LAKEWOOD, N.J. (Date) – Georgian Court Athletics is proud to announce the next members who will be enshrined as the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The number of Hall of Famers grows to 23 with the induction of five distinguished individuals. For the first time ever, Georgian Court will also see the induction of two teams into the Hall of Fame.
This is the fifth Hall of Fame class in the history of the program. The inaugural class came in 2003, followed by classes in 2012, 2017 and 2023.
The 2026 class includes four student-athletes, two teams and one Director of Athletics.
Student-athletes to be inducted into the Hall of Fame class of 2026 include: Pete Collins (Men's Track and Field), Sam Fernandez (Women's Lacrosse), Alyssa Hudgins (Women's Track and Field) and Rachel Ruch (Softball). The honor of being the first teams inducted into the Georgian Court Athletics Hall of Fame go to the 1994 and 1995 Women's Soccer Teams. Joining this illustrious group of student-athletes is former Georgian Court Director of Athletics Laura Liesman.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 11 am in the Casino. Following the ceremony and brunch, Georgian Court will host a basketball doubleheader beginning at 2 pm where the newest members of the Hall of Fame will be recognized. Hall of Fame tickets will be available soon and for purchase at gculions.com.
INDIVIDUALS
Pete Collins
Men's Track and Field (2013-16)
Collins was a member of the first ever Men's Track and Field team at Georgian Court and paved the way for the ongoing success of the throws program and the team itself. He was a member of the first CACC Championship winning team in 2015 and ended his career as a five-time conference champion. Collins was the first-ever CACC Champion outdoors in the hammer throw in 2015 and repeated in 2016. He is still in the Lions top-10 all-time in five events, the indoor shot puts and weight throw and outdoors in the shot put, hammer throw and javelin. He is still the Lions all-time record holder in the hammer throw, having set the mark in 2015. After graduation, Collins became a Georgian Court graduate assistant and continues to work in college athletics, currently at Notre Dame. He is active in the GCU community as a member of the Blue and Gold Club Alumni Committee.
Sam Fernandez
Women's Lacrosse (2016-19)
Fernandez was the premier offensive player for Georgian Court during a dominant run of success in the 2010's. Playing from 2016-19, Fernandez's Lions won 48 games and were an astonishing 24-3 in CACC games, including finishing 9-0 in each of her last three seasons. She helped GCU to three straight CACC Regular Season and CACC Tournament Championships, winning CACC Player of the Year honors in all three of those seasons, the only multiple time CACC Player of the Year in Lions history. She was also the first to ever be named CACC Player of the Year in consecutive seasons and is still the only three-time winner in the history of the award. Twice she was named IWLCA All-Region, the first Lion to ever make the team in more than one season. She is still Georgian Court's all-time record holder in goals scored with 240 and is in the top-10 in career points and draw controls. Three of Fernandez's seasons are in the top-8 at GCU in goals scored, including the school record 77 she scored in 2019.
Alyssa Hudgins
Women's Track and Field (2010-13)
Hudgins competed at Georgian Court for four years from 2010-13 and was the first to participate in an NCAA National Championship meet. She finished her time at GCU having competed in three national meets and was also the first NCAA All-American in the history of the program. That came as a senior indoors in 2013 where she finished fifth in the weight throw. Competing before the CACC sponsored Track and Field, Hudgins was an ECC Champion outdoors in 2013 in the shot put, discus and hammer throw. In the Collegiate Track Conference (CTC), Hudgins won nine conference titles between indoors and outdoors, including sweeping the throwing events in 2011-12 and winning four of five in 2011-12. To this day, Hudgins is still the Lions record holder in the discus, she's also in the top-three in both the indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw and hammer throw.
Rachel Ruch
Softball (2009-12)
Ruch was a four-year Lion from 2009-12. She was a freshman on the first 40-win team in the NCAA-era as GCU went 40-17 in 2009. In her four years, the Lions won a total of 144 games, the best four-year stretch the Lions have had playing in the NCAA. They made a pair of NCAA regional appearances, won one regular season and one CACC Tournament Championship. Individually, Ruch was the first Lion to ever be named a two-time CACC Player of the Year, winning the award in 2011 and 2012. She was also the first to be named an NCAA All-American in multiple years, winning three over the course of her career, along with five All-Region awards and four All-CACC honors, the first Lion to be named All-CACC in four years. In four years and 225 games, Ruch hit .393 with 281 hits, 200 runs scored and 185 RBI. She slugged 71 doubles, 12 triples and 34 home runs. Ruch is still the Lions all-time leader in games played, total bases and runs scored and she's in the top-five in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, walks, and stolen bases.
Laura Liesman
Director of Athletics (2003-21)
Laura Liesman served as the Georgian Court Director of Athletics from 2003 until 2021. During her 18 years, Georgian Court Athletics successfully transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division II. She was also driving force behind the addition of men's athletics as the university transitioned to a fully co-educational institution. She oversaw the expansion from six intercollegiate sports to 14 and the number of student-athletes from 45 to more than 300. Under her guidance, GCU constructed a $26 million dollar state-of-the-art athletics complex in 2008 and added a turf field in 2013. Liesman, a two-time (2018, 2011) CACC Athletic Director of the Year selection, was named a 2019-20 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year, a group that spanned seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). She also served as the Chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council in 2019 and was the recipient of the prestigious Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey Garden State Award. Among the many Georgian Court accomplishments during her tenure, the Lions received the NCAA Division II Teamworks Award for most service hours completed in both 2017 & 2018.
TEAMS
1994 Women's Soccer
The 1994 Women's Soccer team was the first to ever play for a National Championship. The Lions advanced to the NAIA National Semifinals. Georgian Court finished the 1994 season 21-3-1 under Head Coach Joe Perri. They were CACC Champions going 5-0-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the to win the CACC Tournament. The Lions then went on to capture an NAIA Regional Tournament Championship. In the National Tournament, the Lions advanced to the round of eight defeating Westmont in penalty kicks. They won their quarterfinal round match defeating Findlay 7-3, but were defeated in the semifinals by eventual National Champions, Lynn. Georgian Court started the season with 11 straight shutout wins. They finished the year with 16 shutout victories and their 21 wins was the first time GCU won at least 20 games in a season. Following the season, Nickie Kelly, Tina Della Pietro and Kim Knolmayer were named NAIA All-Americans.
1995 Women's Soccer
Following an outstanding 1994 season, the Lions went right back to the NAIA National Semifinals a year later. The Lions set a program record 25 games in a 25-2-0 season, again under Coach Perry. For the sixth straight season, Georgian Court won the CACC Tournament following a 5-0-0 regular season mark in conference play. The Lions advanced to their fourth straight NAIA National Tournament by defeating Green Mountain 3-1. At the National Tournament, the Lions won a pair of 2-1 matches over Findlay and Midway before being matched up once again with Lynn in the National Semifinals where the eventual National Champions ended GCU's season. The Lions won 15 of their 25 games via shutout and averaged 4.75 goals per game. Following the season, Kim Knolmayer and Tina Della Pietro repeated as NAIA All-Americans and Laurie Pells earned All-American honors as well.
