BY MINDY PIERCE &
BY JESSICA PALL
Lions’ Pride Staff Writer
Lions’ Pride Assistant Sports Editor

It took a fancy meal of prime rib and a roomful of guests and family to induct three very important Saint Leo former athletes and alumni into the Hall of Fame on Thursday, March 26th.
These three athletes, Sean O’Connor (’83), Ricky Dale (’84), and Stephanie Harris (’00), all exemplified Saint Leo’s elite athletic characteristics that awarded them membership into the Hall of Fame for 2009.

In his opening statements, Dr. Kirk stated that with this induction we celebrate more than athletic accomplishments but further a celebration of the university’s values. O’Connor, Dale, and Harris demonstrated responsible stewardship, excellence, integrity, community involvement, and a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

The first candidate being honored, Sean O’Connor was a baseball player for the former Monarchs of Saint Leo College. Some of his achievements worth mentioning include his position as starting pitcher his freshman and sophomore years, his status as second in career appearances at Saint Leo with 63, and sixth in career saves with seven. Later O’Connor had the opportunity to be the pitching and head coaches for numerous colleges, such as: Framingham State College, Brown University, Bryant College, Assumption College, and Providence College. As he was awarded his title as a Hall of Fame member, O’Connor remembers his days when he was a student at Saint Leo.

“When you’re here, it’s one of the most comfortable places in the world” claims O’Connor. “Going to school here was the best four years of my life”.

Sean showed both a great sense of humor and love for baseball during his acceptance speech. Jokingly, when reminiscing about his time here, he stated that he wasn’t even sure if the school had a library. On a more serious note, he ended his speech with talking about visiting the baseball fields.
“I could sit on that baseball field 10 hours a day”, Sean claimed.

The second candidate being honored at the ceremony was tennis player Stephanie Harris. Achieving many accomplishments during her time at Saint Leo, she was ranked number one of both the singles and doubles as a monarch her freshman year before she became a lion her remaining three years. During her acceptance speech, Stephanie told the audience that Coach Crosby is 100% responsible for her being there as he recruited her with a broken foot. She claimed how very grateful she is that Crosby gave her a chance to play intercollegiate tennis. Like Sean, Stephanie also nostalgically recalls of the sense of belonging she felt as soon as she stepped onto campus.

“It just felt right” Stephanie claimed. “The people here is what was so great.”

Previous Baseball coach, Ernie Chaplain introduced Ricky Dale, the third inductee of the night. Chaplain told the audience that “Dale was a very special individual and special player who played on a special team.”

Interestingly, Dale was on the baseball team at the same time as fellow inductee and friend, Sean O’Connor. A transfer student, Dale never guessed he would be going to go to Saint Leo. However, after looking at the school from suggestion of a friend, by the time he drove back home to Gainesville, Dale decided to attend Leo and play starting center fielder.

“I made up my mind and I never regret it” Dale told the room of people.

During his acceptance speech, audience members could see his love for the sport. In fact, he told the audience about his last college appearance as a senior. During this game, Dale got a hit but ended up on second base. Unfortunately, the other team got three outs before he was able to make it to home plate. Knowing that this was his last college game, Dale said that he sat at second base and cried for two hours.

Overall, the night was a success. These former three athletes deserved their induction as they brought distinction, honor, and excellence to Saint Leo’s athletic history. To nominate former athletes for the Class of 2010, one must contact Saint Leo University Hall of Fame Committee Chair Walt Riddle.