MONROE, La. -- The ULM
Athletic Hall of Fame opened its doors to three former Warhawk
student-athletes and the most successful tennis coach in school history as Mary Arnie, Marty
Booker, Dr. Del Vines and Lori Tande Bruscato were inducted into the Class of 2011 Saturday on the seventh floor of the ULM Library.
"This is a signature event for us," ULM Athletics Director Bobby Staub said. "These individuals have meant a great deal to this University and we are honored to add their name to our Hall of Fame."
Arnie, who played at ULM from
1977-81, is the Warhawks' all-time women's tennis wins leader in doubles with 146 and ranks
second on the all-time singles wins list with 286. One of just four members of
the 100-100 Club (singles/doubles wins), Arnie helped lead the Warhawks to three
NCAA Tournaments and a top 20 ranking in three of her four seasons. Arnie and
Julie Jones upset the top-ranked doubles tandem in the country from UCLA in the
1980 NCAA Indoor Championship.
Booker ranks second in ULM history in both career receiving yards (2,784) and
career touchdown receptions (23) in addition to posting the second highest
single-season touchdown total (11), receiving yards total (1,168) and
receptions total (75) in 1998. An 11-year veteran of the National Football
League, Booker was drafted in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the
Chicago Bears -- he also played for the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta
Falcons. He was a two-time all-Louisiana
selection in addition to earning all-independent honors in 1996.
Dr. Vines began his career at
ULM as an assistant instructor in 1958 and by the time he left he had revived a
dormant men's tennis program and created the women's tennis program. He took
over the men's program in 1961 and laid the groundwork for a program that won
19 conference titles, finished ranked in the top 25 on six different occasions
and produced a pair of all-Americans. Dr. Vines started the women's program in 1973
and the program won eight conference championships, finished in the AIAW top 20
four times and produced a pair of all-Americans. Dr. Vines also served as the
ULM President from 1976-91.
One of ULM's most consistent
and prolific hitters, Tande Bruscato was named the Southland Conference Softball Player
and Hitter of the Year in 2001, the Utility Player of the Year in 2002 and the
Newcomer of the Year in 1999. She is the all-time ULM leader in home runs (41)
and doubles (49) in addition to ranking second in RBIs (132) and third in
batting average (.342). Tande Bruscato took her softball skills to West
Ouachita High School where she led the Chiefs to the 2009 Louisiana 4A State
Championship Game and was named the District Coach of the Year in 2008 and
2009.
