THROGGS NECK, NY – Seven individuals and one team were inducted into the Maritime College Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 4.  The Class of 2025 included Thomas Gallagher '75 (Sailing), Thomas Merrell '76 (Football), A.J. McAllister '80 (Hockey), James Perduto '91 (Lacrosse), Andrew McCarthy '96 (Soccer/Basketball), Donald "D.J." Toby '08 (Lacrosse) and Marissa Danzy '10 (Basketball), as well as the 2010 Football Team.

During an era when the sailing program was consistently ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation, Thomas Gallagher received All-America honors in 1975.  He skippered the Privateers' No. 1 boat to second place at the National Championships that season, and he was also on a National Championship squad in 1972.  Gallagher later returned to Maritime as a volunteer coach before beginning a successful business career with Shipping & Finance LTD.

Thomas Merrell is considered a "Plank Owner" who helped establish the football team in the mid-1970s.  He was the Privateers' first captain and scored the first touchdown in program history.  Merrell was chosen as Maritime's first team MVP and set numerous passing records.  A founding member of the Maritime Football Boosters Club, he was part of a group that successfully campaigned for the program's reinstatement after it had been discontinued.

A.J. McAllister spent four years as a standout defenseman on the hockey team.  A highly-respected leader known for his shot-blocking ability, he also contributed many key goals, especially on the power play.  McAllister was the team leader in scoring, time on ice and penalty minutes throughout his career.  He later served on the SUNY Maritime College Foundation Board, and has enjoyed a long career with the McAllister Towing Company, whose tugboats are used during the departure and arrival of the Training Ship Empire State every Summer Sea Term.

James Perduto finished his career with more than 100 goals and was the 1990 Knickerbocker Conference Player of the Year.  A three-year team captain, he earned four straight all-conference selections as a midfielder.  Perduto also spent three seasons on the Privateers' rowing team.  In 1997, he helped organize the first Maritime Lacrosse Alumni Game, which has become an annual tradition at Homecoming.

Andrew McCarthy was a four-year starter and all-conference selection in both soccer and basketball.  He was Maritime's 1995-96 Male Athlete of the Year after serving as captain of the conference-champion soccer team and scoring his 1,000^th career point during basketball season.  McCarthy later became Head Coach of the men's soccer program and was named Skyline Conference Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading the Privateers to their first Skyline title and the school's first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in any sport.

Donald "D.J." Toby graduated as the men's lacrosse program's all-time leader in goals, assists, points, ground balls and faceoff percentage.  A four-time All-Skyline selection, he was the 2005 Skyline Rookie of the Year and 2008 Skyline Player of the Year.  Toby became Maritime's second-ever All-America selection in 2008 and participated in that year's North-South All-Star Game.  In 2007, he finished second nationally with 10.38 ground balls per game.

Marissa Danzy played basketball, volleyball and softball for the Privateers.  She's second on the volleyball program's all-time list with 172 career blocks and averaged nearly 10 rebounds per game for the fledgling women's basketball team.  A founding member of the Maritime Athletics Advisory Board that helped establish the criteria for the Athletics Hall of Fame, Danzy later served on the board of the Maritime College Alumni Association.

The 2010 Football Team finished the regular season undefeated and made Maritime's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.  The Privateers' 10 wins that season are still the program record.  Maritime won the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) title and 16 players were named All-ECFC, including eight First Team All-ECFC selections.  ECFC Defensive Player of the Year Keith Barnes and Frank Adamo both earned All-Region nods, while Head Coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes was the ECFC and Regional Coach of the Year, as well as a finalist for National Coach of the Year.

This year's induction class brings the Athletic Hall of Fame's total membership to 92 individuals and one team.