Five Stags legends were officially inducted into the Fairfield University Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2011-12 induction class consisted of women’s lacrosse player Colleen Cunningham-Taylor ’01 and baseball players Mike Pike ’96 and Tom Lopusznick ’00. In addition men’s rower Chris Duffy '93 was presented with the inaugural Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award while Jim Fitzpatrick '70, M.A.'72, was given the Service to Athletics Award.
Cunningham was one of the program’s top offensive players during her stay at Fairfield University. When she finished her career, she placed third in career points, fourth in career goals, and third in career assists. More than a decade later, Cunningham-Taylor is still ranked in the top 10 for career goals (eighth with 101), career assists (fifth with 52), and total points (sixth with 153). As an attack, she is one of three Fairfield student-athletes to average four points per game in a season, posting 4.2 points per contest in 2001. Her 25 assists that year is the second-high single-season total for a Fairfield women’s lacrosse player, while her 71 points that season places fifth for a single season. Cunningham-Taylor was voted the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year as well as an All-MAAC selection in 2001. Off the field, she earned three MAAC All-Academic awards.
Lopusznick became of the top power hitters in school history, tying the school record for home runs as a freshman with nine before surpassing that total with 10 home runs both in his junior and senior seasons. He finished his career with a school standard 35 home runs, a record which still stands today. He also holds the school career records for RBI (165), runs scored (142), and slugging percentage (.569). Lopusznick places third all-time at Fairfield with 77 stolen bases, including 33 during the 1999 campaign. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) South Preseason Player of the Year in 2000 after earning All-MAAC South honors in 1997 and 1999. In 1997, Lopusznick was voted the MAAC South Rookie of the Year. Lopusznick was also a member of Fairfield’s first varsity football team (1996), leading the team in receiving with 69 catches for 857 yards as well as in scoring with 56 points.
Pike continues to rank as one of the baseball program’s all-time greats, holding school records and ranking among the all-time leaders in several other offensive categories. Upon his graduation, Pike was the all-time leader in career hits (209), career doubles (58), career RBI (138), and career slugging percentage (.567). As of today, he still ranks among the top five in several career categories, including doubles (second), hits (third), home runs (third), RBI (third), runs scored (third) and slugging percentage (second). He currently holds two single-season school standards – RBI (51 in 1996) and slugging percentage (.702 in 1996). His success was rewarded with four All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) South awards, the only Stag to capture All-MAAC honors all four years he played. Pike was also named the MAAC South Player of the Year in 1996.
Duffy was recognized by the Alumni Association for his accomplishments after graduation. Duffy was one of the founding members of the Fairfield University rowing club, which began in the early 1990s. Duffy joined the program as a junior and rowed in several regional competitions. He won a bronze medal at Dad Vails as a member of the Stags novice four, the first-ever medal by a Fairfield entry at that event. He achieved a great deal of success after graduating from Fairfield University, rowing with the United State Rowing Team for several years. He helped the United States finish first at the 1997 and 1998 Royal Henley Regatta as a member of the Men’s Quadruple Sculls. Duffy was also a member of the 2000 Olympic Team and continued to row for his country at the 2001 World Cup Regatta. His international resume includes competition at the International Rowing (FISA) World Championships from 1997-99. Duffy took first place at the 1997 U.S. National Championships in quadruple and double sculls.
Fitzpatrick is just the fifth person in program history to receive the Service to Athletics Award. Since taking over the public address announcing prior to the 1971—72 season, Fitzpatrick has the called has called practically every field goal, free throw, and three-point shot for the men’s basketball team and introduced more than 600 starting line-ups. Fitzpatrick has been a fixture in the University community having worked at Fairfield since his graduation.
