Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame to add seven new members

08/25/2025

Seven new members will be inducted into the SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame during its annual ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 13. The 2025 honorees are: 
 
Mary Rock Bradbury '79 - Women's Volleyball 
 
Jim Meyerdierks '81 - Men's Basketball 
 
Tom "Span" Spanbauer '83, M '86 - Men's Basketball (player and coach); Women's Tennis (coach) 
 
Carol Rainson-Rose '87 - Women's Lacrosse 
 
Barry Thornton '93 - Football, Men's Lacrosse 
 
Tom Williams '01 - Men's Basketball 
 
Michael Tota '12 - Men's Lacrosse 

In addition to Saturday night's official ceremony, the inductees will be introduced at halftime of the Cortland football game versus Union earlier that afternoon. 

Established in 1969, the C-Club Hall of Fame recognizes Cortland alumni who competed as athletes at the College and who have since distinguished themselves in their professions and within their communities. Honorary members are recognized for their long and significant contributions to SUNY Cortland athletics. New C-Club members have been added annually and this year's ceremony will bring the Hall of Fame roster to 304 alumni and 33 honorary members. 

Nominations for the 2026 C-Club Hall of Fame voting will be accepted until January 15, 2026. The nomination form is available online at: http://www.cortlandreddragons.com/nominations. A person must be nominated to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. 

A detailed look at this fall’s inductees follows below. 

Mary Rock Bradbury '79 

• 
  

  A native of Windsor, N.Y., she earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1979 and a master's degree in counseling and psychology from Springfield College in 1985.
• Competed as a setter/outside hitter/middle hitter on Cortland's women's volleyball team for four seasons from 1975-78; team captain as a junior and senior.
• New York State Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NYSAIAW) all-star as a junior and USA East Team selection during her freshman and sophomore seasons.
• As a freshman in 1975, Cortland finished 37-5-2, won NYSAIAW and Eastern Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (EAIAW) regional titles, and competed at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national tournament (including win over Mississippi State and losses to UCLA and Texas).
• As a sophomore in 1976, Cortland was 30-12-2, won the NYSAIAW tournament, was the EAIAW runner-up and competed at the AIAW nationals; as a junior in 1977, the Red Dragons won the NYSAIAW district tournament and was an EAIAW regional tournament quarterfinalist. 
• United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) Club team member from 1975-79 and Empire State Games participant in 1977 and 1978.
• Served as a high school girls' volleyball and basketball official as a college student.
• Director of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Mashpee, Mass., since 2014.
• Director of Officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) from 2012-13.
• President/Owner of Leadership Innovations, Inc., in Lee, Mass., providing outdoor experiential education, from 1994-2012 and The Learning Center Preschool and Childcare Center in Lee from 1985-94.
• Adjunct instructor at Holyoke Community College (1987-89) and Berkshire Community College (1991-93).
• Taught anatomy and physiology and coached volleyball, field hockey and lacrosse at Berkshire School in Massachusetts from 1980-84.
• Volunteer basketball official for Massachusetts Special Olympics state tournament for six years and for Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Hoop Dreams for 10 years.
• Spent 22 years in leadership roles for a pair of International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, Inc. (IAABO) boards.
• Has been involved in numerous civic organizations, including: Kiwanis Club of Mashpee since 2014 in leadership positions of president, past-president, board of directors and treasurer; two years as Northeast Regional Chair for the Association for Experiential Education; and six years as Chair of Women's Golf and Board of Governors member at the Stockbridge (Mass.) Golf Club.
• Broome County high school girls' basketball all-star player in 1975 and Windsor Central High School "Knight of Distinction" selection in 2013.
• Berkshire County Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee for lifetime achievement.

Jim Meyerdierks '81 

• 
  

  A native of Oyster Bay, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Cortland in 1981.
• Four-year men's basketball forward at Cortland from 1977-81; he moved up from the junior varsity team toward the end of his freshman year and served as a team co-captain during his junior year and was the team's captain during his senior season.
• Served as an assistant coach to Cortland's freshman and varsity men's basketball teams in 1981-82.
• Career totals in 77 games of 1,387 points (18.0 per game) and 697 rebounds (9.1 per game); graduated as Cortland's career scoring leader and still ranks fourth in program history (and first in the era prior to the 3-point line).
• First Team All-New York State, First Team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Upstate New York, and First Team All-State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) in his junior year after averaging 20.6 points per game (ranked 35th nationally) and 9.5 rebounds per game; shot 53 percent from the field that season.
• First Team All-SUNYAC as a senior after averaging 18.8 points and 10 rebounds per contest; shot 52 percent from the field that season.
• Three-time Cortland men's basketball Red Letter Award winner as team MVP.
• Cortland Athletics Carl "Chugger" Davis Award winner after his senior season.
• Sergeant specializing in Narcotics and Money Laundering with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) from 1983-2006; spent eight years as a group supervisor of an Elite Drug Enforcement Task Force; received various awards with the NYPD, including Excellent Policy Duty Medals, and received a Special Commendation Award for excellence in performance at the Drug Enforcement Task Force.
• First responder during the terrorist attack in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
• Provided corporate security for Griffon Corp. from 2006-07, conducted financial transaction investigation at American Express Financial from 2007-09 and worked on an insider trading case at Kasowitz Benson Torres Friedman LLP from 2009-10.
• Since 2010 has served as Senior Director of Investigations at Cisive, a background screening and monitoring company, in Holtsville, N.Y. 
• Has coached boys' basketball for both the Police Athletic League (PAL) and the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO).
• Volunteer fundraiser for high school scholarships and has worked with food drives, blood drives and security for the Italian American Club of Oyster Bay.

Tom "Span" Spanbauer '83, M '86 

• 
  

  A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1983 and a master's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1986.
• A shooting guard and point guard, he competed for four seasons at Cortland from 1979-83, and he served as a graduate assistant from 1984-86; team co-captain as a junior and tri-captain as a senior.
• In 85 career games he scored 1,106 points (13.0 per game), shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 83.6 percent (224-of-268) from the foul line.
• Earned first team All-State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and was named All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and All-East Region as a senior after averaging 18.6 points per game; also first team All-SUNYAC as a junior 
• Cortland's men's basketball head coach for 28 years from 1995-2023 and the program's career victories leader with a record of 459-277 (62.4 percent); including one season at Alfred University in 1994-95, his career coaching record is 471-290.
• Led Cortland to three SUNYAC tournament titles (2000, 2013, 2016) and six NCAA Division III tournament berths; the Red Dragons advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16" and tied for ninth nationally in both 1999 and 2000, advanced to the NCAA second round on three other occasions (2006, 2013, 2016), and made the program's first-ever NCAA tournament showing in 1997.
• His Cortland teams reached the 20-win plateau eight times.
• Six-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year (1997, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2013, 2016), four-time National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year (1999, 2000, 2013, 2016), three-time New York State Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year (1999, 2000 and 2013) and the 2016 ECAC Division III Upstate New York Coach of the Year.
• 2025 Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Hall of Fame inductee.
• Cortland's women's tennis head coach since 2006; enters the 2025-26 season with 108 dual-match victories and 18 SUNYAC tournament appearances, and was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year in 2008.
• Freshman basketball coach at Albany High School from 1986-88, assistant coach at the University at Albany from 1986-89, and assistant coach at Alfred University for five seasons (1989-94).
• Involved with basketball at the Empire State Games as a player (Adirondack Region in 1988, Western Region in 1990), as an assistant coach (Western Region from 1993-96, including two gold medals) and as a head coach (Central Region from 1997-99).
• Currently an International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, Inc. (IAABO) board of officials member and member of the Cortland Elks Lodge.

Carol Rainson-Rose '87 

• 
  

  A native of Manhasset, N.Y., she earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1987, a master's degree in physical education from Hofstra University in 1989 and a master's degree in administration from the College of New Rochelle in 1992.
• Competed as a first home (attack) on Cortland's women's lacrosse team for four seasons from 1983-86.
• Career totals of 128 goals and 45 assists for 173 points; set school single-season records for goals (57), assists (23) and points (80) in 15 games during her junior season in 1985, and the following year broke records with 61 goals and 81 points in 11 games.
• Earned BRINE Division III Northeast Regional All-America and first team All-New York State Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NYSAIAW) honors during her senior year.
• Her Cortland teams posted a combined record of 43-9; the Red Dragons finished third (1983) and second (1984) at United States Women's Lacrosse Association (USWLA) national tournaments, tied for fifth in the NCAA's first two Division III tournaments (1985 and 1986), and won two Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Mid-Atlantic Region titles (1984 and 1985).
• Girls' lacrosse head coach at Northport (N.Y.) High School since 1990; adapted physical education teacher at Northport High School from 2015-21, physical education teacher at Northport Middle School from 2002-15 and physical education teacher at Wyandanch (N.Y.) High School from 1991-2002.
• Holds the record for most coaching wins in New York State girls' lacrosse history with an overall record of 513-123-4 through the end of the 2025 season.
• Led Northport to New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class A state titles in 2011 and 2019, a Class A runner-up finish in 2022, and Division I runner-up showings in 1996 and 1998, along with 15 Suffolk County titles.
• Chosen as the 2018-19 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National Girls' Lacrosse Coach of the Year, as well as state and sectional Coach of the Year.
• Six-time Division 1 Suffolk County Girls' Lacrosse Coach of the Year (2003, 2006, 2009, 2018, 2021, 2022) and three-time Newsday All-Long Island Coach of the Year (2003, 2004, 2019).
• Member of numerous halls of fame, including the Northport Athletic (2022), Suffolk Sports (2015), Manhasset Sports (2011), Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse (2005) and Manhasset Lacrosse (1999).
• CEO of Long Island Elite Lacrosse Club, LLC, since 1999 and co-owner of the "One Love Foundation" Live Love Lax Tour since 2020.

Barry Thornton '93 

• 
  

  A native of Syracuse, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in health sciences from Cortland in 1993 and a master's degree in health policy and management from the University at Albany in 1995.
• Four-year member of the football team from 1989-92 - three seasons at linebacker and freshman year on the defensive line; team captain during his senior season.
• Career totals of 236 tackles, three interceptions, seven pass breakups, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and one blocked kick in 39 games; led the Red Dragons with 95 tackles (88 in the regular season) in 1992 and 89 tackles (75 in the regular season) in 1991.
• 1992 Third Team Football Gazette All-American.
• Shared Cortland's football team MVP honors as a senior and was the team's defensive MVP as a junior.
• 1992 ECAC Northwest Championship Co-MVP after recording seven tackles, a fumble recovery and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, in a win over Bentley, and registered 14 tackles, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups in a win over Plymouth State in the 1991 ECAC Northwest Championship.
• Totaled a career-high 20 tackles at eventual national runner-up Washington & Jefferson during the 1992 season.
• Team finished a combined 33-11 during his four seasons and made four postseason appearances, including NCAA playoff games in 1989 and 1990; recorded nine tackles in 1990 NCAA first round at Hofstra.
• Starting defenseman on the men's lacrosse team as a freshman in 1990, recording 39 ground balls in 16 games, and played professional indoor lacrosse with the Syracuse Smash of the National Lacrosse League in 1999 and 2000.
• Chief Operating Officer at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in Rochester, N.Y., since 2020; other positions at the company since 2005 include Executive Vice President from 2018-20 and a variety of vice president and senior vice president roles.
• Held a variety of executive positions at UnitedHealth Group from 1997-2005, including Vice President of Operations, Six Sigma Team Lead, and Regional Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Enrollment Operations.
• Received the Rochester Business Journal "Forty Under Forty" Award in 2009 and the Excellus CEO Award for financial turnaround of a major product line in 2006.
• Founding member of the Cortland Football 100 Club - a football alumni group that established an endowment to support Red Dragon Football and mentor numerous student-athletes.
• Member of Cortland College Foundation Board from 2009-24 and the creator of the Barry & Kristin Thornton endowed scholarship for Cortland students focusing on health and wellness.

Tom Williams '01 

• 
  

  A native of Commack, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 2001, a master's degree in liberal studies from SUNY Stony Brook in 2003 and a master's degree in administration from the College of St. Rose in 2016.
• Three-year guard/forward on Cortland's men's basketball team from 1998-2001 after one season at Division II Concordia College (N.Y.); team tri-captain as a junior and senior.
• Career stats of 1,379 points (16.0 per game) and 458 rebounds (5.3 per game); graduated third on the program's career scoring list and currently ranks fifth.
• Cortland's first-ever men's basketball two-time All-American (National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) first team in 1999-2000 and second team in 2000-01) and first-ever two-time SUNYAC Player of the Year (1999-2000 and 2000-01); honorable mention All-SUNYAC in 1998-99.
• 1999-2000 NABC East District Co-Player of the Year and 2000-01 First Team All-East.
• First Team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Upstate New York as both a junior and senior and SUNYAC all-tournament team as a sophomore and senior.
• Cortland's men's basketball Red Letter Award winner in his junior and senior seasons, and 2000-01 Cortland Athletics Male Senior Athlete of the Year.
• Played on teams that posted a combined 68-19 record in three seasons; the Red Dragons finished 24-5 in 1999-2000, setting a program record for wins in a season (still one of three teams to share the record), went 23-7 in 1998-99 and 21-7 in 2000-01.
• His Cortland teams won three State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular-season titles (combined 48-12 record) and one SUNYAC tournament title (1999-2000), were SUNYAC tournament runner-up twice (1998-99 and 2000-01), advanced to two NCAA Division III "Sweet 16" rounds (1998-99 and 1999-2000), and played in one ECAC Upstate New York tournament (2000-01).
• Received SUNY Cortland's T. Fred "Prof" Holloway Award, presented to a senior majoring in physical education for achievement and high potential for leadership in teaching and coaching.
• Played professional basketball in Germany for one year.
• Has served as a physical educator, multi-sport coach and athletic director during his tenure in the Wyandanch (N.Y.) School District since 2010; boys' soccer coach since 2013 and the 2015 Suffolk County League Coach of the Year.
• Physical educator at P.S. 295 (2008-10) and P.S. 131 (2007-08) in Brooklyn, the Hicksville (N.Y.) School District (2005-07) and the Commack School District (2002-05).
• Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) girls' basketball coach and local intramural soccer league coach.

Michael Tota '12 

• 
  

  A Rochester, N.Y., native, he earned a bachelor's degree in business economics from Cortland in 2012 and a master's degree in business administration from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester in 2014.
• Played attack for four years on Cortland's men's lacrosse team from 2009-12; a team captain as a junior and senior.
• Career stats of 174 goals, 73 assists, 247 points and 181 ground balls in 82 games; Cortland's career leader in goals scored and third in career points.
• Three-time United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American, earning third team recognition as a senior and honorable mention awards as a sophomore and junior; USILA North-South Senior Game selection in 2012 (did not compete due to Cortland being in the national title game). 
• Four-time All-State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) selection, including first team honors as a senior and SUNYAC Rookie of the Year in 2009.
• 2012 First Team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Mid-Atlantic and 2009 ECAC Upstate New York Rookie of the Year. 
• Two-time College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) At-Large Academic All-American (first team in 2012, second team in 2011), and SUNYAC Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award winner for men's lacrosse. 
• SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Team of the Decade (2010-19) honoree.
• Cortland's men's lacrosse Red Letter Award winner and Cortland Athletics Male Senior Athlete of the Year in 2012. 
• Led Cortland as a freshman in 2009 with 49 goals and 65 total points to help the Red Dragons win the NCAA Division III title and finish 19-2 and led the team with 46 goals and 77 points as Cortland finished as national runner-up in 2012 with a 21-1 record, Red Dragons also finished 17-3 and advanced to NCAA semifinals in 2010 and 16-3 and NCAA quarterfinals in 2011.
• Teams posted a combined 24-1 SUNYAC regular-season record, won three conference regular-season crowns and four SUNYAC tournament titles; he was named to the SUNYAC all-tournament team as a freshman. 
• Played professionally with the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse from 2013-16. 
• A New York State Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), he has worked in various positions with DeJoy and Co. CPAs, LLP, from 2015-21 and Canopy Growth Corporation since 2021; currently a Senior Manager for Risk & Corporate Development at Canopy. 
• SUNY Cortland Foundation board member for seven years (nominating, finance and audit committees). 
• Serves as a youth coach in lacrosse and football in Penfield, N.Y., and with Harvest Lacrosse in Rochester, and board member and treasurer for Penfield Youth Lacrosse.