The Lake Forest College Athletic Hall of Fame added four members on Saturday as part of the College's annual Homecoming festivities. This year's induction class included players from three different sports as well as a 14-year coach at the College.
Sarah Frantz Lenihan came to Lake Forest in 1997 from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. As a freshman, she set a school record for assists in a match and helped lead the volleyball team to the program’s first Midwest Conference championship. The Foresters claimed league titles again her junior and senior seasons and she was named MWC Player of the Year and the team’s Most Valuable Player following each campaign. Sarah led Lake Forest in assists and aces each of her four seasons and graduated as the program’s career leader in both categories. The Foresters were 76-35 during her career and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament her junior year.
Rob Samuels, a native of Zion, Illinois, came to Lake Forest College in 1992 and became one of the most productive players in Forester men’s soccer history. He was a four-time All-Midwest Conference North Division selection and helped Lake Forest capture conference championships his freshman and senior seasons. Rob was among the team’s scoring leaders each of his four years and finished his career ranked second in program history with 108 points and 43 goals and fifth with 22 assists. Lake Forest was 53-12-2 overall with a 34-5-1 record in league play during his four seasons and he helped lead the 1995 team to a program-best 17-1 record.
Cullom, Illinois, native Alison Grubbs Buckley came to the College in 1997. The basketball player was named first team all-conference four times, MWC Player of the Year and the team’s MVP three times, and All-American after each of her four seasons, including a first team selection as a senior. The 2001 recipient of the prestigious Josten’s Trophy was the Foresters’ leading scorer each of her four seasons and led the nation in free throw percentage and three-point shooting during her career. She was part of four 20-win teams and Lake Forest claimed league titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament her junior and senior seasons. The second-leading scorer in team history still holds 11 program records and in 2008 was named to the D3hoops.com All-Decade Team.
Beth Pier was the head coach of the Forester volleyball team from 1994 to 2007. Coach Pier’s teams won nearly 62 percent of their matches during her 14 seasons. She directed the Foresters to the program’s first Midwest Conference championship in 1997, to three consecutive league titles from 1999 to 2001, and to a fifth championship in 2003. Her 2000 squad went 23-6 and still owns the highest winning percentage in program history. Coach Pier finished with a career record of 252-157 and five MWC Coach of the Year awards. Her players earned 45 all-conference honors and four MWC Player of the Year awards. She was also an assistant women’s basketball coach at the College for six years and helped the 1999-2000 team claim a conference title.
The induction ceremony took place Saturday morning in the Mohr Student Center. The inductees were also featured in the annual Homecoming Parade and honored at halftime of the Forester football game that afternoon.
The inductees received a plaque which includes a photo and their hall of fame bio. An identical plaque hangs in the Hall of Fame, which is located just outside the Tiernan Trophy Room in the back of the Lake Forest College Sports & Recreation Center. After Saturday there will be 220 individuals and one team in the Hall of Fame, which started inducting members in 1974.