GENEVA, N.Y.—The Statesmen Athletic Association Board of Directors recently elected the Hobart College Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Seven Statesmen greats will be honored on campus Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018.
 
The 21st Hall of Fame class includes Stockton Buck '66, of Bolinas, Calif., Len DeFrancesco '56, of Geneva, Jeremy Foley '74, of Gainesville, Fla., the late Delivan "Augie" Gates '56, Bill Palmer '94, of Atlanta, Kent Smack '97, of Carlisle, Mass., and Jeff Tambroni '92, of State College, Pa. These seven men will raise the Hobart Hall of Fame roster to 125.
 
The Class of 2018 will be publically recognized during halftime of the Hobart-Ithaca football game at Boswell Field on Nov. 3, and then formally inducted in a black tie optional celebration that evening in Bristol Gymnasium. Celebration invitations will be mailed to SAA members and inductees' guests in the fall.
 
Stockton Buck '66
 
Buck is regarded as one of the best all-time lacrosse midfielders at Hobart. As team captain of the 1966 Laurie Cox Division champions, Buck earned All-America honors and received the Judge Kane Award as the team's MVP.  Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Army and is a retired FBI special agent. Stockton played a key role in the growth of lacrosse in California. He was three-time Coach of the Year while serving at St. Ignatius High School and is a member of the Northern California Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.
 
Len DeFrancesco '56
 
DeFrancesco was a four-year letter winner in basketball and baseball, serving the Hobart nine as captain in 1955 and 1956 and captaining the 1955-56 basketball Statesmen. He was voted the Hobart Athlete of the Year in 1955-56, earning the first "Babe" Kraus Award. As a senior, he averaged over 10 points per game on the basketball court. That 1955-56 Hobart basketball team was named a Hobart College Team of Distinction in 2010. On the diamond, DeFrancesco played first base and pitcher. He also lettered one season in soccer. Along with his athletic prowess, DeFrancesco was a highly regarded campus leader; elected to the Orange Key, Chimera and Druid honor societies and president of his fraternity. He is a retired public school teacher.
 
Jeremy Foley '74
 
Recently retired following a distinguished career as an athletic administrator at the University of Florida, Foley is regarded as one of the very best NCAA Division I athletic directors. The alumni associations of both Hobart and Florida have honored him. Additionally, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame saluted Foley in 2007 with the John L. Toner award for his superior administrative achievements. As a Statesman, he earned varsity letters in football and lacrosse and, in 1974, he received the Vandeverg Award as Hobart's most improved lacrosse player. Foley has been a major donor to the continued development of athletic facilities at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
 
Delivan "Augie" Gates '56
 
Gates was among the small band of loyal Hobart alumni who founded the Statesmen Athletic Association (SAA) in 1970. Over his lifetime, he was a faithful and generous supporter of the SAA and especially of Hobart football.  A second team All-American as a senior, Gates was captain of the 1954 football team which finished with a 6-1-1 record. Following the win over Allegheny, Gates, a two-way player as an offensive and defensive lineman, was selected player of the week for small colleges in the East. Along with four varsity letters in football, he lettered three years as a lacrosse defenseman. Gates enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation. He was the owner of Broome Bituminous Products in Vestal, N.Y. Gates passed away on October 21, 2017.
 
Bill Palmer '94
 
Palmer earned All-America honors in both football and lacrosse. As a senior, he served as a team captain for both sports. Palmer still holds the Hobart football record for career interceptions (23) and is tied for most interceptions in a season (9). In 1993, the Statesmen defeated the top-ranked Division III team in the East, finished 7-3 and earned a bid to an ECAC Bowl. Palmer was also a three-year lacrosse letterman, playing on the 1993 NCAA Division III championship team. He has played a key role in the growth of youth lacrosse in Georgia and has returned to campus a guest coach in the Napier Leadership Seminar.
 
Kent Smack '97
 
A four-year varsity rower, Smack fostered the growth and development of the sport during his athletic career at Hobart. He served as a team captain during his senior season. During his collegiate career, the Statesmen became more powerful among New York State programs and began to earn recognition on the regional and national levels. Following graduation, Smack earned a spot on the 2001 U.S. National Rowing Team and, through tireless dedication, was named to the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Athens. As a Hobart student-athlete, Kent was highly regarded as a campus leader and founded the Committee on Reviving Hobart Tradition.
 
Jeff Tambroni '92
 
An All-American attackman in lacrosse, Tambroni played on three NCAA Division III Championship teams. Over his career, he recorded 103 goals and 99 assists for 202 points and he continues to rank in the top 20 in all three categories. The Most Outstanding Player of the 1990 NCAA tournament, Tambroni earned the 1992 Bill Stiles '43 Memorial Award for leadership and character and was also selected team MVP. Following graduation, he pursued a career in coaching. Currently the head lacrosse coach at Penn State, Tambroni previously served as the head coach at Cornell. His career began with assistant coaching stints at Hobart, Loyola and Cornell.
 
About the Hall of Fame
 
The Hall of Fame was established to recognize outstanding athletes, coaches, administrators, and friends who enhance the proud and rich tradition of Hobart athletics. The permanent location of the Statesmen Hall of Fame is the Trophy Lobby on the second floor of Bristol Gymnasium. This space was renovated in 2001 and again in 2010 thanks to a gift from the estate of the late Betsy Kline Stiles '45. In recognition of the living inductees, specially-designed embroidered patches are sewn on the navy blazers which are presented at the induction dinner.
 
About the Statesmen Athletic Association
 
For more than 40 years, the members of the SAA have put their shoulders firmly behind the Statesmen. From 1970's charter members to today's 1,000-plus donors, the generous teamwork of SAA members has strengthened the athletics program at Hobart College and reinforced the educational experience of thousands of student-athletes. Augmenting the Hobart Athletic Department budget, nearly 75 percent of the SAA's funding is earmarked for team support: equipment, uniforms, recruiting, technology, and the Napier Leadership Seminar. The remaining 25 percent helps to underwrite team awards, the Block H Dinner and membership services.