Colt Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2024
November 12, 2024
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – The SUNY Orange Colt Athletic Hall of Fame inducted five individual athletes and its undefeated 1967-68 women’s basketball team as members of the Class of 2024 during a well-attended ceremony Saturday (Nov. 9) at the Stony Ford Golf Course in Campbell Hall.
More than 100 guests joined the inductees for the ninth induction ceremony for the Colt Athletic Hall of Fame, which enshrined its inaugural class in 2012. Joining the 1967-68 women’s basketball team in the Class of 2024 were Chantel Anthony ’05 (women’s basketball), Ben Becker ’06 (baseball), Gordon James ’00 (men’s basketball), Ashley Renwick ’08 (softball), and Travis Renwick ’11 (baseball).
CLASS OF 2024 BIOS
Chantel Anthony
Women’s Basketball / Class of 2005
A high-profile local recruit, Chantel Anthony starred for the Colts’ women’s basketball team from 2003-05 and helped build the early foundation for the women’s program as it transitioned to NJCAA Division II. As a freshman guard in 2003-04, she was named to the Mid-Hudson Conference first-team. During the 2004-05 season, she posted great all-around numbers, averaging 15.7 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, 7.5 assists per game and 2.8 steals per game. She shot 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. She was named the 2004-05 Mid-Hudson Conference Most Valuable Player and earned the College’s Mary B. Diana Female Athlete of the Year award. Nationally, she ranked fifth in assists per game, 44th in steals per game and 48th in scoring.
Anthony transferred to nearby Mount Saint Mary College, where she helped lead the team to an overall record of 50-8, a pair of Skyline Conference titles and two NCAA Division III tournament appearances, including a trip to the second round in her senior year as the Blue Knights finished 26-3. She was the Skyline Conference Most Valuable Player in 2006-07 and was an all-tournament MVP in 2007-08.
Ben Becker
Baseball / Class of 2006
Ben Becker was a standout catcher for the Colts in 2005 and 2006. He played under current athletic director Wayne Smith, who was also the baseball coach, and was a teammate of current Colt head coach Steve Cabarcas. Becker was at the heart of the 2006 team that won both the Mid-Hudson Conference and Region XV championships. He was among three SUNY Orange players named to the 2006 regional all-tournament team as the Colts captured their first-ever Region XV championship. He caught in 70 games during his career while committing only one error and throwing out 40 percent of would-be base stealers. The Colts pitching staffs during his two years yielded an impressive college ERA of 5.56.
Offensively, Becker had a career on base percentage of .428 while being among the team leaders in runs scored and runs batted in each season. He batted .284 with 18 RBI’s as a freshman while hitting .275 with 16 RBI’s as a sophomore. He was also 15-for-15 in stolen bases for his career. Following the 2006 campaign, Becker was a unanimous choice for both the all-region and all-conference teams.
Gordon James
Men’s Basketball / Class of 2000
Gordon James ranks among the top men’s basketball players to have ever played at SUNY Orange. During the 1999-2000 campaign, Gordon led all NJCAA Division III players in scoring average, tallying 24.6 points per game. He was also second in the nation in rebounding (14.4 rpg.) and field goal percentage (63 percent). Nearly a quarter century beyond his graduation, James still ranks among the SUNY Orange’s all-time leaders in single-game rebounds (27), rebounds per game in a season (15.8 rpg.), and single-season points per game (24.6 ppg.). He was named first team All-Mid Hudson Conference and second team All-American in 2000.
He transferred to Bridgeport College where he averaged a double-double (14.5 ppg. and 11.8 rpg.) during his two years as a Purple Knight, helping Bridgeport to back-to-back NCAA Division II Regional berths. He was named the New York Collegiate Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year in 2003-04, as well as all-conference and all-region. He was among the nation’s top rebounders in both of his seasons at Bridgeport. He was also a prominent presence in international basketball, seeing action for the national team of Guyana while also playing in Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Uruguay and Venezuela. In 2023, he was inducted into the Bridgeport College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Ashlee Renwick
Softball / Class of 2008
Ashlee Renwick attended SUNY Orange from 2006 to 2008, where she excelled both academically and athletically. As an outstanding softball pitcher and first baseman, Renwick was instrumental in leading the 2007 squad to an impressive 26-5 record. Over the course of her career at SUNY Orange, she pitched more than 200 innings, compiling a remarkable record of 29-10. Known for her powerful arm, she struck out 162 batters and maintained a two-year ERA of 2.73. Not only was she dominant on the mound, but she also shined at the plate, batting .354 as a freshman and .407 during her sophomore season. In 2008, she ranked second on the team with 38 runs batted in and her season-long performance earned her a spot on the Mid-Hudson Conference First Team.
While at SUNY Orange she pursued studies in elementary education, building a foundation for her professional career. She is currently a house director for the New York State Office for Persons with Developmental Disabilities, where she has worked for 15 years. In addition to her full-time role, she remains active in the sport she loves, recently coaching junior varsity softball at Chapel Field High School.
Travis Renwick
Baseball / Class of 2011
Travis Renwick was a two-year standout for the Colts’ baseball squad. A lefty hurler in 2010 and 2011, he was mainly a starting pitcher, but he was also used as an effective closer during the Colts’ regional championship run of 2010. During his career, Travis posted an 11-3 record and pitched more than 100 innings. He compiled a career ERA of 3.88, finishing with 89 strikeouts to just 29 walks, and opposing hitters batted just .233. He was named the Region XV Pitcher of the Year in 2011, as well earning first-team all-conference and all-region accolades. In 2010, he was named to the Region XV All-Tournament team.
He went on to become a standout pitcher for SUNY Brockport in 2012-13, where he was a teammate with former Colt Corey Booth who was inducted into the Colt Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. During his senior season at Brockport, he posted a 6-2 record with a 2.76 ERA over 12 appearances (10 starts), helping the team to a 21-16 record. As a junior, he was 3-2 in 10 appearances with a 2.93 ERA as the Braves went 26-17. Renwick subsequently pitched professionally for the Las Vegas Train Robbers and the Alpine Cowboys.
1967-68 Women’s Basketball
Southeast Regional Champions
The 1967-68 women’s basketball team forged an undefeated 12-0 record and won the South Eastern Regional Athletic Association postseason tournament, becoming the first women’s team at the College to do so. The Colts were coached by Hall of Famer Mary B. Diana (inducted into the Colt Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 2012). Many of the team’s players also competed in softball and/or volleyball, with some going on to careers in education and athletics. The roster included: Joanne Collins, Kathryn Williams Fay, Doris Gallose, Janice Hart, Susan Herring, Kathleen Leahy, Debra Sitzman Lehman, Paulette MacArthur Judd, Vicky Marquart, Mary Marshall, Beth McCabe, Trish Rawson, Linda Schoonmaker, Barbara Startup, Annette Cuffe (team manager), Mary Diana (coach), and Peg Williams (assistant coach).
Among the team’s victories that season included the 37-29 win over Dutchess to secure the SERAA title, as well as a pair of victories over Mount Saint Mary College (31-28 and 33-32).
Photo caption:
SUNY Orange recently inducted five former athletes, along with the College’s undefeated 1967-68 women’s basketball team, to its Colt Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Stony Ford Golf Course. The Class of 2024 became the ninth group inducted into the Hall of Fame, bringing the Hall of Fame’s roster to 52 individuals and three teams. This year’s inductees included: front row (from left), Polly MacArthur Judd, Trish Rawson, Kathryn Williams Fay, Debra Sitzman Lehman, Doris Gallose and Susan Deland Herring, all members of the 1967-68 women’s basketball squad; and back row (from left), Gordon James ’00, men’s basketball; Chantel Anthony ’05, women’s basketball; Travis Renwick ’11, baseball; Ashlee Renwick ’08, softball; Ben Becker ’06, baseball; and Beth McCabe of the 1967-68 team. Members of the women’s team who could not attend included Joanne Collins, Janice Hart, Kathleen Leahy, Vicky Marquart, Linda Schoonmaker, and Barbara Startup, as well as team manager Annette Cuffe, assistant coach Peg Williams and Hall of Fame head coach the late Mary B. Diana. (photo by Justin Cole)
