Holy Cross Varsity Club announces 2026 class in Athletic Hall of Fame

WORCESTER, Mass. – A group who set numerous school records and earned extensive recognition headlines a class of six individuals who will be inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2026 inductees into the Hall of Fame are John Colella (Class of 2013 / baseball), Frank Mattiace (Class of 1983 / football), Erin Singleton (Class of 2009 / field hockey), Alex Smith (Class of 2014 / women’s basketball), Steve Zychowski (Class of 2013 / men’s golf) and Bob Molt (honorary / men’s and women’s golf coach).

These new honorees will be formally inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 21, at the Varsity Club’s annual dinner, to be held in the Hogan Campus Center. Tickets for the dinner will go on sale soon, along with packages including tickets to both the Varsity Club dinner and the November 21 football game against Fordham.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2027 class in the Hall of Fame from now until December 31. All nominations should be submitted online, and any supporting materials to accompany a nomination can be sent to James A. Maloney, Secretary, Holy Cross Varsity Club, 862 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA 01602 or via e-mail at jmaloney_law@yahoo.com.

Colella was a star pitcher for the Crusader baseball team from 2010-2013. Over the course of his collegiate career, he went 11-9 with a 3.66 earned run average, 28 saves and 162 strikeouts in 167 innings pitched. Colella graduated as both the Holy Cross and Patriot League all-time leader in saves (28) and relief appearances (81). In 2013, he became the first reliever to ever be named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year. Colella was also named first team All-Patriot League twice and was a two-time selection to the New England All-Star team. A member of the Patriot League 25th Anniversary team, he helped lead the Crusaders to the 2013 Patriot League regular season title and three Patriot League Tournament runner-up finishes.

Mattiace was a standout lineman for the Holy Cross football team from 1979-1982. After starting much of his sophomore season at offensive tackle, he moved to defense prior to his junior year and became a standout at middle guard and tackle. Mattiace totaled 130 tackles in 1982, including 11 tackles for loss, setting a school single-season record for the most total tackles by an interior defensive lineman. Following his senior year, he earned honorable mention All-America honors in addition to being named first team All-ECAC and first team All-New England. After his graduation, Mattiace went on to play for the New Jersey Generals in the United States Football League and the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League.

Singleton was a star member of the Crusader field hockey team from 2005-2008. She was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year three times, while being a three-time selection to the All-Patriot League first team. Singleton finished her career with 28 victories, 350 saves, nine shutouts, a 2.02 goals against average and a .754 save percentage. She led the Patriot League in save percentage during both the 2007 (.752) and 2008 (.777) seasons, in addition to leading the conference in goals against average (1.61) and shutouts (five) in 2006. Singleton was also selected to the Patriot League’s 25th Anniversary team.

Smith was a standout guard on the Holy Cross women’s basketball team from 2010-2014. A four-year starter and two-time team captain, she led the Crusaders to three consecutive appearances in the Patriot League Tournament championship game in 2012, 2013 and 2014. A three-time first team All-Patriot League selection, Smith led the team in assists three times and in scoring as a junior. She finished her collegiate career as the all-time Patriot League leader in three-point field goals made (349), while standing fifth in school history in both points (1,644) and assists (568). Smith also totaled 455 rebounds and 210 steals during her time with the Crusaders.

Zychowski was a star member of the Holy Cross men’s golf team from 2009-2013. He won the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association individual title in 2011, finishing the tournament at two-over par. A two-time first team All-Patriot League selection in 2010 and 2011, Zychowski led the team in scoring three times and ranked second in program history at the time of his graduation with an average of 75.7 strokes per round. He was also a four-time qualifier for the United States Amateur Championship (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014), placing 38th in stroke play in 2013 to advance to the round of 64 of match play.

Molt led the Holy Cross golf program for more than four decades, serving as the head men’s golf coach from 1976-2017 and the head women’s golf coach from 2000-2013. He led the men’s squad to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1982 and 1983, in addition to claiming a number of Worcester City championships. Over the course of his career, Molt coached 13 All-Patriot League selections, two New England Intercollegiate Golf Association champions (Bill Link, 1997; Steve Zychowski, 2011), one Patriot League champion (Matt Czarnecki, 2007) and one Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion (Chris Grimm, 1986). In 2006, Molt received the Gordon McCullough Coaching Award from the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association for his outstanding dedication to college golf. 

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