WORCESTER, Mass. – The Clark University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to announce the inductees of the 18th Hall of Fame class. The five new members of its 2026 Hall of Fame class who will be inducted are Kyle Bonicki '17, Rick Cole '84, Laura Habacker '85, Mel Melkonian '13, and Ted Sotiropoulos '72. These individuals will be officially inducted into the Clark University Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 26.
The Clark Athletics Hall of Fame honors former student-athletes, coaches, and contributors whose achievements have brought distinction and pride to the university through excellence in athletics, leadership, and service.
Bonicki elevated Clark Baseball to national prominence during his standout career with the Cougars. A two-time NEWMAC First Team All-Conference selection, Bonicki became the first ABCA All-American in program history in 2017 while also earning D3Baseball.com All-New England and All-America honors. He rewrote the Clark record book, setting program records in batting average (.466), runs scored, hits, stolen bases, on-base percentage, doubles, total bases, at-bats, and games played during his career. In 2017, he finished among the NCAA Division III leaders in batting average, hits, and doubles while becoming the program's all-time hits leader. A two-year team captain and the 2016 Clark University Male Student-Athlete of the Year, Bonicki's impact extended far beyond statistics.
Cole was a cornerstone of one of the most successful teams in Clark Basketball history, Cole helped lead the Cougars to the 1984 NCAA Division III National Championship game and earned NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team honors. He remains among the program's all-time leaders in scoring and blocked shots, finishing his career with 1,246 points while ranking among Clark's best in single-season field goals and blocked shots. Cole is one of 33 players in men's basketball history to reach the 1,000 point plateau. During the 1983-84 season, he totaled 227 field goals and 56 blocked shots while serving as team captain.
Habacker was a standout multi-sport student-athlete and later coach, Habacker made an extraordinary impact across several Clark programs during the 1980s. In volleyball, she helped lead Clark to MAIAW Championships in 1983 and 1984 along with appearances in the AIAW and ECAC tournaments. The Cougars also captured multiple tournament championships during her career, including Bates Invitational and Wellesley Tournament titles. In basketball and softball, Habacker contributed to ECAC appearances and NCAA Final Four teams. Habacker served as a captain and recipient of the Hazel Hughes Awad Award. Former coaches praised her willingness to adapt to any role necessary for team success, citing her competitiveness, toughness, and team-first mentality as defining characteristics of her career. Following her playing days, Habacker returned to lead the volleyball program as head coach, continuing her longstanding impact on Clark Athletics.
Melkonian was one of the most dominant field hockey players in NCAA Division III history, Melkonian became Clark's first-ever three-time All-American and first four-time all-region selection. A two-sport standout, Melkonian earned NEWMAC Rookie of the Year honors in both field hockey and softball during the 2009-10 academic year. On the field hockey pitch, she finished her career with 255 points on 112 goals and 31 assists, ranking among the NCAA Division III all-time leaders in both goals and points. Her career averages of 1.67 goals per game and 3.81 points per game remain among the best in NCAA history. In softball, Melkonian also excelled offensively, recording a .326 career batting average and 139 hits.
Sotiropoulos is one of the top offensive players in Clark Men's Soccer history, as he earned All-New England honors in 1968 and finished his career among the program's all-time scoring leaders. He ranks second in career goals and third in career points in program history while also placing among Clark's single-season leaders in goals and points. Sotiropoulos led the team in scoring during all four of his seasons with the Cougars and helped the program compile 22 wins during his career. Following graduation, Sotiropoulos continued his service to the program as an assistant coach in 1972 before later serving as head coach from 1976-77.
