Five Individuals, National Championship Team Among Florida Tech Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Inductees
By Space Coast Daily // October 3, 2024
Class of 2024 will be inducted on Nov. 9
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – One of the core values of Florida Tech athletics is “Build Your Legacy” and this November, five Panthers and one team will have their Crimson and Gray legacy celebrated with their induction into the Florida Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2024 will be inducted on Saturday, Nov. 9. The ceremony will be held from 5-7 P.M. inside the Clemente Center in conjunction with Legacy of 37.
■ 2019 Women’s Golf, National Champions
Noelle Beiijer, Megan Dennis, Alexis Dizinno, Lucy Eaton, Hailey Ko, Marybeth McGuire, Paola Ortiz, Lauren Watson, Chris Saltmarsh (Coach), Mitch Greenburg (Assistant Coach)
The Panther women’s golf team won the school’s first National Championship in the sport and ninth overall in May 2019 at the PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, by defeating No. 3 California State San Marcos 4-1 in the match play final.
Florida Tech vs. California State San Marcos National Championship Match
• Lucy Eaton def. Breann Horn – 1 Up
• Paola Ortiz def. Bergen Benedict – 4 Up
• Megan Dennis def. Savannah Magallon – 1 Up
• Jaime Jacob def. Noelle Beijer – 5 Up
• Lauren Watson def. Claire Hogle – 3 Up
Beijer and Eaton were named WGCA Second Team All-America, and Ortiz was named Honorable Mention.
■ Austin Allen, Baseball (2013-2015)
One of the best to ever man the backstop for Florida Tech, Austin Allen’s career batting average of .377 stands as the second highest in program history, while his .442 on-base percentage and .619 slugging percentage rank fourth and third, respectively.
Allen’s 57 career doubles are the second most in program history, and his 22 career home runs tie for the seventh most.
In 2015, Allen posted a .415 batting average that ranks as the fifth-highest in a single season in program history, while his .723 slugging percentage stands as the third-highest. He amassed 81 hits, tied for the fifth most in a season, and set a single-season program record with 25 doubles. Additionally, his 56 RBI and 141 total bases rank sixth and fourth, respectively.
He was a member of the Panthers’ 2013 and 2015 NCAA Tournament teams. Tech had a 94-54 (.635) record during his three years in the Crimson and Gray.
Allen was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, making him Florida Tech’s highest ever draft pick.
He made his Major League debut on May 11, 2019, joining Tim Wakefield as the only Panthers to reach the majors. He hit his first Major League home run on August 5, 2020, with the Oakland Athletics.
Allen was named All-SSC First Team in 2013 and 2015 and was the 2013 SSC Freshman of the Year.
Chris Cacciapaglia, Men’s Cross Country (2009-2012)
Cacciapaglia competed from 2009 to 2012. He was named the 2012 SSC Runner of The Year after becoming the third Panther to win the SSC championship race with a time of 25:56.50, finishing ten seconds ahead of the second-place runner.
Cacciapaglia earned First Team All-SSC honors in 2012 and was named USTFCCCA All-South Region that same year, thanks to a third-place finish at the NCAA South Region Championship. He earned those honors on the strength of five top seven finishes, four of which were in the top five.
In 2011, he also achieved USTFCCCA All-South Region status following a top 25 finish at the NCAA South Region Championship, and he secured a top 40 finish at the 2010 NCAA South Region Championships.
He was a member of the 2012 team that reached the DII National Championship, marking the only time Florida Tech has achieved this as a team. His outstanding performance earned him a place on the SSC’s 2010s Second Team All-Decade.
Victor Rocha Furtado, Men’s Swimming (2015-2019)
A member of the 2017 National Champion 200 Free Relay Team, Victor Rocha Furtado played a key part in Panther men’s swimming ascension from its early years into a program to be reckoned with.
He competed at the National Championships all four years.
In 2018, Furtado placed second in both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events at the NCAA Division II Championship, clocking impressive times of 19.66 and 43.18, respectively. Additionally, he finished in 10th place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 47.91.
In 2017, Furtado swam a 20.12 in the 50-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division II Championship Festival, securing a 10th place finish. In the 100-yard freestyle, he finished sixth place with a time of 43.71.
Furtado earned a total of five individual All-American honors and 11 as a member of relay teams.
Furtado earned First Team All-SSC honors in the 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 seasons.
Kristina Huba, Women’s Tennis (2010-2014)
The program’s all-time wins in singles play with 80 and fourth in doubles wins with 79, Kristina Huba’s career resume is amongst the most decorated of any Panther to step on the court.
In 2013-14, Huba was ranked No. 15 nationally in singles at the start of the spring season and ended the campaign ranked as high as No. 8. She set the all-time wins mark on Feb. 15, 2014, against Flagler.
In 2012-13, Huba earned ITA All-American status in singles, finishing with the No. 5 ranking in the final ITA singles poll. In doing so, she was named the SSC Player of the Year, the first such honor in program history.
That same season, Huba became the first Panther to win the ITA South Region Championship. She went on to finish third at the USTA/ITA National Championships. Huba finished the campaign with a 31-4 overall singles record at No. 1 singles.
In 2011-12, Huba led the team with a 17-5 overall singles record, including 6-2 in conference. She ranked among the region’s top-14 for the entire season. Kristina posted a 17-7 record in doubles, teaming with her sister Katarina Huba for a 15-6 record. They ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation and no. 2 in the South Region.
In 2010-11, she went 20-1 overall in doubles with her sister Katarina Huba. She was named the 2013 SSC Athlete of the Year for Women’s Tennis.
Singles: 2014, ITA All-American, 2012 and 2013 First Team All-SSC, 2014 Second Team All-SSC
Doubles: 2011 ITA All-American (paired with sister Katarina Huba), 2011 and 2012 First Team All-SSC (paired with sister Katarina Huba), 2013 Second Team All-SSC (paired with Stephanie Dohner)
Randy Muns, Athletics Supporter
Randy Muns was a four-year letterman in baseball as an infielder and catcher at Florida Tech, including captain of the Panthers twice from 1975 through 1978.
Muns was the first baseball player recorded to achieve over 4 hits or more in five games and the first to hit for the cycle against Flagler College in 1977.
Muns signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs minor league organization upon graduation and returned to Florida Tech the following year on a graduate fellowship to obtain his master’s degree, where he was an assistant baseball coach for two years under Les Hall, handling pitchers and catchers, while also teaching undergraduate business courses.
Muns chose to attend Florida Tech after meeting Andy Seminick at a high school all-star game in Fort Lauderdale and learning of the opportunities that were offered.
Muns has been a major donor to Florida Tech Athletics, assisting with the development of the Les Hall/Andy Seminick baseball complex, lighting of the baseball field, and being a top donor for the Chopper Dropper event, which supports the athletics program.
He has been a member of the Florida Tech Board of Trustees for over 12 years and currently is chairman of the Board of Trustees Athletics Committee.
Muns holds two degrees from Florida Tech, graduating with honors with a bachelor’s degree in 1978 and obtaining his MBA in 1980.
He holds a certification in Production and Inventory Management at the fellow level and has spoken at numerous professional national and international conferences on industrial technology-related subjects during a 45-year business career.
The Florida Tech Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1986 to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to Florida Tech Athletics. Its purpose is to remember those who have brought distinction, honor and excellence to the university’s athletics program. Since it was organized, 62 individuals and nine teams have been enshrined.
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