New Members Inducted Into Athletic Hall of Fame

Five new inductees were welcomed into the Dominican College Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Friday, September 29, 2107,  in the Granito Center. The new inductees include: Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., ’64, Service; Jaclyn Spitaleri, ’07, Basketball; Michael Zani, ’07 Baseball; Kyle Clancy, ’06, Soccer; and Jamar Snider, ‘01, Basketball. 

Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., ’64, Service

John Burke, Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students, described Sr. Mary Eileen as a humble leader who holds athletics close to her heart. As President of the College for about 30 years, she has been at the helm, he pointed out, for about 60 percent of the College’s athletic history.  “Sr. Mary Eileen I think is on the short list of the most valuable people to the 50 years of athletics at the College.” 

Sr. Mary Eileen thanked those gathered for the honor. “It has been a privilege to serve with so many good people interested in very important and good things,” she said. “Go Chargers! We need your team spirit, your strong bodies, your keen minds, and determination to win.”

Jaclyn Spitaleri, ’07, Basketball

Basketball inductee Jacklyn Spitaleri was a strong, athletic. and smart basketball player, according to her former coach John Burke. “I think she was by far the most talented point guard we ever had here, “ he said.  Burke pointed out that she was the all-time leader in assists with 530 assists, held the single season record with 173 assists her senior year and scored more than 1100 points. 

Spitaleri told the crowd gathered that she couldn’t express how honored she was to be at the induction ceremony, “I took great pride in being a Dominican Charger and will hold onto those memories for the rest of my life,”  she said.

Michael Zani, ’07, Baseball

Baseball Coach Rick Gianetti said Michael Zani was a solid player, a great lead-off hitter, and made two of the greatest catches he has ever seen. Zani was a member of the 2006 team that won the CACC Tournament Championship and played in the NCAA East Regional Tournament .  He has the second most hits in College history at 214.  Zani thanked his family and friends and said at Dominican College he learned to be respectful and to value other people.  “Baseball was a big part of my life.  It impacted me on and off the field,”  he said. 

Kyle Clancy, ’06, Soccer

Kyle Clancy was a “dream find” for any coach, according to former Dominican College Soccer Coach Michael Swanwick, who came back to the College to speak about Clancy during the induction ceremony. “He scored 71 goals in his college career and the majority of them were game winning goals – games right down to the end – nail-biters,”  he said.  While Clancy was at Dominican College,  the soccer team won three conference championships.  Swanwick said in addition to having excellent soccer skills, Clancy was an excellent student, a great teammate, and a nice guy. 

Clancy pointed out that as a forward, he got to score the goals, but stressed that he had a great team behind him. “The real reason I’m able to receive this amazing honor tonight is my teammates,” he said. 

Jamar Snider, ’01, Basketball

Coach Joe Clinton said Jamar Snider was the reason the College won a Conference Championship two years in a row. He scored over 1,000 points in three years and grabbed over 500 rebounds.  Coach Clinton stressed that Snider also had tremendous loyalty to the program and the school and years later likes to give the basketball team pep talks when they are playing near his New Jersey home.  “I’m proud of him.  He’s well-deserving and again one of the best players to ever put on a Charger uniform – especially all-around players,” said Clinton.   

Snider talked about the relationship that he’s built to the school over the years and spoke to his teammates and Coach. “To that relationship I say thank you guys, I say I love you guys.  It’s been a wonderful ride and a great journey,” he said.