BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – Sarah Lawrence College Athletics is proud to announce its Hall of Fame Class of 2026, featuring three distinguished Gryphon alumni: Mary Kauffman '16 (Women's Cross Country/Crew), Max Mallory '11 (Men's Basketball), and Tom Yaps '03 (Men's Tennis/Men's Basketball).

The three inductees will be honored during Homecoming 2026 weekend on Saturday, November 14, in Wendy's Studio at Campbell Sports Center. Doors will open at 3:45 p.m. for light refreshments, with the induction ceremony beginning at 4 p.m.

The Hall of Fame Ceremony kicks off the department's annual Homecoming festivities, which features a pair of home basketball games, with the women's team tipping off at 5:30 p.m. and the men's team scheduled to follow at approximately 7:30 p.m. There will also be a Homecoming alumni reception during halftime of both games.

Mary Kauffman '16 – Women's Cross Country/Crew
Kauffman was a standout member of the women's cross country program, competing during the 2012, 2013, and 2015 seasons, while also spending one year with the women's crew team.

Her cross country career was highlighted by numerous individual and team honors, including multiple conference all-conference selections, team MVP awards, and conference Runner of the Week recognition. She was also named the 2012-13 Sarah Lawrence Newcomer Award winner.

In 2012, Kauffman immediately established herself as the Gryphons' top runner, finishing as the team's No. 1 competitor in all six races. She set a program 5K record with a fifth-place finish at Bard College, crossing the line in 19:48, and finished second overall at the HVWAC Championship.

Kauffman continued her success in 2013, earning HVIAC All-Conference and All-Academic honors while once again finishing as the team's top runner in every race. She recorded a season-best time of 18:37 at the HVIAC Championships and earned three Runner of the Week selections.

After missing the 2014 season while studying abroad, Kauffman returned in 2015 with another outstanding campaign. She earned First Team Skyline All-Conference recognition and team MVP honors, finishing as the Gryphons' top runner in all eight races. She opened the season with a second-place finish at the Baruch Invitational and recorded a season-best 5K time of 20:13 at the Warde Invitational. At the Skyline Championship, she placed sixth with a time of 21:33 to secure First Team All-Conference honors before concluding her season at the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championship.

In addition to cross country, Kauffman competed with the women's crew team during the 2012-13 season, rowing in six of the team's seven spring races. She occupied the No. 6 seat in all four of the team's eight-person boat appearances and the No. 3 seat in both of her quad appearances.

Following her graduation from Sarah Lawrence with a bachelor's degree in biology and technical theater, Kauffman pursued a career in veterinary medicine. After working at a wolf sanctuary in New Mexico, a dairy farm in western Massachusetts, and a small animal hospital in Vermont, she earned her veterinary degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada. Dr. Kauffman is currently an associate veterinarian at River Valley Veterinarian Services in Fultonville, NY.
 
Max Mallory '11 – Men's Basketball
A four-year member of the men's basketball program from 2007–11, Mallory served as team co-captain alongside teammate Max Teicher during his senior season and established himself as one of the program's most accomplished three-point shooters under head coach Joe Ross.

Mallory's name appears throughout the Sarah Lawrence men's basketball record book. He ranks first in single-game three-point field goals made after connecting on nine against Pratt on February 10, 2011. He also holds the program record for three-point field goal attempts in a game, with 18 in that same contest. Additionally, he ranks second in single-season three-point field goal percentage, shooting 42.9 percent during the 2010–11 campaign, when he made 27 of 63 attempts.

Mallory ranks fourth in career scoring average, averaging 11.7 points per game across 24 contests from 2007–11. He also ranks among the program's leaders in field goals attempted, three-point field goals made and attempted, and 30-point performances.

During the 2010–11 season, Mallory led the team in scoring with 106 points while also pacing the Gryphons in three-point field goals made, free throws made, steals, and blocks. He led the team in three-pointers made in each of his four seasons and earned HVMAC All-Conference, SLC Athlete of the Year, HVMAC Player of the Week, HVMAC Rookie of the Week, and HVMAC All-Academic honors during his collegiate career. He continues to play basketball three to four times a week.

A recipient of the Sarah Lawrence Board of Trustees Scholarship, Mallory graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to work as a Firm Manager at Goldstein & Russell, P.C., followed by a role as Deputy Manager at SCOTUSblog, which received a Peabody Award in January 2013 for excellence in electronic media. In September 2022, he joined Penta Group, a stakeholder solutions firm, where he was recently promoted to Senior Partner.

Reflecting on one of his favorite memories on the court, Mallory recalls his senior-year Homecoming game:

"We'd been building the fan interest and engagement slowly over the years, and that Homecoming game was the exclamation point. The gym was full and the energy was amazing (hitting nine 3s didn't hurt)."

When asked about the impact Sarah Lawrence Athletics has had on his life, Mallory shared:
"My experience on the basketball team has been a source of ongoing joy and inspiration throughout my personal and professional pursuits. The leadership and team building I learned has underpinned a huge portion of my professional success, while personally, basketball has continued to be one of the greatest and most consistent sources of joy (and cardio) in my life.

Never lose sight of how fortunate it is to have this kind of experience. To have coaches that are invested in you, a community that supports you, and teammates that show up day in and day out to help you succeed. Drink it in every day, and give it everything you've got. It's hard to keep in view consistently, but playing on a team at this level is a wonderful and rare experience. Make the most of it."

Three words that capture his experience with SLC Athletics: rewarding, focused, and fun.
 
Tom Yaps '03 – Men's Tennis/Men's Basketball
A four-year member of the men's tennis program and a two-year member of the men's basketball team, Yaps competed for the Gryphons from 1999–2003 in tennis and 2001–03 in basketball. His contributions to both programs earned him two Gryphon Awards for tennis under head coach Jon Wei, where he competed in doubles alongside teammate Matty Cardente, and one for basketball under head coach Joe Iannotti, where he played alongside teammate John Rudikoff.

Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence, Yaps has built an accomplished career in sports management and athlete representation. He currently serves as Partner and Managing Director of Action Sports & Olympics at Evolution Management + Marketing, where he represents some of the world's top professional skiers and snowboarders, including Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu, Alex Hall, and Maddie Bowman.

Yaps has also played a significant role in the development and advancement of freeskiing on the international stage. He previously chaired the Freeskiing Sport Committee for U.S. Ski & Snowboard and served as the sport's representative on the organization's Board of Directors for eight years, helping guide the growth of freeskiing within the Olympic movement.

His career reflects a continued commitment to athletics and sports leadership, extending the competitive spirit and dedication he demonstrated as a Gryphon into the professional sports world.

One moment from his time as a Gryphon that Yaps will never forget was losing his doubles match in the conference tournament during his junior year while playing alongside John Rudikoff. To this day, Rudikoff's mother never lets him forget about it!

When asked about the impact Sarah Lawrence Athletics has had on him and what advice he would offer current SLC student-athletes, Yaps shared:

"I think it's given me an amazing perspective in relating to my clients. They all get a kick out of hearing me tell stories about my college athletic days.

Enjoy it. It is such a gift to continue playing competitive sports after high school. Enjoy every minute of it."

Three words that capture his experience with SLC Athletics: fun, camaraderie, and purposeful.

Those interested in attending the Hall of Fame ceremony should register at:
Sarah Lawrence College: Athletics Hall of Fame Induction