UPDATED 9/28/12 9:30 AM

STANDISH, ME - The 10th Saint Joseph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame class has been announced. Karen Sandora ’89, Lisa Pichaske ’98, Jim Graffam, and the 1986-87 Men’s Basketball team will be inducted in a ceremony held this November.

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) while her pilfer tally is the third-highest in program history. She helped lead the Monks to three Western Maine Athletic Conference (WMAC) championships and a pair of NAIA National Tournament appearances and Saint Joseph’s posted an outstanding 80-33 (.708) record while she donned the Royal Blue.

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). At the time of her induction Pichaske also ranks second in career at bats (507), RBI and triples and third in walks (72). With Pichaske on the diamond, Saint Joseph’s posted a four-year record of 127-47 (.730) and captured three Maine Athletic Conference titles.

The 1986-87 men’s basketball team, guided by Head Coach Rick Simonds, 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.

Jim Graffam helped build the Saint Joseph’s College baseball program into a consistent winner during his nine seasons as the Monks’ head coach. He amassed a 170-131 (.565) record and led the Royal Blue to four NAIA New England Championships and coached four All-America players during his tenure. He also served as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball program for eight seasons, a span during which the Monks captured six conference titles and one national tournament berth. 

In addition, the athletic department will pay homage to the college's centennial celebration as part of the 2012 hall of fame ceremony. 

The cost to attend ceremony, held on November 10th, is $30 for adults and $10 for children under the age of 12.

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 on the Saint Joseph’s College athletics website, www.gomonks.com.

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.

Saint Joseph’s College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of “Realize the Promise” – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph’s welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph’s offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.