STANDISH, ME - The 10th class of the Saint Joseph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame was enshrined with a ceremony at the Mercy Dining Hall on the evening of Saturday, November 10th.
Former women’s basketball standout Karen Sandora Fenderson ’89, softball legend Lisa Pichaske ’98, longtime baseball Head Coach Jim Graffam and the 1986-87 Men’s Basketball team comprise the 10th group of outstanding individuals to be inducted into the SJC Athletics Hall of Fame.
Sandora, a native of Portland, Maine, was a four-year starting point guard for the SJC women’s basketball team. A two-time All-Conference honoree, Sandora registered 1,138 points, 620 assists, 284 rebounds and 261 steals during her career and currently ranks as the Monks’ all-time leader in both assists and assists per game (5.7).
Pichaske, who hails from Assonet, Massachusetts, was a four-year starter for the Monks’ softball team. The two-time All-Conference selection batted .369 (187-507) with 134 runs, 52 doubles, 13 triples, four home runs and 132 RBI during her career and currently sits atop the St. Joe’s softball career leaderboard in doubles and games played (170).
Jim Graffam helped build the Saint Joseph’s College baseball program into a consistent winner during his eight seasons as the Monks’ head coach. He amassed a 160-117 (.578) record and led the Royal Blue to four NAIA New England Championships and coached four All-America players during his tenure.
The 1986-87 men’s basketball team, the second full team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, went 26-6 and captured Western Maine Athletic Conference and NAIA New England championships en route to gaining the program’s first NAIA National Tournament berth. The Monks faced off against Biola University (CA) and defeated the Eagles, ranked third nationally at the time, by a 78-66 margin to earn the first National Tournament victory in the history of Saint Joseph’s College Athletics.
The list of accomplished athletes, teams, coaches, administrators and philanthropists grows to 63 with the addition of the 2012 honorees. The complete list of inductees can be found at http://gomonks.com/information/halloffame/master/roster.
Founded in 2000, the Saint Joseph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame honors past athletes, faculty, staff and friends who, through their actions, have brought distinction through athletics to themselves and to Saint Joseph’s College. With the combination of the committee and members who have associations with the college and/or athletics department, the Saint Joseph’s College Hall of Fame has continued to make strides toward the future while honoring the past.