MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Allegheny College Department of Athletics and Recreation is eager to announce the inductees for the Hall of Fame Class of 2023, which includes four former student-athletes and one team.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 represents excellence across five decades and five varsity sports at Allegheny. Included in this year's induction class are the 1978 men's soccer team, Robert "Bob" Bedrosian '77 (baseball), Elizabeth Blyth '13 (women's golf), Lauren Butler Ganz '12 (women's track and field), and Nancy Nelson Mates '88 (softball).

Allegheny men's soccer finished the 1978 season with a 10-0-1 record, which stands more than four decades later as the only undefeated season in program history. The Gators were also the only unbeaten team across all three NCAA divisions that fall. The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champions, led by PAC MVP Dave Nelson '79 (HOF Class of 1991), placed five on the All-PAC First Team - Nelson, Bob Minkel '80, Rich Scott '79, Dirk Van Heyst '81, and Jim Jacob '82 - while Larry Charlton '79 earned All-PAC Honorable Mention accolades. Half of Allegheny's wins came in shutout fashion, as the Gators blanked Washington & Jefferson (9-0), Oberlin (1-0), John Carroll (1-0), Case Western Reserve (2-0), and Bethany (4-0). The Gators were coached by Tom Erdos, who guided the men's soccer program for four seasons from 1977-80.

Robert "Bob" Bedrosian '77 was an ace on the mound for the Gators during their run to four consecutive conference championships from 1974-77. The southpaw hurler was a three-time All-PAC selection as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. In his first year, he paced the staff with an 8-3 record and 44 strikeouts, as the team set a then-program record with 16 wins. The following year, he posted career-highs in wins (9), innings (81.1), and strikeouts (67), and the Gators yet again set a record for wins by going 18-6. Four decades later, Bedrosian - brother of former Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian - is tied with Jeff Mountain '00 for first with 26 career victories, is first in innings pitched (253), and ranks second in ERA (2.25).

Lauren Butler Ganz '12 remains one of the best throwers in Allegheny track and field history 11 years after graduation. A 10-time North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) champion, Butler was crowned the NCAC Field Athlete of the Year on four occasions, including three consecutive awards during the indoor season from 2010-12. She won the NCAC's indoor shot put and javelin championships in each of her four years with the Gators. A four-time national qualifier, Butler garnered All-America honors in the javelin on three occasions. The NCAC recognized Butler on the 30th Anniversary All-Decade Teams in the indoor and outdoor shot put and the javelin throw.

Elizabeth Blyth '13 is the first women's golf student-athlete to join Allegheny's Athletics Hall of Fame since the program was introduced in 2006. One of the most decorated golfers in team history, Blyth is the only Gator to earn All-America accolades, doing so in back-to-back seasons in 2009-10 and 2010-11. A three-time All-NCAC honoree, she led Allegheny to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships. As a sophomore, she carded her best finish on the national stage by placing sixth while helping the team secure its highest placement at NCAAs with a sixth-place performance. Blyth also owns the record for the best season average in team history at 80.32.

Nancy Nelson Mates '88 was a key member of the Allegheny softball team during the program's growth into a national contender in the 1980s and '90s. The power-hitting shortstop helped the Gators win four regional titles and qualify for four consecutive Division III Women's College World Series, culminating in a runner-up finish during her senior season in 1988. Nelson Mates was chosen to the All-Region First Team three years in a row and was named a Second-Team All-American during her sophomore and senior years. In the spring of 1988, she batted .397 with seven home runs, tied for sixth-most in team history, and 50 RBIs, which rank second all-time by a Gator in a single season. Her 163 career RBIs remain unmatched to this day.

The Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be enshrined with a formal ceremony in Schultz Banquet Hall during Hall of Fame Weekend on Friday, September 22. Inductees will also be recognized at the football game against Bethany College the following afternoon on Saturday, September 23, at 1:00 p.m.

More information about the Hall of Fame ceremony, including the availability of tickets for the public, will be released at a later date. Please direct any questions to Sean King, assistant athletic director for game management, fan experience and marketing and Hall of Fame chair, at sking@allegheny.edu.