BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott College Athletics and Recreation department is proud to announce its 2022 Hall of Fame Class. Former student-athletes Kate Cioffi Shungu '12 (Essex, Vt.), Holly Davis '13 (Guilford, Conn.), Phil Konopka '12 (Shelton, Conn.), and Austin Teal '16 (Loudonville, N.Y.) will all be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame alongside longtime softball head coach Mark Veilleux.
All five Gulls will be enshrined as the 24th Hall of Fame Class on Saturday, October 1 as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend at 9 AM inside MacDonald Gymnasium. The HOF induction ceremony will take place before the Athletics Tribute and Banner Raising ceremonies.
The Endicott Hall of Fame was established in 1994 and currently features 59 inductees.
The purpose of the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame is to give lasting recognition to those individuals and teams who have made exceptional contributions to the achievements and prestige of Endicott in the field of athletics, and who have continued to demonstrate in their lives the values imparted by intercollegiate athletics.
Alumni and supporters of Endicott Athletics are encouraged to nominate Hall of Fame candidates here:
Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame nomination form
Visit www.ecgulls.com to learn more about the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame.
ENDICOTT ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 2022
KATE CIOFFI SHUNGU '12, WOMEN'S TENNIS
The No. 1 spot in the all-time Endicott women's tennis lineup belongs to Kate Cioffi Shungu.
Cioffi Shungu is the only student-athlete in program history with more than 50 wins at No. 1 singles and 40 victories at No. 1 doubles.
Her illustrious career includes eight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) All-Conference honors, highlighted by four All-CCC First Team Singles selections, and three CCC Academic All-Conference awards.
She was the first student-athlete in program history to earn four All-CCC First Team Singles awards and receive College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District First Team accolades.
Additionally, Cioffi Shungu is the only women's tennis student-athlete in Endicott Athletics history to be named the department's Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
As a team during her four-year career (2008-12), the Gulls produced a 56-19 overall record (.747) and a 33-7 mark in conference play (.825).
Endicott won its first conference championship and made the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2008-09 behind a then-program-record 18 victories. The Gulls later reclaimed the top spot in the CCC in 2011-12 to bookend Cioffi Shungu's career with another title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Blue and Green's nine conference wins in 2008-09 (9-1) and 2009-10 (9-2) still stand as a program record.
"Very few students have the ability or confidence when they enter college as a first-year student-athlete to make an immediate impact in their chosen sport. Not only did Kate prove immediately her intent to dominate in women's tennis, but what was also clearly evident was her drive for perfection," said Assistant Vice President, Director of Athletics Dr. Brian A. Wylie. "In the classroom, Kate demanded the same excellence for herself as she did on the tennis court. She demanded that from others and was not afraid to demonstrate her leadership this way. For four years at Endicott, Kate continued this same standard which is another reason why her placement in the Hall of Fame is so obvious."
"Being inducted into the Endicott Hall of Fame is a dream come true. It was a privilege to be able to play the sport I love on a successful team and for an athletic department that was always all in for every single student-athlete, not just on game days, but every day," said Cioffi Shungu. "I can't thank my family, teammates, or coaches enough for their support from my freshman preseason all the way through my last match my senior year. I would not be the athlete I was or the person I am today without the experiences that shaped me from Endicott. It is truly an honor, and I am very thankful."
HOLLY DAVIS '13, WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY & LACROSSE
A rare two-sport athlete in cross country and lacrosse, Holly Davis produced an even more extraordinary career as a Gull.
Davis is the only student-athlete in Endicott Athletics history to earn the department's Female Student-Athlete of the Year (2013-14) and Female Athlete of the Year (2011-12) awards during their career.
Davis' other historic achievements include being the only CoSIDA Academic All-American in women's lacrosse program history and the all-time leader in shots on goal (342), shots on goal per game (4.38), and draw controls (304).
She also ranks second all-time in goals (213) and draw controls per game (3.90), third in goals per game (2.73), and fourth in points (261).
Overall in her career, Davis played in 78 games compiling 213 goals and 48 assists for 261 points alongside 112 ground balls, 304 draw controls, and 41 caused turnovers.
Davis earned CCC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2013, two All-CCC First Team selections, and one All-CCC Second Team honor. She also was a four-time All-Region award winner and a three-time CCC Academic All-Conference selection.
As a team during her career (2010-13), the Gulls registered a 55-26 overall record (.679) and a 35-2 conference mark (.946).
Endicott won four straight conference championships during that span — which occurred during the program's run of nine consecutive titles from 2006-2014 — and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 2013.
The Gulls' 11-0 conference record in 2010 still stands as the most league wins by any team in CCC women's lacrosse history.
As a member of the cross country program, Davis was a mainstay in the top-5 throughout her career, one of only four student-athletes to be named a captain multiple times, and a three-time CCC Academic All-Conference honoree bringing her career total to six.
Davis is the first cross country inductee into the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame and the third women's lacrosse honoree.
"It is such an honor to recognize Holly for all that she achieved during her time at Endicott. The accolades that Holly received inside the classroom are as impressive…if not more, than what Holly did in her time on the lacrosse field and running cross country," said Wylie. "Equally as impressive, is when you meet Holly you immediately recognize how truly a great person she is. Her warm, caring, and nurturing demeanor she has with people is like no other. This buoyed by her pure athleticism and determination were always on display separating her from most on the field or trail. A phenomenal leader that espoused inclusion and belonging, and made everyone better around her."
"It is an honor to be inducted into the Endicott Athletic Hall of Fame," said Davis. "My four years as a student-athlete taught me invaluable lessons that I take with me now beyond the cross country course and lacrosse field. I am grateful for my family, coaches, and teammates — thank you for your support."
PHIL KONOPKA '12, FOOTBALL
Phil Konopka put up video game numbers during his four-year career at Endicott (2008-2011).
In 41 games played at quarterback, Konopka threw for 69 touchdowns and 7,085 yards on 617 completions.
Konopka averaged 6.8 yards per pass, 172.8 passing yards per game, and notched a 133.1 efficiency rating under center.
He still ranks third all-time in pass attempts (1,047), completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing yards per game, total offense, and TDs responsible for (80).
In the single-season record books, Konopka holds the No. 2 spot in the following categories despite graduating in 2012: pass attempts (343 in 2010), passing yards (2,683 in 2011), TDs responsible for (31 in 2011), total offense per play (7.82 in 2011), and total offensive yards (2,579 in 2011).
Konopka earned several awards during his career but none more important than becoming the first quarterback to earn All-America honors in program history in 2011.
His other individual accolades include New England Football Conference (NEFC) Boyd Offensive Player and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) North Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2011, one All-Region award, and one NEFC Boyd First Team selection.
Konopka also guided the Gulls to their first NEFC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010 and an ECAC North Bowl title in 2011.
As a team from 2008-11, Endicott went 27-16 overall (.628) and 17-11 in league play (.607) with Konopka as the primary signal caller.
The Gulls and Konopka raised their respective level every season from a wins and individual statistics standpoint culminating in Konopka guiding the 2011 squad to a program-best 10 victories.
He did so behind career numbers for completions (200), yards (2,683), touchdowns (27), completion percentage (66.7), average yards per pass (8.9), average passing yards per game (243.9), and efficiency rating (165.5).
"Phil entered Endicott as a freshman with arguably the best recruiting class that Endicott football has ever had. Phil's abilities as a quiet leader were amplified by his dynamic playmaking ability allowing him to open the offense in a way that Endicott hadn't seen before," said Wylie. "Over his four years, it was a special opportunity for all of us to see how Endicott football, and from the great coaching in every aspect of the game, began to make its mark on the national stage. Phil and those early teams were a huge part of this amazingly successful trajectory that forged the path for football to follow to where we are today."
"It's an honor to be inducted into the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame. This would not be possible without the love and support of my family who never missed a game," said Konopka. "I'm thankful for my teammates who I competed with each week, and for the lifelong friendships that we formed. Lastly, I'd like to thank Coach Volpone and Coach Wells who believed in me for four years, and pushed me to not only be the best quarterback I could be, but also instilled in me values that I will carry with me forever."
AUSTIN TEAL '16, MEN'S GOLF
Austin Teal's career was simply historic.
Teal was the first student-athlete in program history to be named CCC Golfer of the Year (2014-15), to earn All-Region honors (2013-14), and the first and only Gull to receive All-America accolades (2014).
He also is the lone member of the storied program to secure multiple CCC Golfer of the Year awards (2014-16) and the only golfer to compete individually at an NCAA Tournament (2013-14), finishing tied for ninth place overall out of 210 competitors.
No one else has accomplished this feat in CCC history as well.
In total, Teal was a two-time All-Region honoree (only 1 of 2 in the program), a two-time CCC Golfer of the Year, a three-time All-CCC First Team selection, and a three-time CCC medalist.
Teal led his squad to back-to-back CCC Championships in 2013 and 2014 and runner-up honors in 2015-16.
And in what should seem obvious at this point, Teal is now the first men's golf student-athlete inducted into the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame.
"Austin Teal distinguished himself as a stellar four-year athlete while also carrying himself as an amazing teammate and leader during his time at Endicott. Not only did Austin have exceptional talent as a golfer, but his poise and ability to make unthinkable shots in critical times of a match are what stands out to me as an observer," said Wylie. "In some respects, Austin had the ability to defy odds and find a level of play that was so incredibly rare to see at this level. He is a true competitor and someone that made others around him better."
"It is an honor to be inducted into the Endicott Athletics Hall of Fame. I'd like to thank Coach Smith, my teammates, and of course my family," said Teal. "It truly would not have been possible without everyone's support and I can't thank them enough for the roles that they played in this achievement. I was able to create lifelong memories on and off the course during my four years at Endicott and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a Gull."
MARK VEILLEUX, HEAD SOFTBALL COACH
From 1995-2017, Mark Veilleux's softball teams dominated the New England Region.
The Gulls captured 13 conference championships, highlighted by an unprecedented run of eight straight CCC crowns from 2003 to 2011, made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances — including two runs to the Regional Finals — and won a staggering 620 games total during that span.
Endicott also went 362-60-2 (.856) in conference play under Veilleux's guidance and secured an ECAC Division III New England Championship in 2012.
Despite retiring from coaching in 2017, Veilleux still entered the 2022 season ranked No. 38 all-time in the NCAA Division III record books for wins and winning percentage (620-275-12, .690, minimum 10 years).
Veilleux's other career highlights include capturing the first conference championship in Endicott Athletics history (1995), earning four Coach of the Year awards across two conferences, coaching 10 Endicott Hall of Famers — the most of any coach in school history — and ranking first all-time among his Endicott peers in wins by nearly 200 victories at the time of his induction.
Individually, his student-athletes earned one All-America selection, 56 All-Region accolades, 129 All-Conference honors, three CCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, and 74 Academic All-Conference citations.
Major awards for the program during his coaching tenure included seven Player of the Year honors, eight Pitcher of the Year selections, and seven Rookie of the Year winners.
"Coach Veilleux is the consummate professional in everything that he does. He was a master composer on the softball field and always was three steps ahead of the opposing coach. His ability to recruit top-notch student-athletes that possessed the same unrelenting desire to succeed was a great strength, but he went even further, by pushing his student-athletes to not just reach unthinkable levels in the field, but in life," said Wylie. "No other program in Endicott's history that we've seen to this point, year-in and year-out, were as successful as Coach Veilleux's. He's been a mentor for so many, and for as great as he is to be a Hall of Fame Coach, he's a better husband, father, grandfather, and role model for so many."
"Being inducted into the Endicott College Athletics Hall of Fame is quite an honor," said Veilleux. "I was fortunate to have many outstanding assistant coaches and players along the way as well as excellent leadership from former President Richard Wylie, former Vice President of Admissions Tom Redman, current Athletic Director Brian Wylie, and former Athletic Director Larry Hiser. Endicott College is such a special place and I am happy to have been a part of it." For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
