KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Six former Golden Bear greats will make up the 45th annual and 2024 Kutztown University Athletics Hall of Fame class, the university announced Thursday afternoon.
Set to be inducted this coming November are Sam Costello '15 (women's soccer), Nicole Henninger '14 (softball), Joshua Johnson '17 (men's basketball), Sara Keeny '19 (softball), Josh Mastromatto '13 (football) and Matthew Rowan '06 (men's swimming).
When this year's class is enshrined, it will grow the hall of fame's membership to 245 former student-athletes, coaches and contributors since 1977.
The 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled for the evening of Friday, Nov. 8, inside the Nancy Jean Stump Seiger '54 Room, 250 McFarland Student Union.
Registration for the event is open and tickets can be purchased online by clicking here. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children ages 3-12. Children 2 and under are complimentary. The evening begins with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, the 2024 Hall of Fame class will be recognized prior to the start of Kutztown's football game against West Chester, which begins at noon. Pregame tailgate registration is coming soon.
2024 KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
 | SAM COSTELLO '15 | WOMEN'S SOCCERSam Costello was a four-year standout for the Golden Bears (2011-14), who capped off a great career with a historic senior season in 2014 that was one of the most successful award seasons in the history of the program. She was selected to the United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America) All-America Second Team and the Daktronics All-America Third Team, becoming the third KU women's soccer All-American in program history and the first to ever make the Second Team. Costello was the Atlantic Region's top player in 2014 by earning the Daktronics Atlantic Region Player of the Year and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Offensive Athlete of the Year, both program-firsts for Kutztown.Costello was a two-time All-Atlantic Region First Team selection. As a senior, she scored a career-high 12 goals and dished out five assists, while leading the PSAC in points per game (1.61) and finishing second in the conference in goals per game (.667). The Westfield, N.J., native played a significant role in Kutztown's school-record nine-game winning streak and advancement to the PSAC Championship game in 2014. She closed her career ranked third in school history in career assists (21), fourth in career goals (26) and fourth in career points (73). She helped lead KU to a 55-24-3 record and was named the 2015 KU Female Athlete and Senior Athlete of the Year. |
 | NICOLE HENNINGER '14 | SOFTBALLNicole Henninger was an All-America softball player for KU (2010-13) and a three-time All-PSAC and all-region selection. She was voted the 2013 PSAC East Player of the Year in her senior season.In her stellar career, Henninger had a career batting average of .312 and ranks fifth in school history with 34 career home runs and sixth with 139 RBI. Her power presence also resulted in 58 career walks, 10th-most in school history. In her senior season of 2013, Henninger was part of the team that won the 2013 PSAC Championship, back-to-back Atlantic Region championships (2012, 2013) and advanced to the 2013 Division II National Championship game, finishing as the national runner-up. A native of Reading, Pa., Henninger graduated from KU in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in leisure and sport studies. She went on to coach as an assistant at Alvernia University for two years, where the Crusaders reached the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Tournament twice along with an East Coast Atlantic Conference (ECAC) Championship in 2014. Under Henninger's guidance, the Crusader hitters were one of the top hitting teams in the conference and set school records for home runs and batting average. After her time at Alvernia, Henninger returned to Kutztown to serve as an assistant coach. |
 | JOSHUA JOHNSON '17 | MEN'S BASKETBALLJoshua Johnson (2013-17) was voted to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Region First Team and a two-time Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Atlantic Second Team as a member of the Golden Bear men's basketball team. He was a three-time All-PSAC East selection and was voted the 2016 PSAC East Athlete of the Year and 2017 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year to become the first player in league history to receive both honors. He was also named the 2016 KU Male Athlete of the Year and was selected to the 2017 Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Media Organization's Team of the Year.Johnson graduated in the top-seven in program history in several statistical categories, including second all-time with 883 rebounds and 669 field goals. His 1,702 points were third upon his graduation, while his 345 career free throws were fourth. He was sixth all-time with a 59.8 field goal percentage and seventh with 124 blocks. Johnson was part of one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2016-17, helping Kutztown (26-4) end its season with the second-most wins in a single season in program history, trailing only the 2008-09 team's 28. Notably, the Golden Bears set the school record with 18 PSAC victories and tied a 100-year-old record with an 18-game win streak. As a senior, Johnson led KU and was second in the PSAC with a 62.7 field goal percentage, which ranked 13th in the NCAA and fifth in the program's single-season history. He also led the Maroon and Gold at 7.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, which were eighth and ninth in the league, respectively. The two-year team captain's 1.5 steals and 15.2 points per contest were 15th and 18th in the conference's rankings, respectively. A native of Norristown, Pa., and Norristown High School, he was a member of SAAC, the Black Student Union and volunteered with Special Olympics. |
 | SARA KEENY '19 | SOFTBALLSara Keeny was a First Team All-American as a senior for the Golden Bear softball team in 2019. She was a four-time All-PSAC East selection (2016-19), four-time All-Atlantic Region honoree and was the 2019 PSAC East Athlete of the Year and KU Female Senior Athlete of the Year.She finished her career as the program's all-time career hits leader with 289. Her 100 hits in 2019 were the most ever by a KU player in a single season. She ranks second all-time in KU and PSAC history with 134 stolen bases. Following the 2019 campaign, Keeny became KU's first All-American since 2012, earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and D2CCA First Team All-America. Keeny, from Warminster, Pa., was the second player in program history to record a season batting average higher than .500, hitting .518 her senior season in 2019. In program lore, Keeny finished tied for first in career triples (14), second in batting average (.440), second in stolen bases (134) and tied for third in runs (172). Keeny received KU's Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal from KU in 2019. As a freshman in 2016, Keeny was voted the PSAC East Freshman of the Year and the KU Female Freshman of the Year. She was a dean's list student and a three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete. |
 | JOSH MASTROMATTO '13 | FOOTBALLJosh Mastromatto was an all-region, All-America and three-time All-PSAC running back and return specialist for the KU football team (2009-12). He helped KU win its first PSAC Championship in 2011 and was named to KU's All-Time Football Team in 2015 as a return specialist.Mastromatto graduated with four school records: career kick-return yards (1,782), kick return yards in a season (709), career kick-return average (25.65) and a school-record 100-yard kickoff return. Mastromatto, a native of Fort Washington, Pa., was an all-purpose running back and ranks third in school history with 4,800 all-purpose yards. He rushed for 1,433 yards in his career, 20th in program history. He scored 17 rushing touchdowns, 14th in school history. Through the air, he ranks 14th in school history in career receiving yards (1,511), third among running backs, and ninth overall with 19 receiving touchdowns. He is one of two players in school history to have two kick returns for a touchdown. After KU, Mastromatto played arena football, then lived at an Olympic development academy for rugby 7s. He is the co-founder and CEO of Rego, an innovative marketplace for used furniture that helps solve environmental challenges. He was recognized by the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center for Rego's work in building sustainable cities and communities. |
 | MATTHEW ROWAN '06 | MEN'S SWIMMINGMatthew Rowan is a four-time Honorable Mention All-America selection, a three-time national qualifier, a PSAC champion and holds two school records for the KU men's swimming team (2000-04).Rowan holds school-records in the 50-free and 200-medley relay, ranks second in school history in the 100-free and 100-back and ranks ninth at KU in the 200-back. A Clifton Heights, Pa., native, Rowan was a three-time All-PSAC swimmer. He opened his career with PSAC and KU Male Rookie of the Year awards in 2001, when he qualified for nationals for the first time and earned All-America honors in the 100-back. He qualified for nationals again in 2003 and 2004 in his final two years at Kutztown, becoming a PSAC champion in the 50-free as a senior and earning All-America honors in both the 100-back and 50-free in both seasons. He graduated in 2006 with a degree in criminal justice. He serves as a police officer and part of the K-9 unit for the Ridley Township Police Department. |
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