Bethlehem, PA - Fresh off of a Patriot League Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Lehigh head coach
Fran Troyan has announced the signing of three student-athletes that will join the Mountain Hawks softball program in the fall of 2004.
Troyan, set to enter his tenth season as head coach, welcomes
Kate Marvel, Megan Conrad and Taryn Hanley as the newest additions to the team.
Marvel comes to Lehigh from Manasquan, New Jersey, where she starred at Red Bank Catholic High School. Marvel was a two-time First-Team All-State selection and was a member of the highly competitive Team New Jersey fall softball team. The 5-1 outfielder possesses excellent speed and batted a staggering .631 with 60 hits and 32 stolen bases as a senior. Marvel will be enrolled in the Arts and Sciences school when she arrives in South Bethlehem.
Conrad, who hails from nearby Kutztown, Pennsylvania, played at Kutztown High School, and arrives at Lehigh with an impressive set of credentials. Conrad and her teammates won the PIAA AA State Championship in 2002, when she connected for 28 hits and a .418 batting average. As a junior, the infielder banged out 27 hits on her way to a .435 season at the plate. Conrad also posted a .978 fielding percentage and led her team to the Division 3 Championship. During her senior year, Conrad connected for 33 hits and a .452 average, while serving as team captain and earning Team MVP honors. For her career, Conrad was a three-time All-Division selection and four-time Division 3 Champion. Like Marvel, Conrad will be enrolled in the Arts and Sciences school at Lehigh.
Hanley arrives in South Bethlehem by way of Bremeton, Washington, where she played at King’s West Christian High School. The catcher and middle infielder was a three-time Sea-Tac League MVP and a four-time Sea-Tac First-Team selection. Her talents extended beyond the diamond as well, as she was an All-State basketball selection and an honorable mention All-State soccer player. Hanley played for the Washington Sidewinders in the softball offseason and she will be enrolled in the Arts and Sciences school at Lehigh.
Coach Troyan offers his thoughts on the newest members of the Mountain Hawk softball program: “We are excited about adding such a quality class to our program. As my first-grade teacher, Sister Victoria, always said, ‘Dynamite comes in a small package,’ and we expect Kate Marvel to be dynamite. Megan Conrad brings incredible versatility to the program. She can play almost anywhere and has great instincts for the game. And with Tara Hanley, we’re getting a super athlete with a great work ethic.”
Lehigh captured its sixth straight Patriot League title in 2004, and made its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last five years. The Mountain Hawks set a Patriot League record with their 40 victories.
Photos (c) 2004, Scott Bruhn
