1995 Hall of Fame Inductees

Gary Dittrich '74, women's basketball coach: Gary is being honored not only for his service as head coach of the women's basketball team, but also for being the driving force behind the establishment of the women's basketball program at Fairfield University. As a student at Fairfield, Gary proposed a women's basketball program. After gaining University recognition, he worked hard to get the necessities for the team, including uniforms, court time for practice and games, locker room space, and transportation to away games. He was also responsible for securing much of the team's financing, including sales of the first Lady Stags women's media "Picture Calendar." The team played a club-level schedule in 1973-74 and had a record of seven wins and one loss. In 1974-75, the team moved to varsity status and played on the Division III level. During this season, the Lady Stags remained undefeated, the first and only Fairfield basketball team to date to do so. Gary coached the Lady Stags for two more years, with a career record of 41 wins and 17 losses and a winning percentage of .707, the highest in Fairfield basketball history.

Stephen Festa '84, men's ice hockey: Steve was a member of the Fairfield University ice hockey team from 1980-84, serving as captain from 1983-84. Over his career he scored 89 goals and offered 102 assists for a total of 193 points, making him the Stags all-time varsity leading scorer and second on the overall (varsity and club) career scoring list. His junior year totals of 22 goals and 31 assists placed him second on the ECAC scoring list and when added to his all-around outstanding play, led to his being named an ECAC All-Star and the ECAC Division III Player of the Year, the only Stag skater to ever be so named. Steve also led the team in scoring for three consecutive years. His scoring continued in his senior year when he amassed 30 goals and 32 assists for a total of 62 points. That year he led the ECAC in scoring and was again named an ECAC Division III All-Star. Steve was named the 1984 Fairfield University Athlete of the Year by the Alumni Association.

James Kuhlmann, men's soccer coach, Posthumously: Jim is being honored posthumously for his 24 years of service to the Fairfield University athletic program as head coach of the men's soccer program. During his tenure he coached the team from its infancy in the early 1960s to the beginning of the team's emergence as a MAAC contender in the mid-1980s. In those years Jim faced many struggles, including securing University funding for the program, gaining fan support for their games, and attracting skilled players to attend Fairfield University. In all of these battles he succeeded. One of his greatest successes was recruiting. In the 1980s Jim recruited and coached: Mark Longwell '82, whose soccer prowess would shine at Fairfield, leading to a professional career with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and his induction to the Fairfield University Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989; and Alberto Zappala '82, who was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1994. Jim Kuhlmann passed away in August of 1994.

John M. McConachie '69, golf: Jack was a valuable member of the Fairfield golf team from 1965-69, one of the team's most successful eras. During three of his four seasons as a Stag golfer, he was the team's number one golfer. In his sophomore year McConachie led the team to their first Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship. As a senior captain, he led the team to the Connecticut Intercollegiate Championship and the New England Intercollegiate Championship. During the New England Intercollegiate Tournament, McConachie's score placed second in the individual scoring. In 1969, the team received a bid to the NCAA National Tournament. After graduation he continued his golf career. His achievements include winning the 1972 New England Public Links Championship, the 1982 Connecticut Section PGA Championship, and the 1984 Connecticut Open. He has twice qualified for the National PGA Championship.

Arthur "A.J." Wynder '87, men's basketball: A.J. joined the men's basketball team in the fall of 1983 and was an immediate starter for the team. Over the next four years he would help lead the team to back-to-back MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1986 and 1987. At the end of his four year career, Wynder was Fairfield's all-time leader in games played (116), 10^th all-time leader in field goals made, second all-time leader in free throw percentage (.832), third all-time leader in assists (522), and 10^th on the all-time scorers list with 1,313 points. As a junior he placed second and third respectively in assists and steals in the MAAC. In his senior year, he placed third in field goal percentage and fourth in both assists and steals in the MAAC. The league recognized his playing ability with second team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Tournament Team selections in 1987. Since graduation, A.J. has played professional basketball in Europe and the United States, including a stint with the Boston Celtics in 1991, the first former Stag to play for an NBA team.