PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's University Track and Cross Country programs will honor Ben Koch '02 (Germantown, Md.) and Thuy Nguyen '06 (Reading, Pa.) with induction into the teams' Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 19. In addition, the programs with recognize Dennis Salter '83 with the Manion Award for outstanding contributions to the SJU track and field teams and present the Carr/Bolger Awards to Hannah Boyce '13 and Andrew Townsend '13, as the outstanding senior athletes.
A 10-time All-Conference honoree and the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2002 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track Championships, Koch helped the Hawks achieve remarkable team success. In cross country, SJU won a pair of Conference titles (1998, 2000) and also posted a second place finish during his career, while on the track, the Hawks recorded a pair of runner-up finishes at the A-10 Indoor Championships (2001, 2002). Individually, the two-time All-A-10 harrier finished second at the 2000 Conference meet, as well as the 2001 IC4A Championship. The SJU record holder in the 3,000m Steeplechase (8:53.13), he established A-10 meet records, while winning the Steeplechase and 5,000m at the 2002 A-10 Outdoor Championships. The epitome of a student-athlete, he was a seven-time Academic All-Conference selection, earning the distinction twice each in cross country and indoor track and three times outdoor.
Among the premier middle distance runners in Hawk history, Nguyen was a nine-time All-Conference performer. Named the Most Outstanding Rookie at the 2003 Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships, she specialized in the 800m, where she captured A-10 titles both indoor (twice) and outdoor, and was a member of a pair of A-10 outdoor champion 4x800 relay teams. She set SJU records in the indoor 500m and as a member of the outdoor 4x400m relay team. She also competed in cross country.
The Track Hall of Fame induction will be held in the Doyle Banquet Room located in the Campion Student Center. For more information and to register visit alumni.sju.edu/track or contact Becky Hemphill at 610-660-3280 or rhemphil@sju.edu.
