The 2024 Stony Brook Athletics Rita & Kurt Eppenstein Hall of Fame class will induct five new members to it's hallowed halls this fall.
The 2024 Hall of Fame class is made up of of baseball player Pat Cantwell, a 2012 graduate, John Espey, the Men's Lacrosse Head Coach & Administrator, Bria Green a 2015 graduate and Softball standout, Corinne Leake who graduated in 2004 and excelled ay Women's Track & Field, and Dorrien Van Dyke from the 2017 class, who was a Women's Lacrosse star.
"Each member of the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 created their own enduring legacy marked by elite leadership and tremendous athletic achievement. This is an extremely deserving group whose collective contributions to our program can't be overstated," said Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron.
Cantwell played all four years as a member of the baseball team and helped the Seawolves shock the world in 2012 as they made a magical run to the College World Series. The catcher becomes a two-time Stony Brook Hall of Famer, as he along with the entire 2012 baseball team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022. Over his four-year collegiate career, the catcher hit .314, with seven home runs, 109 runs batted in, and 173 runs scored in 215 games. Following his senior season, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the MLB Draft. Cantwell ranks third in program history in games played, sixth in at-bats, fifth in hits, and second in runs scored. He was named to the All-America East First Team twice, Second Team once, and All-Rookie Team as a freshman. Cantwell helped lead the Seawolves to two America East Championships (2010 & 2012). He currently serves as a bullpen catcher for the Texas Rangers and is reunited with former Stony Brook teammate and fellow SBU Hall of Famer Travis Jankowski. Cantwell and Jankowski were members of the Texas Rangers organization when the club won the 2023 World Series.
Coach Espey was the men's lacrosse head coach from 1988-2004 and ushered the Seawolves into the Division I era. Espey finished with 116 wins and guided the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I member in 2002 after winning the America East Championship. He coached the University's first-ever Division I All-American, attackman Kevin Pall, after the 2002 season. Espey helped the Seawolves capture their first two wins over ranked opponents, defeating No. 17 Hartford in 1997 and No. 16 UMBC in 2001. While serving as head coach, he represented the University as a member of the NCAA Division I Championship Committee and President of the America East Lacrosse Coaches Association. In addition to his coaching duties, Espey has been an Associate Professor of Physical Education at Stony Brook. Following his time as head coach, he has served the Athletics Department as the Assistant Director of Facilities.
Green had a stellar three-year career at Stony Brook, helping lead the Seawolves to the 2013 America East Championship title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She became the program's first-ever America East Player of the Year in 2015 after hitting a program record 19 home runs and driving in a then program record 52 runs. Over the course of three seasons at Stony Brook, Green hit .362 (173-478), with 42 home runs, 131 RBI, and 96 runs scored. She still holds the program single-season home runs record with 19 and is tied for third on the Stony Brook all-time home runs list with 42. Green was tabbed to the All-America East First Team in 2015 and was twice selected to the All-America East Second Team (2013 & 2014). Before her time at Stony Brook, she spent her freshman year at Delaware State where she hit .349 in 42 games and was named to the All-MEAC Second Team.
Leake was a four-year member of the cross country/track & field program and helped the Seawolves make their mark in their early Division I years. Leake is credited with laying the foundation of success in the women's track & field program and her individual accolades speak for themselves. She was a two-time America East Champion in the 500m and set the conference record in the event in 2002. She was also a member of the only women's 4x400m relay team to capture a conference championship to date. Leake held the 500m record at Stony Brook for 18 years. She was named to the All-America East Team in indoor track & field three times (2002, 2003, 2004) and was once named to the All-Conference Team in outdoor competition (2003). Leake graduated from Stony Brook with a BS in Health Science, with a concentration in Emergency Medical Response. She currently works at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as an Executive Assistant.
Van Dyke is one of the most decorated players to ever wear a Stony Brook uniform. The midfielder started all 84 games in her career and led the Seawolves to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, including their first-ever appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017. Over her career, she had 268 points, 197 goals, 71 assists, 179 draw controls, and 112 ground balls. Van Dyke was named a Tewaaraton Award Nominee and was selected as an IWLCA All-American in 2017. She was tabbed to the All-America East First Team in each of her four years of college and was the 2014 America East Rookie of the Year. Van Dyke ranks top 10 in program history in goals, assists, points, and draw controls. The midfielder set the program NCAA Tournament single-game record for most goals with seven against Bryant in the 2017 first round. Following her playing career, Van Dyke began coaching and has served as an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins since 2023. She has also made coaching stops at Arizona State, James Madison, and Monmouth.
The 2024 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 26, in the Island Federal Arena Lobby/Nasti Hall. The reception begins at 11 a.m., with the induction ceremony to follow at noon.