Grubb-Venancio, Conflitti and Rhodes Inducted into Hall of Fame
This years HOF inductees are (L-R) Ann Conflitti ('96, '05), Rebecca Grubb-Venancio ('03) and Rebecca Rhodes ('06) with son Michael Alexander. Rebecca Rhodes accepted the plaque of husband Dustin Rhodes ('06), who was inducted posthumously.

Grubb-Venancio, Conflitti and Rhodes Inducted into Hall of Fame

General - 2/1/2014 2:00:00 PM

Scranton, PA – A former women's soccer player, a former women's basketball player who is currently the President of the Pacers Club and a former dual-sport athlete in men's cross country and men's tennis were inducted as the 18th class of honorees into Marywood University's prestigious Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 1, 2014 on the University's campus.  Rebecca Grubb-Venancio, Ann Conflitti and Dustin Rhodes were selected for induction by the University's Hall of Fame Committee and approved by Marywood University President Sister Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D.
 
Rebecca Grubb-Venancio graduated from Marywood University in 2003 and was a two-year standout for the women's soccer team after transferring in from Division I West Virginia University in 2001.  A 1999 graduate of Danville High School, Grubb-Venancio led the Pacers to a two-year mark of 27-11-1 (12-7 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference) and the women's soccer program's first ever post-season playoff berth (2001). 
 
A decorated forward and midfielder for the Pacers, Grubb-Venancio was named the 2002 PAC Player of the Year and was named First Team All-Conference in both seasons with the team (2001, 2002).  She was named to the PAC Academic Honor Roll in 2002 and was the team's Most Valuable Player that season as well. 
 
Named the 2002-03 Senior Student-Athlete of the Year at Marywood, Grubb-Venancio still owns several school records despite playing only two years for the Pacers.  She currently ranks first all-time for single-season assists (18 in 2001) and assists in a career (30), while also being the record holder for most assists in a single game after registering five helpers in a game against Immaculata on November 2, 2002.
 
Grubb-Venancio also ranks second all-time in points for a single season (56, 2002), trailing only fellow Hall of Fame member Lindsay (Pappas) Pagniucci.  Grubb-Venancio also ranks second in the career records for women's soccer with 36 career goals and third all-time with 102 career points.
 
Currently a Career Counselor for Pace University, Grubb-Venancio earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Therapy from Marywood in 2003 and went on to complete her Masters of Arts in Creative Arts Therapy (Counseling) from Hofstra University.  She currently resides in Hackensack, New Jersey with her husband Miguel. 
 
Ann Conflitti, who earned undergraduate (1996) and graduate (2005) degrees from Marywood, was selected to the Hall of Fame for her work as a dedicated alumna to both the University and Athletic Department.  A four-year member of the women's basketball team from 1992-1996, Conflitti has been actively involved in the growth of the Athletic Department through her role as Pacers Club President.  The Pacers Club is the Athletic Department's official "Booster Club."
 
After a two-year stint as the Pacers Club Vice President from 2001-2002, Conflitti took over as the Board's President in 2002 and has since served in that capacity.  As Pacers Club President, Conflitti helped establish the Pacers Club Humanitarian Award (now named Senior Athlete Award) which recognizes a graduating senior who has shown outstanding contributions to the Marywood community on and off the field.  Under Conflitti's guidance and leadership, the Pacers Club has also established an annual reception and gifts to graduating senior student-athletes, helped cover and defray the cost of television and media exposure for athletic teams, and purchased much needed equipment for teams. 
 
A four-year member and two-year starter on the women's basketball team, Conflitti played in all 93 games the Pacers played in over her four years and was named to the 1995 University of Scranton Poinsettia All-Tournament Team.  The 1995-96 Marywood team led all of NCAA Division III in rebound margin. 
 
A team captain during the 1995-96 season, Conflitti was the Pacers' team MVP in 1996 and was a four-year member of the PAC Academic Honor Roll.  She was named to the PAC All-Conference team as an Honorable Mention selection in 1996.
 
Conflitti, who is also actively involved in Marywood as a member of the Athletic Advisory Board and Educators on Campus, currently serves as a Secondary Math Teacher at Hazleton Area High School.  She has been the Mathematics Department Chairperson since 2009 and has been employed by the Hazleton Area School District since 2003.  She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Conflitti.  Conflitti earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Magna Cum Laude) in 1996, a certificate in Mathematics Secondary Education in 1997 and a Master of Science in School Leadership in 2005. 
 
Dustin Rhodes has been inducted into Marywood's Athletic Hall of Fame posthumously.  A four-year member of both the men's cross country (2002-2005) and tennis (2003-2006) teams, Rhodes succumbed to a battle with brain cancer on July 31, 2013.  Dustin bravely fought glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a severely aggressive form of brain cancer for eight months. 
 
Rhodes grew up in York and graduated in 2002 from York Catholic High School, where he was salutatorian, before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Marywood University in 2006.  Dustin earned his Juris Doctor in 2011 from the University of Florida - Levin College of Law. He worked at Hoffman Homes for the Youth in Gettysburg and as a law clerk for the First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee, Florida.  Rhodes also taught Sunday school at Holy Family Catholic Church in Gainesville Florida and St. Louis Catholic Church in Tallahassee. 
 
Rhodes guided the 2006 men's tennis team to its second ever Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championship.  In cross country, Rhodes led the Pacers to a 2004 PAC Runner-Up finish.  A four-year PAC Academic Honor Roll member, Rhodes became the first male athlete in Marywood history to be named the PAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2004-05).  He was also named a Pacer Scholar-Athlete in both 2004 and 2005. 
 
A two-year team captain in both sports, Rhodes earned MVP honors for cross country in 2003 and for tennis in 2003 and 2005.  He was named Second Team All-Conference in cross country in 2005 and was Second Team All-Conference Singles in tennis in 2004 and 2006.  In addition, Rhodes earned a spot on tennis' All-Sportsmanship Team in both 2005 and 2006. 
 
Rhodes was inducted posthumously this year; though he would have been eligible for induction in 2016 (athletes must be 10 years out to be considered for Hall of Fame).  Dustin is survived by his wife Rebecca (Marywood '06) and young son Michael Alexander, who both accepted the honor and plaque on Dustin's behalf. 
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