Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan Announces 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame Class
7/24/2023 11:30:00 AM | General
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Five former Chippewas and one team will be inducted into the Marcy Weston CMU Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023: wrestler Ben Bennett, women’s soccer’s Bailey Brandon, softball player Leslie Grimes Phelan, women’s soccer’s Liesel Toth, football player Frank Zombo, and the 1983-84 Women’s Basketball team.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan Athletics will induct five former student-athletes and one team into the Marcy Weston CMU Athletics Hall of Fame as its Class of 2023: wrestler Ben Bennett; women's soccer player Bailey Brandon; softball player Leslie Grimes Phelan; women's soccer player Liesel Toth; football player Frank Zombo, along with the 1983-84 CMU Women's Basketball team.
The 2023 class will be inducted into the hall of fame on Friday, Sept. 29 with the induction ceremony taking place at 6 p.m. at McGuirk Arena. Admission is free to the ceremony and open to the public. The inductees will be honored at CMU's football game the following day against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 30.
"We are extremely proud and honored to introduce these great Chippewa athletes into our hall of fame," said Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Amy Folan. "Each inductee had a fantastic collegiate career at Central Michigan; not only as athletes, but as students as well. This group represents the best of all Chippewa athletes."
2023 CENTRAL MICHIGAN HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
BEN BENNETT
Wrestling | 2009-13 | Rockford, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The only four-time All-American in Central Michigan history … placed fourth at the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds in 2013, was sixth at 174 pounds in 2010, placed eighth at 174 pounds in 2011, and was sixth at 184 in 2012 … one of only three Chippewa wrestlers to earn four MAC individual titles (2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013) … became the fourth freshman in program history to earn All-America honors … earned the Chick Sherwood Award as CMU's most valuable wrestler three times … named the MAC Wrestler of the Year in 2012 … earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award in 2010 … posted a career record of 121-24 (.834) … accumulated a career .834 winning percentage, which ranks No. 4 in program history … finished career with 121 victories, which ranks No. 6 in program history … posted a .939 winning percentage during his senior year (31-2), which ranks second in CMU wrestling history … in program records, ranks sixth all-time in wins (121), fourth all-time in win percentage (.834), and holds the record for most consecutive wins in CMU wrestling history (30).
BAILEY BRANDON
Women's Soccer | 2009-12 | Livonia, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a defender, named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 and the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2009 … four-time All-MAC selection, earning three first team honors and one second team honor … three-time Great Lakes All-Region selection, earning first team honors in 2009, second team in 2012, and third team in 2010 … named to the MAC All-Freshman team in 2009 … led CMU to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, and 2012) and back-to-back MAC regular season and tournament titles (2009 and 2010) … named to the MAC All-Tournament team in both 2009 and 2012 … selected the MAC Player of the Week in 2011 … led CMU to the program's lone NCAA Tournament victory, a 1-0 defeat of Purdue in 2009 … over four-year, 89-game career, scored three goals with 11 assists for 20 points … two-time Academic All-American (2011 and 2012) … three-time CoSIDa academic all-district selection (2010, 2011, 2012) … three-time All-Academic MAC Honoree (2010, 2011, 2012) … awarded the Dick Enberg Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2012 … named the MAC's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year award … selected as a national finalist for the Lowe's Senior Class Award in 2012.
LESLIE GRIMES PHELAN
Softball | 1989-1992 | Mt. Clemens, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Played catcher … two time All-MAC honoree … named to the All-Region First Team in 1992 … named to the Central Michigan Silver Anniversary Team … served as team captain … four-year letterwinner … member of the 1991 MAC championship team … served as an assistant coach for five seasons and was a part of three championship teams at Central Michigan … ranks second on the single-season record for runs batted in (44 in 1991) and No. 8 all-time in a career (96) … over four-year, 195-game career, averaged .265 (146-549), scored 50 runs, finished with 23 doubles, three triples and one home run with 96 RBI … as a head coach, started the softball program at Western Kentucky and served as head coach there for five seasons (2000-04) … coached 17 all-conference players, Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, a First Team All-South Player, and First Team Academic All-American … guided the Hilltoppers to a conference runner-up finish in 2002.
LIESEL TOTH
Women's Soccer | 2008-11 | Victor, N.Y.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a defender, named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 … three-time Great Lakes All-Region Team selection, earning first team honors in 2011 and second team in both 2009 and 2010 … four-time All-MAC selection, earning first team honors in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and second team recognition in 2008 … named to the MAC All-Freshman team in 2008 … selected to the MAC All-Tournament team in 2009 … led CMU to MAC regular season and tournament titles in 2009 and 2010, both firsts in program history … named the MAC Player of the Week three times in her career … helped CMU to two-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2009-10) … started every game of her career (87) … in 2011, led a backline that allowed just seven goals during the regular season, breaking the previous MAC record of 12 … in four-year, 87-game career, scored eight goals with seven assists for 23 points … earned Academic All-MAC honors three times (2009, 2010, 2011) … selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District second team in 2011 … named to the NSCAA Scholar All-America third team in 2011 … helped the program post the nation's best grade point average in each of her four seasons.
FRANK ZOMBO
Football | 2006-2009 | Sterling Heights, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a defensive lineman, earned First Team All-MAC honors in 2008 and 2009 … helped CMU win three MAC Championships, a pair of bowl victories and four bowl game appearances … led CMU to a 4-0 record against Western Michigan … played nine seasons in the National Football League (three with the Green Bay Packers and six with the Kansas City Chiefs) … won a Super Bowl in 2011 with Green Bay, while recording a sack and five tackles in the game … finished his NFL career with 196 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles-for-loss … posted nine sacks in 2008, which ranks fifth in CMU single-season history … ranks third all-time in CMU history in sacks (25.5) and sixth all-time in tackles-for-loss (39) … in four-year, 55-game career, totaled 181 tackles (79 solo), 39.0 tackles for loss for 193 yards, 25.5 sacks for 165 yards, forced two fumbles and recovered four fumbles … finished with season-bests of 9.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss as a junior in 2008 … totaled a single-season best 62 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore in 2007 … named a CoSIDA Academic All-District IV second team honoree in 2007, 2008 and 2009 … three-time Academic All-MAC honoree.
1983-84 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Led by head coach Laura Golden, the Chippewas compiled a 27-3 record, which marks the best winning percentage in program history (.900) … the Chippewas won the MAC regular season and conference tournament championships … qualified for the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed, matching up against No. 2 Alabama … began the season with a 1-2 record then proceeded to win 26 consecutive games including an 18-0 conference record, registering the only undefeated conference season in program history … defeated teams such as Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota, and Notre Dame … 20 of its 27 wins were by a margin of double digits, including 13 of 14 home wins … the team featured four current CMU Hall of Famers (Sylvia Odum, Jody Beerman, Latanga Cox, Betsy Yonkman) … Cox was named MAC Tournament MVP … roster contained one First Team All-MAC selection and one Second Team All-MAC selection … the team's .900 winning percentage ranked No. 4 in the country … ranked No. 8 in the nation with a +16.4 scoring margin … led the MAC in overall scoring, scoring margin, and field goal percentage … finished the season ranked in the top-30 in the nation … team members included Kelly Bolek, Beerman, Sophia Chapman, Cox, Tammy Figg, Kathy LaBarge, Elaine Loch, Chris Magnant, Odum, Trisha Phillips, Denise Tower, Patty Weidman, Amy Welch, and Yonkman.
The 2023 class will be inducted into the hall of fame on Friday, Sept. 29 with the induction ceremony taking place at 6 p.m. at McGuirk Arena. Admission is free to the ceremony and open to the public. The inductees will be honored at CMU's football game the following day against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 30.
"We are extremely proud and honored to introduce these great Chippewa athletes into our hall of fame," said Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Amy Folan. "Each inductee had a fantastic collegiate career at Central Michigan; not only as athletes, but as students as well. This group represents the best of all Chippewa athletes."
2023 CENTRAL MICHIGAN HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
| Athlete/Team | Years | Hometown/School | Sport |
| Ben Bennett | 2009-13 | Rockford, Mich./Rockford H.S. | Wrestling |
| Bailey Brandon | 2009-12 | Livonia, Mich./Livonia Churchill H.S. | Women's Soccer |
| Leslie Grimes Phelan | 1989-92 | Mt. Clemens, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North H.S. | Softball |
| Liesel Toth | 2008-11 | Victor, N.Y./Victor H.S. | Women's Soccer |
| Frank Zombo | 2006-09 | Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson H.S. | Football |
| Women's Basketball | 1983-84 | Mount Pleasant, Mich./Central Michigan | Women's Basketball |
BEN BENNETT
Wrestling | 2009-13 | Rockford, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The only four-time All-American in Central Michigan history … placed fourth at the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds in 2013, was sixth at 174 pounds in 2010, placed eighth at 174 pounds in 2011, and was sixth at 184 in 2012 … one of only three Chippewa wrestlers to earn four MAC individual titles (2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013) … became the fourth freshman in program history to earn All-America honors … earned the Chick Sherwood Award as CMU's most valuable wrestler three times … named the MAC Wrestler of the Year in 2012 … earned the MAC Freshman of the Year Award in 2010 … posted a career record of 121-24 (.834) … accumulated a career .834 winning percentage, which ranks No. 4 in program history … finished career with 121 victories, which ranks No. 6 in program history … posted a .939 winning percentage during his senior year (31-2), which ranks second in CMU wrestling history … in program records, ranks sixth all-time in wins (121), fourth all-time in win percentage (.834), and holds the record for most consecutive wins in CMU wrestling history (30).
BAILEY BRANDON
Women's Soccer | 2009-12 | Livonia, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a defender, named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 and the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2009 … four-time All-MAC selection, earning three first team honors and one second team honor … three-time Great Lakes All-Region selection, earning first team honors in 2009, second team in 2012, and third team in 2010 … named to the MAC All-Freshman team in 2009 … led CMU to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, and 2012) and back-to-back MAC regular season and tournament titles (2009 and 2010) … named to the MAC All-Tournament team in both 2009 and 2012 … selected the MAC Player of the Week in 2011 … led CMU to the program's lone NCAA Tournament victory, a 1-0 defeat of Purdue in 2009 … over four-year, 89-game career, scored three goals with 11 assists for 20 points … two-time Academic All-American (2011 and 2012) … three-time CoSIDa academic all-district selection (2010, 2011, 2012) … three-time All-Academic MAC Honoree (2010, 2011, 2012) … awarded the Dick Enberg Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2012 … named the MAC's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year award … selected as a national finalist for the Lowe's Senior Class Award in 2012.
LESLIE GRIMES PHELAN
Softball | 1989-1992 | Mt. Clemens, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Played catcher … two time All-MAC honoree … named to the All-Region First Team in 1992 … named to the Central Michigan Silver Anniversary Team … served as team captain … four-year letterwinner … member of the 1991 MAC championship team … served as an assistant coach for five seasons and was a part of three championship teams at Central Michigan … ranks second on the single-season record for runs batted in (44 in 1991) and No. 8 all-time in a career (96) … over four-year, 195-game career, averaged .265 (146-549), scored 50 runs, finished with 23 doubles, three triples and one home run with 96 RBI … as a head coach, started the softball program at Western Kentucky and served as head coach there for five seasons (2000-04) … coached 17 all-conference players, Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, a First Team All-South Player, and First Team Academic All-American … guided the Hilltoppers to a conference runner-up finish in 2002.
LIESEL TOTH
Women's Soccer | 2008-11 | Victor, N.Y.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a defender, named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 … three-time Great Lakes All-Region Team selection, earning first team honors in 2011 and second team in both 2009 and 2010 … four-time All-MAC selection, earning first team honors in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and second team recognition in 2008 … named to the MAC All-Freshman team in 2008 … selected to the MAC All-Tournament team in 2009 … led CMU to MAC regular season and tournament titles in 2009 and 2010, both firsts in program history … named the MAC Player of the Week three times in her career … helped CMU to two-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2009-10) … started every game of her career (87) … in 2011, led a backline that allowed just seven goals during the regular season, breaking the previous MAC record of 12 … in four-year, 87-game career, scored eight goals with seven assists for 23 points … earned Academic All-MAC honors three times (2009, 2010, 2011) … selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District second team in 2011 … named to the NSCAA Scholar All-America third team in 2011 … helped the program post the nation's best grade point average in each of her four seasons.
FRANK ZOMBO
Football | 2006-2009 | Sterling Heights, Mich.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a defensive lineman, earned First Team All-MAC honors in 2008 and 2009 … helped CMU win three MAC Championships, a pair of bowl victories and four bowl game appearances … led CMU to a 4-0 record against Western Michigan … played nine seasons in the National Football League (three with the Green Bay Packers and six with the Kansas City Chiefs) … won a Super Bowl in 2011 with Green Bay, while recording a sack and five tackles in the game … finished his NFL career with 196 tackles, 12.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles-for-loss … posted nine sacks in 2008, which ranks fifth in CMU single-season history … ranks third all-time in CMU history in sacks (25.5) and sixth all-time in tackles-for-loss (39) … in four-year, 55-game career, totaled 181 tackles (79 solo), 39.0 tackles for loss for 193 yards, 25.5 sacks for 165 yards, forced two fumbles and recovered four fumbles … finished with season-bests of 9.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss as a junior in 2008 … totaled a single-season best 62 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore in 2007 … named a CoSIDA Academic All-District IV second team honoree in 2007, 2008 and 2009 … three-time Academic All-MAC honoree.
1983-84 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Led by head coach Laura Golden, the Chippewas compiled a 27-3 record, which marks the best winning percentage in program history (.900) … the Chippewas won the MAC regular season and conference tournament championships … qualified for the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed, matching up against No. 2 Alabama … began the season with a 1-2 record then proceeded to win 26 consecutive games including an 18-0 conference record, registering the only undefeated conference season in program history … defeated teams such as Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota, and Notre Dame … 20 of its 27 wins were by a margin of double digits, including 13 of 14 home wins … the team featured four current CMU Hall of Famers (Sylvia Odum, Jody Beerman, Latanga Cox, Betsy Yonkman) … Cox was named MAC Tournament MVP … roster contained one First Team All-MAC selection and one Second Team All-MAC selection … the team's .900 winning percentage ranked No. 4 in the country … ranked No. 8 in the nation with a +16.4 scoring margin … led the MAC in overall scoring, scoring margin, and field goal percentage … finished the season ranked in the top-30 in the nation … team members included Kelly Bolek, Beerman, Sophia Chapman, Cox, Tammy Figg, Kathy LaBarge, Elaine Loch, Chris Magnant, Odum, Trisha Phillips, Denise Tower, Patty Weidman, Amy Welch, and Yonkman.
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