CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On Saturday, October 19, 2024, the Lesley University Athletics Department inducted its first-ever Hall of Fame Class that featured seven honorees. In the 2024 class, there are four former student-athletes (Francis 'Fran' Cusick'09 - Men's Cross Country, Jodi [Fralick] Kenton'09 - Women's Soccer, Basketball, and Softball, John Sanchez'12 - Men's Basketball, and Molly Sarson'13 (posthumous) - Softball), one administrator (Stanley Vieira-athletic director), one coach (Jennifer [Benway] Viana - Softball/Athletic Director), and one team (2011 softball team).
Lesley Athletic Director Dan Campagna had nothing but high praise for the first hall-of-fame class. "The Lesley Athletic Department was elated to launch its' Hall of Fame this fall, and I loved having the opportunity to connect with the inductees and their families on Saturday evening," said Campagna. "Learning more about the inaugural class and how deserving everyone is of this honor was such a rewarding exercise, and I'm grateful that we had the full support of the University in this incredible initiative.
Stanley Vieira, Athletic Director
During his 15 years at Lesley University, Vieira played an instrumental part in shaping Lesley University athletics into what it is today. Thanks to his tireless and excellent work ethic, Vieira played a crucial role in Lesley's athletics transition from an all-women school to a co-ed institution. In 2004, the school decided to become co-ed, meaning that the university jumped from having just five teams to 14, and he needed to fill roles fast. Thanks to his great personality and ability to show others that he is always willing to help, Vieira filled out new coaching staffs in the Lynx's first year of going co-ed. The Lynx earned ten conference championships with part-time coaches while he served as the Athletic Director.
Despite having his workload doubled, he always did everything with a smile on his face. Whether hiring coaches, assisting in organizing transportation, or ordering uniforms, Vieira was a big advocate for the student-athletes and did whatever he could to ensure their success.
Vieira earned his Master's in Sports and Society in 2003 and his Doctorate in Sports Management from Coimbra University in Portugal. Vieira resides in Melrose, Mass.
Jennifer [Benway] Viana, Softball Head Coach/Athletic Director
Coach Jen [Benway] Viana was a true icon of Lesley University softball. In her 17 seasons, she put together an illustrious career, accumulating a program-best 290 wins and posting an incredible 121-17 regular season record in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). Viana also finished with a program-high .503 winning percentage.
She led her teams to seven straight conference titles, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and two ECAC Tournament appearances.
Under her guidance, the Lynx won 20 or more games in 11 of her 17 seasons and had five years from 2008 through 2012 when they won 26 or more each season. Viana had coached 55 All-Conference student-athletes since 2000, and 14 were honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. In 2012, the Lynx were among the best offensive teams in the NCAA and led the country with a .390 team batting average. Viana was also named NECC Coach of the Year in 2011.
In addition to her coaching duties, she was the athletic director of Lesley University from 2011 until 2018.
Viana earned her Master's in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2003 and resides in Ashburnham, Mass.
Francis 'Fran' Cusick '09, Men's Cross Country
Cusick was part of the men's cross country team from 2007-2009 and earned numerous accolades as a member of the Lynx, including being named captain of the first-ever men's conference championship team at Lesley in 2009. The same year Lesley won the conference championship, Cusick was named the NECC Conference Runner of the Year.
Throughout his time with the Lynx, Cusick was an All-Conference honoree in the NAC (2007) and NECC (2008-09). After his career with Lesley, Cusick coached high school cross-country and track and field at Tewksbury High School. During his tenure with Tewksbury, Cusick helped turn the girls' track and field team into one of the most successful programs in New England. The girls' outdoor track team won the 2016 Massachusetts State Championship, the first All-State Championship in the school's history. In 2017, the girls finished second, and Cusick was named 2017 Boston Globe Coach of the Year.
Cusick also played on the Lesley men's basketball team from 2005-2008, playing 50 career games. He scored a career-high 10 points twice in the 2006-07 season, once against Westfield State (Dec. 12, 2006) and the other in a contest at Coast Guard (Jan. 4, 2007).
Cusick earned his Bachelor's Degree from Lesley in 2009 and resides in Burlington, Mass.
Jodi [Fralick] Kenton '09, Women's Soccer, Basketball, and Softball
Kenton was a three-sport student-athlete with the Lynx, playing women's soccer, basketball, and softball. She was most notably known for her time on the pitch, finishing with a program-best 230 points (103 goals/24 assists). In her 2008 season, Kenton broke the school's scoring record with her 45th goal, netting a hat trick in a 5-0 win over Lancaster Bible College. In her final season, she netted her 100th career goal, a feat accomplished by only 14 other NCAA Division III women's soccer student-athletes at the time.
In her career, Kenton was a two-time All-Conference nominee (all first team), an ECAC First Team All-New England honoree, a NEWISA Senior Bowl selection, and was the NAC Rookie of the Year. She currently holds numerous career records, including goals (103), points (230), shots (508), and game-winning goals (27).
As a team, Lesley went 32-22-5 overall and 15-1 in NECC play. The Lynx won the NECC in the 2009 season and made the ECAC Tournament the same year.
On the court, Kenton was a solid contributor for the Lynx as she finished with 425 points (4.4 ppg), 364 rebounds (3.8 rpg), and 186 steals (1.9 spg). Like the women's soccer record book, you can also find Kenton's name in the women's basketball record book as she tied the program-high for steals in a game with eight on Feb. 17, 2007.
During her tenure with the Lynx, Kenton helped the program win 52 games and go 37-27 in conference play between the NAC and NECC. Lesley won back-to-back NECC Conference Championships in her junior and senior seasons, going a combined 28-4 in NECC action. Both seasons also saw Lesley tie a program-high in wins with 17.
Just like her other two sports, Kenton also dominated the softball field. In 152 games, she posted a .459 batting average, belted nine home runs, drove in 151 runs, and swiped a program-best 82 bases. Her best year on the base path came in her senior year, where she swiped 43 bags in 47 attempts at a rate of 1.1 stolen bases per game, deemed the highest in the NCAA. She was also a menace behind the plate, as she caught a program-high 37 runners stealing for her career.
Kenton was also recognized for multiple awards in her softball career, including three All-Conference awards (two first team, one second team), National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), and the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) All-Region Team honoree, and NAC Rookie of the Year.
In her four years with the softball program, Kenton helped the Lynx go 100-52 and 54-11 in conference play (47-5 in NECC and 7-7 in NAC). She also saw three NECC Conference championships in her last three seasons and an ECAC Tournament berth in her senior year.
Kenton earned her Bachelor's in 2010, majoring in Mathematics and secondary education, and currently resides in Woburn, Mass.
John Sanchez'12, Men's Basketball
In Lesley's men's basketball program history, Sanchez could be considered one of the quickest and most electrifying student-athletes. He was named to the All-NECC team three times, including the first team as a junior and senior. He was also a preseason All-American pick and the preseason NECC player of the year choice by D-III News. Sanchez graduated with several team records, including the most assists and free throws made in a game, season, and career and the most steals in a career. In his 77 games played, Sanchez tallied 1,108 points (15.3 ppg), 379 assists (4.9 apg), and 162 steals (2.1 spg). Sanchez is just one of two Lynx to register 1,000 or more points for their career. He was also named the Lesley 2012 Senior Student Athlete of the Year.
After he graduated from Lesley, Sanchez played five seasons of professional basketball in two Mexican leagues, including the country's top pro league. The point guard was also chosen to play in four all-star games.
In his three years with Lesley, Sanchez guided the Lynx to 26 wins and 17 NECC wins. He also helped the squad reach the NECC semi-finals in the 2009-10 season.
Sanchez graduated from Lesley in 2012 with a Bachelor's in Environmental Science and resides in Clinton, N.Y.
Molly Sarson' 13 (posthumous)
Sarson was a four-year Lesley University softball teammate from 2009-13 and was an all-around solid student-athlete. In her 156 games played with the Lynx, she finished with a career .336 batting average, 148 hits, and 84 RBIs. She was also recognized as a NECC All-Conference Second Team honoree in her senior season. She was also a tough out at the plate, only striking out 26 times in 440 at-bats.
In her four years with Lesley, the team finished with a 107-52 overall record and went an impressive 66-2 in NECC play, including undefeated conference play in 2011 and 2012. Each year, Sarson and the Lynx also appeared in the ECAC New England Regional and NCAA Division III Regional tournaments.
Sarson earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management in 2013.
Unfortunately, on June 1, 2021, Sarson passed away at the age of 29 after she battled the coronavirus. Molly was regarded not only as a great softball player but also as one of the kindest people on campus. "Molly was the most supportive and selfless human on this earth," said her former head coach and fellow hall of fame inductee, Jen [Benway] Viana. "She loved softball and loved our team during our time at Lesley. I would bet money that every single person we played with would have a story about how Molly helped them, supported them, or made them laugh. She was a pillar of all four teams we were a part of. She played every single position except center field during our time there. She played wherever we needed her to, and she played every position well. She played for the team 100% of the time, and it showed."
2011 Lesley University Softball Team
The 2011 softball team was one of the program's top all-time teams. The squad finished 29-8 overall and had a perfect 16-0 record in NECC play. The Lynx's perfect conference record was the first time it had happened in program history, and it was only the third season Lesley softball eclipsed the 25-win plateau.
On the year, Lesley had two win streaks of five or more games, including a program-high 19-game win streak. During that stretch, the Lynx scored a program-record 37 runs in a 37-0 shutout of Southern Vermont College (April 14, 2011).
Under head coach Jen [Benway] Viana, Lesley set single-season records in runs average (8.89), RBIs (280), batting average (.396), on-base percentage (.468), walks (134), ERA (1.73), pitcher strikeouts (257), shutouts (15), and fewest opponent runs (96).
The Lynx featured six NECC honorees, including Pitcher Jenn Dorval, who was named NECC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, and Cassandra Knox, who was named NECC Pitcher of the Year. Joining Dorval and Knox on All-NECC First Team were outfielders Gabrielle Brixey, Alyson Durben, and designated player Emily Mangiaratti. Jenna Fralick was named to All-NECC Second Team.
The 2011 squad coasted through the NECC Tournament, beating Newbury College and then Elms College in the championship game. Throughout the conference tournament, Lesley outscored their opponents 15-2. In their second NCAA Tournament appearance, they battled against Coast Guard and Endicott and ultimately fell to the Gulls 4-2.
The Lesley University Athletics Hall of Fame honors members of Lesley Athletics for outstanding achievement in competition and/or service, dedication, and commitment to LU athletics. Operating under the authority of Lesley University, the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee selects and inducts individuals and teams worthy of recognition while upholding the integrity of the institution and its athletics program.