Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Five Individuals, One Team Inducted into Hall of Fame
10/1/2023 9:53:00 AM | General, Our Stories
Sights and Sounds of 2023 Hall of Fame Ceremony (Highlights)Photo GalleryWatch Entire Hall of Fame Ceremony2023 Hall of Fame AnnouncementHall of Fame Website
Marcy Weston CMU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023 consists of wrestler Ben Bennett, women’s soccer player Bailey Brandon, softball player Leslie Grimes Phelan, women’s soccer player Liesel Toth, football player Frank Zombo, and the 1983-84 CMU women’s basketball team.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Five former athletes and one legendary Chippewa team were honored and inducted into the Marcy Weston CMU Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday evening in a ceremony at McGuirk Arena. The event marked the 40th annual induction ceremony.
Central Michigan Athletics' 2023 Hall of Fame Class includes:
Voice of the Chippewas Adam Jaksa served as emcee for the formal program, which included interviews with each of the inductees. CMU President Robert O. Davies and Zyzelewski Director of Athletics Amy Folan both gave congratulatory speeches. The inductees were also honored at halftime of CMU's home football game on Saturday, Sept. 30, against Eastern Michigan.
Gallery: (9-29-2023) Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Davies began the evening with a speech.
"Tonight, we honor five outstanding athletes and one amazing team," Davies said. "Each of our honorees brought exceptional skills to CMU, enhanced them and then they used those skills to help their teams improve and get that much better. We see that today when we see our athletes work together to improve and fulfill a goal of a championship ring on one hand on a diploma in the other."
Folan followed with words of her own.
"Tonight we celebrate one of our most cherished traditions," Folan said. "It is always a special night for our department, one that showcases our history, our tradition, and our commitment to excellence. The individuals honored here tonight represent what every student-athlete at CMU strives for. As President Davies often says, success in the classroom, winning with integrity, and giving back to our community are the pillars here at CMU. These individuals personify that to the highest degree of all those athletes who have walked through those doors."
Brandon was the first inductee to be interviewed.
"It's amazing to follow in the footsteps of all of these great athletes that accomplished so much," Brandon said. "Our team believed in each other, and when you have those common goals, it's hard not to succeed. The motto that our coaching staff instilled in us was to get better every day and develop mental toughness. As a student-athlete, you're going to go through adversity and all kinds of things, but no matter what, you must find that mental toughness to push through. It's going to help you in your four years here and it will help you later in life."
A current Central Michigan Assistant Wrestling Coach and the only four-time All-American in school history, Bennett spoke about the reasons that made him successful at CMU.
"When I think about it, it really goes back to the way I was raised," Bennett said. "I was taught to be the hardest worker in the room, sit in the front. I adopted that mentality. Every time I did a workout, my goal was to stay on top, lifting, running, wrestling. With that mentality, I feel like I got the most out of every workout. When you're engaged, you can get a lot more out of it. I always prepared to win every event we competed at."
He also spoke about being coached by and working with Central Michigan Head Wrestling Coach Tom Borelli.
"Coach Borelli is a phenomenal coach, leader and mentor," Bennett said. "I enjoyed wrestling for Coach. He really believed in me and helped me accomplish my goals. After graduation, I knew I wanted to coach. When I graduated, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to coach alongside him. The last 10 years working for him, I've learned so much about being a leader and running a program. It has been a tremendous opportunity to learn from Coach Borelli."
Grimes Phelan also told stories about her coach, the legendary Margo Jonker.
"I was fortunate to coach with and play for a legend in Coach Jonker." Grimes Phelan said. "Next to my parents, she is the most influential person in my life. As players and as students, she cared so much for us. She was a tremendous role model and terrific mentor. When I was an assistant, she gave me many responsibilities and groomed me to be a head coach."
Grimes Phelan selected Central Michigan because of the family atmosphere that Jonker created.
"When I visited here, it felt like family," she said. "Looking back, my teammates and I have always said that CMU Softball is like a family. You felt like that from day one."
Toth, another soccer player who played with Brandon, said that coming to Central Michigan was a great decision for her and that those years were some of the best of her life. As a player at CMU, she never dreamed that she would be inducted into the school's hall of fame.
"It's awesome," Toth said. "When you got to school and you play, you don't dream of something like this happening. You live for the moment. This would not have happened if we didn't have the amazing group of girls, the coaches, who pushed us, our parents who pushed us. This wouldn't have happened with everyone else."
Toth spoke about her experience leading CMU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
"We played under the lights at Notre Dame against Purdue," Toth said. "They were nationally ranked and we were going to the tournament for the very first time. We scored a goal on a corner kick, and I had the opportunity to take a penalty kick. I remember coming off the field on a high. It was incredible, being there together as a team and the feeling is indescribable. Our goal as a team was to get better every day and have that mindset, we embraced it and it helped us out."
Zombo said his competitive nature and the coaches he had at Central Michigan helped him achieve success.
"We had really good coaches and they instilled that mentality in me," Zombo said. "Throughout my career, I was lucky to be around a lot of success, college, and professionally. Everyone has talent, but what separates it is the culture and keeping everyone and everything positive. We had that. Football was fun. I was very fortunate to win a lot here and at the next level."
"Individually, I always thought back to my competitive nature. Football is a game of one-on-one battles. I always had the fear of losing a battle. I think my competitive edge, outworking folks, was the difference. I was gifted athletically but not to the extent of certain folks. When a game came around, I always wanted to be prepared."
Zombo also spoke about his NFL career and how playing at Central Michigan helped him.
"I signed as an undrafted free agent, and six-to-seven months later, I started in the Super Bowl," he said. "As an undrafted player you're not getting any opportunities. When I was given that opportunity, I made the most of it. It came down to preparation. It's amazing that we had four CMU players playing in that Super Bowl. There were so many Central Michigan players playing in the NFL, we have a great reputation in the NFL, and we're known as hard-working, blue-collar players."
Latanga Christmas-Cox was appointed to speak for the 1983-84 CMU women's basketball team.
"I was honored to be inducted as an individual, but I was saddened that I didn't have the opportunity to celebrate it with my other teammates," Christmas-Cox said. "What I accomplished individually on the court was only accomplished because of my teammates. We did this together and now we get to go into the Hall of Fame together."
"As a team, we took it one game at a time, we focused on doing what we had to do in the moment to win," she said. "We worked on becoming better and we told each other the truth when we needed to hear it. There was a synergy between us that made it magical. We didn't have stars; we appreciated each other's strengths and we worked hard and encouraged each other. That's what made us good."
"You can't forget what's important," Christmas-Cox said. "You have to love each other and build each other up. Don't go off the court wishing you did something that you didn't. We made a commitment, we respected the institution, and recognized the gift that has been given to us."
Central Michigan wrestling, women's soccer, and women's basketball teams were in attendance.
Central Michigan Athletics' 2023 Hall of Fame Class includes:
- Wrestler Ben Bennett (2009-13), Rockford, Mich. Bio Link
- Women's soccer player Bailey Brandon (2009-12), Livonia, Mich., Bio Link
- Softball player Leslie Grimes Phelan (1989-92), Mt. Clemens, Mich., Bio Link
- Women's soccer player Liesel Toth (2008-11), Victor, N.Y., Bio Link
- Football player Frank Zombo (2006-09), Sterling Heights, Mich., Bio Link
- The 1983-84 CMU Women's Basketball team., Bio Link
Voice of the Chippewas Adam Jaksa served as emcee for the formal program, which included interviews with each of the inductees. CMU President Robert O. Davies and Zyzelewski Director of Athletics Amy Folan both gave congratulatory speeches. The inductees were also honored at halftime of CMU's home football game on Saturday, Sept. 30, against Eastern Michigan.
Davies began the evening with a speech.
"Tonight, we honor five outstanding athletes and one amazing team," Davies said. "Each of our honorees brought exceptional skills to CMU, enhanced them and then they used those skills to help their teams improve and get that much better. We see that today when we see our athletes work together to improve and fulfill a goal of a championship ring on one hand on a diploma in the other."
Folan followed with words of her own.
"Tonight we celebrate one of our most cherished traditions," Folan said. "It is always a special night for our department, one that showcases our history, our tradition, and our commitment to excellence. The individuals honored here tonight represent what every student-athlete at CMU strives for. As President Davies often says, success in the classroom, winning with integrity, and giving back to our community are the pillars here at CMU. These individuals personify that to the highest degree of all those athletes who have walked through those doors."
Brandon was the first inductee to be interviewed.
"It's amazing to follow in the footsteps of all of these great athletes that accomplished so much," Brandon said. "Our team believed in each other, and when you have those common goals, it's hard not to succeed. The motto that our coaching staff instilled in us was to get better every day and develop mental toughness. As a student-athlete, you're going to go through adversity and all kinds of things, but no matter what, you must find that mental toughness to push through. It's going to help you in your four years here and it will help you later in life."
A current Central Michigan Assistant Wrestling Coach and the only four-time All-American in school history, Bennett spoke about the reasons that made him successful at CMU.
"When I think about it, it really goes back to the way I was raised," Bennett said. "I was taught to be the hardest worker in the room, sit in the front. I adopted that mentality. Every time I did a workout, my goal was to stay on top, lifting, running, wrestling. With that mentality, I feel like I got the most out of every workout. When you're engaged, you can get a lot more out of it. I always prepared to win every event we competed at."
He also spoke about being coached by and working with Central Michigan Head Wrestling Coach Tom Borelli.
"Coach Borelli is a phenomenal coach, leader and mentor," Bennett said. "I enjoyed wrestling for Coach. He really believed in me and helped me accomplish my goals. After graduation, I knew I wanted to coach. When I graduated, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to coach alongside him. The last 10 years working for him, I've learned so much about being a leader and running a program. It has been a tremendous opportunity to learn from Coach Borelli."
Grimes Phelan also told stories about her coach, the legendary Margo Jonker.
"I was fortunate to coach with and play for a legend in Coach Jonker." Grimes Phelan said. "Next to my parents, she is the most influential person in my life. As players and as students, she cared so much for us. She was a tremendous role model and terrific mentor. When I was an assistant, she gave me many responsibilities and groomed me to be a head coach."
Grimes Phelan selected Central Michigan because of the family atmosphere that Jonker created.
"When I visited here, it felt like family," she said. "Looking back, my teammates and I have always said that CMU Softball is like a family. You felt like that from day one."
Toth, another soccer player who played with Brandon, said that coming to Central Michigan was a great decision for her and that those years were some of the best of her life. As a player at CMU, she never dreamed that she would be inducted into the school's hall of fame.
"It's awesome," Toth said. "When you got to school and you play, you don't dream of something like this happening. You live for the moment. This would not have happened if we didn't have the amazing group of girls, the coaches, who pushed us, our parents who pushed us. This wouldn't have happened with everyone else."
Toth spoke about her experience leading CMU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
"We played under the lights at Notre Dame against Purdue," Toth said. "They were nationally ranked and we were going to the tournament for the very first time. We scored a goal on a corner kick, and I had the opportunity to take a penalty kick. I remember coming off the field on a high. It was incredible, being there together as a team and the feeling is indescribable. Our goal as a team was to get better every day and have that mindset, we embraced it and it helped us out."
Zombo said his competitive nature and the coaches he had at Central Michigan helped him achieve success.
"We had really good coaches and they instilled that mentality in me," Zombo said. "Throughout my career, I was lucky to be around a lot of success, college, and professionally. Everyone has talent, but what separates it is the culture and keeping everyone and everything positive. We had that. Football was fun. I was very fortunate to win a lot here and at the next level."
"Individually, I always thought back to my competitive nature. Football is a game of one-on-one battles. I always had the fear of losing a battle. I think my competitive edge, outworking folks, was the difference. I was gifted athletically but not to the extent of certain folks. When a game came around, I always wanted to be prepared."
Zombo also spoke about his NFL career and how playing at Central Michigan helped him.
"I signed as an undrafted free agent, and six-to-seven months later, I started in the Super Bowl," he said. "As an undrafted player you're not getting any opportunities. When I was given that opportunity, I made the most of it. It came down to preparation. It's amazing that we had four CMU players playing in that Super Bowl. There were so many Central Michigan players playing in the NFL, we have a great reputation in the NFL, and we're known as hard-working, blue-collar players."
Latanga Christmas-Cox was appointed to speak for the 1983-84 CMU women's basketball team.
"I was honored to be inducted as an individual, but I was saddened that I didn't have the opportunity to celebrate it with my other teammates," Christmas-Cox said. "What I accomplished individually on the court was only accomplished because of my teammates. We did this together and now we get to go into the Hall of Fame together."
"As a team, we took it one game at a time, we focused on doing what we had to do in the moment to win," she said. "We worked on becoming better and we told each other the truth when we needed to hear it. There was a synergy between us that made it magical. We didn't have stars; we appreciated each other's strengths and we worked hard and encouraged each other. That's what made us good."
"You can't forget what's important," Christmas-Cox said. "You have to love each other and build each other up. Don't go off the court wishing you did something that you didn't. We made a commitment, we respected the institution, and recognized the gift that has been given to us."
Central Michigan wrestling, women's soccer, and women's basketball teams were in attendance.
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