Hall Of Fame
Marietta College
Danté Brown ’98 highlights the 2009 Marietta College Athletics Hall of Fame class.
Marietta College announces 26th Athletics Hall of Fame class
Five Pioneers to be inducted on Feb. 7, 2009
Dec. 10, 2008
MARIETTA, Ohio — Five former Pioneer athletes representing four sports from the 1980s and 1990s will be inducted into the Marietta College Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 26th class on Feb. 7.
The ceremony will once again highlight the Winter Weekend festivities.
This year's inductees are men’s soccer standout Doug Lessing ’84, All-American shortstop Monte Duncan ’85, two-time All-American pitcher Brent Frafjord ’94, two-time All-American running back Danté Brown ’98 and two-time All-Region pitcher Sally Friend ’98.
The Hall of Fame Banquet, which takes place Saturday evening in the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center, caps off a busy weekend at Marietta College that includes a track & field meet as well as a men's and women's varsity basketball game. It also features alumni game for men's and women's basketball and volleyball.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the athletics office by calling (740) 376-4665 or by emailing Wendy Thieman at thiemana@marietta.edu.
This year's class raises the Hall of Fame membership to 134. Here is a look at the 2009 inductees:
Doug Lessing
Class of 1984
Soccer
Lessing, a forward from 1980-83, was a four-year letterman on the men’s soccer team. As a sophomore, he finished with 13 goals, won the team’s Most Valuable Player award and earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honorable mention. He went on to garner All-OAC second team honors and All-Ohio recognition in 1982 after scoring 14 goals, which is tied for fourth on the Pioneers’ single-season goals list. As a senior, Lessing capped his career by scoring 16 goals and dishing out eight assists to help Marietta, who finished 9-5-1, establish a new season record for wins. His 16 goals, eight assists and 40 points in 1983 rank second, third and second, respectively. Only fellow Hall of Famer Jamie Malone ’86, who was inducted in 2003, has scored more goals and collected more points than Lessing, who finished his career with 48 goals and 111 points. Off the field, Lessing was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Lessing, a native of New Providence, N.J., earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1984. He is a Regional Operations Manager for EnviroTrac Ltd. in South Planfield, N.J. Lessing and his wife Beth live in Bridgewater, N.J., with their three children, Heather, Sarah and Donald.
Monte Duncan
Class of 1985
Baseball
Duncan, the 1985 Jack Rafeld OAC Player of the Year, donned the pinstripes from 1982-85. The infielder, who earned three varsity letters, was named an All-Region third team selection as a member of the 1983 national championship team. He went on to win All-OAC first team and All-Region third team honors in 1984 when Marietta was the national runner-up. Duncan had a breakout season as a senior in 1985, helping the Pioneers grab another national runner-up finish. He tied a single-game record with six hits against Ohio Dominican. Duncan also set single-season records for assists (152) and double plays (33) while posting the fourth most hits (86) in school history. For his efforts, the co-captain received All-OAC first team, All-Region first team and All-America first team honors in addition to being named the OAC’s Most Valuable Player. Duncan finished his career ranked second in assists (349) and fourth in both runs scored (181) and triples (9).
Duncan, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, earned a degree in Marketing in 1985. He currently works for Utility Contracting Inc. in Youngstown where he lives with his wife Cindy and daughter Brianna.
Brent Frafjord
Class of 1994
Baseball
Frafjord, a two-time All-American pitcher, was a four-year member of the Etta Express from 1991-94. Marietta made two NCAA Division III World Series appearances during his career, finishing fifth in both 1991 and 1992. The three-year letterman earned All-OAC first team, All-Region first team and All-America second team honors as a sophomore in 1992. A year later, Frafjord received All-OAC first team and All-Region second team recognition. As a senior in 1994, he went 16-0 on the mound, which ranks fourth on Marietta’s single-season wins list, en route to earning All-OAC first team, All-Region first team and All-America first team honors. Frafjord, who finished with a career record of 36-4, is tied for fourth all-time at Marietta and in the OAC in victories. He signed a professional contract with the Ohio Valley Redcoats of the Independent Frontier League in 1994. Frafjord amassed 24 professional victories with Ohio Valley before retiring in 1996, which ranked among the top-five all-time. In his final year with the Redcoats, he was not only a player but also the pitching coach and played in the Frontier League All-Star Game. Frafjord returned to Marietta and served as the pitching coach from 1995-96. The Pioneers qualified for the NCAA Division III World Series both years.
Frafjord, a native of Whitefish Bay, Wis., earned a degree in Computer Information Systems in 1994. He is currently a Senior Systems Analyst at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Frafjord and his wife Sheila live in Sussex, Wis., with their three children, Phillip, Erik and Anna.
Danté Brown
Class of 1998
Football
Brown, the NCAA’s single-game and NCAA Division III’s single-season rushing leader, earned four varsity letters as a member of the Marietta College football team from 1994-97. The running back began his career as a return specialist but blossomed as a junior into one of the greatest NCAA Division III players of all-time. In 1996, Brown jumped onto the national scene for his efforts on the gridiron. He accumulated more than 400 yards on two separate occasions; including what remains a NCAA all divisions record 441 yards against Baldwin-Wallace. Brown also set the Marietta single-game records for touchdowns (6) twice as well as the record for rushing attempts (51) and longest pass reception (92 yards) in a game as a junior. In addition, the All-OAC, All-Region and All-America first team selection set a new NCAA Division III single-season record for rushing yards (2,385), which still stands, and all-purpose yards (2,973). Brown also set the school mark for touchdowns (27), rushing attempts (314) and all-purpose plays (338). Brown, who also earned All-OAC first team, All-Region first team and All-America second team honors as a senior in 1997, finished his career as the Pioneers’ all-time leader in touchdowns (54), points (328), rushing yards (4,512) and rushing yards average (6.3). His 4,512 rushing yards was also an OAC record. He capped his career by being the first Marietta representative in the Aztec Bowl.
Brown, a native of Orange Park, Fla., earned a degree in Advertising & Public Relations in 2000. He has worked for the Internal Revenue Service for the last eight years. He is currently an Accounts Management Specialist. Brown lives with his wife Andrea and their children, Michaela, Jasmine and Dana, in Bellevue, Ky.
Sally Friend
Class of 1998
Softball
Friend, the 1998 Betty Cleland Award winner, earned four varsity letters from 1995-98. The pitcher received All-OAC and All-Region second team honors as a freshman in 1995 but her breakout season came in 1996. Friend led the Pioneers to their first OAC Championship and NCAA Division III Regional appearance by posting a school best 17-4 record. The All-OAC and All-Region first team honoree also set new school marks for wins (17), strikeouts (69) and earned run average (0.91) as a sophomore. Friend went on to earn All-OAC first team honors again as a junior in 1997. Friend, a captain in both 1997 and 1998, finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in wins (35), shutouts (10), no-hitters (2), strikeouts (190), earned run average (1.51) and best record (35-19).
Friend, a native of Ripley, W.Va., earned a degree in Education in 1999. In 2008, she returned to Marietta and is currently in her second year as the pitching coach for the softball team.
