In addition, Obear was an Academic All-American who graduated with a 3.5 GPA in psychology. She earned a Master's degree in physical therapy from the University of Nebraska-Omaha Medical School, and she currently resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she works as a physical therapist.
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