The Albertus Magnus High School Hall of Fame will welcome a new class of inductees on Saturday evening, November 19, 2011, which includes two long-time AM "care-givers" who will be recognized as MVP Contributors to the AM Community. Mrs. Mary Novotny and Mrs. Mary Holmes '65 gave over four decades of service to the students of Albertus as the School Nurse (Novotny) and as teacher/administrator (Holmes).
Along with these two exceptional school managers, the AM Hall of Fame will hail two former student-athletes for their accomplishments, primarily those on the hard-court and the baseball diamond. Ms. Margaret Feerick '92 and Captain (NYPD) Pete Fortune'93 will be inducted into the AM Hall of Fame as top athletes for the Class of 2011.
Ms. Feerick enjoyed a stellar basketball career as a play-making point guard at Albertus and led the Falcons to county, sectional and state championships. A fine all-around athlete, she also earned personal All-County, All-Section and All-State honors in basketball and All-County recognition in soccer as well. Margaret Feerick represented her alma mater for 4 years on the Varsity Basketball Squad and for 3 years with Varsity Soccer. After completing her high school career, Margaret played four years of Division I college basketball for the Great Danes of SUNY-Albany.
Pete Fortune'93 is recognized as an "all-time great" pitcher in the 50 year history of AMHS Falcons' Baseball. He was tabbed All-League, All-County and All-Section as a southpaw hurler and set a Falcon record for most strike-outs thrown in a season in 1993. Pete Fortune also excelled on the basketball court for Albertus.
Captain Fortune was selected as a Junior College All-American pitcher, while playing for SUNY-Rockland, and was then chosen by the Montreal Expos in the seventh round of the 1995 MLB Draft. As a professional, Pete Fortune attained an overall winning record and in 1996 claimed the lowest Earned Run Average in the Montreal Expos farm system. Sadly, arm injuries ended his professional baseball career in 1998.
Since the Year 2000, Pete Fortune has been a member of the New York City Police Department, earning his Sergeant's chevron in 2005 and making the Lieutenant's rank in 2008. Pete Fortune became an NYPD Captain earlier this year. He and his wife, NYPD Lieutenant, Martine Materasso-Fortune, are the proud parents of two young children.
The 2011 Albertus Magnus Hall of Fame Class will also induct the Varsity Boys Basketball Team of 1982, the last squad of legendary Falcons' Coach Tom Collins'64 to win the Section 9 Title and qualify for the New York State Class B Final Four.
The 1982 Falcons had a league record of 13-1 and ended a 44 game winning streak held by Spring Valley H.S. in that very memorable season. The 63-62 AM victory on January 29, 1982 ranks as one of the greatest in Tom Collins's illustrious coaching career. Besides defeating the Tigers of Spring Valley, the '82 Squad also knocked off the perennial NYC power, Rice High School, and sustained an average margin of victory of more than 13 points per game within league play. The Team claimed 3 All-County First Team players and had 3 athletes go on from Albertus and compete at the collegiate level.
The AMHS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in the Tom Collins Gymnasium at the school, on Saturday eve, November 19, 2011, with a ticket price of $50 per guest. This gathering is open to the public. For more information, please contact the AMHS Alumni Office at (845) 623-8842 X229 or via email: alumni@albertusmagnus.net for details.
