Four All-Americans, three championship teams and the leader of the most successful women’s basketball team in program history make up the 2023-24 Merle Gilliand Duquesne University Athletics Hall of Fame class. University officials made the announcement Thursday.
The list includes:
• Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz, a three-time All-American at Duquesne (2012-16). He is only the second Duquesne football player in 68 years to earn a spot on an NFL roster. More than a long snapper, he recorded a school-record 30 1/2 career sacks and his 71 1/2 tackles for loss rank sixth on the NCAA FCS all-time list. He was named to the Northeast Conference Mount Rushmore in 2020 as one of the four greatest players in the 40-year history of the conference.
• Women’s volleyball All-American Liz Homan (2008-11) was Duquesne’s first American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American when she was named honorable mention in 2010.
• Arielle Love (2011-14) was named AVCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2013.
• Cross country and track & field All-American Tom Slosky (2005-08) was Duquesne’s first USTFCCCA All-American (3,000-meter steeplechase) and the school’s first Atlantic 10 men’s cross country champion in 2007. He was the first Duquesne runner to compete at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
• Women’s basketball star April Robinson (2013-16) was captain of the 2015-16 team that set a program record for victories (28) while winning the school’s first Atlantic 10 regular-season title and NCAA Tournament berth.
• Plus, the 2013 women’s volleyball, 2015 football and 2015-2016 women’s basketball teams.
The volleyball team finished 20-10 while winning the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament championships on the way to earning the program’s first NCAA Championship bid.
The football team (8-4, 5-1 Northeast Conference) earned the program’s first outright NEC title and FCS playoff appearance, with a school-record 13 players who earned All-NEC honors, including six first-teamers.
The women’s basketball team (28-6, 13-3) set program records for overall and Atlantic 10 victories while earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid.
Induction ceremonies will be held Jan. 26, and the honorees will be recognized the next day at the men’s basketball game against Fordham. The women’s basketball team will be honored at the women’s game against Loyola Chicago on Jan. 28.
