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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh Athletics has announced that two former greats have been elected to the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. Football standout Pete Williams ’58 and cross country/track and field star Tim Steele ’73 comprise the class of 2008, and will be officially inducted into the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 10. Williams and Steele will go into the Hall of Fame along with the 2007 Class, Greg Falkenbach ’72 (basketball) and Colin Kilrain ’82 (wrestling), whose formal induction was held off for one year because Commander Kilrain was out of the country serving his duties as a Commander of Special Forces for the Navy Seals.
Widely considered one of the top distance runners in Lehigh history, Steele 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. Steele was Lehigh’s first-ever All-American distance runner, finishing in the top-15 nationally among U.S. born runners at the 1970 US Track and Field Federation Championship and again at the 1972 AAU National Championship.
Among his many career highlights, Steele was the runner-up at the 1970 IC4A Championships, and at the time of his graduation, he was the school record holder in the one-mile, two-mile, and three-mile events. In addition, Steele was a member of the 4x880, distance medley and 4x1-mile teams, all of which were school record holders during his time at Lehigh. His time of 24:45 on Lehigh’s old country course (prior to 1999) is still second among all Lehigh runners in school annals.
A two-way star on Lehigh’s football teams of the late 1950’s, 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 New York native scored three touchdowns, one safety and kicked an extra point over the course of his career.
Following his career at Lehigh, Williams was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League and the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. He signed a contract with the 49ers, but had his professional career cut short by injury.
One of the greatest rebounders to ever don the Brown and White, Falkenbach still holds the top-two single season and single game records for rebounds, over 30 years following his graduation. In 1969-70, he pulled down 360 caroms; good for an average of 13.3 per game, while in 1970-71 the Bethlehem native averaged 12.1 rebounds per contest, pulling down a total of 316. On January 31, 1969, Falkenbach snagged 25 rebounds versus Franklin and Marshall, while on December 19, 1970, he also pulled down 25 boards, this time coming versus Drexel.
One of only eight four-time champions in the 104-year history of the EIWA, Kilrain 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.
For more information on the Roger S.Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame, please click on the link above.
Formal introduction into the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame will take place on Saturday, May 10 and the induction is sponsored by the Lehigh Athletics Partnership. For more information, please contact Travis Spencer at (610) 758-6855 or trs305@lehigh.edu.
