The Falcon football duo of Erik White <i>(left)</i> and Mark Szlachcic will enter the BGSU Athletic Hall of Fame together
The Falcon football duo of Erik White (left) and Mark Szlachcic will enter the BGSU Athletic Hall of Fame together
Five To Join BGSU Athletic Hall Of Fame

Beyerman, Reest, Szlachcic, White and York comprise 2003 class.

Aug. 8, 2003

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome five new members on Sept. 12, BGSU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Paul Krebs has announced. The 2003 class will be inducted during a formal dinner on the BGSU campus.

The class of 2003 will include coach and administrator Fred Beyerman, men's swimmer Hank Reest '61, football standouts Mark Szlachcic '93 and Erik White '93 and hockey coach Jerry York.

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The official induction ceremony will take place Friday, Sept. 12, in the grand ballroom of BGSU's Bowen-Thompson Student Union. The social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. and the program starting shortly thereafter.

In addition, the class will be introduced at halftime of the Sept. 13 BGSU-Liberty football game at Doyt Perry Stadium. The game begins at 6:00 p.m. and is designated as Varsity BG & Hall of Fame Night.

Tickets for the Sept. 12 dinner are $35 and advance reservations are required. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Falcon Club office at (419) 372-7063. Football game tickets can be purchased through the ticket office at 1-877-BGSUTICKET or 372-0000.

The public is invited to attend the induction dinner.

Information on each of the five inductees follows:

Beyerman came to BGSU (then Bowling Green Normal College) in September of 1915 as an instructor of physical education, teaching all six courses offered at that time. Born in New York, N.Y., in 1878, he received his bachelor of philosophy degree from Columbia University just prior to the turn of the century. He began his intercollegiate coaching career at Michigan State Normal (Eastern Michigan University) in 1910 before coming to BGNC.

While hired primarily to teach, he was interested in the development of an athletic program. Beyerman began collecting candidates from a sparse male enrollment for the school's first basketball team. That 1915-16 team played 11 games, with the first win coming against Defiance College, 26-10, on BG's home court.

Even though there were very few male students on campus due to World War I, baseball was added to the intercollegiate program in 1918. Beyerman, who became the school's athletic director while coaching both basketball and baseball, also provided the leadership in organizing the Northwestern Ohio Athletic Association. BG, Bluffton, Defiance, Findlay and Toledo joined the league that began with baseball and basketball contests in 1919-20. Football, tennis and track competition followed within three years.

Beyerman, who served as conference president for four years, won BG's first championship in 1921, as the baseball team captured the NWOAA title. Beyerman established the first BG athletic committee, and developed the school's first track team in 1923 before leaving BGNC to start the Wood County Insurance Company.

Beyerman, very active in community affairs in Bowling Green, was a charter member of both the Kiwanis Club and Town and Gown. Beyerman's son, Fred, Jr., was a BGNC tennis letterwinner in 1925 and 1926, and his daughter, Betty, graduated from BG in 1930. Beyerman passed away in December of 1955.

Reest, a native of Lincoln Park, Mich., was a multiple All-American for the Falcons, earning such honors in both 1959 and 1960. He stepped into the starting lineup as a sophomore, and promptly earned All-America honors in the 220 freestyle that year. Reest was the first sophomore in school history to be named an All-American in swimming.

The next year (1959-60), Reest was a part of the league champion 440 freestyle relay team, helping the Brown and Orange to a fifth consecutive MAC meet championship.

Additionally, that 440 free relay foursome went undefeated during the regular season and finished sixth nationally, comprising the school's first-ever All-America relay team. Reest co-captained the Falcons as both a junior and a senior.

During his tenure, Reest set school records in the 220 and 440 freestyle events, winning MAC titles in each. He also set a school record in the 100-yard butterfly event, and, as mentioned, was a part of the 440 free relay record-holding quartet.

Reest won a pair of MAC individual titles in the 220 free, and picked up one crown in the 440 free. His senior year of 1960-61, Reest finished second at the MAC meet in three freestyle events -- the 220, 440 and 1,500. The Falcons finished second, trailing Ohio by just two points.

Reest left BGSU holding the pool record for the 440 freestyle, and was part of the pool record-holding 400 medley relay team. Upon the conclusion of Reest's career, at the 1960-61 Winter Sports Banquet, Falcon coach Sam Cooper announced the inception of the Henry Reest Swimathon Trophy.

Szlachcic, a native of Toledo, Ohio, came to BGSU from Whitmer High School in 1988. He had nine receptions, including one touchdown, as a redshirt freshman in 1989. Over his last three seasons, however, he caught at least 46 balls each year and had two or more receptions in every game.

Szlachcic caught a pass in 37 consecutive games (including bowl games) to equal the school record. As a sophomore in 1990, he had 46 catches to lead the team and rank second in the MAC.

In his junior year of 1991, he had 65 receptions, catching at least four passes in every game, and a total of 943 receiving yards. Szlachcic led the MAC in both categories, and also scored eight touchdowns en route to the first of two consecutive unanimous All-MAC First-Team selections. Additionally, he was an honorable mention All-American by UPI, and finished ninth in the nation in receptions and 12th in the country in receiving yards per game.

In addition to his 65 grabs during the regular season, Szlachcic had 11 more catches for a then school-record 189 yards and two scores in the Falcons' 28-21 California Bowl win over Fresno State. He was named BGSU's MVP of that game.

A second-team All-American in one preseason publication prior to his senior year, Szlachcic again led the MAC in receiving, as the Falcons won the league title for a second consecutive year. He caught 62 balls for a total of 834 yards in the regular season, earning unanimous All-MAC First-Team and UPI honorable mention All-American accolades for a second-straight season. He caught five more passes for 51 yards as the Falcons posted a 35-34 win over Nevada in the inaugural Las Vegas Bowl.

For his career, Szlachcic set a MAC record with a total of 182 receptions, and left school ranked second in receiving yardage (2,506) on both the BGSU and MAC lists. His career total of 18 touchdown catches tied him for second in school annals.

Heading into the 2003 season, Szlachcic ranks second in school history in career receptions, and is third in receiving yards and tied for fourth in TD catches. Szlachcic, who also currently ranks 10th on the BGSU list with 2,821 career all-purpose yards.

Szlachcic caught at least four passes in 22 of his last 24 career games (including bowls), and scored a touchdown in 12 of his final 18 games. He played in the Blue-Gray senior all-star game following his senior year, and had four catches for 59 yards and a score. He also participated in the National Football League Combines following his senior year.

White, a native of Massillon, Ohio, teamed with Szlachcic to form one of the top duos in MAC history. Like Szlachcic, White helped the Falcons to back-to-back MAC titles and bowl berths in 1991 and 1992. And, like Szlachcic, White was a two-time All-MAC First-Team selection.

In fact, White earned the Vern Smith Award as the league's Most Valuable Player in each of his last two seasons, becoming one of only two two-time winners of the award (joining BGSU's Brian McClure). White played sparingly in his freshman season of 1989, completing 8-of-21 passes, but assumed the starting role as a sophomore in 1990. As a starter, he guided BGSU to a 24-7-2 record over the next three years, including a 21-3 mark his last two seasons. He led BG to 16-straight MAC wins in 1991 and 1992, tying the league record for consecutive victories.

White threw for 299 yards, the highest total in the MAC in 1990, in the final game of that season, providing a glimpse of things to come. In 1991, he completed 185 of his 323 passing attampts, for a total of 2,204 yards through the air and 17 touchdowns. In the Falcons' California Bowl win at Fresno State, White threw for 263 yards and two more scores. White threw at least one TD pass in all 12 games that fall.

In addition to the Vern Smith Award and the All-MAC First-Team honors, White was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year in 1991, and also was a UPI honorable mention All-American.

In 1992, White again earned all four of the aforementioned honors in leading the Brown and Orange to another MAC title and bowl win. He completed 195 passes in 344 attempts, amassing 2,380 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air. White threw 11 TD passes over the final four regular-season games, including three in each of the last three contests. He had a career-high 312 yards passing in the title-clinching win over Kent. In the Las Vegas Bowl win over Nevada, White had 24 completions for 245 yards and a pair of scores.

White led the MAC in total offense in each of his last two seasons. He ended his career ranked second in school history with 39 TD passes and third in both completions (515) and attempts (950). He was also third in school history, and sixth in MAC history, with 6,072 career yards passing. Entering the 2003 season, White still ranks third in completions, attempts and yards, and is third in touchdowns on the BGSU passing charts as well.

White participated in the NFL combines following his senior season, and signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent, before being cut in late August of that year.

York, a native of Watertown, Mass., guided the Falcon hockey program to the NCAA championship in 1984. The winningest coach in BGSU hockey history, he compiled a 342-248-31 record during his 15-year tenure with the Brown and Orange, for a winning percentage of .576. Entering the 2003-04 season, York's overall collegiate coaching record stands at 668-473-61 through 31 seasons. He will begin the 2003-04 campaign ranked as college hockey's fifth all-time winningest coach (second among active Division I coaches).

York, currently the head coach at his alma mater, Boston College, also won a national title with the Eagles, in 2001. He is one of only two coaches in NCAA history to lead two different schools to national titles.

York began his collegiate head-coaching career at Clarkson University. He became the youngest head coach in the nation (age 26) when he took the Clarkson job. He posted a 125-87-3 record in seven seasons there (1972-79), and his 1976-77 team went 26-8-0 and won the ECAC, earning him the Spencer Penrose Trophy as the nation's Division I Coach of the Year.

York moved on to BGSU, taking the job on April 10, 1979. At BG, he won four CCHA regular-season titles, including three in a row from 1982-84. The Falcons also won one CCHA Tournament title during his tenure, and advanced to the NCAA tournament on six occasions. York was named the CCHA's Coach of the Year in 1981-82.

The highlight of York's 15-year BGSU career (1979-94), of course, was the 1983-84 season, as he guided the Falcons to a 34-8-2 overall record and a thrilling 5-4 quadruple-overtime victory over Minnesota-Duluth in the national championship game. York led three Falcon teams to 30 or more wins.

While at BGSU, York coached 10 players who earned first-team All-America honors, and saw four of his Falcon players earn Academic All-America recognition. He coached Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner George McPhee in 1982 and had three other BGSU players earn spots among the finalists for college hockey's top honor. A total of 23 different BG players earned first- or second-team All-CCHA recognition under his direction, and a total of 41 of his Falcons were drafted by National Hockey League organizations.

York enters the 2003-04 season with a nine-year record of 201-128-27 at Boston College. He led the Eagles to four consecutive NCAA "Frozen Four" berths (1998-2001) and guided BC to three Hockey East Tournament titles in that four-year span. Last season, the Eagles tied for the HE regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in York's BC coaching tenure.

A 1967 graduate of BC, York earned three hockey letters (1965-67) for the Eagles as a centerman. He received first-team All-America (East) honors as a senior after sharing the national scoring title with 67 points. York began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under John "Snooks" Kelley at BC in 1968-69. He then moved to Clarkson where he served as an assistant coach for two years, before assuming the top spot when Len Ceglarski resigned to head BC's program.

York was inducted into the BC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. He and his wife, Bobbie, have two grown children, Laura and Brendan.

The 2003 class of inductees, the 40th class in history, brings membership in the Athletic Hall of Fame to 177. The 1983-84 national championship hockey team is also in the Hall of Fame.