TOWSON, Md. – Come late January, another former Towson University men's lacrosse standout will be enshrined in the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.
 
Defensive standout Ron Klausner '89 will become the third Towson player in that particular Hall of Fame, joining current assistant coach and defensive coordinator Dan Cocchi '03 who was inducted last January and program legend Bob Griebe, who was inducted in 1990.
 
"When I was selecting schools to attend and play lacrosse for in College, I kept coming back to Towson State. One of my friends from New York had a brother there and I guess I just fell in love with the place," said Klausner. "My career at Towson was filled with so many great moments. From the bus rides, to practices, or just spending time with teammates, the overall experience was truly memorable. The teams I played on had a lot of success on the field as I was part of three conference championships. Probably the most important part of my playing career was the people. From coaches, to players, to trainers and administrative staff, Towson State was a great place to go to receive a great education, and play at the top of Division I lacrosse. I would do it all over again if I could!"
 
A native of Wantagh, New York, Klausner played in 52 games during his career at then-Towson State University. A noted speedster in the clearing game, the law enforcement major logged five career points, including a goal in 1986 against in-state rival Maryland. During his time with the Black & Gold, Klausner took 13 shots as a close defenseman, including five during his sophomore campaign.
 
Klausner was part of a resurgent Tiger program in the late 80s, never enduring a losing season and helping the Tigers to a 34-19 overall record. During his four years with the program, Klausner aided in three East Coast Conference (ECC) titles, two of which were won outright. From 1985-88, Towson won 20 ECC games, while never suffering more than one loss in conference. The Tigers went a perfect 6-0 in league play in 1987 while also amassing 10 wins. That was just the second 10-win season for the Tigers at the Division I level. During his junior season in 1987, Towson finished ranked 12^th in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
 
His talent on defense was well recognized by the ECC coaches as he was a two-time All-Conference selection (1987, 1988). The plaudits continued to roll in during his senior season as he was named USILA Honorable Mention All-America and was selected to play in the famed North South All-Star Game to cap his Black & Gold career.
 
Klausner continued to garner national attention as he was selected for the Team USA tryouts on two separate occasions, once in 1993 and against in 1997.
 
After his career with the Tigers ended, he began down a new path as an assistant coach. Coaching stops include his alma mater where he was an assistant under legendary head coach Carl Runk, helping coach the Tigers to the NCAA Division I National Championship game in 1991. Later coaching jobs included three seasons down Charles Street at Johns Hopkins University, where he helped the Blue Jays reached the national semifinals twice. He also served on the sidelines at nearby Loyola High School (now Loyola Blakefield High School) and Anne Arundel Community College. Currently, he is the owner and director of Kooper's Lacrosse Club, a youth organization in Baltimore.
 
"Carl Runk is and will always be Towson lacrosse at it's best. That in no way is any disrespect for all of the coaches (including myself) who have ever walked the sidelines for the Towson Tigers," continued Klausner on his mentor. "Coach Runk is just a wonderful man and one hell of a coach. The respect he received from his players was unwavering, and he would do anything for one of his players. On the field, Coach was ahead of his time. We had more clears than most programs had offensive plays. We had more extra man offensive plays than most NFL teams had offensive plays. Coach could draw up plays that just worked. Off the field, he was a father figure, someone you trusted and confided in when you were away from home. Coach Runk was a phenomenal coach, but he was also a great motivator. Just love coach Runk, someone whom I consider a second father to me."
 
Klausner, who graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in law enforcement, has twice been enshrined in the Towson University Athletics Hall of Fame. He was inducted as an athlete with the Induction Class of 1999. In 2014, Klausner was inducted alongside the famed 1991 team as an assistant coach, helping guide the team to the national championship game.
 
"During my time at Towson, I could see that we turned the corner in 1987. Things were different, the talent was getting better, and everyone was starting to take notice. In 1988, my senior year, we had a strong freshman class come into the program, and you could tell that they could be special," said Klausner of his later years in the program. "Obviously that group will go down as the best class in Towson Lacrosse history. They turned out to be special and helped our program achieve new heights. The work done by Tony Seaman continued the rise, and I think we are in great hands with Coach Nadelen moving forward. Coach Nadelen has what it takes to be the best of them all. Towson has been blessed to have only three coaches over the past four decades. As an alumnus of Towson University, and former player for the program, I could not be happier with the direction our program is going. The alumni talk about our program, and I am starting to see the out of town guys coming back for games more often. I think Coach Nadelen and his assistants (Anthony Gilardi, Dan Cocchi, Andy Shilling) have done a wonderful job connecting the players of years past with his program today. Everyone is excited, and all of us love what Towson Lacrosse stands for. Always proud to be part of the Black & Gold Tiger family."
 
Following his playing career with the Tigers, Klausner continued to play the game at the highest level. He was drafted by the Baltimore Thunder in the fourth round of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) in 1988 before he signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Bulls. He played in the Bulls' franchise from 1990-93 before signing with the Thunder, playing in Baltimore for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He later took his talents to central New York, playing on National Lacrosse League season with the Syracuse Smash in 2000.
 
Klausner played at the club level for a combined 22 seasons, including 20 with the Mt. Washington Lacrosse Club and two with the Greene Turtle Lacrosse Club. He was voted All-Club on five occasions.
 
Prior to his matriculation at Towson, Klausner played on Long Island at Wantagh High School, graduating in 1984. He was named All-County in his senior season, while also being named to the high school North/South All-Star game that same year.
 
Klausner currently resides in Hunt Valley, Maryland with his wife of 21 years, Wendy, and their two sons, Parker and Braeden.
 
The 32^nd annual Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Jan. 28, 2017 at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale, New York. The ceremony is slated to begin a 7 p.m. Tickets to the event can be purchased on the Foundations website at LIMetroLax.org.