President Linda LeMura to be Inducted into Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame

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In November, Le Moyne President Linda LeMura will be inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, joining six others in the organization’s 2022 class. The seven were introduced at a press conference held yesterday at the hall of fame, located in Driver’s Village in Cicero. She was introduced at the event by Joe Russo ‘70, a member of the hall of fame’s board.

“If you live in Central New York, you undoubtedly know Dr. Linda LeMura as the 14th president of Le Moyne College,” said Russo. “But long before she embarked on what has been a remarkable career in higher education, Linda first gained fame as an athlete, first at Bishop Grimes High School and later at Niagara University.” Russo continued with an overview of her athletic career, which included leading Bishop Grimes to the OHSL Central co-championship and finishing as the team’s second leading scorer with 17 points per game as a senior in 1978. At Niagara, she was a member of the basketball teams for four years, starting as a junior and senior as the Purple Eagles compiled an impressive record of 86 wins and 26 losses during her time there. She was also a member of the CNY Empire State Games while in college. “Playing point guard,” he continued, “she was a gritty competitor who teammates described as the consummate team player, looking to drive and dish the ball first but with an accurate outside jump shot to keep opponents honest.” Shown in photo are, from left, Russo, LeMura and Pete DiLaura ’78, chair of the board of trustees.

The other members of the class of 2022 are:

·       Mel Besdin, who played basketball at SU in the late 1940s and early 1950s;
·       Kevin Collins, a world-class marathon runner from Cicero North Syracuse;
·       Bill Motto, a Solvay native who was a basketball coach and tournament organizer;
·       Latavius Murray, a football player from Onondaga Central High School who has played eight seasons in the NFL;
·       Scott Schwedes, former SU and NFL player from Jamesville-DeWitt.
·       Judy Tearney, martial arts competitor and instructor from Solvay.

The 2022 Hall of Fame class will be formally inducted at a dinner on Nov. 11. See stories on Syracuse.com, Channel 9 WSYR and CNYCentral.