MASCAC Announces Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024
Fitchburg, MA: The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) announced the Hall Of Fame Class of 2024 as former Fitchburg State Men’s Track & Field standout Brian Crossman, former Fitchburg State baseball, men’s soccer and men’s basketball coach and Athletic Director Robert Elliot and former Fitchburg State Athletic Director Sue Lauder were inducted into the MASCAC Hall Of Fame as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.
Crossman '88, Robert Elliot & Sue Lauder inducted into MASCAC HOF
Fitchburg, MA: The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) announced the Hall Of Fame Class of 2024 as former Fitchburg State Men's Track & Field standout Brian Crossman, former Fitchburg State baseball, men's soccer and men's basketball coach and Athletic Director Robert Elliot and former Fitchburg State Athletic Director Sue Lauder were inducted into the MASCAC Hall Of Fame as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.
There are seven categories for nomination: student-athlete from a men's team, student athlete from a women's team, overall team, male coach, female coach, administrator and legend.
In the steep track tradition at Fitchburg, Brian is the most highly decorated athlete of all. He was a 13-time All-American and a three-time National Champion. Crossman also won nine New England Championships and set two national records. Six of his records at Fitchburg State still stand.
His New England All-Division 400 meters title as a freshman in 1985 was a sign that Fitchburg State was about to witness a special career. The following winter, Brian set a national meet record at the indoor NCAA DIII National Championships with a time of 48.45 seconds in the 400 meters.
In the winter of 1988, Crossman set two more national records at the NCAA DIII Indoor National Championships, anchoring the 4x400 meter relay team and running the first sub-48 second (47.88) indoor 400 meter in NCAA Division II history.
Brian credits his coaches, Jim Sheehan and fellow Hall of Famer Dave Farnsworth for pushing him to excel. Crossman was inducted into the Fitchburg State Hall of Fame in 1997.
The late Robert Elliot dedicated much of his adult lift to Fitchburg State athletics. Elliot coached baseball at Fitchburg State for 24 years, from 1942-66. In 1962 he led Fitchburg State to its first ever unbeaten season when the Falcons finished 12-0.
He also coached soccer for 15 years and men's basketball for four seasons. Under his leadership, the soccer team won five NETCC Championships and enjoyed the school's first unbeaten season (4-0-3) in 1952.
Elliot taught Physical Education from 1941-1967. He was the department head and the Athletic Director for much of the span. His contributions for Fitchburg State athletics were recognized in 1979 when Fitchburg State named their outdoor athletic complex after Robert Elliot. Elliot was inducted in the Fitchburg State Hall of Fame in 1994 as part of FSU's inaugural class.
For over 21 years, Lauder guided and greatly enhanced both the intercollegiate athletics and recreation program at Fitchburg State during her tenure as Director of Athletics. Lauder was a catalyst behind the construction of the new facilities and secured one of only nine NCAA/Strategic Alliance grants to help fund Fitchburg State Athletic initiatives. Sue spearheaded two new women's varsity programs (lacrosse and volleyball).
Lauder served as the Commissioner of the New England Football Conference from 2002-2012. Sue was awarded the Asa S. Bushnell Outstanding Commissioner Award from the All-American Football Foundation in 2009.
On a national scale, Sue was on the NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority and Women's Internship Grant selection committee. She served on several committees, including the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Championship Committee, the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee and the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, while also a member of several ECAC Championship Tournament selection committees.
Lauder was the 2016 recipient of the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Administrator of the Year and was inducted into the SUNY Cortland Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2017, Sue received the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics Division III Athletic Director of the Year Award.
Lauder retired from Fitchburg State University in 2018 and was inducted in the Fitchburg State Hall of Fame in 2022.
The MASCAC created the Hall of Fame to provide the recognition of those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conference and to help preserve the storied history of the MASCAC and its history.
The inductees will be recognized at a formal MASCAC Hall of Fame induction which will be coupled with a MASCAC athletic championship or event at the site in which the individual competed or was housed during the 2024-25 year.
Portions of release courtesy of MASCAC SID office
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