Former Cleveland State Softball and Basketball Standout Koziol Tabbed For Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame
Aug. 19, 2004
CLEVELAND - Sue Koziol, a standout in softball and basketball at Cleveland State from 1982-85 and a member of the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame, is one of eight former area athletic standouts who will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame at its annual induction ceremonies on Sept. 23.
Joining Koziol in The Class of 2004 are football standouts Robert Smith and Darryl Talley, baseball's Mike Easler, amateur basketball star Emmanuel Leaks, hockey icon Bob Whidden, boxer Tommy Salem and long-time Cleveland sports activist John Peyton.
From 1982-85, Koziol reigned supreme as a member of the CSU basketball and softball teams. For her effort, Koziol was the second softball player to be inducted into the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
After transferring from Pittsburgh in 1981, Koziol began her career on the softball diamond in the 1982 season. In her first year, she was named the team's Most Outstanding Player while also being tabbed as the Vikings' first and only first team All-American in softball. Her performance led the 1982 team to the Ohio Association for Intercollegiate Sports for Women regional championship and a national championship berth.
In addition to setting school records in batting average (.560), hits (42), home runs (12) and RBI (31), Koziol was named as CSU's Female Athlete of the Year in 1982. In the following three seasons, Koziol won the Vikes' Most Outstanding Player award each year to be the only CSU player to win the award four straight years.
She continued to lead the Vikings in nearly every offensive category, even after CSU switched to fast-pitch softball in 1985.
The eight new members will bring to 417 the number of individuals who have been enshrined in the Hall since its creation in 1976, according to Hall of Fame President Jack Herrick. The induction ceremonies will be held at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights beginning with a reception at 6:00 p.m.
To be eligible for induction an individual must have either been born or raised in the seven county Greater Cleveland area or have performed and later settled there.
