WORCESTER --- The WPI Athletic Department, Poly Club, and Hall of Fame Selection Committee are proud to announce its 40th Class, the Class of 2023. The six newest members were inducted on Friday, September 29th as part of Homecoming Weekend. 

The inductees include (left to right in attached photo): Nina Murphy-Cook '18 (Softball), Ama Biney '18 (Women's Basketball and Softball), Alexander S. Venditti '16 (Baseball), Jeffrey Meyer '08 (Men's Swimming and Diving), and Julie Eagle Malecek '13 (Women's Track and Field), Sam Longwell '15 (Men's Basketball).

Event Photos
  AMA BINEY '18 - Women's Basketball and Softball

Ama Biney might very well be one of the best basketball and softball players ever to represent WPI, not to mention leading both programs to their first NEWMAC championships and NCAA tournament appearances.

A four-time NFCA first team All-Region selection, Ama became the softball program's first All-American first team member in 2018, capping off her senior year that also included NEWMAC Player of the Year in both sports, a national Player of the Week award, and a nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year, and a NCAA Top 10 nod.

On the hardcourt, Ama led the Engineers in scoring, rebounding, and steals for three straight seasons, finishing her career ranked second all-time in program history for steals in a single season and a career. She became the first Engineer woman honored multiple times as a D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region All-Star, as well as the first to earn First Team All-Conference honors for three consecutive years.

She led the Engineers to unprecedented success, including an average of 21 wins in each year, school records for conference wins (61) and consecutive wins (18), four straight Worcester City Championships, and the best overall record and win percentage in school history (85-26, .770). The NEWMAC championship she led the women's basketball team to in 2016 was the first for any women's team at WPI.

"Ama truly impacted every facet of the game and was often a human highlight reel," recalled Hall of Fame head women's basketball coach Cherise Galasso.  "A fierce competitor who hated to lose, Ama thrived in the big moments yet always played with class and integrity. 

As an outfielder, she collected 231 hits in 559 career at-bats (.413) and averaged 32 RBI and 50 runs scored per season. She swiped 113 bases in 117 tries (.966) and hit 17 home runs, 25 triples, and 44 doubles.

"It was an honor and privilege to coach Ama and to watch her progress and achieve greatness each season while also leading the charge to help her teams excel at the highest level," remarked her head softball coach Whitney Goldstein.  Ama's natural athletic gifts, her character, and tenacious goals to achieve excellence on and off the field allowed her to become undoubtedly one of the best athletes and softball players at WPI.

She won virtually every athletics award possible in both sports while maintaining a 3.76 GPA and being a three-time Academic All-Conference team member as well as a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-Region First Team selection.  Away from the court,  she has consistently shown herself to be someone of high character and integrity who contributed to the greater community (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Relay for Life, Adopt a Child, Special Olympics) and was honored with the prestigious Crimson and Gray award at WPI. In 2018, she was the first WPI student athlete to be named an NCAA Top 10 Award Winner.

Ama currently resides in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. She spent the first five years of her professional career at Raytheon Technologies. She completed her MBA at Bentley University in 2022 and started a new role at National Grid in Quality and Compliance Assurance. 

She has stayed involved in athletics in various ways.  She coached softball for the Concord Raiders for two years during the summers. She then started an ongoing philanthropic partnership with a local Ghanaian softball program in Africa, the Ghana Shock, in which she works to send various supplies such as clothes, cleats, bats, balls, and other equipment to the team. In basketball, she spent three years refereeing before making the switch to coaching––she is currently an assistant coach at Nashoba Regional High School. SAM LONGWELL '15 - Men's Basketball

Sam Longwell anchored an amazing run of WPI Men's Basketball, leading the Engineers to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

During his career, in which he started 93 games, WPI went 89-21, winning two NEWMAC regular season titles, and lifting the conference championship trophy in 2013.

"Sam played with great perspective and championship poise," says Hall of Fame head men's basketball coach Chris Bartley. "He balanced his competitive drive with being a leader and teammate who saw the big picture and made everyone comfortable. His Hall of Fame statistics are impressive, but his legacy as a WPI men's basketball student-athlete is more about how he brought people together as a leader, teammate, and friend."

The Engineers won the 2012 ECAC New England championship during his rookie season, and went to the NCAA Tournament in 2013, when they were ranked as high as #2 in the country. That team began the year 22-0 and finished with 26 wins, including a victory in their opening game of the Big Dance. The Engineers returned to the postseason in 2014 and in 2015, when D3hoops.com had them as high as #3 in the country.
Individually, Sam made his mark with first team All-NEWMAC and D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region selections in 2014 and 2015. He finished his career fourth all-time in scoring, with 1,422 points, as well as 577 career rebounds and 239 career assists.

During his time at WPI, Sam also served as a member of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Mass & Metrowest.

"Sam is the type of player you dream about having on your roster," said current Johns Hopkins head Men's Basketball Coach Ryan Cain, who coached him as Bartley's assistant. "He did everything as a player and leader that needs to be done to have a consistent high level of individual and team success over a four-year career. His work ethic allowed him to develop into one of the best players to ever play at WPI. In addition to his talent, he impacted the game in so many ways with his leadership, defense, and ability to rebound."

He stayed in the game of basketball as a high school assistant coach at his alma mater, Acton-Boxborough Regional, and also played semi-professionally for Worcester 78s of the ABA.

An Acton native, Sam currently lives in Newton; he is married to former WPI Women's Soccer standout Jane Bingel '17 of the Women's Soccer program.  He is an account executive in B2B Technology Sales at Workday. JULIE EAGLE MALECEK '13 - Women's Track and Field

Julie Eagle Malecek was one of the fiercest competitors and most feared jumpers in the NCAA during her time as an Engineer.
 
The WPI program record holder in the outdoor high jump (1.76m), she was a three-time All-America, each time placing in the top-three in the high jump at the NCAA Championships. She joins 2006 WPI Hall of Famer Mike Pockoski '99 as the only athletes in program history to have that many top-three national finishes.
 
"To this day, Julie remains the fiercest competitor the Track & Field program has ever seen," says director Brian Chabot. "The high jump apron was her office, and she was all business once she stepped foot on it. She raised her level when the stakes got higher, often setting personal bests/school records at the championship meets."
 
Julie was a known commodity on the national stage, qualifying for five NCAA Championships. At the regional and conference level, she dominated, winning both the Division III New England Championship and NEWMAC title in high jump three times. She also claimed an ECAC Championship, and was a yearly recipient of All-New England, All-ECAC, and All-NEWMAC accolades.
 
"Julie would take every jump in practice, warmups, and competitions with the same focus despite any injuries and no matter location—nationals or dual meet," recalls fellow multi-time All-America high jumper Laura Pumphrey. "This encouraged her teammates around her to be dedicated to improving at every practice, no matter the drill or the weather. It formed the WPI high jump squad, a force to be reckoned with!"
In addition to her prowess in the high jump, she won the Ultimate Frisbee World Championship in 2013 as a member of Team USA.

On the academic side, she was twice an Academic All-American, and a First Team honoree in the 2013-14 academic year. She was NEWMAC Academic All-District and USTFCCCA All-Academic in each of her four seasons.

Julie earned a BS in mechanical engineering with a concentration in thermal fluids in 2013 and an MS in 2014. She then joined Trane Technologies as a product development engineer and is now the manager of AC and HP engineering for the residential HVAC business. In 2020, she was recognized as an Emerging Leader (30 under 30) for the Manufacturing STEP Awards. She serves on the board of directors for United Way in Tyler, Texas, where she and her husband, Brandon, are raising two vibrant and curious girls. JEFFREY MEYER '08 - Men's Swimming and Diving

A three-time NCAA qualifier, Jeffrey Meyer graduated from WPI with his name filling the men's swimming and diving record books.

Jeff was the first NEWMAC All-Conference student-athlete for the Engineers swimming and diving programs, earning the recognition in the 500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle, and 400 Individual Medley. He competed in those same disciplines at the 2007 NCAA Championships, where he was part of the first WPI contingent to include multiple qualified student-athletes.
 
"It's outstanding to see Jeff Meyer recognized for his contributions and accomplishments while he was a member of the WPI Swimming and Diving team," reflects head coach Paul Bennett.  "He was a fierce competitor and worked hard every day in practice to push himself and his teammates. 
 
Upon his graduation in 2008, he held school records in four of the five relays: the 1650, 1000, 2000, and 200 Freestyle, and the 400 and 200 Individual Medley. As of today, he still holds three of those marks, and is ranked in the top 10 in school history in nearly every event.
 
"Jeff was always willing to take on any event or lineup to support the team," continued Bennett "I am proud to see Jeff's induction into the Hall of Fame as he certainly deserves this honor."
 
"Jeff was as consistent an athlete I ever swam with or coached," remembers teammate Chase Johnson. "He excelled in distance events but could also sprint with anyone when called upon and had no weak stroke. He was well-conditioned and experienced enough to be able to show virtually no signs of fatigue in any given situation. Most important, Jeff was a fantastic teammate due in large part to his work ethic, sense of humor, and total disinterest in excuses.   
 
He started his professional career at BP Solar as a PV analyst, but changed careers in 2014. He now serves as Chief Engineer for Leidos, working with utility clients in the southeast and managing a team to deliver electrical distribution design work.
 
In 2014, he married his high school sweetheart, Veneliza Salcedo, and in 2016, they welcomed their daughter, Mara Kaylee Meyer, into the world. The family resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  NINA MURPHY-COOK '18 - Softball 

Nina Murphy-Cook was arguably the fastest player in the country during her standout career, and will go down among the best players to wear the WPI softball uniform.

Despite missing half of a season with a torn ACL, she finished her career with 174 stolen bases—second-best in NCAA Division III history.

Along with Ama Biney, Nina put WPI softball on the national radar, leading the Engineers to its first-ever NEWMAC championship in 2016 and a pair of NCAA Super Regional appearances. 

In her rookie campaign, Nina stole 57 bases in 59 attempts (.966) and led the team with a .487 batting average, en route to being named NEWMAC and ECAC Rookie of the Year, the first NFCA All-American in program history, and the NFCA DIII Golden Shoe Award as the fastest player in the country. After setting the NEWMAC record for stolen bases in a season, Nina swiped 48 more bags in 2016, when she was named a second team NFCA All-American and earned the second of three first All-Region accolades.

During those two seasons, the Engineers won their NCAA Regional to advance to the Super Regionals, and Nina was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2015 Williamstown Regional.

"Nina was the program's first All-American, and her speed was unmatched," recalled her head softball coach Whitney Goldstein. "Her 1-2 punch in the lineup terrorized others' defenses, and her ability to get on base was the catalyst for our offense during her WPI career. She was a versatile true utility player, infield and outfield, and was always ready to help the team in whatever capacity she was asked."

After graduating from WPI, Nina pursued a career in nursing. She went Samuel Merritt University based out of Oakland, California, graduating in 2022 with a BS in nursing. She is now a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Marshall Medical Center, based in Placerville, California.  She and her boyfriend, Corrin, live with his son, Kaiden, and their cat, Camilla, in Sacramento.
Although she lives across the country, Nina and her softball teammates always make an effort to stay connected. They FaceTime about once a month, as well as go on yearly trips to a fun new location.

"She was a privilege to coach and watch excel on and off the field over her four years," added Goldstein. "She is the fastest player I have ever coached and her ability to change a game in an instance was a true joy and honor to watch. Nina helped change WPI Softball to a national name." ALEXANDER S. VENDITTI '16 - Baseball

Alex Venditti had one of the most prolific careers in WPI baseball history, and his final season was impressive even by his lofty standards.

A career .374 hitter, he batted .434 in the 2016 season, with 62 hits, 46 runs scored, 12 doubles, 16 home runs, and 62 RBI en route to All-America selections by the ABCA and D3Baseball.com.

"Alex had the unique ability to hit for average and power from the left," recalled head baseball coach Mike Callahan. "His tireless work ethic to hone his craft made him one of the most feared hitters in the country".
The 2013 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Alex finished his career with 30 home runs, 143 RBI, 37 doubles, and 166 hits.

When he came to the plate, everyone waited with great anticipation to see how far the next one would go," mused Callahan.

He added regional honors to his resume in during his senior season in 2016 with NEIBA, ABCA New England, ECAC DIII, and New England Baseball Journal D3 Player of the Year selections, as well as NEWMAC Player of the Year at the conference level and the Melvin G. Massucco Award from WPI.

"Alex Venditti was the epitome of WPI baseball," remarked teammate Anthony Capuano. "Not only did his talent shine on the field, but his hard work off the field was unmatched. He's the best hitter I have ever played with and an outstanding teammate, leader, and friend. Alex always supported others and was crucial to the program's success during his career as a player and coach."

After graduation, he went on to play professional baseball in the CAN-AM Independent League with the Ottawa Champions. In 2018, he went back to Massachusetts to work at Datum3D as a project engineer working on a wide variety of design and manufacturing projects. In 2022, he joined Smith & Wesson in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he is a product design engineer.

Alex married his college sweetheart, Jacquelyne (DiTroia) Venditti, on October 1, 2022. They met while playing baseball and softball at WPI. They now reside in Longmeadow, Mass., with their two dogs, Magnolia and Brooks.