Kean Announces 2023 Benisch Athletics Hall of Fame Class

The Kean University Department of Athletics is proud to announce that four standout athletes and two accomplished teams will be inducted into the Benisch Athletics Hall of Fame this year.

In addition, Kean Athletics announces the inaugural Pat and D’Ann Ippolito Legacy Award. The award is named after Patrick “Pat” Ippolito ’62, ’65 M.A. – a Hall of Fame inductee, former soccer player, NCAA faculty athletics representative and Kean’s longest-serving faculty member – and his late wife D’Ann Ippolito, who was by Pat’s side for 58 happy years. 

The annual award, being presented to five recipients this year, recognizes individuals outside of the athletics department who made substantial and enduring contributions to the department and University.

The induction and award ceremony will take place during Homecoming weekend on Sunday, October 15. Further information about how to reserve tickets for the event will be released in the coming weeks.

Being inducted into the 2023 Benisch Athletics Hall of Fame class are:

Lyndsey Cannon (Women’s Lacrosse – 2010-2013)

Cannon finished her Kean career with her name all over the record book. She still stands as the all-time leader in goals (278), assists (99), points (377), groundballs (242) and draw controls (268).

Her name can also be found in season best totals with 85 goals and 108 points in 2012 and 33 assists in 2013. Cannon was a four-time All-Skyline first team member and a three-time second team IWLCA All-Region member. In addition, she was a two-time All-NJAC first team selection.

On the field, Cannon helped her teams to 39 wins in her career while off the field she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team as well as Chi Alpha Sigma honor society.

Frank Croce (Wrestling – 1989-1991)

Croce won the school’s first-ever national championship of any kind as he claimed the 142 pound title at the 1991 NCAA Division III National Championship. He finished his senior season with a 29-1-3 record, despite battling an injury the entire season.  

Croce won the Metropolitan and New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships and helped the team with a second place finish at Mets and an eighth place finish at nationals in 1991. For his efforts, he was named the Kean D’Angola Male Athlete of the Year his senior season.

Croce finished in sixth place at the NCAA Division III championships in 1990.

His two year record at Kean, after transferring in for his junior season, was 66-5-5.

Darryl Jackson (Football – 2006-2009)

A three-time NJAC all-star, Jackson anchored a Cougar defensive unit that allowed just 916 rushing yards in 2009 to set a new school record for fewest rushing yards allowed during his senior season. A first-team New Jersey Athletic Conference all-star in 2009, Jackson was a three-year starter at nose tackle and played in every game throughout his career. Jackson was picked to play in two senior bowl games as he appeared in the East Coast Bowl and the Tazon Bowl.

Jackson was selected a team captain for the Tazon Bowl after a player vote based on leadership shown during the team practices in Mexico leading up to the bowl game.

Jackson helped Kean to a 28-15 record during his four-year career with two ECAC championships. In that time, he recorded 124 tackles and 8.5 sacks while recovering three fumbles and forcing two, all while playing 42 games.

Emily Sabo (Softball – 2014-2017)

A four-time NJAC first team all-conference selection, Sabo was named a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American in 2017 after leading the Cougars to the NJAC championship, the NCAA Tournament Union Regional title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament Virginia Beach Super Regional. The 2017 NJAC Female Athlete of the Year, NJAC Softball Player of the Year and a 2017 NFCA Top 10 National Player of the Year Finalist, she earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the NCAA Union Regional en route to being named Kean's D'Angola Female Athlete of the Year. 

The 2017 NJAC conference leader in batting average and on-base percentage, Sabo finished as Kean's career leader in batting average (.456), hits (254), triples (15), runs scored (147), walks (74) and stolen bases (77). In addition, she holds the single season records in hits (67-twice) and triples (6) and single game records in walks (4) and stolen bases (4).

Sabo was also named a second team All-American in her sophomore season after batting .469 with 40 runs scored, 67 hits, six triples and 21 stolen bases while starting all 47 games.  

2011 Football Team

The 2011 Kean University football team had its most successful season in program history after winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference title and earning the program's first trip to the NCAA playoffs, while winning a school-record 10 games.

The Cougars, who defeated Montclair State University for the program's third NJAC title, defeated Christopher Newport University in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs, before dropping a heartbreaker in triple overtime to host Salisbury University.

At the conclusion of the 2011 season the Cougars were ranked in two national polls as they finished with a #10 ranking in the D3football.com poll and #12 ranking in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 poll.

At quarterback, four-year starter Thomas D'Ambrisi closed out his career ranked among the program's all-time leaders in every passing category. His 21 touchdown passes set a new single-season record while his 2,137 passing yards are the third most in single-season history.  

Defensively, senior Bekim Bujari led the team with 115 total tackles, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks, while Jamahl Williams finished his four-year career as the program's all-time leader with 18 interceptions. A three-time, first-team all-star at safety, Williams also earned NJAC first-team honors as a kick returner and set new Kean records with 59 kick returns for 1,422 return yards.  

1986 Softball Team

The 1986 softball team produced a then-record 38 wins (38-9) along with a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship. The team posted a number one ranking in the At-Large Region and took home the At-Large Region title.  

Head coach Cyndi Gramlich-Covello was named All Region Coach of the Year in just her second season at the helm of the Kean squad.

In the circle, Hall of Famer (1994 Induction Class) Janice Lemchak recorded a 28-9 record with two saves as a freshman with an ERA just over one and 125 strikeouts. Lemchak also led the team in batting average (.349).  

Hall of Famer Jill Demark (1996 Induction Class) had a team-best 37 runs scored and 18 walks in addition to leading the team in stolen bases and sacrifices.

Sandy Fisher (Hall of Fame 1993 Induction Class) was one of only two seniors on the squad and used her veteran status to power to first team All-American, All-Region and All-NJAC honors. Fisher had a team-best 29 RBI in 1986.

Fellow senior Maureen Flannery led the way with 43 hits and a .323 batting average while earning All-NJAC accolades. 

The inaugural recipients of the Pat and D’Ann Ippolito Legacy Award will be:

• Gwen Cleaves – former clinical education coordinator of athletic training at Kean University
• Tom D’Ambrisi – quarterback, 2011 football team, and restauranteur, The Block, Long Branch, N.J.
• Matt Horton ’05 – basketball operations, Brooklyn Nets
• Patti Martino – executive secretary, Kean Ocean
• Steve Senior ’03 – assistant general manager, Minnesota Timberwolves