HALL OF FAME CEREMONY INFORMATION

AVE MARIA, Fla.- Ave Maria University is pleased to announce the 2022 Class of the Ave Maria University Athletics Hall of Fame. The athletic department will honor the inductees at a banquet and induction ceremony on Friday night, October 21, during the University's homecoming festivities.

This is the second class of inductees following last year's inaugural class, and it consists of Abby Castro (women's lacrosse, class of 2017), Kiel Lewis (men's basketball, class of 2013), and Alex Sanchez (baseball, class of 2013).

The class was selected by the University's Hall of Fame committee, which consisted of University administration, members of the athletic department's executive team, and members of the University's sports information department. One ballot was also cast by Ave Maria fans, as the total of the nearly 700 ballots cast were factored into the decision.

Abby Castro was a founding member of the Ave Maria University lacrosse program, joining the Gyrenes from Kennesaw State University for the 2015 season. She was a three-time captain for the Gyrenes, and still ranks in the top ten in school history in basically every category of note. During her sophomore and junior seasons, she was selected as an All-American by the National Women's Lacrosse League, earning Honorable Mention honors in both 2015 and 2016. Castro's lacrosse career continues to the present day, as the Miami native played for Colombia in the 2022 World Lacrosse Women's World Championship.

Kiel Lewis remains, to this day, Ave Maria's all-time scoring leader in men's basketball, scoring 1,665 points in his four years on campus. He also holds the school record for field goals made, free throws made, steals, and assists. The Orlando native played a major role in Ave Maria's first-ever 20-win season in men's basketball, scoring almost 16 points per game and leading the nation in steals per game in 2012-13. For his efforts, he became Ave Maria's first men's basketball All-American that season, earning Honorable Mention honors.

Alex Sanchez played four years of baseball at Ave Maria, and put together one of the school's best seasons to date during his senior campaign of 2013. The Hialeah native hit .390 with 98 total hits, single-season school records that still stand to this day. That season, he was named a Second-Team All-American, as well as Ave Maria's only baseball Sun Conference Player of the Year. His 251 career hits also stand as a school record. Sanchez would play professional baseball following his time at Ave Maria, signing a free agent contract with the Chicago Cubs and playing for Chicago's Arizona League affiliate.

Castro, Lewis, and Sanchez will be honored as Ave Maria's Hall of Fame class of 2022 as part of Homecoming Weekend festivities on campus. The University will also be honoring the first recipient of the Saint John Paul II Distinguished Alumni Award. That honoree will be announced later this month.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, October 21 on the Ave Maria campus. Ticket information for the 2022 ceremony is available HERE.