BU Athletic Hall of Fame Unveils Class of 2026
September 30, 2026 | General, Men's Basketball, Men's Ice Hockey, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis
BOSTON - The Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame will hold its 56th induction banquet in December, honoring a Class of 2026 comprised of seven standout Terriers, as announced today by assistant vice president and director of athletics Drew Marrochello.
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Following a vote from select members of the Hall of Fame and department staff, Carl Adams (wrestling), Chantell Alford '13 (basketball), Matt Grzelcyk '16 (ice hockey), John Holland '11 (basketball), Johanna Hyöty '16 (tennis), Jayme Mask '14 (softball) and Robert Talley '91 (football) make up the new class and will officially be inducted on Dec. 12, 2026, in a ceremony at WBUR CitySpace.
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Other awards, whose winners will be announced in October, to be presented at the Hall of Fame Banquet are the William French Award for a current or former Boston University coach or graduate of Boston University who has distinguished himself or herself in the coaching profession in the past year; the Murray Kramer Memorial Award for an individual or organization in recognition of outstanding media coverage or publicity of intercollegiate sports; and the Roger "Moose" Washburn Award for a graduate of Boston University who has given continuous unselfish support to the Terriers' athletic program.
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Caroline Burchette of the lightweight rowing team and Connor Kehm of the men's lacrosse team were announced as the recipients of the Aldo "Buff" Donelli Memorial Leadership Award at the Scarlet & White Honors reception in April and will be formally recognized at the Hall of Fame banquet. The honors are given to current senior student-athletes who have demonstrated outstanding leadership both on and off the field.Â
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The Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame, which held its first induction ceremony in 1959, currently has 277 members, including Terrier greats such as Harry Agganis, Tunji Awojobi, Bill Brooks, Jim Craig, Chris Drury Mike Eruzione, Terry Geldart, Jim Hayes, Drederick Irving, John Kelley, Jack O'Callahan, Debra Miller Palmore, Jack Parker, Marie-Philip Poulin, Lesley Sheehan, Dave Silk, John Simpson, Sybil Smith and Steve Wright.
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Carl Adams
Adams was synonymous with BU Wrestling for over three decades, leading the Terriers to 10 conference team titles while sending at least one wrestler to the NCAA tournament in all but one of his 34 seasons at the helm. His teams combined for over 300 dual wins while his wrestlers combined for 87 individual conference titles and 99 NCAA tournament appearances.
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He twice led BU to five straight conference titles, first achieving the feat from 1981-85 before repeating it from1988-92. A member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Adams coached four Terriers to All-America status in addition to numerous Academic All-Americans and started the New England Wrestling School, which he ran at BU throughout his tenure.
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Chantell Alford
A four-time America East First Team selection and the first to earn three straight America East Player of the Year accolades, Alford was a dominant force for the Terriers, helping them make three WNIT appearances and combine for 80 wins during her four seasons at BU. She ranks third all-time at BU in career points (1,802) and 3-point percentage (.400) and second in 3-pointers made (244) and minutes played (4,061) while sitting fourth in scoring average (14.7), steals (264) and field goals made (636).
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Alford quickly made a name for herself by earning a spot on the All-America East First Team as a freshman and earning conference rookie of the year honors before collecting AE Player of the Year honors in each of her final three seasons. She broke the program's freshman scoring record and earned College Madness All-Mid Major Third Team honors as a junior and went on to have an accomplished seven-year professional career overseas.
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Matt Grzelcyk
One of only 14 Terriers to twice earn First Team All-America accolades, Grzelcyk played in 125 games during a sensational four-year career on Comm Ave. As a junior captain, he led the Terriers to the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles en route to the 2015 national championship game. Grzelcyk then captained the squad back to the NCAA Tournament as a senior, earning his second consecutive Hockey East First Team All-Star accolade in the process.
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Grzelcyk finished his collegiate career with 95 points on 26 goals and 69 assists. He was named Beanpot MVP in 2015 after scoring in overtime to lift the Terriers to their 30th Beanpot title and was inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame in 2023. Grzelcyk remained in Boston after wrapping up his Terrier career, playing seven seasons with the Bruins from 2016-24 and reaching the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. In 596 regular-season games with the Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, Grzelcyk totaled 26 goals and 161 assists for 187 points.
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John Holland
One of the most dynamic players in program history, Holland was instrumental in the Terriers' run to the 2011 America East title. That year's America East Player of the Year, Holland scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half of the championship game against Stony Brook, including 14 straight points during a game-changing 17-3 run that set up a dramatic finish, with Holland stepping to the line with 2.4 seconds on the clock and calmly sinking both free throws to secure a 56-54 victory.
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Holland was a three-time First Team All-America East honoree who capped his collegiate career as an AP All-American as well as a Lou Henson Mid-Major All-American. He graduated as the second-ever player in the America East alongside Northeastern's Reggie Lewis to record at least 2,000 points, 700 rebounds and 200 steals. He went on to play professionally overseas and in the NBA Development League before making his NBA debut with the Boston Celtics during the 2016 playoffs. Holland played 24 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017-18 season, helping them advance to the NBA Finals.
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Johanna Hyöty
One of the top tennis players in Boston University history, Hyöty was the Patriot League Player of the Year in the Terriers' first three years in the conference to earn a spot on the all-sport Partiot League 25th Anniversary Team. She led BU to the league title and NCAA tournament in all three of those years and was twice named the PL Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Hyöty finished in the ITA top-20 regional rankings in all three seasons, highlighted by a No. 11 ranking as a junior. The recipient of the 2015 ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award in the Northeast, Hyöty accumulated over 100 wins in her stellar career and was twice part of the Patriot League Doubles Team of the Year Award. She received BU's Gretchen Schuyler Award as a senior as the top female scholar-athlete in the senior class.
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Jayme Mask
A four-time all-conference honoree, including three first-team accolades, Mask helped usher in a new era of BU Softball success as the Terriers transitioned into the Patriot League. In the team's first season in its new conference, Mask earned First Team All-Patriot League honors as she led the Terriers to their second conference tournament title in three years. BU went on to earn a victory over Louisville in that year's NCAA Tournament, one of two national tournament victories for Mask during her career.
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Mask, the 2013 America East Player of the Year and a 2014 CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American, graduated from BU as the program's all-time leader in hits (264), runs scored (172) and stolen bases (123). She was a Scarlet Key recipient in 2013 and was named the BU Woman of the Year in 2014. In addition, Mask was a two-time conference all-academic honoree and a three-time All-Northeast Region selection.
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Robert Talley
A four-year standout at linebacker for the Terriers, Talley earned All-America honors as a junior and was a three-time All-Yankee Conference honoree. Named the team's top freshman in 1988, Talley went on to earn first-team All-East and All-Yankee honors as a sophomore. As a senior co-captain he was named to the New England and ECAC top squads.
Talley set a school record with 16 tackles in a win over Massachusetts as a junior in 1989 and went on to set the program career marks in both primary tackles (271) and overall tackles (423) and he finished with seven career interceptions. He played for the Frankfort Galaxy of the NFL's European League in 1990-91 before embarking on a 26-year coaching career, culminating with a nine-season stint as the head coach at Stonehill.
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Following a vote from select members of the Hall of Fame and department staff, Carl Adams (wrestling), Chantell Alford '13 (basketball), Matt Grzelcyk '16 (ice hockey), John Holland '11 (basketball), Johanna Hyöty '16 (tennis), Jayme Mask '14 (softball) and Robert Talley '91 (football) make up the new class and will officially be inducted on Dec. 12, 2026, in a ceremony at WBUR CitySpace.
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Other awards, whose winners will be announced in October, to be presented at the Hall of Fame Banquet are the William French Award for a current or former Boston University coach or graduate of Boston University who has distinguished himself or herself in the coaching profession in the past year; the Murray Kramer Memorial Award for an individual or organization in recognition of outstanding media coverage or publicity of intercollegiate sports; and the Roger "Moose" Washburn Award for a graduate of Boston University who has given continuous unselfish support to the Terriers' athletic program.
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Caroline Burchette of the lightweight rowing team and Connor Kehm of the men's lacrosse team were announced as the recipients of the Aldo "Buff" Donelli Memorial Leadership Award at the Scarlet & White Honors reception in April and will be formally recognized at the Hall of Fame banquet. The honors are given to current senior student-athletes who have demonstrated outstanding leadership both on and off the field.Â
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The Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame, which held its first induction ceremony in 1959, currently has 277 members, including Terrier greats such as Harry Agganis, Tunji Awojobi, Bill Brooks, Jim Craig, Chris Drury Mike Eruzione, Terry Geldart, Jim Hayes, Drederick Irving, John Kelley, Jack O'Callahan, Debra Miller Palmore, Jack Parker, Marie-Philip Poulin, Lesley Sheehan, Dave Silk, John Simpson, Sybil Smith and Steve Wright.
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Carl Adams
Adams was synonymous with BU Wrestling for over three decades, leading the Terriers to 10 conference team titles while sending at least one wrestler to the NCAA tournament in all but one of his 34 seasons at the helm. His teams combined for over 300 dual wins while his wrestlers combined for 87 individual conference titles and 99 NCAA tournament appearances.
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He twice led BU to five straight conference titles, first achieving the feat from 1981-85 before repeating it from1988-92. A member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Adams coached four Terriers to All-America status in addition to numerous Academic All-Americans and started the New England Wrestling School, which he ran at BU throughout his tenure.
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Chantell Alford
A four-time America East First Team selection and the first to earn three straight America East Player of the Year accolades, Alford was a dominant force for the Terriers, helping them make three WNIT appearances and combine for 80 wins during her four seasons at BU. She ranks third all-time at BU in career points (1,802) and 3-point percentage (.400) and second in 3-pointers made (244) and minutes played (4,061) while sitting fourth in scoring average (14.7), steals (264) and field goals made (636).
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Alford quickly made a name for herself by earning a spot on the All-America East First Team as a freshman and earning conference rookie of the year honors before collecting AE Player of the Year honors in each of her final three seasons. She broke the program's freshman scoring record and earned College Madness All-Mid Major Third Team honors as a junior and went on to have an accomplished seven-year professional career overseas.
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Matt Grzelcyk
One of only 14 Terriers to twice earn First Team All-America accolades, Grzelcyk played in 125 games during a sensational four-year career on Comm Ave. As a junior captain, he led the Terriers to the Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles en route to the 2015 national championship game. Grzelcyk then captained the squad back to the NCAA Tournament as a senior, earning his second consecutive Hockey East First Team All-Star accolade in the process.
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Grzelcyk finished his collegiate career with 95 points on 26 goals and 69 assists. He was named Beanpot MVP in 2015 after scoring in overtime to lift the Terriers to their 30th Beanpot title and was inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame in 2023. Grzelcyk remained in Boston after wrapping up his Terrier career, playing seven seasons with the Bruins from 2016-24 and reaching the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. In 596 regular-season games with the Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks, Grzelcyk totaled 26 goals and 161 assists for 187 points.
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John Holland
One of the most dynamic players in program history, Holland was instrumental in the Terriers' run to the 2011 America East title. That year's America East Player of the Year, Holland scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half of the championship game against Stony Brook, including 14 straight points during a game-changing 17-3 run that set up a dramatic finish, with Holland stepping to the line with 2.4 seconds on the clock and calmly sinking both free throws to secure a 56-54 victory.
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Holland was a three-time First Team All-America East honoree who capped his collegiate career as an AP All-American as well as a Lou Henson Mid-Major All-American. He graduated as the second-ever player in the America East alongside Northeastern's Reggie Lewis to record at least 2,000 points, 700 rebounds and 200 steals. He went on to play professionally overseas and in the NBA Development League before making his NBA debut with the Boston Celtics during the 2016 playoffs. Holland played 24 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017-18 season, helping them advance to the NBA Finals.
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Johanna Hyöty
One of the top tennis players in Boston University history, Hyöty was the Patriot League Player of the Year in the Terriers' first three years in the conference to earn a spot on the all-sport Partiot League 25th Anniversary Team. She led BU to the league title and NCAA tournament in all three of those years and was twice named the PL Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Hyöty finished in the ITA top-20 regional rankings in all three seasons, highlighted by a No. 11 ranking as a junior. The recipient of the 2015 ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award in the Northeast, Hyöty accumulated over 100 wins in her stellar career and was twice part of the Patriot League Doubles Team of the Year Award. She received BU's Gretchen Schuyler Award as a senior as the top female scholar-athlete in the senior class.
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Jayme Mask
A four-time all-conference honoree, including three first-team accolades, Mask helped usher in a new era of BU Softball success as the Terriers transitioned into the Patriot League. In the team's first season in its new conference, Mask earned First Team All-Patriot League honors as she led the Terriers to their second conference tournament title in three years. BU went on to earn a victory over Louisville in that year's NCAA Tournament, one of two national tournament victories for Mask during her career.
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Mask, the 2013 America East Player of the Year and a 2014 CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American, graduated from BU as the program's all-time leader in hits (264), runs scored (172) and stolen bases (123). She was a Scarlet Key recipient in 2013 and was named the BU Woman of the Year in 2014. In addition, Mask was a two-time conference all-academic honoree and a three-time All-Northeast Region selection.
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Robert Talley
A four-year standout at linebacker for the Terriers, Talley earned All-America honors as a junior and was a three-time All-Yankee Conference honoree. Named the team's top freshman in 1988, Talley went on to earn first-team All-East and All-Yankee honors as a sophomore. As a senior co-captain he was named to the New England and ECAC top squads.
Talley set a school record with 16 tackles in a win over Massachusetts as a junior in 1989 and went on to set the program career marks in both primary tackles (271) and overall tackles (423) and he finished with seven career interceptions. He played for the Frankfort Galaxy of the NFL's European League in 1990-91 before embarking on a 26-year coaching career, culminating with a nine-season stint as the head coach at Stonehill.
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