WESTFIELD – Westfield State University will induct five individuals into the Westfield State University Athletic Hall of Fame on October 13, and the hall will also recognize two “Teams of Distinction” in the 1950-51 men’s basketball team and the 1974 men’s soccer team.
Women’s basketball standout Kristen (Schmaelzle) Lavelle ’00, men’s soccer forward Andrew Lewis ’02, football running back Shawn Lyman ’02, softball pitcher Leah (Peterson) Holmes ’06 and track and field All-American David Bergeron ’07 comprise the 22nd class to be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
The “Team of Distinction” recognition is the newest honor conveyed by the hall of fame.
“As a committee, we felt it was important to have a mechanism to honor some of the great teams in the history of Westfield State Athletics,” said Dick Lenfest, director of athletics. “The Hall of Fame committee has long honored our standout alumni, and those who are some of our most ardent supporters of Owls’ athletics.”
The 1974 men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Final Four and finished third in the nation. Coached by John Kurty, the team was the first Owls’ team to advance to an NCAA final four and the team’s finish was the highest ever for a Westfield State team. Six players from the 1974 team have been selected for the WSUAHOF as individuals.
The 1950-51 men’s basketball team finished with a record of 15 wins and just 2 losses, a remarkable performance for a team considered to be the first “official” men’s varsity basketball team at the University for which records were kept. Coached by Edward Kosior, the team’s .882 winning percentage has stood as a school record for 67 years – the full history of the Owls program!
Teams of distinction must be a minimum of 20 years removed from the season of merit, and are recognized based on criteria that includes historically significant accomplishments within the scope of the Owls’ athletics program and were conference champions, regional or national qualifiers, produced a record-setting season, or succeeded with extraordinary circumstances.
Former student-athletes selected to the Hall of Fame must have been an Alumnus or Alumna for a minimum of ten years, and are selected based on their achievement in athletics, acquisition of athletic honors before and after graduation, as well as carry over values acquired from participation in the athletic programs offered at Westfield State University.
SHAWN LYMAN
Shawn Lyman
Lyman was an honorable mention All-American in 2001, a historic season in which his football team was an undefeated 10-0 in the regular season and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the first (and only) time in program history. He set single season records with 1,483 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and 84 points scored that season.
DAVID BERGERON
David Bergeron
David Bergeron ’07 was a two-time All-American in the javelin. Bergeron saved his best for the final throw of his collegiate career, launching the javelin a then-school record of 208 feet at the NCAA Division III national outdoor track and field championships to finish second in the nation. Bergeron placed sixth in the nation the previous season among many honors.
KRISTEN LAVELLE
Kristen (Schmaelzle) Lavelle
Kristen (Schmaelzle) Lavelle totaled 1,161 Points and 659 Rebounds for the Owls highly successful women’s basketball program. She set school records for career field goal percentage and single season field goal percentage, and played on three 20-win teams.
ANDREW LEWIS
Andrew Lewis
Lewis was a three-time all-conference midfielder on the Owls strong teams of the late 1990’s. He helped the Owls to one ECAC tournament appearance, and as a senior led the Owls to a conference title and an NCAA tournament appearance. He ranks as one of the top three scorers in the last 30 years at Westfield State.
LEAH PETERSON
Leah (Holmes) Peterson
Leah Holmes Peterson was named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference player of the year in 2005. She was a three-time all-conference selection as a pitcher, compiling 29 wins and 46 complete games, and regularly helping her own cause at the plate, where she was a .319 career hitter as well.
The induction ceremony and dinner will be held at the Scanlon Banquet Hall on the Westfield State campus on Friday, October 13, 2017, with a cocktail hour from 6-7 p.m., followed by the dinner and induction ceremony. Tickets for the dinner are $55 and must be purchased in advance. Full details on how to buy tickets will be posted at WestfieldStateOwls.com later this week. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
