Intihar finally inducted
ITHACA, N.Y. — In her first year of eligibility, Seneca Valley High School and Cornell University graduate Alyson Intihar received word she was joining the Big Red Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020.
No surprise there.
It was the wait that was unexpected.
Because of COVID-19, Cornell’s Hall of Fame banquet was canceled for two years before the ceremony was finally held recently. Intihar, a softball standout for the Big Red, is happy her plaque “didn’t come in the mail or something.
“This was definitely worth the wait,” she said. “To share an evening like that with family and friends while being inducted with a bunch of inspiring, incredible people was very special.”
A 2010 Cornell graduate, Intihar was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year. She was a three-time All-Ivy League selection, started 205 career games for the Big Red and set 12 single-season and career softball records with the program. Her 257 career hits are an Ivy League record and she broke the Cornell mark by scoring 175 runs.
The Big Red’s shortstop for four years, she hit .377 and collected 47 doubles during her college career. Cornell won a pair of Ivy League championships while she was there.
“Winning makes you better because you see what can happen when a group of dedicated athletes bond together for a common goal,” Intihar said. “We won at Seneca Valley and it was the same thing there.
“I mean, we were on a mission (at Cornell). When you’re on a team that’s pulling together at that level, sharing all of that determination, passion and loyalty ... You just want to push that much harder and play that much better when you’re on the field. And our weight training coach turned us into machines.
“I’ve taken that work ethic, determination and how to be part of a team into my daily life as well,” she added.
Intihar works for a software company and lives in Richmond. Va. As a senior at Cornell, she was the toughest softball player to strike out in all of NCAA Division 1, fanning just twice in 188 at bats.
“A few of my college teammates live in Richmond now and we get together here and there,” Intihar said. “Our team formed an unbreakable bond. Playing ball there are some of the most unforgettable moments in my life.”
Intihar doesn’t have to look past her own family to figure out how she became such a hard-nosed ballplayer.
“I grew up behind two brothers, Andrew and Alex,” she said. “They were my role models. I played in a lot of pick-up games with them and other boys and learned how to play hard. I never lost that.
“My success started with my parents. They say you can’t choose the family you’re raised in, but I hit the lottery that way. My parents and siblings could not have provided me better support.”
While at Seneca Valley, Intihar played soccer and softball. She credited high school coaches Dave Sylvester (soccer) and George Trew (softball) for having a positive impact on her life as well.
“You don’t realize that sometimes until years later,” she said.
