The La Salle University Alumni Association and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics this summer unveiled the Hall of Athletes Class of 2021 inductees: Stanley Cwiklinski, ’66; Carlene Hightower, ’08; Barbara McGugan, ’83; and Courtney Niemiec, ’14.

Here’s more on the class:
Stanley Cwiklinski, ’66 (men’s rowing)
After a successful two-year stint with the Explorers that included a Dad Vail championship in 1962 and a year with the varsity as a sophomore, Cwiklinski earned fame as a member of the eight oar shell from Vesper Boat Club that won gold for the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Racing in the first heat of the opening round at the Olympics, the group was narrowly edged out by Germany for the automatic qualification to the final by 28 hundredths of a second. The USA, with Cwiklinski rowing in three seat, rowed in the repechage round with its medal hopes riding in the balance. The second repechage featured crews from host Japan and South Korea, and Cwiklinski’s crew easily won the race by nearly nine seconds to advance to the grand final. The U.S. clocked a time of 6:18.23 to finish five seconds in front of Germany to take gold.

Following the win at the 1964 Summer Games, Cwiklinski remained with Vesper and won a bronze medal at the European Championships the following year. He graduated from La Salle in 1965.

A 23-year active-duty stint with the United States Navy ensued, including a year in Vietnam as skipper of a patrol boat engaged in numerous combat actions. His career specialized in marine salvage, and his expertise was needed during the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in the late 1980s.

Carlene Hightower, ’08 (women’s basketball)
Hightower starred for the Explorers from 2004-08, graduating ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,425 points. The Philadelphia native and Archbishop Prendergast grad earned Big 5 Player of the Year accolades as a senior in 2008 and was named a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Finalist that season.

As a sophomore, she was named Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 and named the A-10’s and Philadelphia Big 5’s Most Improved Player after increasing her scoring total from 3.1 points per game as a freshman to 11.3 points per game.

The following year, she became just the third player in La Salle history to be named First Team all-conference and All-Big 5 as she led the team and ranked second in the A-10 in scoring at 17.5 points per game. She again earned First Team all-conference and all-city honors as a senior, when she averaged 17.9 points per game.

After graduation, Hightower continued to play abroad with the majority of her professional career spent in Germany.

Barbara McGugan, ’83 (field hockey)
One of the top field hockey players in La Salle history, McGugan starred on the 1980 La Salle team that went 19-6 and defeated Missouri State, 3-2, to win the program’s first and only national championship.

As a freshman in 1979, McGugan registered 16 goals and had 34 points, which stand third and eighth, respectively, on the all-time single-season lists at La Salle. She scored 38 points during that 1980 campaign, which ranks fourth all-time, and matched her 16 goals from the prior season to help the Explorers to the national title.

For her career, McGugan remains the all-time leader in games played at 83 and ranks second in the record book with 51 goals and 116 points. Over her four seasons, La Salle compiled a 52-27-7 record, which is good for an impressive .645 winning percentage.

Courtney Niemiec, ’14 (women’s soccer)
One of the top players in La Salle women’s soccer history, Niemiec was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams and became the first player in program history to play in the National Women’s Soccer League after starring with the Explorers.

As a freshman, she played in all 22 matches as a defender, including 17 starts, and tied for the team lead with six assists. The following season, Niemiec started all 20 games for the Explorers and was influential in La Salle’s first and only undefeated regular season (15-0-2). That year, the team ascended to No. 17 in the country and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Named a captain as a junior, the Philadelphia native keyed another NCAA appearance as she anchored a defense that led the Explorers to an undefeated 8-0-1 Atlantic 10 record. Niemiec was named A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-A-10 and was NSCAA First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region selection. The Explorers won their first A-10 title by defeating VCU in overtime, 2-1.

As a senior, the Explorers once again won the A-10 Tournament title as Niemiec earned NSCAA First Team All-Region status for a second consecutive year. Following a four-year stint in the NWSL, she transitioned into coaching and is currently an assistant coach with the Explorers.