Laurentian pride filled Newell Field House on Friday evening as the St. Lawrence University athletic community gathered for the Robert J. Sheldon Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, welcoming seven honorees into the hall across five individual inductees and two team honorees.

The program opened with two team inductions, beginning with the 2009 Women's Cross Country team, which enters the hall following one of the most dominant seasons in program history. Led by Wendy Pavlus, who became the first female individual NCAA national champion in St. Lawrence history, the Saints swept the Liberty League, NYSCTC, and NCAA Atlantic Regional championships before finishing second at the NCAA Division III Championships.Coach Mike Howard delivered remarks on behalf of the program, joined by team members Chelsea Lloyd and Johannah Ludington.

Next, the 1996-97 and 1997-98 Men's Basketball Teams were inducted. The two squads posted a combined record of 46-6 and a winning percentage of .885 across two seasons under head coaches Dave Paulsen and Chris Downs, with the 96-97 team hosting an NCAA Tournament game and the 97-98 team advancing to the Elite Eight. Mo Cassara, Greg Acunto, and Andy Bardeschewski offered remarks on behalf of the group.

The program then turned to individual honorees. Emily D'Alessandro Whyte, Class of 2015, was first to the stage, recognized as one of the most accomplished riders in St. Lawrence history. A two-time individual national champion in 2012 and 2014, D'Alessandro Whyte was also a key contributor to back-to-back national championship riding teams.

Ashley-Kate Durham, Class of 2013, was inducted next for a standout Alpine Skiing career that featured 17 top-10 finishes and a third-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Championships, earning her All-America honors. Durham's signature win came at the 2012 UVM Carnival Giant Slalom, and she remains one of the most decorated Alpine skiers in program history.

Garry Weischedel, Class of 1979, was recognized as one of the most decorated swimmers ever to compete for the Saints. A four-year, 11-event All-American who helped St. Lawrence capture its first-ever NCAA team championship, Weischedel also earned the Douglas McDevitt Award as the region's outstanding graduating senior swimmer.

Joe Marsh was inducted as the most successful coach in the history of St. Lawrence Athletics. Over 26 seasons behind the Saints' bench, Marsh compiled 468 victories, led the program to five ECAC championships, two Frozen Four appearances, and the 1988 NCAA National Championship game. A two-time Spencer Penrose NCAA Division I Coach of the Year and recipient of the American Hockey Coaches Association's John MacInnes Award, Marsh spoke to the generations of players he developed both on and off the ice.

Closing the inductions was Wally Johnson, who spent more than four decades as the face of Saints sports information. Arriving in Canton in 1975, Johnson guided the office through a complete transformation of the profession and accumulated every major honor in his field, including CoSIDA Hall of Fame induction in 2013 and the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Johnson received a standing ovation following his address of the audience.

The Saints Athletics Hall of Fame committee will now convene and select next year's induction class, which will be celebrated at a future Reunion Weekend ceremony.