College kicks off Alumni Weekend with 22nd annual Hall of Fame ceremony
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, Paula Sullivan, Director of Athletics Brendan Sullivan, Celeste Chartier, '72, Brian Driscoll, '91, Mario Fraioli, '04, Dan Maher, '68, Lauren Stone, '06, NE-10 Hall of Famer Kate (Lambert) Conover, '03 and Stonehill President Rev. Mark T. Cregan, CSC. |
EASTON, Mass. (October 4, 2010) – Stonehill College kicked off its Alumni Weekend festivities by inducting five former student-athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame in Alumni Hall on Friday night.
Stonehill’s 22nd annual Hall of Fame class includes Celeste Chartier, Class of 1972, the founder of the women’s basketball program at the College, Brian Driscoll, Class of 1991, a three-way player for the football team, Mario Fraioli, Class of 2004, an All-America cross country runner and national qualifier for indoor track and field, Dan Maher, Class of 1968, a former member of the basketball program and active member of the Alumni Basketball Support Group, and Lauren Stone, Class of 2006, a two-time All-America goalkeeper for the lacrosse program. In addition, Katie (Lambert) Conover, Class of 2003, a Hall of Fame lacrosse player at Stonehill was formally inducted into the Northeast-10 Conference Hall of Fame by Julie Ruppert, Commissioner of the NE-10.
Celeste Chartier, '72 |
Celeste Chartier, ‘72, is regarded as the founder of the women’s basketball program at the College in the pre-Title IX era of intercollegiate athletics. At the time, there were no athletic opportunities for women on either the intercollegiate or intramural level until, with the help and encouragement of many others on campus, she led a movement which resulted in the formation of the Women’s Basketball Club for the 1971-1972 academic year. The team posted a perfect 14-0 record that season - the first of just two undefeated seasons in program history, with the other coming only three years later in 1974-75.
According to the 1972 “Acres” yearbook, the team success “hinged on the point totals of Celeste Chartier” with the team earning big victories over Boston College and Barrington College. The team was known for being “enthusiastic, surprising and upset-minded” that first season according to “Acres.”
Brian Driscoll, '91 |
Brian Driscoll, ’91, made his mark for the football team on defense, offense and special teams during points of his career as the program was in its early stages at the varsity level.
A three-time ECAC first team All-Star, Driscoll finished his career at Stonehill with a school-record 288 tackles, a record 174 of which were unassisted, seven interceptions, ten sacks and six fumble recoveries. He followed in the footsteps of his brother, Jack, and was also team captain.
As a senior, Driscoll led the Stonehill defense with 97 tackles (55 unassisted) - breaking his own school-record for tackles in a season. The captain also added two sacks, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown to clinch victory at Western New England) and three fumble recoveries. He also saw time at punter and fullback over his career.
Mario Fraioli, '04 |
Mario Fraioli, ’04 played a big role in the emergence of the cross country and track & field programs at the College over his four-year career. The team placed seventh at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships his freshman year and went on to place second at the NE-10’s his junior and senior seasons.
The first All-American in the history of the men’s cross country program, Fraioli placed 32nd overall as a senior at the NCAA Division II Championships. He was a four-time All-Region and All-Northeast-10 Conference honoree for cross country, earning first team All-NE-10 accolades as a sophomore, junior and senior. Fraioli served as captain of the cross country team as a junior and senior, guiding Stonehill to a 12th place finish at the 2003 NCAA Championships. For track & field, he was a National Qualifier for the indoor mile in 2004, finishing 12th at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. He earned All-New England status for the 1,500-meters twice, the indoor mile and the 4x800 relay. Fraioli also collected All-Northeast-10 honors for indoor track four times and for outdoor once with second team honors in the 1500 as a junior.
Fraioli held no less than eight school records upon his graduation and was part of a 4x800-meter relay team that still holds the program’s outdoor record with a time of 7:40.50 at Princeton University in 2001. He was an active leader on campus serving as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) his senior year and was also a member of the College’s NCAA Lifeskills program.
Dan Maher, '68 |
Dan Maher, ‘68, was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, who also served as manager of the baseball program during his college days. He has continued to be an invaluable member of the College since his graduation.
Maher has served as an Alumni Council member during the 1970s and is a current board member of the Stonehill Varsity Club. He has been a valuable member of the Stonehill Alumni Basketball Support Group since 1980, participating in the mentoring group with several members of the men’s basketball program, while also playing a key role in team fundraising efforts. Maher is a team member in organizing the annual Friends of Stonehill Athletics Golf Outing which serves to fund scholarship enhancements, equipment upgrades, and other critical initiatives of the Department of Athletics.
Maher is an active member of the Easton community, serving as officer of the Easton Youth Basketball program for 15-years, serving as president from 1991-95. He was coach and officer of the Baystate Magic AAU program for five years in the mid-1990s, coaching a team that reached the nationals. After graduating from Stonehill, Maher played six years for the Easton Huskies of the semi-pro Cranberry Basketball League.
Lauren Stone, '06 |
Lauren Stone, ’06, was a four-year member of the lacrosse team at Stonehill and was part of both the 2003 and 2005 NCAA Division II National Championship squads.
Stone was a two-time All-America selection at goalkeeper for Stonehill, earning Northeast-10 Conference Goalkeeper of the Year honors as a sophomore and senior. Then head coach Michael Daley said of Stone: “Lauren’s hard work and determination made her the elite goaltender that she was.” Stone is Stonehill's career leader in victories with 47 while also holding the Skyhawk career goals against average record at 4.72 and she also set the school record for consecutive wins by a goalie at 32. The 2005 IWLCA Division II Goalie of the Year, she was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA Division II Championships in backstopping the Skyhawks to their second national title in three seasons. She also led Division II with a 2.09 goals against average in 2004.
Stone earned All-Northeast-10 first team honors twice and led the Skyhawks to the 2005 National Championship by making ten saves in the 13-10 triumph over West Chester. She was also a key member of eight NE-10 Championships, four regular season and four tournament crowns, and was featured in the “Faces in the Crowd” section of the May 16, 2005, issue of Sports Illustrated.