Athletics Honors Hall of Fame Inductees
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, honored seven of its alumni and former student-athletes at the 2009 Athletics Hall of Fame dinner.
Penn State Behrend inducted seven members into the 2009 Hall of Fame Class to recognize their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the college. They are Brock Bovaird, Lisa (Fox) Caruso, Erin (McCormick) Helmkamp, Travis Lang, Jason Paloskey, Emily (Marini) Tatsch, and Jill Yamma.
In addition, the Behrend Lions Athletic Association recognized four teams of distinction: the 1999 women’s tennis and men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as the 1999-2000 men’s basketball team. The Behrend Lions Athletic Hall of Fame honors individuals and teams, and currently has 106 individuals and 10 teams as members. Established in 1991, the Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Behrend Lions Athletic Association.
Brock Bovaird ’99 is arguably one of the best point guards to play for the Behrend Lions. He was Penn State Behrend’s 1998-99 Male Athlete of the Year. Bovaird is a graduate of Brockway High School and earned a B.A. in psychology. He is currently a behavioral health therapist in Brookville.
Lisa (Fox) Caruso ’99 excelled in both soccer and softball throughout her four years on campus. She was named the college’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1998-99 and was honored with the softball program’s leadership and scholarship award. She is a graduate of Carrick High School, earned a B.S. in biology, and now is a zoo keeper at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.
Erin (McCormick) Helmkamp ’99, the most prolific blocker in Penn State Behrend volleyball history, still holds the records for solo blocks and block assists in both a single season and career. Helmkamp earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and teaches biology at Trinity Area High School in Washington, Pa. She also spent five years coaching the Trinity volleyball team, guiding them to a section championship and multiple appearances in the playoffs.
Travis Lang ’98, ’01 M.B.A. was a standout central midfielder for the men’s soccer team and also served as an assistant coach on the 1999 AMCC Championship team. To date, Lang’s 24 career assists remain the all-time record for the Behrend Lions. He earned an M.B.A. and a B.A. in economics at Penn State Behrend. Lang is currently a financial advisor with BNY Mellon Wealth Management in Pittsburgh.
Jason Paloskey ’99 drained jumper after jumper in Erie Hall, averaging double figures in scoring for three straight seasons with the men’s basketball team. He remains in the record books for his free-throw percentage and career three pointers. Paloskey is a graduate of Bucktail Area High School in Renovo, Pa., and earned a B.A. in communications. He works for Heidolph Brinkmann in Myerstown, Pa.
Emily (Marini) Tatsch ’98 played much larger than her 5’5” frame during her four-year basketball career. She was named to the first-ever AMCC All-Conference squad in 1997-98 after averaging eight points and six rebounds per game. Tatsch, a graduate of Mercyhurst Preparatory School, earned a B.S. in business, liberal arts and sciences. She is a business education teacher in the Ligonier Valley School District.
Jill Yamma ’00, ’03 M.B.A. was a four-year starting defender for the Behrend Lions women’s soccer team. During the 1997, 1998 and 1999 seasons of AMCC play, the Behrend Lions rolled to a perfect 18-0 record en route to three straight regular season and conference tournament championships. Yamma is a graduate of McDowell High School and earned an M.B.A. and a B.S. in business, liberal arts and sciences. She is currently director of athletic communications and sports marketing at Allegheny College.
Visit www.behrend.psu.edu/athletics/hall/2009.htm for detailed biographies and stats on each inductee.