Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Features Five Former Bison Greats
6/14/2023 1:50:00 PM | Field Hockey, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Men's Track and Field, Softball, Women's Soccer, Bison Club
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Five Bison standouts from the last 25 years, representing six different sports, have been elected to the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame. The 45th Hall of Fame class will be formally inducted on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Terrace Room in the Elaine Langone Center on campus.
The Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023:
Below is more information on each member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
MIKE MUSCALA '13 came to Bucknell from the state of Minnesota and quickly developed into one of the best centers in Bucknell men's basketball history. A four-time All-Patriot League selection, Muscala was the league's player of the year as both a sophomore and senior, and he was also picked as a Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American as a senior.
The first player in league history to earn Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors twice, Muscala led the Bison to league championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2013. During his junior campaign, the team won the Patriot League regular-season title and defeated Arizona in the first round of the NIT.
Many of the college draft boards had Muscala ranked as one of the nation's top big men during his senior year in 2012-13, when he averaged 18.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for a team that won a school-record 28 games. That year, he became the first player in Patriot League history to sweep the Patriot League Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, and he was selected as one of 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of the Year Award. He was picked as a Lute Olsen All-American by CollegeInsider.com and an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press, and he was one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.
Muscala graduated as Bucknell's all-time leading scorer (2,036 points), and he is the only player in school and league history with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds (1,093).
Following his senior campaign, he was selected to play in the Reese's Division I All-Star Game on Final Four weekend in Atlanta, and he started for the West team and recorded 15 points and eight rebounds. Less than four months later, he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 44th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and that evening his rights were traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Muscala joined fellow Hall-of-Famers Al Leslie '81 and Jaye Andrews '85 in the exclusive club of Bucknell alums to be taken in the draft, and after starting his professional career in Spain, he became the first Bison to play in an NBA game when he debuted with the Hawks in a road game against the Phoenix Suns on March 2, 2014.
Muscala spent his first five professional seasons with the Hawks, and he has since played with the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and most recently the Boston Celtics.
Multi-sport athletes have become exceedingly rare in this modern age of specialization and year-round training, but ANDREW POWELL '12 was a true two-sport star who was an All-Patriot League performer in both soccer and track and field.
In the fall, Powell was an outstanding defender for a Bison soccer side that won Patriot League championships in his sophomore and junior seasons. He earned a spot on the 2010 Patriot League All-Tournament Team after Bucknell shut out Colgate and American to claim the title. A year earlier, the Bison posted 12 shutouts on the way to a school-record 17 wins, including three straight 1-0 verdicts in the postseason, two in the Patriot League Tournament and another at Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Powell was a two-time Second Team All-Patriot League fullback, and he also scored five career goals. He was also named to the inaugural Academic All-Patriot League Team in 2010.
After the conclusion of soccer season, Powell donned a different pair of spikes and made his mark as the top multi-event athlete in Bucknell track and field history. He was the Patriot League decathlon champion in 2010 and 2012 and the Patriot League heptathlon gold-medalist in 2010 and 2011. He holds the school record in the decathlon (6,667 points) by 230 over the next-highest mark and he owns the record in the heptathlon (5,143) by 170 points over the No. 2 score.
The high jump was Powell's premier single event, and his career-best leap of 6-8 ¼ was tied for fourth-best in school history at the time of his graduation and now ranks tied for fifth. He was a catalyst on some of Bucknell's finest men's track and field teams. The Bison won three straight Patriot League outdoor championships from 2010-12 and also captured the indoor crown in 2012. At his Senior Awards Banquet, Powell received the Bryan-Humphreys Award for exceptional versatility.
Also an outstanding student, Powell was an Academic All-Patriot League honoree in soccer (2010), indoor track and field (2012), and track and field (2012). Upon graduation from Bucknell, he had one year of soccer eligibility remaining, which he used as a graduate student at Atlantic Coast Conference power Wake Forest.
KRISTALEE GENTILE MELLOTT '08 is one of only two four-time All-Patriot League honorees in Bucknell women's soccer history, and now she joins former teammates Jennifer Dervarics '09 and Christa Matlack '11 in the Hall of Fame.
Gentile, who was a First Team All-Patriot League selection as a junior and a Second Team pick in her other three seasons, ranked third in team history in goals (34) and points (83) at the time of her graduation. In 28 career games against Patriot League opponents, she recorded 17 goals and eight assists for 42 points. Her 14 game-winning goals were also third-most in team history.
Known as a clutch goal-scorer, Gentile recorded a hat trick, including the tiebreaking goal in the 88th minute, in a wild 4-3 win over Navy in the 2005 regular-season finale. Bucknell needed those three points to qualify for the four-team Patriot League Tournament. A week later, the Bison knocked off top-seeded Lehigh in penalty kicks and topped Army 3-1 in the championship match to claim the program's second-ever conference title and NCAA Tournament bid. Gentile's 11th goal of the season snapped a 1-1 deadlock in the 75th minute in the title match against Army.
In addition to the Patriot League Tournament title in 2005, the Bison captured regular-season crowns in her junior and senior seasons, posting a combined 11-2-1 record in league play in those two campaigns. At the 2008 Senior Awards Banquet, Gentile was presented the Lee S. "Bud" Ranck Memorial Award for outstanding spirit and contributions to the Bucknell athletics program.
Following graduation, Gentile entered the college coaching profession, serving as an assistant coach at Elmira, Gettysburg, and Mount St. Mary's along with a three-year stint as head coach at Hood College in Maryland.
LAUREN CAMPBELL BRUZEK '02 was an outstanding defender on some very good Bucknell field hockey teams during her four-year career in Orange & Blue, and as a senior in 2001 she became the first All-American in program history.
Campbell was a Second Team All-Region selection a junior, and a year later she moved up to the First Team, which led to a Third Team All-America citation from the American Field Hockey Coaches Association. Campbell was a First Team All-Patriot League pick as a senior and also earned the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award that year.
In her first year as a starting back in 1999, Campbell helped the Bison win a school-record 13 games against only seven losses. The Bison advanced to the Patriot League Tournament championship games in both 1999 and 2000.
Campbell was invited to play in the North-South All-Star Game following her senior campaign, and she was later named to the Patriot League Field Hockey 25th Anniversary Team.
KRISTEN SANDEL '98 was a catalyst on some outstanding Bison softball teams, including the 1997 squad that became the first in team history to win a conference championship. A four-year starting third baseman, Sandel earned three All-Patriot League citations, including First Team honors as a freshman and junior. Sandel was an NFCA First Team All-Region pick following her junior season, when the Bison defeated Colgate 4-1 in an epic 19-inning game to win the Patriot League title.
Known as a deadly gap hitter, Sandel graduated with Bucknell season (8) and career (18) records for triples, and her career batting average of .346 ranked fifth in team history at the time.
Also an outstanding student, Sandel was the 1998 Patriot League Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American. At the 1998 Senior Awards Banquet she was presented the prestigious Alvin F. Jackson Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023:
- Mike Muscala '13, the men's basketball team's all-time leading scorer who went on to become the first Bucknell alum ever to play in the NBA.
- Andrew Powell '12, a true two-sport standout who was both an All-Patriot League soccer player and a record-setting decathlete.
- KristaLee Gentile Mellott '08, a rare four-time All-Patriot League soccer honoree who is one of the top scorers in team history.
- Lauren Campbell Bruzek '02, a standout defender on the Bison field hockey team who became the program's first All-American.
- Kristen Sandel '98, an outstanding third baseman who helped lead the Bison softball team to its first-ever league title in 1997.
Below is more information on each member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
MIKE MUSCALA '13 came to Bucknell from the state of Minnesota and quickly developed into one of the best centers in Bucknell men's basketball history. A four-time All-Patriot League selection, Muscala was the league's player of the year as both a sophomore and senior, and he was also picked as a Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American as a senior.The first player in league history to earn Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors twice, Muscala led the Bison to league championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2013. During his junior campaign, the team won the Patriot League regular-season title and defeated Arizona in the first round of the NIT.
Many of the college draft boards had Muscala ranked as one of the nation's top big men during his senior year in 2012-13, when he averaged 18.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for a team that won a school-record 28 games. That year, he became the first player in Patriot League history to sweep the Patriot League Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, and he was selected as one of 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of the Year Award. He was picked as a Lute Olsen All-American by CollegeInsider.com and an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press, and he was one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.
Muscala graduated as Bucknell's all-time leading scorer (2,036 points), and he is the only player in school and league history with at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds (1,093).
Following his senior campaign, he was selected to play in the Reese's Division I All-Star Game on Final Four weekend in Atlanta, and he started for the West team and recorded 15 points and eight rebounds. Less than four months later, he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 44th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and that evening his rights were traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Muscala joined fellow Hall-of-Famers Al Leslie '81 and Jaye Andrews '85 in the exclusive club of Bucknell alums to be taken in the draft, and after starting his professional career in Spain, he became the first Bison to play in an NBA game when he debuted with the Hawks in a road game against the Phoenix Suns on March 2, 2014.
Muscala spent his first five professional seasons with the Hawks, and he has since played with the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and most recently the Boston Celtics.
Multi-sport athletes have become exceedingly rare in this modern age of specialization and year-round training, but ANDREW POWELL '12 was a true two-sport star who was an All-Patriot League performer in both soccer and track and field.In the fall, Powell was an outstanding defender for a Bison soccer side that won Patriot League championships in his sophomore and junior seasons. He earned a spot on the 2010 Patriot League All-Tournament Team after Bucknell shut out Colgate and American to claim the title. A year earlier, the Bison posted 12 shutouts on the way to a school-record 17 wins, including three straight 1-0 verdicts in the postseason, two in the Patriot League Tournament and another at Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Powell was a two-time Second Team All-Patriot League fullback, and he also scored five career goals. He was also named to the inaugural Academic All-Patriot League Team in 2010.
After the conclusion of soccer season, Powell donned a different pair of spikes and made his mark as the top multi-event athlete in Bucknell track and field history. He was the Patriot League decathlon champion in 2010 and 2012 and the Patriot League heptathlon gold-medalist in 2010 and 2011. He holds the school record in the decathlon (6,667 points) by 230 over the next-highest mark and he owns the record in the heptathlon (5,143) by 170 points over the No. 2 score.
The high jump was Powell's premier single event, and his career-best leap of 6-8 ¼ was tied for fourth-best in school history at the time of his graduation and now ranks tied for fifth. He was a catalyst on some of Bucknell's finest men's track and field teams. The Bison won three straight Patriot League outdoor championships from 2010-12 and also captured the indoor crown in 2012. At his Senior Awards Banquet, Powell received the Bryan-Humphreys Award for exceptional versatility.
Also an outstanding student, Powell was an Academic All-Patriot League honoree in soccer (2010), indoor track and field (2012), and track and field (2012). Upon graduation from Bucknell, he had one year of soccer eligibility remaining, which he used as a graduate student at Atlantic Coast Conference power Wake Forest.
KRISTALEE GENTILE MELLOTT '08 is one of only two four-time All-Patriot League honorees in Bucknell women's soccer history, and now she joins former teammates Jennifer Dervarics '09 and Christa Matlack '11 in the Hall of Fame.Gentile, who was a First Team All-Patriot League selection as a junior and a Second Team pick in her other three seasons, ranked third in team history in goals (34) and points (83) at the time of her graduation. In 28 career games against Patriot League opponents, she recorded 17 goals and eight assists for 42 points. Her 14 game-winning goals were also third-most in team history.
Known as a clutch goal-scorer, Gentile recorded a hat trick, including the tiebreaking goal in the 88th minute, in a wild 4-3 win over Navy in the 2005 regular-season finale. Bucknell needed those three points to qualify for the four-team Patriot League Tournament. A week later, the Bison knocked off top-seeded Lehigh in penalty kicks and topped Army 3-1 in the championship match to claim the program's second-ever conference title and NCAA Tournament bid. Gentile's 11th goal of the season snapped a 1-1 deadlock in the 75th minute in the title match against Army.
In addition to the Patriot League Tournament title in 2005, the Bison captured regular-season crowns in her junior and senior seasons, posting a combined 11-2-1 record in league play in those two campaigns. At the 2008 Senior Awards Banquet, Gentile was presented the Lee S. "Bud" Ranck Memorial Award for outstanding spirit and contributions to the Bucknell athletics program.
Following graduation, Gentile entered the college coaching profession, serving as an assistant coach at Elmira, Gettysburg, and Mount St. Mary's along with a three-year stint as head coach at Hood College in Maryland.
LAUREN CAMPBELL BRUZEK '02 was an outstanding defender on some very good Bucknell field hockey teams during her four-year career in Orange & Blue, and as a senior in 2001 she became the first All-American in program history.Campbell was a Second Team All-Region selection a junior, and a year later she moved up to the First Team, which led to a Third Team All-America citation from the American Field Hockey Coaches Association. Campbell was a First Team All-Patriot League pick as a senior and also earned the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award that year.
In her first year as a starting back in 1999, Campbell helped the Bison win a school-record 13 games against only seven losses. The Bison advanced to the Patriot League Tournament championship games in both 1999 and 2000.
Campbell was invited to play in the North-South All-Star Game following her senior campaign, and she was later named to the Patriot League Field Hockey 25th Anniversary Team.
KRISTEN SANDEL '98 was a catalyst on some outstanding Bison softball teams, including the 1997 squad that became the first in team history to win a conference championship. A four-year starting third baseman, Sandel earned three All-Patriot League citations, including First Team honors as a freshman and junior. Sandel was an NFCA First Team All-Region pick following her junior season, when the Bison defeated Colgate 4-1 in an epic 19-inning game to win the Patriot League title.Known as a deadly gap hitter, Sandel graduated with Bucknell season (8) and career (18) records for triples, and her career batting average of .346 ranked fifth in team history at the time.
Also an outstanding student, Sandel was the 1998 Patriot League Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American. At the 1998 Senior Awards Banquet she was presented the prestigious Alvin F. Jackson Scholar-Athlete Award.
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