Lehigh University Athletics
Four former greats inducted into Lehigh HOF
5/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
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One of the greatest rebounders to ever don the Brown and White, Gregory B. Falkenbach ’72 still holds the top-two single season and single game records for rebounds, over 30 years after his graduation. In 1969-70, he pulled down 360 caroms; good for an average of 13.3 per game, while in 1970-71 the
On January 31, 1970, Falkenbach snagged 25 rebounds versus Franklin and Marshall, while on December 19, 1970, he also pulled down 25 boards, this time coming versus Drexel. In that game against Drexel, Falkenbach not only dominated the backboards, but he also added 18 points, the last two coming with one second remaining to lift the Brown and White to a 76-74 victory.
“I am so very honored to be a part of this group,” Falkenbach explained. “The members of the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame are outstanding individuals and it’s humbling to be one of a handful of men’s basketball players to have been inducted.”
In the 106-year history of Lehigh basketball, there have been three 300+ rebound seasons, and Falkenbach owns two of them. His 924 career rebounds rank third all-time in school annals, while his average of 12.2 rebounds per game is first, despite only playing three varsity seasons, because freshmen were not eligible for varsity competition at the time.
Falkenbach averaged a double-double for his career, scoring 11.8 points per game to go along with his average of 12.2 rebounds per game. He owns the highest rebounding per-game average of the three players to average double-digit caroms over the course of their career. The other two are Falkenbach’s former teammate and Lehigh Hall of Famer Bob Fortune ’70 (11.1 rpg) and Bob Lowman (10.0 rpg).
“Greg took a lot of the pressure off of me as a senior because of the job he did rebounding for us,” Fortune explained. “He was a strong force in the middle and really helped the team succeed with his skill and desire.”
He added, “Greg always thought highly of
“Greg always showed leadership through example,” Norm Liedtke ’74 explained. “He practiced the right way. He was consistent. He looked out for the team and he never took a day off, whether that was on the practice floor or in the games.”
Liedtke continued, “Greg was an effective scorer inside for us and most of his scoring and rebounding was based on positioning and being where he needed to be to make plays. He wasn’t a muscle guy. He wasn’t the tallest guy out there, but he was a solid and dependable player.”
In addition, Falkenbach’s 12.2 per game average is nearly fifty-percent higher than Lehigh Hall of Famer Daren Queenan and Dozie Mbonu, the only two players with more career rebounds than Falkenbach. Queenan and Mbonu both played the full four years while at Lehigh, participating in fifty-percent more games than Falkenbach throughout their careers.
While at Lehigh, Falkenbach helped lead the Brown and White to three consecutive seasons of ten or more victories, something that had not been done in 58 years.
Falkenbach, who graduated from Lehigh with a B.S. in Finance in 1972, has worked in the financial service industry for the last 34 years and has owned his own financial practice since 1989. In 1982 he became a Chartered Life Underwriter, while in 1994 Falkenbach became a Chartered Financial Consultant.
Falkenbach continues to give back to the Lehigh community as well, serving as the radio color analyst for men’s basketball games, a position he has held since 1981. He was the Lehigh Class of 1972 Alumni President from 1987 through 1992, and a long standing member of the Lehigh Home Club serving as its President in 1984-85. In addition, Falkenbach has been the Chairman of the Lehigh Athletics Partnership annual Golf and Tennis Classic since 1998.
“Basketball was an integral part of my Lehigh education,” Falkenbach explained. “The sport taught me preparation, teamwork, persistence and the importance of giving your best effort.” He added, “I am honored to share this award with my teammates and all those who helped and encouraged me during my basketball career.”
Prior to arriving at Lehigh, Falkenbach attended nearby
Falkenbach and his wife Nancy have two children, Lynn and Amy.
One of only eight four-time champions in the 103-year history of the EIWA, Colin J. Kilrain ‘82 is one of just three wrestlers to win a championship at three different weight classes (167, 177, 190). A two-time captain and three-time third place NCAA finisher, Kilrain won over 90 percent (87-8) of his matches while at Lehigh, which ranks in the top-ten in school annals. During the last three years of his career in the Brown and White, Kilrain compiled an astounding 70-4 record with 23 wins-by-fall and 26 bonus wins. Four of those wins came versus NCAA Champions.
“It’s an honor to be inducted into the Lehigh Hall of Fame,” Kilrain said. “There were a number of folks who came before me that served as role models and sterling examples of what a Hall of Famer should be and I’m proud to be among this high caliber group.”
During Kilrain’s sophomore season, he pushed three time NCAA Champion Ed Banach of
Two time NCAA Champion Mark Lieberman ’79 was a teammate of Kilrain’s during one of the program’s most successful eras. “Colin was so gifted and so powerful and explosive. His technique was excellent and we really went after one another inside the wrestling room. There were very few matches where we faced better competition than we faced every day from one another.”
He continued, “Colin worked very hard to become the best wrestler he could. He had great technique and was really a student of the game.”
As a senior, Kilrain defeated eventual NCAA Champion Pete Bush of
“Colin was an outstanding wrestler and a really good guy; he was one of the most popular guys on the team” Lehigh Hall of Famer and Kilrain’s coach Thad Turner said. “He was a good athlete, particularly for someone as big as he is and a great competitor. This is one of the most justifiable things we’ve done by electing Colin into the Hall of Fame.”
Kilrain’s accomplishments post-graduation have been even more impressive than his work on the mats. He currently serves as Captain of Special Forces for the Navy Seals, having completed countless assignments globally, including in
“The sport itself taught me a lot about how to set goals and accountability,” Kilrain said. “I had an unbelievably positive experience wrestling at Lehigh. Everything about the program including the tradition to the support from the University, student body and surrounding community all contributed to the whole cultural experience.”
He added, “We were all privileged to wrestle for
“I’m not surprised one bit at what Colin has accomplished since he’s left Lehigh,” Turner added. “I always knew he would be successful no matter what he chose to do.”
Kilrain and his wife Susan have four children: Quinn Marie, Sean Joseph, Liam Porter and Maura Ann.
Regarded as one of the top long distance runners in Lehigh’s storied history, Tim Steele ‘73 was a two time cross country All-American and won a combined 12 MAC Championships, including three in cross country, three in the one-mile, three in the two-mile and three in the three-mile. He was Lehigh’s first-ever All-American distance runner, finishing in the top-15 nationally among
“This honor really means a lot to me because I’ve spent so much time at the high school, college, and post-collegiate levels running,” said Steele. “I think this is a validation of all that running that I put in. There are three things in my life that are really important to me: running, my professional career, and my family, although not necessarily in that order. With this honor, I feel that the running aspect of my life is finally validated.”
Steele was a member of the first recruiting class of legendary coach and fellow Penske Hall of Fame inductee, John Covert. With that class, Covert built the program into a powerhouse for years to come.
“I have often said that good athletes make good coaches and great athletes make great coaches,” said Covert. “Whatever success earlier on I had at Lehigh was due in large part to Tim Steele.”
The team captured four straight IC4A cross country championships, including a second place finish from Steele at the 1970 IC4A meet.
“I think being a member of those IC4A teams was truly one of the most significant accomplishments in my time at Lehigh” added Steele. “Not only for the championships we won, but also the friendships and camaraderie that we developed with each other. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world.”
Steele became accustomed to seeing his name in the Lehigh record books, leaving school as the record holder in the 4x880, distance medley and 4xone-mile, as well as the mile, two-mile and three-mile races. His time of 24:45 on Lehigh’s old country course (prior to 1999) is still second among all Lehigh runners in school annals.
Steele graduated from Lehigh in 1973 with a degree in history. In 1989 he founded MicroSpec Corporation, a company that is world renowned for producing some of the most challenging medical extrusions required by the industry. He currently serves as CEO and chairman of MicroSpec, and is also on the board of two non-profit organizations: the New Hampshire Dance Institute and the Social Entrepreneurial Student Leadership program.
Steele has two children, Erik and Jillian. Tim and his significant other Elizabeth currently reside in
A two-way star on Lehigh’s football teams of the late 1950’s, L.R. “Pete” Williams started every game of his three-year varsity career (freshmen were not eligible then) at offensive and defensive tackle. He captained the 1957 squad that went 8-1 and captured Lehigh’s first-ever Lambert Cup trophy and went onto earn All-America, All-East and All-Pennsylvania distinction that same season. Known for his quick feet and great balance, Williams scored 21 points during his career in the Brown and White, an incredible accomplishment for a lineman. The
“It’s a great honor to be inducted into the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Williams. “The whole thing is a little surprising because I really had not anticipated it. I’m extremely honored and I’m looking forward to the ceremony, and one of the key things is this will all be there for my family and friends to see for years to come.”
On the gridiron, Williams possessed terrific speed and quickness for a lineman of his size.
“He was one of the fastest guys on the team,” noted former team manager Jim Swenson ’59. “He could run those 40-yard sprints with the best of them. Off the field, Pete is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He was and still is a first-class act. “
Williams co-captained the 1957 Lambert Cup team with Hall of Fame member J. Daniel Nolan ’58. The team gained national notoriety when they received the Lambert Cup on the Ed Sullivan Show.
“To appear on the show with my teammates and receive the award on national television with millions watching, it was a great honor and certainly one of the highlights of my life.”
Among the many memorable games that Williams was part of was a 40-6 romp over
“I was the left end, and Pete lined up next to me at left tackle,” recalled Bud Wenzel ’59. “I intercepted a pass and ran about ten yards with it before dropping the ball. Pete already had three career touchdowns, but he was right there fighting with me to pick up the fumble.”
Williams recalls the game for a different reason. His Lehigh team coasted to a 34 point victory as a measure of revenge after
Following his career at Lehigh, Williams was drafted by the
Williams earned his degree from Lehigh in business administration and went on to spend 38 years at IBM where he worked in human resources for the company’s international division, a job that provided Williams the opportunity to travel the globe, racking up over a million miles on one airline alone, and spending a great deal of time in the Far East.
Now retired, Williams and his wife reside in
The annual Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame induction is sponsored by the Lehigh Athletics Partnership.
