UB Inducts 5 Into Athletic Hall Of Fame

By Mary Beth Spina

Release Date: October 11, 1999 This content is archived.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Five former University at Buffalo athletes, including two three-sport stars from the early 1950s, will be inducted into the UB Alumni Association's Athletic Hall of Fame at a dinner Oct. 22 in the Center for Tomorrow on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

The event will open with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and ceremonies at 7 p.m.

Registration deadline is Oct. 15. Tickets are $35. For more information or reservations, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 716-829-2608.

The Athletic Hall of Fame was established by the Alumni Association in 1965 to honor athletes, coaches, teams and individuals who have served the athletic program in an exemplary manner.

In addition to the five inductees, George Voskerchian will be presented with the Russell J. Gugino Award, which honors alumni who, through time and resources, have made significant contributions to UB's athletic program.

Voskerchian enrolled in UB in 1950 on a football scholarship, but a knee injury cut short his career. He has continued his association with UB athletics, becoming a key fund-raiser with the Blue and White Drive, a member of the UB Gray Bulls, chair of the UB Alumni and Friends Golf Outing and a host for officials working UB home games.

He lives in Amherst.

This year's inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame are:

• Gary J. Hanley ('65, '74), who played four years as center on the basketball team and ranks among the top 20 UB players in scoring and rebounding. He was named All-Eastern United States for 1962-63 by the Eastern College Athletic Conference, the All-Western New York College Team for 1962-63 and the All-Memorial Auditorium Team for 1963-64. Retired after 34 years as an administrator, teacher and coach with the West Seneca School District, he lives in South Wales.

• V. David Levitt ('56), a tennis standout who won 35 of 40 singles matches. He also played guard for three years on the basketball team, averaging 13 points per game. On the baseball diamond, he was an outfielder and first baseman. Levitt also was sports editor of The Spectrum, UB's student newspaper. Levitt has continued to be a formidable opponent on the tennis courts, winning more than 100 local and international tournaments. He has won his club's championship a record of 17 times, and represented the U.S. in the master's division of the Worldwide Maccabiah Games five times since 1981. Levitt also earned gold medals in both singles and doubles competition in the Pan American Maccabiah Games, where he earned gold medals in singles and doubles play. An attorney, he lives in Harrison.

• Kenneth Parr ('61,'66) captain and leading scorer on the 1960-61 basketball team, who averaged nearly 14 points and 11 rebounds per game during his senior year. He not only topped all UB players in career rebounding average, but also finished 10th among the university's all-time leading scorers. He played in two NCAA tournaments and in 1960 was named to the NCAA Mideast Regional All-Tournament Team. Retired after a 34-year coaching career at the elementary, middle and high-school levels, Parr coached basketball at Kensington and Kenmore East high schools. He lives in Tonawanda.

• Andrew Podlucky ('54, '56), who made his mark on the gridiron and in track and field. An excellent blocker, he was a speedy, aggressive two-way end. Co-captain of the 1952 football team, he established an NCAA record with an 86-yard touchdown reception. He also put the shot, competed in the broad jump and broke UB records in the 220- and 440-yard dashes, which sent him to the prestigious Pennsylvania Relays. He coached UB football for a year, was a basketball official for 25 years, and served as a football official for 40 years. He recently retired as an elementary school principal in the Frontier Central School District and lives in Getzville.

• Anthony Policare, Jr. ('73, '73), who twice was elected wrestling team captain and named most valuable wrestler in 1971-72 and 1972-73. During both seasons, the Bulls ranked among the top 20 Division I wrestling teams. A two-time NCAA Division I finalist in the Eastern Competition, he twice qualified for the NCAA championships. He ranks among UB's top five wrestlers in winning percentage, and in 1973 led the Bulls to the title in the East Stroudsburg Open, the nation's largest open collegiate wrestling tournament. In 1972, Policare captured the Eastern Olympics Trials title in freestyle and a year later, qualified in Greco-Roman for the U.S. World Games team. During two decades of teaching and coaching high-school football, he has had players go on to compete in every major bowl game, including the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. His son, Tony, is UB's quarterback coach. Policare lives in Vestal.