www.canisiushigh.org
7
T
he 2011 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held October 1 was a memorable evening of celebration for in-
ductees and their families, teammates and classmates. Donald Salva ‘53, Lawrence Michael ‘65, Christopher Bonn ‘73,
Thomas F. Keenan ‘96, and Brian Keenan ‘99 took their place among the athletic greats of Canisius High School. Also be-
ing enshrined were the two-time national champion oarsmen from the early 1960s, coached by the legendary Charlie
Fontana.
★
Don Salva
As a senior co-captain
his hard-nosed play at fullback pushed
the Crusaders to an unbeaten record of
6-0-1 tying Timon as league champi-
ons. Salva averaged a touchdown per
game his senior year and received All
Catholic Honors for his efforts. His true
athleticismwas best on display in the
water. A four-year letterman for the
Canisius Mermen, Salva was twice in-
vited to the prestigious Eastern States
Invitational Meet, winning both Gold
and Silver medals. After Canisius, Salva
enjoyed a career inmedicine.
★
Larry Michael
A five-time varsity-
letter winner (three in baseball; two in
football), the diamond was Michael’s
field of expertise. In 1965, he and his
teammates battled their way to a tie
for the division title with a surprise re-
cord of 14-4. Led by Michael’s defense
and hitting, along with strong support
on the mound, the 1965 Crusaders
earned Coach Barnes one of his most
unexpected championships. Michael
earned All-Catholic for his efforts in
his senior year. Today he is assistant
dean of resource management for
the University at Buffalo School of
Management. He has been active in
Western New York scholastic athlet-
ics and in 2004 received the Section 6
Football Federation Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award.
★
Chris Bonn
Bonn offered his great-
est contribution to Canisius athletics
on the ice. He was described by one
classmate as “Mr. Hockey” for Canisius,
“the face of the program.” Bonn also
was a member of the undefeated ten-
nis team, rowed with the crew team
and ran with Jim Skipper’s cross-
country team. After Canisius, Bonn
captained the Division II University
at Buffalo Bulls to the ECAC playoffs.
Chris earned a business degree from
UB and has been with the Peace Bridge
Authority for 33 years.
★
TomKeenan
Keenan was the
leader of the 1996 Manhattan Cup
Basketball Championship team
that started three years of Crusader
dominance in the Monsignor Martin
League. He was MVP in the Crusaders
56-54 upset over St. Joe’s, the Cru-
sader’s first championship in a decade.
He earned numerous honors during
his playing career including 1st Team
All-Catholic in 1995 and 96, 3rd Team
All-WNY in 1996 and 3rd TeamAll-
State in 1996. Keenan was named the
CHS Basketball TeamMVP in 1995 and
1996 and at graduation was named
Senior Athlete of the Year. Keenan was
a three-year starter for Nazareth Col-
lege. He is currently a sales manager at
Cambridge Resources.
★
Brian Keenan
The most prolific
scorer in Canisius basketball history,
Keenan was a four-year varsity let-
terman who set the school scoring
record. He helped lead Canisius to
three Manhattan Cup Championships
in 1996, 1997 and 1998. A fearless
competitor whose determination
helped lead his teams to a 30-1 record
at home, his honors include 1st Team
All-WNY in 1998 and 1999 and 1st
TeamAll-Catholic 1997, 1998 and
1999. He was recognized by “USA
Today” as an honorable mention
Athletes Enter Hall of Fame
Pictured left to right: Legendary oarsmen Tim O’Connor ’62, Walt Urban ’63, Bill Fenzel ’64, Kevin Cheeley ’62
and Gary Schwarmueller ’62 the1962 Senior 4 with coxie National Championship Boat.
Continued on page 8