MANCHESTER, N.H. - Southern New Hampshire University Director of Athletics Chip Polak has announced the addition of five new members to SNHU's Athletic Hall of Fame, including four former student-athletes and one administrator.  Mike Cesere '02, Sotirios Karapostolou '03, Tom Roche '81 and Tobias Svantesson '02, along with former SNHU president Richard Gustafson, comprise the class of 2009. 

They will be inducted in a ceremony the evening of January 24, 2009 at the University's Hospitality Center.  Tickets are available for the event for $50 or $450 for a table of 10 by calling the SNHU athletic department at (603) 645-9604.

The Southern New Hampshire University Athletic Hall of Fame now has a total of 85 inductees, 84 individuals and one team.

Cesere,  a native of Concord, NH, was a four-year member of the men's lacrosse team and a three-year member of the ice hockey team from 1999-2002.  He is most remembered for his play in lacrosse, where he led the team in scoring in each of his four seasons.  Cesere ranks as SNHU's all-time leader in career goals (157), assists (94) and points (251) and also holds school records for most assists and points in a season.  He was a three-time All-New England and two-time All-Conference selection and was selected to play in the NEILA Senior All-Star Game.  On the ice he helped the Penmen to a 49-25-4 record in three seasons, an appearance in the final NCAA Division II championship series as a freshman and berths in the ECAC Division II title game as a sophomore and junior.  In 74 career games he totaled 23 goals and 21 assists.

Karapostolou, who hails from Larissa, Greece, was a four-year starter for the men's basketball team who appeared in 107 games over his career with 104 starts.  As a senior, he became the first First Team All-American in the storied history of Penmen basketball, averaging 20.1 points per game and leading SNHU to the Northeast-10 championship game and its first NCAA tourney berth since 1999.  He was also named the NE-10 Player of the Year as a senior and was a three-time NE-10 All-Conference selection.  He currently ranks 10^th in career scoring (1,609), fourth in career steals (241), seventh in career assists (590) and fifth in career three-pointers (240).

Roche, originally from Dover, NH was a four-year starter on the men's basketball team from 1977-81.  During his career, the Penmen began their climb into prominence in Division II basketball circles both regionally and nationally, capturing NCAA New England titles during Roche's junior and senior seasons.  Over his career the Penmen were 74-37 (.667), including a combined 45-15 mark over Roche's final two seasons.  Roche finished his four seasons with 1,186 points and 774 career rebounds, good for averages of 10.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest.

Svantesson, a native of Goteborg, Sweden, was a three-year member of the men's soccer team and rewrote the SNHU record books for goalkeeping.  He led the Penmen to a 38-12-8 record in three seasons, two NCAA Tournament appearances and NCAA Region and Northeast-10 championships in 2000.  Svantesson collected First-Team NSCAA All-Region honors in each of his three seasons and was a two-time NSCAA All-American.  Svantesson was named the NECC Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and the NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2000 and 2001.  He holds school records for shutouts in a season (15) and career (32).

Gustafson served as president of Southern New Hampshire University from 1987-2003 and oversaw a period of unprecented growth at the institution.  During his tenure, the school transitioned to university status as New Hampshire College became Southern New Hampshire University.  Several new buildings were erected on campus as well.  Always a friend to athletics, Gustafson was a key figure in SNHU's move from the now-defunct New England Collegiate Conference to the Northeast-10 Conference.  Under Gustafson's watch, several athletic facilities were enhanced, with the athletic complex undergoing a major renovation that included the Fitness Center and the soccer/lacrosse field, now known as Dr. George Larkin Field, being resurfaced with FieldTurf as well as having lights installed.