Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018 (l-r): Fran Dillon '70 (contributor), Dana DeIngenis '07 (cross country/track & field), Erin Vrysen '00 (women's soccer), Jessica Batcha '99 (volleyball), Daniella Granato '08 (women's tennis) and Mike McLucas '95 (football). (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
College inducts five former standout student-athletes and longtime administrator
Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame
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EASTON, Mass. (November 6, 2018) – Stonehill College held its 30th annual Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony with five former standout student-athletes and a long-time College administrator being honored for their success and contributions to the athletic program at the Pettit Atrium inside the Thomas and Mary Shields Science Center over the weekend.
Stonehill's most recent Athletic Hall of Fame class includes Jessica Batcha, '99 from the volleyball program, Dana DeIngenis, '07, an All-American from the women's cross country and track & field program, Daniella Granato, '08 from the women's tennis program, Michael McLucas, '95 from the football program and Erin Vrysen, '00 of the women's soccer program, as well Vice President for Advancement Fran Dillon, '70, who is retiring at the end of the year following 44-years of dedicated service to his alma mater. With its six new Hall of Fame members, Stonehill's total inductees since the first ceremony in 1989 have increased to 154, including 116 former individual student-athletes.
2018 Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony Photo Gallery
Fran Dillon '70 was presented for induction to the Hall of Fame by SAAC Vice President & ice hockey senior Connor Collier (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Fran Dillon, Class of 1970 (Contributor)
Video of Fran Dillon Induction & Acceptance
It would be hard to find a bigger "fan" of Stonehill College in its 70-year history than Fran Dillon, a 1970 graduate of the College, who will retire in January after 44-years of service to his alma mater.
Dillon's impact on Stonehill will live well past his retirement, having helped shape the modern College that exists and continues to transform into every day. He has played a vital role for athletics, as under his guidance, the College raised funds for the construction of W.B. Mason Stadium and the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex, including its recent redevelopment and expansion, among the ten major buildings that have been built or renovated on campus during his tenure.
When Dillon began his Advancement career in 1984, the College had 36 endowed scholarships, a total which has grown to 240 endowed scholarships available to Stonehill students, many of which are available to our student-athletes, including the Coughlin Memorial Scholarship that benefits club and varsity student-athletes.
Stonehill presented Dillon with its Moreau Medallion in 1999, during its golden anniversary, an award given to 50 individuals who contributed significantly to the College's growth and development in its first half century. In 2002, the College's Alumni Council established the Linda A. and Francis X. Dillon Scholarship, which benefits academically qualified students with demonstrated financial need, in recognition of the couple's combined years of dedicated service to Stonehill.
Beyond the College, Dillon is a leader in community affairs, chairing the Board of Trustees of the Metro South Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton. He has also served on the boards of the Cardinal Spellman High School, the Children's Museum in Easton, Caritas Christi in Boston, United Way of Greater Plymouth County, and Mutual Bank in Whitman.
Jessica Batcha '99 was presented for induction to the Hall of Fame by recent volleyball alum Marykay Nasby '18. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Jessica Batcha, Class of 1999 (Volleyball)
Video of Jessica Batcha's Induction & Acceptance
Jessica Batcha, a 1999 graduate of Stonehill College, is one of the best front-line players in the history of the volleyball program.
Batcha, a Trumbull, Connecticut, native who attended Trumbull High School, was a dominant middle blocker for Stonehill, compiling 1,251 kills and 509 blocks, including 281 blocks solo, over her four-year career, all of which still stand as program records today. She also ranks third in program history with 436 career sets played and fourth with 228 career block assists.
Batcha is a three-time All-Northeast-10 Conference performer, earning first team honors as a sophomore when she totaled a program-record 423 kills and 176 blocks, including a record 109 block assists. Her 67 solo blocks in 1996 rank fourth all-time and she holds four of the top ten solo block totals in program history, including a record 114 in 1996. In addition to her program-record number of kills as a sophomore, her 324 in 1997 ranks eighth all-time.
Stonehill posted a pair of 20-win seasons over Batcha's career, reaching the NE10 Tournament twice, including her sophomore season with a 7-2 NE10 record to finish second in the Conference standings, posting a 27-8 overall record.
Dana DeIngenis '07 is presented for induction to the Hall of Fame by current cross country and track & field senior Makenzie Cyr (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Dana DeIngenis, Class of 2007 (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
Video of Dana DeIngenis Induction & Acceptance
Dana DeIngenis, a 2007 graduate of Stonehill, was an All-America performer in outdoor track & field, who shined for the cross country and indoor track & field programs.
DeIngenis, a Cranston, Rhode Island, native that attended St. Mary's Academy-Bay View, earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish in the 1500-meter run at the 2006 NCAA Championships (4:47.15). She was a seven-time NCAA Championships participant overall, posting a 49th place finish at the 2006 NCAA Cross Country Championships and ran the indoor mile (9th/4:55.80) at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships.
DeIngenis helped lead the cross country program to three Northeast-10 Conference and NCAA Division II East Region Championships over her career and was part of the 2003 team that posted a program-best tenth place finish. She was a four-time All-NE10 and All-East Region runner, placing third at the 2006 East Regional and NE10 Championship, while posting top ten finishes at the NE10 meet three-times in all.
DeIngenis is a two-time NE10 champion and five-time All-NE10 performer in track & field, winning the 1000-meter run at the 2006 NE10 Indoor Championships (3:04.15) and as a member of the 4x800-meter relay in 2005. Stonehill posted a second-place team finish at the 2007 NE10 Indoor Championships.
DeIngenis performed in the classroom as well, earning a spot on the NE10 Academic All-Conference team for cross country her senior year.
Daniella Granato '08 was presented for induction by current women's tennis freshman Emma Markaryan (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Daniella Granato, Class of 2008 (Women's Tennis)
Video of Daniella Granato Induction & Acceptance
Daniella Granato, a 2008 graduate of Stonehill College, was an All-Northeast-10 Conference performer multiple times for the women's tennis program.
Granato, a Concord, Massachusetts, native that attended Concord-Carlisle High School, was a six-time All-NE10 honoree for Stonehill, helping lead the program to the 2006 NE10 regular season championship - its first in 14 years, and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006. She earned first team All-NE10 honors for both singles and doubles as a freshman and sophomore, while also earning second team honors at No. 1 doubles and first team honors at No. 2 singles her senior year.
Granato won over 100 matches in her Stonehill career, finishing a combined 108-36 in singles and doubles play, including 78-23 in NE10 matches. She finished her career with a 53-16 career singles record, including 38-10 in the NE10, posting an 18-2 record at No. 2 singles her senior year and winning all 12 of her NE10 matches. Granato held a 13-0 singles record as a freshman (12-0 NE10) and 17-1 her sophomore year (12-0 NE10).
Granato posted a 55-20 career doubles record, including 40-13 in NE10 play, winning 23 of her first 24 NE10 doubles matches her first two collegiate seasons, while also finishing with a 10-2 NE10 doubles record her senior year with partner, Samantha Dircks.
Mike McLucas '95 was presented for induction by current senior Vandy Hall (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Mike McLucas, Class of 1995 (Football)
Video of Michael McLucas Induction & Acceptance
Mike McLucas, a 1995 graduate of Stonehill College, is one of top running backs in program history.
McLucas, a native of Everett, Massachusetts, that attended Everett High School, is the first Stonehill football player to earn the New England Football Writers Gold Helmet Award in program history following his school-record 250 yards, three touchdown rushing performance against Nichols in 1994, a record that still stands to this day. Stonehill posted a 24-12-1 record over his four-year career as a starting running back, including a 7-2 record as a junior and finishing 6-2-1 his sophomore year.
McLucas is one of five in Stonehill history to rush for over 2,000 yards in his career, finishing with 2,160 yards - a total that still ranks fourth all-time. His 521 career rush attempts still rank third all-time, while his 15 touchdown carries are good for fifth all-time. McLucas compiled 2,925 all-purpose yards in his career and 18 total touchdowns, which rank eighth and ninth all-time, respectively.
McLucas, who earned All-League honors, finished his career by rushing for 921 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior, both totals still stand fourth on Stonehill's all-time single-season lists.
Erin Vrysen '00 was presented for induction by current women's sophomore Ellie Fried (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Erin Vrysen, Class of 2000 (Women's Soccer)
Video of Erin Vrysen Induction & Acceptance
Erin Vrysen, a 2000 graduate of Stonehill College, is regarded by her coach Jose Gomes as the "best defender I coached and a great two-way player."
Vrysen, a native of Wrentham, Massachusetts, that attended King Philip Regional High School, started all 78 games of her Stonehill career as a member of the defensive unit for coach Gomes, serving as team captain her junior and senior years. She helped Stonehill post a 45-26-7 record over her four years, winning the Northeast-10 regular season championship her senior year as the team posted a 17-4 record overall, which included a 2-1 win over then No. 1-ranked Franklin Pierce, finishing 8-1 in the NE10.
Vrysen was a two-time NSCAA All-East Region honoree, earning first team accolades as a senior when she led a Stonehill defense that yielded just 16 goals in 21 matches - the fourth-lowest single-season total in program history. She was also a two-time All-Northeast-10 Conference honoree, with first team accolades her senior season when she also participated in the NEWISA Senior Bowl.
Vrysen chipped in on the offensive end with six goals and 11 assists over her career, including four goals and five assists as a senior. The team earned a spot in the NE10 tournament three times, reaching the semifinal round as a freshman and senior. Stonehill would also compete in the ECAC Division II Tournament to conclude her senior season.
With 21 intercollegiate sports, Stonehill boasts one of the top athletic and academic programs in the country. Stonehill has finished in the top three of the Northeast-10 Conference Presidents' Cup standings for overall athletic performance 14 straight years, following a third place finish in 2017-18. The Skyhawks have received the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement each of the first seven years of the program's existence of honoring institutions with an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90-percent or better. Stonehill has earned a 97% Academic Success Ranking (ASR) by the NCAA, which considers the academic success rate of the institution based on the graduation rate of student-athletes, good for fourth among all NCAA Division II institutions, with ten Skyhawk teams receiving a perfect rating of 100%. In addition, the Skyhawks are ranked third in the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) Power Rankings for Division II used to assess the academic and athletic standards of all NCAA and NAIA athletic programs.
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2018 Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame Photo Gallery
