Lyndonville, VT - Vermont State University Lyndon kicked off Homecoming & Family Weekend with the 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Friday evening. The Class of 2023 includes Robert Dickerman '84, Christopher Gobeille '95, Timothy Hagerty '04, and Patrick Hilton '13, The 1977 & 1978 Men's Ski Teams also received special recognition.
Hall of Fame Induction Video
Hall fo Fame Photo Gallery
Vermont State University Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement Bo McDougall welcomed those in attendance. He recognized Hall of Famer Jackie Priestley-Smith '76, whose generosity helped to beautify the campus and allow current student-athlete leaders to attend. He then asked for a moment of silence for Hall of Famers who passed away in the last year, including Kyle Amadon '79, Beth Wood '61, and Perley Wright '58.
Lyndon sophomore softball player Seairra Anderson then sang the National Anthem. She was followed by Vermont State University President Mike Smith, who offered his congratulations to the inductees.
Following dinner, VTSU Lyndon Director of Athletics Chris Gilmore served as Master of Ceremonies for the inductions.
Many Lyndon Hall of Famers were among the attendees. They included Eric Berry '90 (class of 2020), Michael Brosseau '84 (HOF class of 2004), Elizabeth Burnham '97 (class of 2009), Roger Cartee '65 (class of 1984), Ryan Farley '02, (class of 2022), William Fitzgerald '86 (class of 1997), Brian Gallagher '91 (class of 2018), Mark Hilton '84 (class of 2002), William Leggett '82 (class of 1989), John LeMieux '83 (class of 2020), Rachel Maxwell '06 (class of 2013), John Olinski '79 (class of 2003), Skip and Connie Pound (class of 1995), Jackie Priestley-Smith '76 (class of 2010), Joyce Siok '79 (class of 2004), Mark Weigel '87 (class of 1995), and Michael Whaley '84 (class of 2005).
The Lyndon State College Ski Team had an incredible run in 1977 and 1978. The team won the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) Division II championship back-to-back. Members of those teams included Kyle Amadon '79, Georges Bertrand, John Callahan, Doug Colquhoun, Earle Davis '81, John Dux '81, Clifton Guy '79, Denny Holder '79, John Kresser '82, Mark Kwiecienski, Peter Marancik '79, Roy Moyer '79, Ronald Noe, John Olinski '79, Shawn Robarts, Ken Roberts '80, Scott Sanders, Peter Smith '81, Cory Tusler '79, and Paul Wheeler. Coaches included Richard Carlson '79, John Farrell '80, and Randy Graves '76.
Robert "Bob" Dickerman graduated from Lyndon State College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing.
Bob's love of athletics started long before his time in Lyndon, when at the age of fourteen, he started coaching Little League baseball. His love for baseball began at a young age, and never wavered. He coached some level of baseball every year from age fourteen until the age of fifty-six, when a health issue forced him to retire from coaching.
While at Lyndon State in the early 1980s, Bob was a statistician for the basketball team, and served as the sports information director (SID) for the Mayflower Conference, of which Lyndon was a member school. His duties would lead him to travel throughout New England, and the Mid-Atlantic region, keeping statistics and records for the team. In addition to his duties as team statistician and SID, Bob was also a contributing writer for The Critic, Lyndon's student newspaper.
Following graduation, Bob worked in various customer service positions. His career path would take him from Littleton, N.H., where he worked for Littleton Coin Company, to Scranton, Pa., where he worked at Thomson Education. During his time at Thomson Education, Bob was twice recognized as employee of the month.
In addition to his customer service work, Bob became a local sportswriter covering sporting events for the Weekly News and the Lyndonville Courier in Lyndonville, the Citizen's Voice of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and the Scranton Times-Tribune of Scranton, Pa.
Despite his professional successes, Bob was never far from his love of sports. In addition to the hundreds of youth athletes he coached over the course of his career, Bob served on Little League boards in both Vermont and Pennsylvania. He was instrumental in starting Little League Girls Softball in Newfoundland, Pa., and coached a Lyndon-area Little League team to the Vermont State Championship. In 2001, just before moving to Pennsylvania, Bob was awarded the Lyndon Youth Baseball Award, which honors individuals who are dedicated to improving the lives of youth in the community.
Shortly after moving to Pennsylvania, Bob married his wife Julie and started a family. While many who know Bob from afar would point to his constant "love" of sports, those who knew Bob personally, knew nothing made him happier than his two daughters, Molly and Jewel.
A 1995 graduate of Lyndon State College, Christopher Gobeille earned his Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism, with a minor in Business. In addition to his athletic accolades, Chris was a stellar student, earning the distinction of being named to the Dean's List and being listed in Who's Who Among Colleges and Universities.
Chris was a dual-sport athlete during his Hornet career, starring in both basketball and tennis. On the basketball court, Chris is a member of Lyndon's 1,000-point-club and dished out over 500 assists during his four-year career. The two-time captain was awarded the Sportsmanship Award his junior year and was named LSC Men's Basketball Team MVP following his senior season. Chris' performance during his senior season also earned him selection as an All-Mayflower Conference player.
Chris' first taste of competitive tennis came during his freshman year at Lyndon. Despite his relative lack of experience, the recruited basketball player shined while playing for Hall of Fame Coach Dudley Bell. Chris' efforts as the number six singles player and on the number three doubles team his freshman year, helped the Hornets clinch a birth to the NAIA National Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
As a junior, Chris found himself again competing on the national stage in the NAIA Championship. Chris would eventually fall in dramatic fashion during epic two-and-a-half-hour match as the number four seed. During his senior campaign, he played in the Mayflower Conference Championship as the number two singles player and on the number one doubles team.
After graduation, Chris married his college sweetheart, fellow alum Cindy Fitzgibbon '95, and began his award-winning career as a news photojournalist.
Chris' long list of professional accolades include several of the most prestigious awards given in television news. He has won multiple regional Emmy® Awards, New York and Vermont AP Awards, multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, a Peabody Award, and a duPont Columbia Award for his coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and week long manhunt.
Despite his dedication to his profession, Chris has never lost his love for sports. He has volunteered his time coaching Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, youth basketball, and soccer. He currently coaches a CYO basketball team in Natick, Mass., where he recently led his eighth grade team to the Massachusetts Archdiocese State Final.
Chris continues to play tennis and basketball when he finds down time between his busy work schedule and attending his two sons' – Caleb and Cameron – athletics events.
Timothy Hagerty graduated from Lyndon State College in 2004 with a bachelor degree in Television Studies and an associate degree in Television Production.
Tim's long and distinguished career in sports broadcasting began during his time at Lyndon. As a student, Tim was the news director and sports director for the campus radio station, 91.5 WWLR, and was a news and sports reporter for News7. He was a sportswriter for Lyndon's student newspaper, The Critic, and was presented the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award for the Class of 2004.
Tim was hired by the Vermont Broadcast Association to call Northeast Kingdom sporting events on WSTJ 1340 AM and WKXH 105.5 FM. Between 2001 and 2003, as a Lyndon student, he called more than seventy-five live sporting events. Among the most memorable games Tim covered during his Lyndon career were "The Game" – the annual rivalry football game played between the Lyndon Institute and St. Johnsbury Academy, and a Danville High School girls' basketball state championship victory at the Barre Auditorium. As the inaugural broadcaster for the Vermont Mountaineers baseball team in 2003, Tim called Mountaineer games on 1450 AM.
Tim's sports broadcasting work was recognized with numerous statewide awards from the Vermont Associated Press.
Since graduating from Lyndon, Tim's broadcasting career has flourished. He has broadcasted over 2,000 professional baseball games, including select games for the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres since 2004. In addition to his fill-in work on the air for the Padres and Royals, Tim is currently the broadcaster for the El Paso Chihuahuas – San Diego's Triple-A affiliate.
Prior to his stint with El Paso, Tim was the broadcaster for professional baseball teams in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Mobile, Ala., Portland, Ore., and Tucson, Ariz. His work has been honored with regional and national Edward R. Murrow Awards, by the Alabama Associated Press, and the Idaho Press Association, among others.
During the baseball off-season, Tim has provided nationally broadcasted on-air updates for Fox Sports Radio for NCAA football and basketball events. He has also been selected to broadcast two Triple-A All-Star games and one Triple-A National Championship game on Westwood One national radio.
Patrick Hilton graduated from Lyndon State College in 2013 with bachelor degrees in Journalism/ Creative Writing and Business Administration. Despite the time constraints of being a double major, Patrick also shined on the athletic fields as a two-sport athlete, staring in both soccer and baseball during his four-year career.
When he arrived as a freshman in the fall of 2009, Patrick was no stranger to Lyndon athletics. Born into a Lyndon family, growing up on campus, Patrick could often be seen chasing foul balls for the baseball team, or running the lines at soccer games as a youngster. With his sister Margaret by his side, it was clear from an early age that Patrick had always wanted to be a part of the team.
When Patrick's turn to join the teams arrived, he wasted no time in making his presence felt. Patrick earned a starting role on the soccer team as a freshman, and quickly emerged as a team leader. In one the proudest moments of his athletic career, Patrick was named a captain for the team as a sophomore. He would remain a captain for his junior and senior year, and played a key role in bringing the Hornets to the North Atlantic Conference Championship game in 2010.
On the baseball diamond, Patrick's unselfish, team-first mentality shined as a multi-tooled utility player. Patrick's ability to play wherever the coach – also known as Dad – told him to play helped the Hornets make their first NAC playoff appearance in 2010.
Since graduating from Lyndon in 2013, Patrick has continued to thrive. Patrick earned his Master's of Business Administration in Finance, from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla. He would go on to spend five years working in finance in Chicago, Ill. before moving back to Florida to be closer to family, where he now works in trucking logistics and sales.
From taking the number two bus from Lyndon Town School to Lyndon State College to catch the final few innings of a baseball double header, to staying up all-night working a shift in Public Safety, to the eight years he worked as a lifeguard at the SHAPE pool, the Lyndon campus always felt like Patrick's second home. It was a childhood dream to one day have his picture in the same hallway as his father – Mark Hilton '84, Lyndon Hall of Fame Class of 2002 – and so many others who he considers family. His dream has now become reality.
