On Saturday, October 20, the Emory Sports Hall of Fame welcomed five new members, with Vista Beasley, Spiros Ferderigos, Andrea Pawliczek, Tom Shane and Mike Rubesch the 2018 inductees.
Serving as the presenters were head cross country and track and field coach John Curtin for Beasley, head men’s basketball coach Jason Zimmerman for Ferderigos, former Emory head women’s soccer coach Mike Sabatelle for Pawliczek, head swimming and diving coach Jon Howell for Shane and the University of North Florida head men’s soccer coach Derek Marinotos for Rubesch, who was unable to attend but who was represented by his wife Jean, and son Kurt.
The following are recaps of their Emory careers
Vista Beasley Cross Country/Track & Field, 1994-1998)
Fueled by a never-ending amount of enthusiasm and energy, Vista Beasley made her mark as a standout member of the Emory cross country and track and field programs.
As a senior, she became just the second Emory women’s cross country performer to earn All-America acclaim, with her third-place finish at the 1997 NCAA Championships the best showing in school history and helping the squad to a program-best seventh-place showing. A three-time All-University Athletic Association honoree in cross country, earning first-team acclaim in 1995 and 1997, Vista further distinguished herself by earning all-region honors all four years and was chosen as the team’s Most Valuable Runner on two occasions.
Extremely accomplished in track and field, she raced to 1997 All-America status in the 5,000 meters and the following year in the 3,000 meters. She was a three-time UAA Outdoor Champion, highlighted by first-place finishes in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters in 1997, and was recognized with three All-UAA honors in indoor track. Vista played pivotal roles in helping Emory secure the conference’s 1995 indoor title and the 1997 outdoor crown.
At the time of her graduation, she held the top six times in the outdoor 3,000 meters and the second and third top marks in the indoor 1,500 meters.
She was selected to both Emory’s All-Time UAA Team and the league’s 30th Anniversary Team.
Vista graduated from Emory as a biology major, while completing the Air Force R.O.T.C. program at Georgia Tech. She then obtained an M.S. in sport/exercise psychology from Florida State and a Ph.D in sport/exercise psychology at the University of Stirling in Scotland.
Serving as an active duty Air Force officer for five years, she was named company grade officer of the year for Air Force Space Command in her field. Vista was a law enforcement officer for eight years as a special agent in the Drug Enforcement Agency in Detroit, Mich., and a detective for the state of Florida in Miami. She is currently a research psychologist with the U.S. Army.
Vista completed a solo, unsupported hike of the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail on foot in 4 ½ months. She has competed in triathlons, and is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player.
Spiros Ferderigos
Men’s Basketball (2004-2008)
During his four-year career, Spiros Ferderigos was a fierce competitor who established himself as one of the top all-around players in the history of Emory men’s basketball.
He played in a total of 98 games, 96 in a starting capacity, and hung up his uniform ranked among the program’s all-time 10 in a host of categories including first in steals (201), second in points (1,630 pts.), third in scoring average (16.6 ppg), fourth in rebounds (560) and fifth in assists (288). He became the second-fastest player to reach the 1,000 career-point plateau, achieving that in his 64th contest. Standing 6-foot-1, he played with a tenacity that helped him sink a school record 495 free throws.
Despite being the primary focus of opposing defenses, Spiros managed to produce double-figure scoring in 83 games including 29 outings with 20 or more points. He closed out 2005-06 as the first Emory player to led team in points, rebounds, assists and steals in the same season. In addition, he established the program’s single-game scoring record that year with a 45-point outing vs. Washington University.
Recognized as a four-time All-UAA honoree, he earned first-team acclaim in 2008 after garnering second-team status as a sophomore and junior. In addition, he was selected to the All-South District Second Team by the NABC in 2007-08, the first Emory player since 1990 to be recognized by that organization. His 453 points that campaign represented the second-highest total by a senior in program history.
In 2010, Spiros was recognized by Emory Athletics with his selection to the school’s All-Time UAA Team.
He is currently an internal medical physician working at a hospitalist at the Largo Medical Center in Clearwater, Florida. He and his wife, Carrie, have two daughters.
He enjoys travelling and cooking with his family. He has begun collecting wines and enjoys learning about different wine makers
Andrea Pawliczek
Women’s Soccer (1998-2001); Women’s Basketball (1998-2002)
A four-year member of the Emory women’s soccer program, Andrea Pawliczek closed her career as the school’s most accomplished goalkeeper.
The first goalie in program history to earn All-America honors, earning second-team recognition in 2000 and 2001, she also landed all-region accolades on four occasions, highlighted by two first-team berths. Andrea was chosen to the All-University Athletic Association First Team four times, and was the league’s Most Valuable Player as a senior. During her final campaign, she accounted for all 17 of Emory’s victories, which still stands as a school record.
Andrea was instrumental in Emory recording a conference record of 21-1-6 won-lost record, with the Eagles winning UAA titles in 1998 and 2000 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament those years. Her three saves in a shootout propelled the Eagles to a win over No. 12 Trinity in the Round of 32 in the 1998 NCAA Tournament – the first postseason victory in school history.
She closed out her career with a school-record 47 wins and the program’s No. 1 mark with a 0.43 goals-against average, which at the time was the eighth-best mark in the history of Division III. In addition, she held school records with 21 shutouts and a .910 saves percentage.
A member of both Emory’s All-Time UAA Team and the league’s 30th Anniversary Team, she played a key role in helping establish a school-record 29-game unbeaten streak which spanned the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
A four-year competitor in women’s basketball, she played in a total of 91 games, 67 as a starter, and ranked third on the school’s all-time field goal percentage list.
A two-time Academic All-American and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, Andrea graduated summa cum laude from Emory with degrees in economics and chemistry. She went on to earn her MBA at Duke University’s School of Business and obtained a PhD in accounting at the University of Colorado. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the University of Missouri.
Andrea has competed in a couple of Boston Marathons and played on an amateur soccer team in Colorado that won several state and regional tournaments.
Tom Shane
Men’s Swimming & Diving (1998-2002)
Tom Shane’s drive to excel and belief that Emory men’s swimming and diving could develop into a national power helped lay the foundation for the success that the program has experienced.
A nine-time All-American, five of which came in individual events and four as a member of relays, his four All-America awards in the 200 butterfly represented just the second time in school history that an Emory swimmer earned that distinction in the same individual event all four years. A two-time All-American as a freshman, Tom helped Emory to a sixth-place finish at the 1999 NCAA Championships, the first time the program had cracked the top 10. In 2001 he came away with three more All-America certificates, setting the stage for the team’s national runner-up showing. As a senior, he finished third in the 200 fly at the NCAAs, which aided the team in setting a school record for points en route to third-place finish.
He was part of four teams that won UAA Championships, including the school’s first conference crown in 1999, and captured a total of five conference titles including the 200 fly in 1999 and 2000. By the time he finished, he held six of the 10 fastest times in school history in the 200 butterfly.
An excellent student, Tom maintained a 4.00 grade-point average as a neuroscience and behavioral biology major. He was the recipient of the University’s prestigious Brittain Award, and also earned the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
In 2010, Tom was recognized by Emory Athletics with his selection to the school’s All-Time UAA Team.
Following his graduation, he attended medical school at Washington University. After his time in Saint Louis, he moved to Miami where he did ophthalmology residency and retinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. He currently is in private practice as an ophthalmologist and retina specialist in Sarasota, Florida. His family includes his wife, Anita, and two children.
Mike Rubesch
Men’s Soccer Head Coach (1988-2006)
Women’s Soccer Head Coach (1986-87)
With his love of soccer ingrained at a young age when he and his parents, along with a number of the Atlanta Chiefs professional team, lived in the Williamsburg Village Apartments, Mike Rubesch’s passion for the game fueled a successful odyssey both as a player and coach.
Mike guided the Emory men’s soccer program for 19 seasons, compiling a record of 236-99-22. Following 2006, his last year as the men’s coach, he ranked among Division III’s all-time top 40 in winning percentage while his victory total stood 35th.
While patrolling the sidelines, Mike guided the Eagles to eight NCAA Tournaments along with five University Athletic Association titles. He mentored his teams to 16 winning campaigns and directed the 1989, 1991 and 2003 squads to a school-record tying 16 victories.
A three-time Regional and five-time UAA Coach of the Year, he oversaw all three of the Emory teams that have gone unbeaten in conference play. Under Mike’s guidance, nine Eagles captured All-America honors while five were chosen as UAA Player of the Year.
After graduating from Erskine College, where he enjoyed a fine career as a player, Mike returned to the local scene as head coach at St. Pius High School. He then joined the Emory program as an assistant coach from 1984 through 1987, helping the Eagles to their first two bids to the NCAA Tournament. In addition, he holds the distinction of serving as the head coach of the first two Emory women’s soccer teams (1986 & 1987).
After leaving Emory, Mike moved to South Africa and worked as Chief Scout and Coach for Ajax Cape Town. He returned to the United States where he served a two-year stint as an assistant coach for Coastal Carolina University. He would eventually become the owner and coach at the Overstrand Soccer Academy in his current residence of Hermanus, South Africa. Mike and his wife, Jean, are the proud parents of three children.