On Saturday morning, two alums were inducted into the Stony Brook School Athletic Hall of Fame. Here is the induction address given by Dan Hickey ’04, Director of Athletics.

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Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the 23rd induction ceremonies of the Stony Brook School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Today I have the honor of welcoming two new members into an exclusive club that represents the very best student-athletes from the 96-year history of Blue and White Athletics.

This summer, 12 members of our Hall of Fame voted on a list of 10 nominees, spanning five decades, and Dave Wilson, Class of 1978, and Doug Alioth, Class of 1988, received the highest number of votes. So, we have an All-Shrikes induction this afternoon. I was pleased with this year’s selections because, though I did not have the privilege of watching these men play, their names and legacies loom large in my memory from stories I’ve heard through the years.

Our first inductee is Dave Wilson, Class of ‘78. Dave distinguished himself in two sports during his time at the Brook, evidenced by his pair of school records in basketball and track.

On the track, he tossed the discus a distance of 165-feet, a school record that has stood the test of forty years. Bruce Lockerbie, who coached Dave in the discus, remembered his time with him, saying, “David learned quickly to manage the strange confines of the discus ring and the paradoxical reality that speed within that circle and the final hip thrust are more important than mere arm strength. He was a good learner, a good student of the event, a courageous competitor, and a joy to coach.”

But it was the basketball court where Dave found his true calling. He twice earned the school’s Basketball Performance Award and was named an All-American in 1977. He also became just the second Brooker to reach the 1,000-point milestone, tying Drake Womack’s school record of 1,025 points in his final game. On his last night wearing the Blue & White, Wilson poured in a school record 54 points in a 100-72 win over Eastport. To this day only fifty players in Long Island history have scored fifty points in a single game, including our Jonas Fischer, Class of 1994.

But Dave’s value to the team went beyond his scoring prowess. His coach, Thom Brownworth, remembers him as a quiet leader with a, “picture perfect jump shot release,” who always gave his all. He went on to say, “Dave was one of the best rebounders I ever coached. Standing at 5’ 11” (or 6’ 3” depending on how he combed his hair) he was a tireless force on the court.”

When I asked Dave to consider what Stony Brook means to him, now looking back over the last 40 years, he had this to say:

“Stony Brook to this day reminds me of God’s providential control over all the circumstances in my life and his marvelous grace and mercy. I always reflect on and appreciate the deep love of all the teachers and staff at Stony Brook. Without the four years at the Brook, life would have been very different for me as a young adult growing up in East Harlem, New York. The Brook gave me the opportunity to set a strong foundation for my future. I thank God for the vision of Frank E. Gaebelein and the Stony Brook School.”

Please join me in honoring, Dave Wilson.

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Our next inductee is Doug Alioth, Class of 1988.

Doug was a three-sport force for the Shrikes, earning All-County accolades in soccer, basketball, and baseball and the Swanson Best All-Around Athlete Award in his junior and senior years.

He was a three-time winner of the Soccer Performance Award at the Brook, and continued his outstanding play at Messiah College, where he helped lay the foundation of the renowned Falcon dynasty. At Messiah he was a three-time All-Region and All-Conference selection and was named the Middle Atlantic Conference Player of the Year in 1991. He remains fifth in Messiah history for assists in a season with 13.

On the basketball court, he was a prolific scorer for the Shrikes, pouring in over 30 points on six occasions in his junior season alone, during which he averaged 25.7 points per game. He appeared destined to join Dave in the 1,000 point club until he broke his hand in the first scrimmage of his senior season. Lost with the injury was the hope of a League Championship season and a slew of individual accolades, but Doug’s response to the setback said more about his character than any scoring records could. Coach Brownworth remembers that following his injury, Doug came to every practice, helping in any way he could, and became another assistant coach for the team. When his cast came off in time for the last game of the year, the Shrikes beat the League Champions with their leader back in the lineup. And despite playing in only one game that season, the coaches had such respect for Doug that they voted him onto the All-League team.

While a team championship eluded him on the hardwood, he was the catalyst for a resurgence in the baseball team, leading them to the 1985 League Championship, the program’s first title since 1967. In the clinching game, Doug recorded 2 RBIs and earned the victory on the mound, notching 7 strikeouts over 5.2 innings in a 13-1 win over Shelter Island. In 1987 the team earned a berth in the County Championship, thanks to Doug’s two-run single that capped a three-run 7th inning rally in a 7-6 win over Southampton. In the final, Doug’s 2 RBIs powered the Brook’s 11-5 win over Hampton Bays, the first County title in program history. He continues to hold school records in hits, total bases, and consecutive games with a hit.

Doug achieved a great deal in his career as a Brooker, but what stands out to him from his time here goes well beyond the game. He recalled breaking his hand in that early season scrimmage, saying, “At that point in my life I had put too much emphasis on sports. It was a painful lesson, but God really used it to help me rearrange my priorities in life. I also got some great advice from Marvin Goldberg one day after a basketball game that I will always treasure. Something tells me that many an athlete from Stony Brook has a similar story regarding Mr. Goldberg.”

Now Doug joins Mr. Goldberg in the Hall of Fame. Please join me in honoring, Doug Alioth.

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