Benedictine University to induct four athletes

Four of the top performers in the history of sports at Benedictine University will be inducted into the Lisle school's Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Dan and Ada Rice Center, 5700 College Road.

The new inductees are track and field's Elyse Weber (Class of 1999), tennis player Ben Marchlewicz (Class of 1977), basketball's Charles Pisoni (Class of 1960) and football's Michael Gallagher (Class of 1975).

Benedictine also will honor Dan and Ada Rice as special contributors.

The new inductees will join 34 individuals and two teams in the school's Hall of Fame.

Ceremonies begin at 11 a.m., followed by a men's and women's basketball doubleheader at 2 p.m. vs. Rockford College.

Here's a quick look at the honorees and their contributions to Benedictine:

Elyse Weber

Bachelor of science in molecular biology, track and field

Weber is one of the top performers in Benedictine University track and field history. She was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American and is the school record-holder in the indoor shot put, the indoor 20-pound weight throw, the outdoor hammer throw and the outdoor discus.

Weber qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Track and Field Championships in the discus in 1997, 1998 and 1999, placing fourth in 1998. In addition, she competed at the indoor nationals in the 20-pound weight throw event in 1998 and 1999, finishing sixth and fifth, respectively.

While at Benedictine, Weber was voted student-athlete of the year in 1999 and was the recipient of the "Procopian Award," the highest honor Benedictine can bestow upon a student and presented for outstanding performance in curricular and extracurricular activities.

She served as an instructor's assistant in the biology department her final two years at Benedictine. Weber earned a bachelor of science in molecular biology from Benedictine in 1999 and earned a master of science in human genetics from the University of Michigan in 2000. She worked as a genetics counselor at the University of Chicago until 2009 and now serves in the same capacity at Edward Hospital in Naperville.

Weber and her husband, Brian, live in Aurora with their two children.

Ben Marchlewicz

Bachelor of science in biochemistry, men's tennis

Marchlewicz is one of the most prolific tennis players in Benedictine annals, winning 137 matches during his four-year career and earning a No. 13 national ranking in 1976. He was named to multiple all-conference, all-district and all-state teams.

Marchlewicz earned a bachelor of science in biochemistry from Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine University) in 1977 and earned a Ph.D. in microbiology from Northwestern University in 1981. He is presently a program manager at Abbott Diagnostics.

Marchlewicz performed postdoctoral work at the University of Missouri before moving on to Abbott Labs in North Chicago. He also earned a master of business administration in 1993 from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, where he is an adjunct professor. He has held multiple leadership positions at Abbott Labs and has been published in a number of professional publications regarding his work in microbiology.

Marchlewicz and his wife, Kit, reside in Libertyville and have two grown children.

Charles Pisoni

Bachelor of arts in literature, men's basketball

Pisoni was presented the "Procopian Athlete of the Year" award in 1959 when he led the St. Procopius College (now Benedictine University) men's basketball team in scoring and rebounding. He concluded his athletic career as the school's fourth all-time leading scorer and established a single-season record for rebounds. Pisoni earned a bachelor of arts in literature from St. Procopius College in 1960.

After leaving St. Procopius, Pisoni taught and coached at both Joliet Catholic High School in Joliet and Lincoln-Way High School in New Lenox before earning a master of education from the University of Illinois in 1966. He then joined the faculty in the department of educational administration at Central Michigan University and earned a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1977. He retired from Central Michigan as professor emeritus in 2001.

Pisoni and his wife, Nancy, reside in Mount Pleasant, Mich. They have five grown children.

Michael Gallagher

Bachelor of arts in accounting, football

Gallagher was the leading receiver on the Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine University) football team that led the nation in offense in the early 1970s. He held the school record for single-game receiving yards, single-season receiving yards and single-season receptions. He still shares the record for receptions in a single game. He earned a bachelor of arts in accounting and is now senior vice president at Calamos Investments in Naperville.

Gallagher began his career in public accounting in 1976 at Ernst & Ernst. He held numerous accounting positions until 1984 when he joined Kemper Financial Services as director of insurance services. Gallagher spent 25 years and survived four mergers while becoming a managing director for Deutsche Asset Management.

After leaving Deutsche Bank, he joined Calamos Investments where he has been for the last 31/2 years.

Gallagher and his wife, Janet (Illinois Benedictine College, Class of 1976), reside in Addison. They have three children.

Dan and Ada Rice

The mission of the Benedictine University Athletic Hall of Fame is "to recognize and honor those who have achieved significant accomplishments in relation to Benedictine University Athletics, and/or those who through their service have significantly contributed to the growth and success of Benedictine University athletics and our student-athletes."

Few have contributed more to the success of Benedictine athletics than Dan and Ada Rice.

Benedictine athletics were still in their infancy when Dan and Ada Rice first shared the vision of a facility dedicated to education, physical fitness and athletic competition. From personal gifts and through their estate, Dan and Ada Rice contributed nearly $1.4 million to construct the Rice Center in 1976.

Now more than 30 years later, the Dan and Ada Rice Center continues to serve as home to Benedictine University intercollegiate athletic events, the central point for campus recreation and host for numerous special events. Trophies and memorabilia from the Dan and Ada Rice Horse Farm also remain on display for visitors to enjoy.

To honor Dan and Ada's commitment to Benedictine University, the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation has agreed to a $1.5 million initiative to support the renovation of the Rice Center. The foundation is contributing $500,000 to the renovation project and challenging Benedictine University and its supporters to match the grant on a 2-to-1 scale.

<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>If you go </b></p> <p class="factboxtext12col">What: Four alumni inducted into Benedictine University's Athletic Hall of Fame</p> <p class="factboxtext12col">When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30</p> <p class="factboxtext12col">Where: Dan and Ada Rice Center, 5700 College Road, Lisle </p> <p class="factboxtext12col">Info: ben.edu</p>