ERIE, Pa. – Mercyhurst College will enshrine five individuals and one team into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 4, 2011. Slated for induction is John Leisering (administrator), Stacie Bortz '98 (softball/women's soccer), Justin Shouse '04 (men's basketball), Kevin Sweeney '96 (baseball), Cheryl Tomczak '92 (women's basketball) and the 2004 NCAA National Championship women's rowing team.

The 15th annual Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony also will celebrate the reunion of the men's basketball, women's basketball, softball, baseball, men's rowing and women's rowing programs.

“The Mercyhurst family looks forward to welcoming these exceptional men and women into the Athletics Hall of Fame,” said director of athletics Joe Kimball. “Their efforts on the field and in the classroom have made these individuals a perfect fit for this prestigious honor.”

Reservations for the Mercyhurst College Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony will be accepted on-line at: http://alumni.mercyhurst.edu/hof
 
Cost for the event is $30 per guest. Questions about the event should be directed to Ryan Palm, assistant director of alumni relations & annual giving, at rpalm@mercyhurst.edu or 814.824.3320.

Class of 2011 Inductees:

John Leisering, administrator
Leisering has worn many hats in a career that has spanned over 30 years at Mercyhurst College. A fixture on the hill since his arrival as a student, the Punxsutawney native joined Mercyhurst after a career in the Air Force, graduating in 1981 and remaining until his retirement in 2009. Though no longer an official employee, Leisering and his family still remain a faithful part of the Mercyhurst family by spending countless volunteer hours with the men's and women's ice hockey programs. A true fan of the College and its athletics teams, Leisering can also be found on any day of the week at any Laker event, supporting his beloved student-athletes and coaches.

As the director of athletics from 1986 through 1989, Leisering's efforts elevated the men's ice hockey program to varsity status, along with the men's and women's soccer programs. After his stint as director of athletics, he then took on the role of educator where he served as the director of the College's radio station and was an instructor in the communication department until 1997. Leisering also spent time as Mercyhurst's sports information director and as the director of hockey operations, retiring from Mercyhurst and that post at the end of the 2008-09 academic year.

Stacie Bortz, softball/women's soccer (1994-98)
A two-sport standout for the Lakers, Bortz enjoyed a successful career as a middle infielder and goalkeeper. On the diamond, Bortz was named to the 1998 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention squad and nominated for the ECAC Player of the Year Award after posting a .348 batting average. Her squad advanced to the Great Lakers Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament in each year. On the pitch, Bortz earned first-team all-conference honors on three occasions and earned a spot on the NSCAA All-Region First Team. She still ranks in the top 10 of several career categories, including career saves, saves per game and goals against average. Additionally, Bortz helped guide her teams to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and 1995.

Justin Shouse, men's basketball (2000-04)
The Erie native started every game he played in during his four-year career, stepping onto the floor in the starting lineup 108 times. He averaged 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.4 steals in his tenure, finishing in the top five of conference leaders for steals and assists each season.

Shouse currently ranks first all-time at Mercyhurst in steals (259), second in assists (538), fifth in scoring (1,408) and eighth in 3-pointers made (131). A defensive force and unselfish player, Shouse landed a spot on the All-GLIAC Defensive Team three times while leading the team in steals and assists all four years. He earned all-conference honors on three occasions, taking home a first-team All-GLIAC nod in his senior year.

As a rookie, Shouse was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year when he helped the Lakers to a 17-10 overall record, an eight-game improvement from their previous year, and their first GLIAC playoff appearance in two years. He also led the Lakers to a GLIAC Tournament appearance in his final season.

After graduation, Shouse has played professionally in Europe since 2004. He began his professional career in Germany and has since been on the roster of several teams in Iceland.

Kevin Sweeney, baseball (1993-96)
A three-year starter for the Lakers, Sweeney was drafted in the 29th round (875th overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his stint in professional baseball, Sweeney was named the Arizona Diamondbacks Organizational Player of the Year and was selected as a short-season all-star by Baseball America / Topps Card Company. He played for the Lethbridge Black Diamonds in the Pioneer League (rookie level) where he posted league-bests in batting average (.424), runs scored (72), on-base percentage (.552), slugging percentage (.734) and RBI (72) en route to earning the Most Valuable Player award.

He would play for two more seasons after suffering an injury in the spring of 1997, competing in the Class A Midwest League in 1997 and the Class A-Advanced League in 1998. All told, his professional baseball marks include a .307 batting average (236-for-768), a .502 slugging percentage (60 doubles, 5 triples and 27 home runs), 167 runs scored, 147 RBI and 158 walks.

Sweeney was the first Laker to play in the prestigious Cape Cod League, spending two seasons in the elite wooden-bat league. He holds the Mercyhurst career mark for batting average (.417) while ranking fourth in runs scored (151) and eighth in home runs (15). He also holds the program's best single-season mark for batting average at .467, posting the nation's second-highest figure in 1995.

In his career at Mercyhurst, he helped guide the Lakers to a record of 127-37, a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship (1996) and three consecutive NCAA regional appearances (1994-96). He earned all-conference and all-region honors on three occasions (1994-96) and was named a second-team All-American (1995).

Cheryl Tomczak, women's basketball (1988-92)
Tomczak started 49 contests for the Lakers and played in 102 career contests. She helped her team compile a four-year total of 64-41, including the program's first-ever 20-win season in 1988-89 when the Lakers went 21-8. That same season, Mercyhurst secured its first-ever postseason appearance and victory with a win over Kutztown in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament after earning a spot in the conference tournament.

After earning All-America status as a rookie, Tomczak helped lead the Lakers back to the postseason as a sophomore with another conference tournament and ECAC berth in 1989-90. In her junior campaign, Tomczak guided the Lakers to their third-straight conference tournament and was named to the all-conference team for the second-straight year after earning a spot on the all-rookie team. She was also a finalist for the GTE Academic All-America team in her junior season.

Currently, Tomczak ranks as the season record holder in 3-point attempts (259) and 3-pointers made (91). In career records, Tomczak holds the mark for 3-point attempts (776) and 3-pointers made (238) while ranking seventh in scoring (1,350) and field goals made (473).

2004 Women's Rowing NCAA II National Championship Team
To date, the 2004 women's rowing squad is the only team at Mercyhurst to capture an NCAA championship with its title at the Division II Rowing Championships in Sacramento, Calif. on May 28 – 30. Racing against perennial powers such as Western Washington and Humboldt State, the varsity eight captured gold while the varsity four battled through the repechage round to take silver in the grand final.

Head coach Adrian Spracklen was named Coach of the Year for his efforts leading a team that consisted of: Naomi Petendra, Kerri Kanaley, Courtney Oke, Chelsea Boothe, Meghan Bryant, Megan Holloway, Kristin Best, Kristen Ficorilli, Jill Natale, Lillian Gehres, Maria Furno, Lisa McAllister, Katie Hamilton, Rachel Ely, Theresa Miller-Sporrer, Anne Dinshas (assistant coach), Mary Ann Love (athletic trainer), John Rush (boatman).