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St. Francis inducts five into hall of fame

January 30, 2012 Editorial Staff

Photo courtesy of St. Francis College.

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Five outstanding former student-athletes — Ron Arnold (06,Men’s Basketball), Shelia M. Pickard (79, Women’s Swimming), MarkFerro (83, Men’s Swimming & Water Polo), Gary Gooden (97,Men’s Soccer, Track & Field), and Marie McGoldrick-Raico (’94,Women’s Volleyball & Softball) — were inducted into the St.Francis College Hall of Fame on January 21.

Ron Arnold was the 1990-1991 Northeast Conference Newcomer of theYear and a Second Team All-Conference pick. A member of theTerriers 1,000 Point Club, he once recorded a then-NCAA record with11 steals in a game.

Arnold led the Terriers in scoring in each of his first two yearsand tied with Lester James as a junior despite playing only 17games due to an injury. As a sophomore, he averaged 18.4 points pergame, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. As a junior, heenjoyed memorable games with 30 points against Seton Hall inNovember, 1991 and ripped down 14 rebounds against LIU on January7, 1992.

Pickard started swimming in the second grade with the St.Sebastian’s Dolphinettes in Woodside, Queens. Fast-forward severalyears, she had the opportunity to swim for St. Francis. When Sheliawas not swimming, she was working towards her accounting degree,playing intramural sports and hanging out with her fellow AlphaKappa Psi fraternity brothers.

After graduating in 1979, Ferro, a Bishop Ford Athletic Hall ofFamer, distinguished himself as a Terrier as a member of itsoutstanding Water Polo Team. For three years, he earned AllMid-Atlantic Water Polo Team honors and was selected to the AllEastern First Team in 1982. He also swam for St. Francis, breakingthe 800 freestyle relay in 1980.

As a Track athlete, Gooden broke several records during his tenureat St. Francis. He came in third for the 55m hurdles at theIntercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America, and wasnamed to the NEC All-Academic Team. He still holds the NortheastConference and St. Francis College school record for the 110m and55m hurdles (13.99 seconds and 7.39 seconds respectively).

As a Soccer athlete, Gooden recorded 277 career saves, good forfourth all-time; 115 saves in 1995, fifth all-time in single seasonsaves; 15th in single season goals against average (1.41 in 1996)and 11th all-time in single season saves percentage (.816% in1996). A member of the Northeast Conference Championship team fortwo consecutive seasons (1995-96 and 1996-97),he was named theNEC’s Most Valuable Player for the 1995-96 season and a member ofthe All-Academic team. After leaving St. Francis, Gary made the110m hurdles finals at the 1996 Olympic trials in Jamaica. He wasalso invited as a goalkeeper to the Jamaican National Team in1998.

McGoldrick-Raico — born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn — wasthe starting setter in her Freshman Volleyball season, a seasonthat saw her team yield 20 wins and only seven losses. Shecaptained her team in her Senior Season. Her softball careerallowed her to play nearly every position on the field. During hersophomore season, she led her team in batting with a .417 average.She finished that season batting 25th in the nation, while her teammade it to the semi-finals of the Northeast ConferenceTournament.