Jack Riffle, a 1950 Hamilton graduate, was chairman and chief executive officer of the Utica National Insurance Group at the time of his death in 1986. As a businessman and community leader he gave freely of his time to innumerable good causes like the Boy Scouts of America. He also enthusiastically served Hamilton College as a trustee and was a great booster of Hamilton athletics. A devoted Continental fan, he frequently attended games and was a firm believer that athletics represented the very best in life.
Because of this deep interest, a group of friends and associates established the Jack B. Riffle Memorial Fund. This endowment is used to honor senior varsity athletes and their coaches at a dinner that features a guest speaker representing the finest in American sports. This year's speaker is Hamilton basketball coach, Tom Murphy, who is only the 12th Division III coach to claim 500 career wins and, last summer, was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.
Michael Schantz, who is Hamilton's second-highest career scorer and fourth-best rebounder, capped off his senior season by scoring 700 points – the most ever scored by a Continental in a single season. He ended his collegiate basketball career with 2,185 points and 1,161 rebounds.
In addition to being named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches /Chevy Silverado Division III All-American Team, Schantz was this year's recipient of the coveted Jostens Trophy which honors the Division III basketball player who shows "excellence in the classroom, on the playing court and in the community." For the second consecutive year, Schantz has earned Player of the Year honors from the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association and Eastern College Athletic Conference (Upstate New York region). He also was honored as the New England Small College Athletic Conference Player of the Year and named to the First Team of all three conference affiliations. Schantz is an economics major and a three-time winner of the Ned Doyle award. He recently received the prestigious Earl Cline Scholarship in recognition of his high moral values.
Tara Woolford has been the Continental's top female long distance runner, if not the best ever, since entering Hamilton four years ago. A capable leader and captain of the 1998 women's cross-country team, Woolford gave her best performance in her senior season.
She is a two time state champion, UCAA champion and an NCAA provisional qualifier. Recently, she won the New York State championship in the 10,000m. She has twice been named to the "All-NYSCTC' and "All- UCAA" teams in cross county and track and field. In cross country, she is one of Hamilton's all time best runners, placing second out of 128 runners at teh 1998 state championship. She was twice named to the NCAA Regional Cross Country team and NCAA Coaches Association "All Academic" team.
She rewrote the record books in 1998 by setting the Hamilton course record for 5000 meters against Union with a time of 18:30.67 in track and field, and holds the Seneca Lake State Park course record for the 5k race with a time of 18:52.
A biology major, Woolford recently participated in a trip to the Antarctic to further her research on marine biological diversity.
