Marisa Lombardo

Alvernia Inducts Hall of Fame Class of 2021

By Marisa Lombardo (Director of Sports Information)

10/8/2021 11:00:00 PM

Reading, Pa. (Oct. 8, 2021) - Alvernia University inducted the Class of 2021 to its Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday evening in a ceremony held at Alvernia’s PLEX.

The Class of 2021, Alvernia’s 13th Hall of Fame class, included Baseball player Dale Curry (2008), Men’s Soccer player Eric Franks (2011), Field Hockey, Women’s Indoor Track and Field, and Softball athlete Janelle Lynch (2010), Men’s Basketball player Art Schomp (1995), Softball player Rhiannon Sorrentino (2011), and the 2005 Field Hockey team.

Dale Curry ‘08

Baseball

Dale Curry became the 20th baseball player inducted into Alvernia’s Hall of Fame. Curry played just two year for Alvernia, but he left his mark. As a senior, Curry was named the PAC Player of the Year. He was a two-time All-PAC First Team catcher. In 2008, he was one of four players on the Alvernia roster to bat over .400, and helped lead Alvernia to its second ECAC South title with a 6-5 walk-off win over Delaware Valley.

In just two seasons, Curry climbed into the top ten in career doubles with 37, and is currently in 11th in home runs with 18. He is also fourth best in in throwing out potential base steals with 17 caught stealing. He also finished with 111 RBIs, 111 hits, and 77 runs scored.

Curry is now a Systems Coordinator at Cenlar FSB, and is married to fellow ‘08 graduate Colleen Curry. Together they have two kids.

Eric Franks ‘11

Men’s Soccer

Eric Franks helped lead Alvernia’s transition out of the PAC and into the MAC Commonwealth, a highly competitive soccer conference in 2011 and today. In Alvernia’s third year in the Commonwealth, Franks made a statement for Alvernia by being named the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year in 2011. The 2011 season also earned Franks NSCAA First Team All-Region honors, and over the length of his career, Franks was a three-time All-MAC Commonwealth honoree.

Franks still sits in the top ten in career goals with 21, assists with 14, and points with 56.

Franks is now heavily involved in coaching soccer and training locally. He is the FC Revolution Director of Player Development, and the head coach for the Revs U16 Reds team, the U16 Knights, and the U12 Rangers. He is also the head coach for Exeter Boys Soccer and the Founder and Director of Instaskills, Camp Tiki Taka, and the Final Third training programs.

Janelle (Lynch) Moser ‘10

Field Hockey, Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Softball

A stand-out three sport athlete at Alvernia, Lynch left her mark on multiple athletic programs during her four years. Lynch was the 2007 PAC Field Hockey Player of the Year and was a six-time All-Conference honoree. She earned First Team honors twice for Field Hockey, and was a First Team honoree once for Softball.

Lynch is top ten in goals, assists, and points in field hockey. In 139 games for softball, Lynch tallied 154 base hits, 118 runs, and was a career .365 hiter with nine doubles, a triple, and 73 stolen bases.

In between her field hockey and softball seasons, Lynch was also a member of Alvernia’s newly founded Track and Field program. Competing in Indoor Track in the winter, Lynch still has top ten marks in the 55m, 55m hurdles, and the high jump.

Today, Lynch is married to Kyle Moser and together they have an eight year old daughter. Lynch is a K-3rd autistic support teacher at Brandywine Heights. She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State, and is working towards becoming a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. She is also coaching field hockey for Brandywine Height High School.

Art Schomp ‘95

Men’s Basketball

In 1991, Schomp transferred to Alvernia during winter break to join the 6-man team known as the “6-pack attack.” Schomp transferred in along with John McCloskey.

Schomp, a 6’8 addition to the “6-pack attack,” helped lead the 1991 team to a 21-12 record. The following season, Alvernia Athletics joined the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference and gained NCAA Division III membership.

Men’s Basketball qualified for the PAC postseason in each of Art’s final three years at Alvernia, and in 1995 they won the ECAC Championship.

Schomp finished his career with 1,147 points and was ranked 10th in scoring at the time of his graduation. Today, he still ranks 16th in career scoring. He scored just shy of 13 points a game over his career and averaged more than 100 free throw attempts a year.

Schomp, and his wife Nicole, currently live in Lebanon with their two sons. Nicole Brown Schomp was a member of Alvernia’s Inaugural Hall of Fame class inducted 13 years ago. They are the first married couple to be inducted into Alvernia’s Hall of Fame.

Schomp is a board member of the Northern Lebanon Little League and is a head coach of his son’s basketball team, as well as an assistant coach for Cedar Crest High School’s varsity team.

Rhiannon Sorrentino ‘11

Softball

One of Alvernia’s all-time greats in softball, Sorrentino’s name hangs in Alvernia’s outfield as a goal for all current players to aspire to.

In 142 games, Sorrentino finished with a .412 career batting average. She recorded 189 base hits, 109 runs scored, and 106 RBIs.

As a junior, Sorrentino ranked 4th in the nation with a .517 batting average and was named the MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year, First Team All-Region, and Second Team All-American. She capped her career by being named Capital One (CoSIDA) 1st Team Academic All-District, was a MAC Senior Scholar, and was named NFCA Third Team All-Region.

Sorrentino is currently teaching 7th Grade Academic Strategies at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School where she is also coaching Cross Country and Science Olympiad. She is engaged to be married to Derek Ortiz. They both currently have two dogs, Rosie and Levi. After some time away from softball, Sorrentino returned to play with the Lyons Spirit team.

2005 Field Hockey Team

The 2005 Field Hockey Team is the seventh team inducted into the Alvernia Athletics Hall of Fame.

The team posted an 18-5 overall record and was 10-1 in the PAC. They brought home Alvernia’s first PAC Championship with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over Eastern, and made Alvernia’s first appearance in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship. They picked up their first NCAA win with a 2-1 victory of Lynchburg.

Jessie Bahr - a junior on the 2005 team - scored the game winning goal just 12 seconds into the 7-on-7 overtime period of the PAC Championship.

Alvernia went 11-0 at home during the 2005 season, allowing just five goals at home.

Amber Shirk and Megan Kraft both scored a goal in Alvernia’s 2-1 win at Lynchburg in the NCAA First Round. Messiah College - the 2005 national runner-up - beat Alvernia 7-4 in round two of the NCAA tournament.

The 2005 Field Hockey team had five players on the All-PAC team. Carey Manzolillo was named Player of the Year and First Team Goalie, Becky Reed and Megan Kraft were both First Team Forwards, Lauren Yoder was a First Team back, and Amber Shirk was named Honorable Mention.

The 2005 team was under the leadership of Head Coach Laura Gingrich.

2005 Field Hockey Team

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