NEWARK, Del. -- Seven All-Americans, the all-time leading scorers in men’s lacrosse and women’s basketball history, and the winningest coach in Blue Hen men’s basketball annals highlight the 2008 induction class of the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame.

The nine-member group, which includes four women and five men representing nine UD athletics teams, will be inducted in an invitation-only ceremony next Friday evening, Nov. 21, at the Bob Carpenter Center Auditorium. The group will also be recognized at halftime of the Delaware vs. Villanova football game Saturday, Nov. 22 at Delaware Stadium.

This year’s induction class will be the 12th in school history and will increase the total number of inductees to 103.

The Class of 2008 includes men’s lacrosse All-American and all-time leading scorer Anthony DiMarzo; seven-time conference champion and two-time Academic All-American in track and field Alison Farrance (Del Rossi); all-time leading women’s basketball scorer Cindy Johnson; All-American football running back Gardy Kahoe; two-sport standout in lacrosse and as an All-American in field hockey Brenda Lear (bottom right); fireballing pitcher and baseball All-American Al Neiger; All-American football defensive lineman Mike Renna; All-American women’s lacrosse midfielder Liza Shoemaker (Kelly) (top right); and all-time winningest men’s basketball coach Steve Steinwedel.

“We are excited to welcome another group of outstanding student-athletes and coaches into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame,” said University of Delaware Director of Athletics Edgar N. Johnson in making the announcement. “This is another star-studded class that not only excelled on the playing fields but also in the classroom. All of them brought distinction to the University of Delaware and its athletics program in their own ways and we are pleased to honor them.”

One of the nation’s most prolific and consistent scorers during his career as an attackman with the Delaware men’s lacrosse squad, Anthony DiMarzo repeatedly placed his name in the records books for the Blue Hens in 1992-95 under coach Bob Shillinglaw. One of just three players in school history to earn All-American honors three times, he earned United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association honorable mention awards in 1993, 1994, and 1995 and twice was named the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year (1994-95) after earning the league’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1992. A native of Putnam Valley, N.Y. and a 1996 UD graduate, he played on teams that consistently ranked in the national Top 20 and captured NAC championship titles in 1992, 1993, and 1994. He led the Blue Hens in scoring each of his final three seasons and ranked No. 2 nationally as a senior in 1995 when he scored a school record 78 points on 39 goals and 39 assists. He tallied 98 career goals and still holds the UD career records for assists (153) and points (251) and for consecutive games scoring a point (47).

DiMarzo remained in Delaware after graduation and resides in Middletown. He works as an agency manager for Williams Insurance Agency, Inc.

Alison Farrance (Del Rossi) epitomized the term “Student-Athlete” during her career as a standout track and field performer at Delaware during the mid-1980’s. As a seven-time conference champion and four-time captain, she set a standard of excellence in every aspect of her UD career. She captured the East Coast Conference indoor triple jump title three straight times in 1984-86, ECC outdoor triple jump crowns in 1985-86, and two league relay titles. A native of Wilmington, Del., (Concord High School), Farrance set the conference and school record in each event and also set UD standards in the indoor 500 meters and mile relay and the outdoor 400 meters and 3,200 meter relay. She also led the Hens to two ECC team titles for coach Sue McGrath-Powell. A 1986 honors graduate of Delaware, Farrance is the only person in UD athletics history to earn first team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors twice and one of just seven to be awarded the prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. In 1986, she earned the Warner Award as the UD Alumni Association Outstanding Senior Woman.

After graduating summa cum laude from Delaware, Farrance received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. She currently serves as an associate professor in the Economics Department at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. She and her husband, Dennis Del Rossi, a former UD track and field standout in 1982-86, are the parents of twin 13-year old daughters. She no longer runs but stays active by playing ice hockey, rowing, kayaking, and cross country skiiing.

Cindy Johnson played a pivotal role in the rise of Delaware women’s basketball in the late 1990’s under coach Tina Martin and finished her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most honored players in Blue Hen history. A native of Far Rockaway, N.Y., Johnson’s fast-paced style of play in the backcourt helped lead the Blue Hens to a record of 73-24 over her final three seasons, culminating in a 26-5 mark in 2000-01 when Delaware captured the America East title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. A 2001 graduate of Delaware, she was named the 2001 UD Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year after a season that saw her average 17.3 points per game and finish as runner-up in America East Player of the Year voting. A four-year starter, Johnson earned all-league honors three times and averaged double figure scoring all four years. Among her school records were most points scored in a season (520) and career (1,675). She was the first UD player to earn an invitation to the WNBA Draft Camp and played professionally overseas.

Following her playing career, Johnson co-founded Arlington Pride and Sports Franchise Solutions, an Arlington, Va.-based AAU program which provides a variety of multi-sport programs for boys and girls ages 6-18. She now resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.

One of the all-time great running backs ever to suit up for the Delaware football team, Gardy Kahoe was virtually unstoppable during his career for the Blue Hens in 1968-71 for coach Tubby Raymond. A three-year starter, he spearheaded the UD Wing-T offense and helped the Blue Hens post a three-year record of 28-5, capture the Middle Atlantic Conference in 1969, earn three Lambert Cup Trophies, win three Boardwalk Bowl games, and claim the 1971 United Press International and Associated Press Small College National Championship. He was a consensus first team All-American in 1971 when he was honored by the AP, UPI, AFCA, and Universal Sports organizations and also was a member of the All-East team. He closed his career as Delaware’s No. 2 all-time leading rusher with 2,374 yards while setting school records for rushing touchdowns in a season (24) and career (33), and for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (6). A native of Lafayette Hills, Pa., Kahoe ran for 1,328 yards as a senior, had 12 career 100-yard rushing games, and averaged 6.6 yards per carry for his career. He earned an NFL tryout with the Denver Broncos.

He is an attorney and resides in Wyndmoor, Pa. with his wife, Patti. He has three children and two step-children. His daughter, Alex, was an All-American goalkeeper in women’s lacrosse at the University of Maryland and served as an assistant coach at Delaware in 2004-06. She earned her MBA from Delaware is now an assistant at Duke. Son, Scott, played lacrosse at Georgetown and now plays at Syracuse.

A two-sport standout, Brenda Lear was a four-year starter in both field hockey and lacrosse during her career at the University of Delaware in 1991-95. A three-time team captain, her steady play and passing ability helped earn her numerous individual honors. A 1995 graduate of Delaware, she earned Collegiate Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American honors in both 1993 and 1994 and was a first team All-North Atlantic Conference selection as a midfielder in 1992 and 1993. A two-time all-region pick, she also earned a spot as a member of the U.S. Under 21 Field Hockey team. She tallied 18 career assists and ranked No. 2 in that category upon her graduation. In lacrosse, the Willow Grove, PA native was a four-year starter at midfield for the nationally-ranked Blue Hens and contributed 28 goals and 27 assists for her career. She led the 1994 UD field hockey team to the league regular season title and the 1995 lacrosse squad to a berth in the conference title game.

Lear resides in Petaluma, Calif. with her fiancé, Dan Walsh, and is studying herbal medicine at the California School of Herbal Studies and through the David Winston Center of Herbal Studies. She enjoys wilderness travel, rock climbing, and botanizing and also runs her own Yoga practice.

A fire-balling lefthanded pitcher, Al Neiger earned stardom on the mound for the Delaware baseball team during the late 1950’s and went on to pitch with the Philadelphia Phillies. A native of Wilmington, Del. (Wilmington High School), Neiger earned first team All-American honors and was the District 2 Player of the Year in 1959 when he went 9-3 with a still standing school record 0.88 earned run average. He set a school record that season when he led the nation in strikeouts, fanning an incredible 166 batters in 103 innings, and set another UD standard with a streak of 55 consecutive shutout innings. As a junior in 1958, he went 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA, striking out 60 batters in 60 innings and leading the team to the Middle Atlantic Conference title under coach Tubby Raymond. He pitched in six games in the major leagues with the Phillies in 1960 and retired in 1963 after spending five years with the organization. A 1960 graduate of Delaware and still a strong supporter of Blue Hen athletics, he was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 1984.

A mechanical engineering major at Delaware, Neiger worked for 39 years in various positions at NVF Co. of Yorklyn, Del. before retiring in 2003. Since retirement, he has served as vice president of Thermal Seal Experts, an insulation company in Wilmington. He and his wife, Barbara (Delaware ‘62), reside in Fairfax, Del. and have three daughters and nine grandchildren. Daughters Susie and Shelley are Delaware graduates and Susie’s husband, Dave Whitcraft, was an All-American goalkeeper in soccer at UD and was inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.

Mike Renna was one of the nation’s most feared defensive linemen during his illustrious career with the Delaware football team during the 1980’s. A native of Princeton, N.J., Renna was a two-time All-American for coach Tubby Raymond, earning first team honors by the Associated Press as a senior and twice earning first team laurels from the American Football Coaches Association. He also earned first team All-East and first team All-Yankee Conference honors each of his final two seasons and was named the UD Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year for 1988-89. A 1991 graduate of Delaware, he was a three-year starter, leading the team to the Yankee Conference title and an NCAA playoff berth in 1988. He recorded 205 career tackles, including 14 quarterback sacks and a school-record 37 tackles for loss. He played professionally for three seasons from 1991-93, including stints with the London Monarchs of the World League, with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League, and with the Charlotte Rage of the Arena League.

After his playing career was over, Renna served as an assistant football coach at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and later earned his MBA from Cornell University in 1996. He currently works as an executive with South Jersey Industries, Inc. based in Folsom, N.J. and serves as chief operating officer of South Jersey Energy Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of SJI. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey. He resides in Medford, N.J. and has three children.

Liza Shoemaker (Kelly) was a stalwart midfielder and motivating team leader during her All-American career with the Blue Hens women’s lacrosse team in 1995-98. A standout defender, she also contributed 60 career goals and earned Brine/IWLCA All-American honors three times. In addition to earning all-region and all-league honors three times, she was named the 1997 and 1998 America East Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player twice and also competed for the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse National Team. A native of Baltimore, Md. and a 1998 honors graduate of UD, Shoemaker was named the UD Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year and the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Delaware following the 1997-98 season. A team captain, she led her final two teams to a combined record of 26-10 and two league titles under coach Denise Wescott. Shoemaker has moved on to a successful head coaching career at the NCAA Division I level, leading Boston University to three NCAA Tournament appearances and currently serving at nationally-ranked Denver.

Shoemaker and her husband, Adam Kelly, reside in Superior, Colo. with their seventh-month old daughter Parker. She is entering her 11th year as a college women’s lacrosse coach, including three years at Towson, five years at Boston University, and now her third at Denver. Denver posted a record of 16-3 and earned a national No. 15 ranking in NCAA Division I in her first season in 2007 and went 13-6 and earned a No. 19 national ranking this past spring.

Steve Steinwedel directed the re-birth of the University of Delaware men’s basketball program during his 10-year head coaching career (1985-95), leading the Blue Hens to unprecedented success in the conference and to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. The winningest coach in school history, Steinwedel led the Blue Hens to a 10-year mark of 163-121 that included seven straight winning seasons, two conference titles, and the team’s first two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1992 and 1993. The 1991-92 team still ranks as the finest in school history, having posted a record of 27-4 that included a 20-game winning streak that was the longest in the nation. He was named the North Atlantic Conference and NABC District II Coach of the Year that season and also played a pivotal role in the development and completion of the Bob Carpenter Center in 1992. A native of Seymour, Ind. and a player at Mississippi State, he began his coaching career at Stetson and enjoyed successful stints at Duke and South Carolina before coming to Delaware.

Steinwedel earned his Ed.D from Wilmington (Del.) University in 2001 and currently serves as a counselor at Delaware Technical & Community College in Stanton. His son, Sean, was a team manager at Delaware and daughter, Lauren, is a Delaware graduate. He and his wife of 11 years, Janet, reside in North Wilmington, Del. He also has two grandchildren.