(Courtesy of yumacs.com) The Yeshiva University Athletics Department is proud to announce the inductees of the Yeshiva University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019. The second Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on June 3, in Weissberg Commons, on the Wilf Campus. The Hall of Fame honors former YU student-athletes and other individuals who have distinguished themselves in competition, and who best exemplify the University’s highest ideals and mission.

“Our second class of Hall of Fame inductees is an outstanding group of men and women who left indelible marks on the athletics program at Yeshiva University,” YU Director of Athletics Joe Bednarsh said. “We’ve got national stat leaders, four-year team win streaks, NBA draft, cross-NCAA-division champions and an All-American represented in this assembly of greats. Many of this year’s inductees played during my tenure at YU and I had the privilege to watch them grow and succeed both as people and players. It will be my honor to induct them into the Yeshiva University Athletics Hall of Fame and ensure that generations of future students and student-athletes know the history of the people who helped establish the Maccabees as a powerful program.”

The honorees include the following:

Irv Bader: Men’s Basketball, 1957-60

Irv Bader was a two-time captain, who graduated in 1960 as YU’s all-time leading scorer with 1,374 points. He helped the Maccabees to a 46-32 mark over his four years, including a 14-4 ledger in 1958-59 for the second highest winning percentage (.777) in the Red Sarachek era. Bader was also named Small College All-American as a senior in 1959-60 after placing second in the Tri-State League in scoring and was sixth the following year with 20.6 points per game. He tallied a career-high 35 points against King’s College as a sophomore in 1957-58. The men’s basketball standout was inducted into the Jewish Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

1999 MACFA Championship Men’s Fencing Team: Steve Mellner, Alex Traiman, Hadar Weiss

Steve Mellner, Alex Traiman and Hadar Weiss were members of the Yeshiva University men’s fencing team that captured the 1999 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association title in epee, despite entering the tournament as a No. 5 seed. The epee team’s MACFA crown is on record as the first conference championship for any YU sport. The Maccabees took home first-place at the army meet that same year. This trio finished third in epee at the 2000 MACFA championships and recorded a third-place finish at the Drew University meet in 2000.

Josh Hasten: Men’s Tennis, 1996-98

Josh Hasten played No. 1 singles for YU in his junior and senior seasons as well as part of his sophomore campaign. He was a key force during the Maccabees’ incredible 40-match winning streak, which ended the year after he graduated. The three-year tennis phenom went 25-3 at No. 1 singles throughout his career and secured an undefeated doubles record. He helped his 1996 team to the Independent Athletic Conference championship. As a senior during the 1997-98 season, he was named the Emile Offenbacher YU Athlete of the Year.

Dave Kufeld: Men’s Basketball, 1976-80

Dave Kufeld was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1980 NBA draft. He was named All-American as a senior in 1979-80 and was a two-time NCAA rebounding champion. He remains fifth all-time in this category in Division III history with 1,222 in only three seasons. Kufeld graduated fourth all time at YU with 1,250 points, becoming the first 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound player in school history. The men’s basketball standout was named National Jewish Player of the Year for Division II and Division III by the Jewish Sports Review in both 1979 and 1980.

Elizabeth Penn:
Women’s Fencing, 2008-12

Elizabeth Penn was selected EWFC Epee Fencer of the Year, as a senior in 2010-11, the first in YU history to receive such an honor. She recorded an 11-0 mark in the 2011 EWFC Championships and was named First-Team All-Conference. A four-time NCAA Regionals qualifier, she advanced to the second round in 2010. The epee fencer was named to the EWFC Second Team All-Conference as a junior in 2009-10. In 2009, she placed sixth individually in epee at NIWFA.

Shai Samet: Men’s Tennis, 1996-98

Shai Samet was a key member of the Yeshiva University men’s tennis team that won 40 consecutive matches. He went undefeated at No. 1 doubles with Josh Hasten in match play throughout his career and recorded an 18-2 mark at No. 3 singles. The men’s tennis standout played on the same team with his brothers, David and Ronnie, at YU. He helped his 1996 team to the Independent Athletic Conference championship and was named Norman Palefsky Scholar-Athlete of the Year at YU.

Rebecca Yoshor:
Women’s Basketball, 2011-14

Rebecca Yoshor is a two-time Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-American. She totaled 890 points and a school-record (at the time) 820 rebounds over 54 career games. As a senior in 2013-14, she led the nation in rebounding with 16 per game, while also registering 15.9 points per contest. As a junior in 2012-13, she placed fifth in the nation in rebounds (14.8) and ninth in double-doubles (17). The women’s basketball phenom was a three-time all-conference selection, who graduated YU with a 3.92 grade-point average.