NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Niagara University Department of Athletics is proud to announce the members of the 2018 Hall of Fame Class – Douglas J. Farrell (’73), Jessica Kemp (’03), Frank Schlehr, M.D., P.C., and the 1969-70 men’s basketball team. The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 3 in the Russell J. Salvatore Dining Commons on the campus of Niagara University. Complete event details, including in-depth profiles of the inductees, will be released in the near future.
Farrell, a native of Rochester, N.Y., was a two-sport athlete for the Purple Eagles. He was a four-year member of the basketball program (1969-73) and played three seasons on the baseball team where he was selected in the MLB Draft twice (1971 and 1972) during his time at Niagara University. On the hardwood, he was a member of the team that played in the 1972 NIT Championship game. He excelled on the diamond – on the mound, in the field and at the plate. The ace right-hander led the 1972 Purple Eagles in innings pitched and strikeouts and finished fourth in the NCAA in strikeouts per innings (14.1). Farrell, who also played in the outfield, batted .304 for the season. He tossed a no-hitter to conclude the 1972 season as Niagara finished with a then-school record 21 wins. Farrell, who captained the 1973 team, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in commerce in 1973.
A native of Western New York, Dr. Schlehr is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopy. He has been practicing sports medicine in his hometown since 1994 and has served as the team physician for Niagara University Athletics since 1995. He is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is one of the first orthopaedic surgeons to receive a subspecialty certification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Inc.
Kemp, a guard from Niagara Falls, Ontario, was an integral part of the women’s basketball squad from 2000-04. Kemp led the 2001-02 Purple Eagles squad in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game, and led the 2002-03 team in rebounding, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Kemp was the 17th player in Niagara women’s basketball history to surpass the 1,000 point mark, reaching that milestone in her senior season. At the end of her time on Monteagle Ridge, Kemp was first in games played (113), third in steals (244), fourth in 3-point field goal attempts (385) and fifth in 3-pointers made (110). A three-time MAAC All-Academic member, Kemp graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2003 and earned an MBA in 2004.
The 1969-70 Purple Eagles made history, becoming the first-ever program to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Purple Eagles, who were coached by Frank Layden and led by tri-captains Calvin Murphy, Mike Brown and Bob Churchwell, qualified as an at-large selection in the 25-team field and played in the NCAA East Region. Behind All-American Calvin Murphy’s 35 points, Niagara advanced to the NCAA East Region semifinals with a 79-69 victory over seventh-ranked Pennsylvania in the first round. The Purple Eagles were defeated by Villanova in the NCAA East Regional Semifinals in Columbia, South Carolina. Niagara finished fourth in the region after falling to North Carolina State in the consolation game. Niagara, which was ranked as high as 12th in the nation during the season, finished its campaign ranked 17th in both the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI) polls.
