Six former Rhody greats will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on the weekend of Feb. 13-15, 2009. Events kick off on Friday, Feb. 13, with an induction ceremony and dinner at the Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown. On Saturday, Feb. 14, the Hall of Fame class will be honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game vs. Saint Louis.

Tony Hill ’87 was a two-sport star for the Rams from 1982-86. The Lynn, Mass., native was an All-New England selection in football and baseball for three consecutive years. On the gridiron, he was twice selected to The Sporting News’ preseason all-American squad and ranks second on URI’s all-time interception list, with 15. His 94-yard return for a touchdown off an interception against Northeastern on Oct. 8, 1983, ranks as the program’s second-longest in history. On the baseball diamond, he had nine home runs while slugging .667 in 1985. He finished his URI baseball career with a .368 batting average and 21 homers.

Lance Klima ’89 was a four-year starting goalkeeper for URI’s men’s soccer team from 1985-88. In 56 career games for the Rams, he registered 284 saves and a .787 save percentage. During the 1988 season, he recorded six shutout victories, en route to earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. He was also an All-New England and National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region selection that year. He graduated with a degree in finance and marketing.

Phil Kydd ’81was a four-year letterman for the Rhody men’s basketball program from 1977-81, captaining the squad as a senior. Known as one of the team’s unsung heroes during that span, the Bronx, N.Y., native finished his 105-game career with 675 points while shooting 50.8% from the floor (245-482). Widely regarded as one of the team’s top sixth man performers, the 6-4 forward helped guide the Rams to an 80-37 mark, including three 20-win seasons and a trip to the 1978 NCAA Tournament. Kydd earned his degree in studio art.

Cuttino Mobley ’98 was one of the best guards in the history of the men’s basketball program, helping guide the team to the Elite Eight of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. That season, the Philadelphia native scored 586 points—the eighth-best single season scoring mark (17.1 ppg)—and led the team to a 25-9 record en route to being named the 1998 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. Over his 93-game career, Mobley tallied 1,334 points, which ranks 21st on the all-time scoring list. He currently ranks second on URI’s career free throw percentage list (256-312, .821). Mobley earned his degree in communications studies and was drafted in the second round (41st overall) in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.  He recently retired from the Los Angeles Clippers for health reasons.

Jessica Salmans ’98 was one of the best setters in Rhode Island volleyball history. A four-year starter, she helped guide the Rams to a 104-34 (.754) record during that span, including a 70-10 (.875) mark in Atlantic 10 play. URI advanced to the 1996 NCAA Tournament and finished among the top two teams in the Atlantic 10 in each of her four years of play. A native of Fountain Valley, Calif., Salmans holds all of the school’s assist records, including single-match (81), single-season (1,637), and career (5,770). A three-time All-A-10 selection for her play on the court, Salmans was a two-time recipient of Academic All-Conference honors in the classroom. She is also the school record holder in career digs (1,378) and was a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-District I team member. Her degree is in biology.

Dayna Smith ’96 was one of the top point guards in Atlantic 10 history while starring for Rhode Island from 1992-96. One of just 11 players at the NCAA Division I level to record more than 1,000 points and 750 assists, Smith was a key component of the Rams’ run to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. That season, the Pittsburgh native dished out 233 assists and helped guide URI to a 21-8 mark and the A-10 East regular season title. She finished her career with 1,174 points—good for ninth on Rhody’s all-time scoring list—and 184 three-point field goals, which ranks second all-time in the URI record book. Smith recently made a return to the NCAA Tournament, this time as the head coach of Cornell. In her seventh season with the Big Red, she led the 2008 squad to the Big Dance. She earned her degree in business management.