Three Orange Standouts to Join Orange Plus Hall of Fame

Three former Syracuse University student-athletes, Lauren Brady ’00, Julie Dunn ’03 and Erin O’Grady ’01, will be inducted into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame at the annual Hall of Fame luncheon on Friday, October 28 at the Drumlins Country Club. The silent auction begins at 11 a.m., with the luncheon/program to follow. The celebration will continue when the trio is honored prior to Syracuse’s football game against Cincinnati in the Carrier Dome on Saturday, October 29. Kickoff for the game is 12:00 p.m. Tickets for the football game are available online (click here) or at the Carrier Dome Box Office (888-366-3849).

Lauren Brady, Women’s Lacrosse

When the Syracuse University women’s lacrosse program was in its infancy, there were no doubt questions about who might become an impact player in the inaugural season of 1998. More importantly, head coach Lisa Miller would need some younger players to establish themselves in order to provide stability and leadership in the years to come.

It would not take long for sophomore walk-on Lauren Brady to prove herself capable of being that type of player. Brady scored 17 goals in 12 games during the first of her four years as a member of the SU women’s lacrosse team, helping establish a winning attitude within the program.

Lauren Brady will become the first member of the women’s lacrosse team to be inducted into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame. Brady graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences as a member of the class of 2000, earning a bachelor of science degree in biology. She then enrolled in graduate school at Syracuse, studying information management.

A native of Acton, Mass., Brady first made a name for herself in lacrosse at Acton-Boxboro Regional High School. During her senior year, she compiled 59 goals and 19 assists in only 14 games. When it came time to choose a college, Brady found Syracuse University appealing for several reasons. In addition to its moderately large student enrollment and the fact that her older brother, Jason, was playing football at nearby Ithaca College, Lauren also knew she would have a chance to be in the first class of four-year women’s lacrosse athletes at SU.

Prior to the formation of a varsity team, she participated in club lacrosse during her freshman year, but knew she wanted more.

“I’m a really competitive person so the relaxed attitude associated with the club team wasn’t as satisfying as I hoped it would be,” Brady said.

That competitive nature would manifest itself not only during a successful sophomore season, but throughout Brady’s playing career at Syracuse. After scoring 20 goals in her junior year, Brady experienced a break-out year in 2000. She led the team with 44 goals in just 16 games, an SU single-season record that still stands today. Her career-best performance of seven goals came in a 17-9 victory against Cornell on April 19 of that year.

Brady’s record-setting year was coupled with a stellar 38-goal season by fellow attack member Katrina Hable. This tandem led Syracuse to a 12-4 record and earned both players selection to the Division I North Region All-American first team.

“Katrina was a great teammate and great at setting up plays for those around her,” Brady said. “We really complemented each other well on the field.”

As a returning captain in her final season at SU, Brady posted 21 goals and three assists, guiding the Orange to a 10-5 record and a second consecutive berth in the NCAA tournament.

For the past two years, Lauren has worked at Boston Medical Center as a systems analyst in the Information Technology department. Since graduating, she has acted on several opportunities to remain involved in the Syracuse lacrosse community. In addition to being a member of the Orange Pack, Lauren also participates in the annual alumni lacrosse game held each fall.

“The alumni games have been a lot of fun,” she said. “And they’re a great way to keep in touch with Coach Miller and everyone else.”

Each time she returns to Syracuse, Lauren is reminded of why she so greatly enjoyed her years as a member of the Orange.

“When you choose a school, you never know how things will end up. But I’m really grateful for the time I spent at SU.”

Julie Dunn, Softball

One sunny afternoon in Evanston, Illinois, Julie Dunn sat at her desk in the Northwestern University Athletic Communications office. Her phone rang, and an unfamiliar number popped up on the caller ID. To her surprise, it was someone from Syracuse University, calling to inform her that on October 28, she would be inducted into the Syracuse University Softball Hall of Fame. Instead of screaming for joy, Julie was filled with shock and doubt. “Did you say Hall of Fame?” “Are you sure you have the right person?”

The honor of being inducted is great enough, but what makes this event even more special for Julie is that she is the first ever Syracuse softball player to be inducted. Once the initial shock set in, Julie had the ability to think about what this meant to her, and to the softball program at Syracuse University.

“This is a great first for the program,” Dunn said. “It is the mark of establishing yourself as an elite program within Syracuse University, and it’s good to finally see the sport embraced”.

Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, Julie played shortstop and pitched until graduating from high school. She attended a softball camp, where she met Coach Mary Jo Firnbach.

“We hit it off,” Dunn said. “So I decided to go play with her at Syracuse to help her build a program.”

There were only two problems. First, Julie didn’t even know where Syracuse was until her parents pointed it out to her on a map. Second, her entire family was BIG 10 fans whose veins pumped orange and blue because of the University of Illinois, not Syracuse. Despite these setbacks, Julie arrived at Syracuse University as a member of the first softball recruiting class in school history.

Dunn said that she “was blessed and so fortunate to have ended up at Syracuse. I wasn’t exactly in ‘the circuit’ in which most other collegiate softball players started, so I was very lucky to have been able to play at all.”

Throughout her four years at Syracuse, Julie accumulated numerous awards and honors. In 2003 she became the first-ever softball student-athlete to win the Soladay Award, recognizing her outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. In each of her eight semesters at the university, she was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, and in all four years of her career she was named BIG EAST Academic All-Star. In 2003, she was named to the Verizon Academic All District 1 Second Team. In 2002, she was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, the Verizon All District 1 First Team and the Verizon Academic All-American Third Team. She finished her career ranked fifth in career hits (76), fifth in career runs batted in (35), tied for fifth in home runs (6), fourth in on-base percentage (.335), fifth in slugging percentage (.343) and first in walks (41). Julie can also boast about being the first player in Syracuse history to hit a grand slam.

Julie obviously accomplished much during her career, but it was the more sentimental moments that truly thrilled her. In 2002, the team played Michigan during the preseason. Since growing up in the Midwest, Julie always dreamed of playing for the University of Michigan, a school with a well-established softball program. Despite being the underdog, Syracuse won the game.

“This game was my most fond memory at Syracuse,” Dunn proclaimed. “It was an awesome feeling to win. To think, if I had gone to Michigan, I would have lost to Syracuse! It’s great the way things seem to work out.”

Julie is now working with the Northwestern University’s Athletic department. Although she loves her job, she does miss the game and her teammates. She is trying to schedule a reunion for all the girls.

“I thought it would be fun to have a reunion softball game,” Dunn said. “Then I realized that we are all pretty rusty, so now I’m planning a snowman building contest or something.”

Julie hopes that her legacy at Syracuse University will go far beyond her athletic ability. Dunn stated, “I am honored to have been able to help build a name for the program. I always want to represent the university with pride. I hope to be seen as a well-rounded person that embodies the definition of being a student-athlete; someone who uses their status to give back to the community, and someone who always spreads orange and blue!!”

Erin O’Grady, Women’s Soccer

When people are young they never imagine the endless accomplishments they will be able to achieve. The same holds true for Erin O’Grady. O’Grady attended Syracuse University from 1997 to 2001 and earned a degree in elementary education. O’Grady never could have imagined the opportunities she gained from being at Syracuse.

O’Grady grew up in Glastonbury, Conn. and, as a kid, she fell in love with soccer. In high school she was not the star player making all the big shots. That all changed when she committed to Syracuse.

O’Grady’s became a star her first season at Syracuse. She started taking and making shots she never would have in high school. O’Grady became confident in her shot and that helped propel her to another level.

Upon graduation in the spring of 2001, O’Grady left her mark on the record and award books. She left as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 116 points, a record that still stands today. She was a second-team All-Northeast Region selection and a four-time All-BIG EAST pick. O’Grady was also a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and was a third-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America Academic All-American pick in 1999.

After graduation O’Grady decided she was not ready to leave soccer behind. She spent the first year and a half training, coaching and playing. In 2003 she made the Boston Breakers of the Women’s United Soccer Association, but shortly after, the league folded.

“It was awful and I was devastated,” O’Grady said. “I worked for two years to make it to my dream.”

What she missed most was not playing, but the role models the league created for young girls.

“It was truly wonderful working with girls in the [Boston] area,” she said. “I wanted to keep playing; young girls have to see role models.”

A role model is exactly what O’Grady became.

After her professional soccer career ended O’Grady had to decide what she was going to do. She decided to return back to Glastonbury Connecticut and start teaching.

“After I coached at a Division II school for two years, I stumbled in a teaching job,”

O’Grady was glad she made the decision to return home. Currently in the spring and summer she plays for the New England Mutiny in the Women’s Premier Soccer League. O’Grady also coaches an Under-10 team in her town. When asked if she ever will go back to the college coaching ranks, she responded, “I probably will not return to college coaching, I found my love in teaching.”

O’Grady says she is grateful and surprised at being inducted into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame. Being a modest woman, O’Grady laughs and says, “I had no idea my college career at Syracuse would have turned out this way. Being inducted is very exciting and I must have been out of college for a long time. I am so happy to return to Syracuse for the induction and the piece of history in which I am included.”

Syracuse University Athletics

Three Orange Standouts to Join Orange Plus Hall of Fame

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