Behrend Announces 2011 Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend will induct eight individuals into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame this fall. Jeremy Brubaker ’00, Mandy Bodnar Leas ’01, Chris Lightner ’02, Michelle Malatesta Martin ’02, Laura Furko Miller ’02, Ashley Orris ’01, Matt Slavonic ’01, and Jennifer O’Lare Trapp ’01 will be inducted into the Hall on Saturday, October 8. The 2001 women’s cross country and the 2002 baseball team will be honored for their 10-year anniversary of winning championships.

Jeremy Brubaker, a native of Dubois, Pa., is a three-time All-AMCC selection that ranks in the top 10 in seven offensive categories. He is third all-time in doubles (39), fifth in triples (11) and stolen bases (53), sixth in hits (172) and home runs (10), and eighth in runs scored (125) and at bats (467). Brubaker also was the recipient of the Herb Lauffer Sportsmanship and Leadership Award in 1999.

Mandy Bodnar Leas, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., was a versatile powerhouse for the softball program.  The four-year starter holds pitching, hitting and defensive records to this day. Bodnor earned AMCC Newcomer of the Year (1998) and AMCC Player of the Year (1999, 2000), while being named Behrend’s Female Athlete of the Year as a senior.

Chris Lightner, a native of Erie, Pa., set the record for all-time goals and points during his three-year career with the men’s soccer team. He was named All-AMCC each season and garnered the conference’s Most Valuable Player award in 2001 for registering Behrend’s most points in a season with 31 (13g, 5a). Lightner was also a two-time team MVP and led the Lions to AMCC titles in 1997 and 1999.

Michelle Malatesta Martin, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., owns the women’s soccer record for career saves, saves in a single season and games played by a goalkeeper. The three-year captain was superior between the pipes for the Lions, earning AMCC Newcomer of the Year (1998) and AMCC Most Valuable Player (2000). Malatesta helped the Lions win three straight conference championships and earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.

Laura Furko Miller, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., became the first Behrend women’s soccer player and freshman to earn AMCC Most Valuable Player in 1998. She went on earn All-AMCC honors the next three years along with team MVP and the Female Scholar-Athlete Award in 2002. Furko set the program record for most goals (34) and career points (85), which currently rank third all-time. 

Ashley Orris, a native of Union City, Pa., was instrumental in the greatest season of the men’s basketball program. The three-year starter and two-time All-AMCC selection helped the Lions post a program-best 26 wins en route to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division III championship tournament. Orris capped his career being named the Behrend Male Athlete of the Year in 2001.

Matt Slavonic, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., left the Behrend as the baseball program’s record holder in career hits (176), games played (151), at-bats (507) and runs scored (141). He also ranked second in career RBIs (96) and doubles (25). He was a four-year starter at second base and a four-time All-AMCC selection, while earning the Herb Lauffer Sportsmanship and Leadership Award in 2001. 

Jennifer O’Lare Trapp, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., was a four-year starter  and three-time All-AMCC choice for the women’s basketball program from 1997-2001. Her dominance in the paint helped the Lions to three regular-season AMCC titles and their first-ever conference championship in 1998-99. O’Lare reached the 1,000-point plateau her senior year, before suffering a season-ending injury. Her 1,043 points ranks eighth on the all-time scoring list.

The women’s cross country team was the first squad to win an AMCC Championship in 2001, earning seven all-conference honors and sweeping the individual awards for Newcomer, Player and Coach of the Year. The 2002 baseball team captured their first-ever ECAC South Region Tournament title, finishing with a 35-8 overall record.

The induction ceremony and dinner will be held at 6 p.m. in the McGarvey Commons of the Reed Union Building on Behrend’s campus. The induction will conclude the Reunion Weekend activities.