Due West, SC – The Flying Fleet Club indicted five new members into the Erskine College Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday morning in conjunction with Homecoming. 
 
The class included Kyle Bennett (Men's Soccer), Ashlee LaFontaine (Softball), Kevin Nichols (Baseball Coach), Valerie Warren (Women's Basketball), and Craig Williams (Men's Basketball).  The ceremony was held in the Founders dining room at 10:00 am with a brunch served before.  Each member of the class was presented with a framed citation recognizing their accomplishments at Erskine and following the presentation, each person gave a short speech.

 
Kyle Bennett Men's Soccer (2005-09)
 
Kyle Bennett came to Erskine from Lilburn, GA and became the anchor of the Flying Fleet defense as well as serving as team captain each of his four years.  As a defender, Kyle's name may not have showed up in the box scores regularly, but his outstanding play helped the defense become one of the best in the conference.  
 
In his four years as the leader of the Erskine defense, he would be named All-Conference three times.  The Fleet would record 14 shutouts and allow just 1.74 goals per game.  Erskine keepers also benefitted from having Kyle in the back, as they only had to make 4.22 saves per game over his four years.  Offensively, Kyle would score seven goals in his career and record one assist.
           
As well as being an outstanding athlete at Erskine, Kyle was also just as successful in the classroom.  As a senior, he would earn the Jake Todd Award as the school's top student-athlete and the Murphy Osborne Award as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference top student-athlete.  
           
On Kyle's leadership, former head coach Ben Freakley said; "From the moment I met Kyle I knew I was in the presence of a leader.  Kyle is a force multiplier in the sense that he makes everybody around him better.  As a teammate, he had the hunger and the humility that all great team captains possess.  He made you believe you were in every game and put in the work to back it up every day in practice." 
 









Ashlee LaFontaine Softball (2004-08)
 
Ashlee LaFontaine came to Erskine from Augusta, GA and quickly helped turn the softball program around.  In her freshman year, she would hit .346 with 10 doubles, five home runs, and 21 RBI's to help lead Erskine to a program record second place finish in the conference regular season standings.  That season would result in Ashlee being named Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference.
 
As a sophomore Ashlee would lead the team in home runs and was second in total bases to earn her second straight First Team All-Conference selection.  She would finish her career hitting .353 with six home runs, 11 doubles, and led the team with 41 RBI's to earn her third First Team All-Conference selection and help Erskine to another second-place conference finish in her senior season.
 
For her career, Ashlee would hit .317 with 36 doubles, 26 home runs, and 102 RBI's while slugging .534.  She played in 182 games over her career and as a catcher handled the pitching staff as well as controlling the running game.  
 
On what Ashlee meant to the program, Erskine head softball coach Alleen Hawkins said; "Ashlee was a once in a lifetime player who left her mark in every aspect of this program. She was one of the stepping stones of raising our dreams and goals for Erskine Softball. Truly an unforgettable person and player whom I was lucky to coach."
 






Kevin Nichols Head Baseball Coach (1999-2017)
 
Kevin Nichols was named the head baseball coach at Erskine in 1999, just one year removed from playing professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies and became one of the youngest head coaches in the nation.  He quickly turned around a program that had struggled in the 1990's and by 2003 the Fleet had their first 30-win season since going Division II and began a streak of 14 straight years of at least 30 wins, along with three 40 win seasons.  The 2005 team would break the school record for wins with 38 and lead the nation in home runs and doubles.  The team would produce the school's first National Player of the Year in Casey Smith and the team would have three players drafted in the top 20 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft.  The success of the 2005 team put Erskine baseball on the map across the country in Division II baseball
 
The program would continue to build on the success of the 2005 team and in 2008 Nichols' team would again break the school record for wins with 44 and lead the country in home runs and doubles.  This team would also be the first in school history to make the NCAA Championship Tournament.  In 2010, the Fleet made their second NCAA postseason appearance and recorded the school's first NCAA postseason win. Nichols would also have his second National Player of the Year in Bryan Fogle, who lead the country in home runs, RBI's and Total bases.  
 
In his 18 seasons at Erskine, Nichols amassed 588 career wins, making him the winningest coach in school history.  During his tenure as coach, his teams were consistently ranked in the top 30 nationally, culminating with the school's highest ranking at number two in 2015. And in 2016 the Flying Fleet brought home the school's first Conference Carolinas baseball championship.  Along with two National Players of the Year, Nichols coached 102 All-Conference players, 33 All-Region players, and 12 All-Americans.  Three former players currently hold NCAA career records—Fogle (Home Runs, RBI's, Total Bases), Chas Anthony (Doubles), and Shelton Cisson (Hits). 
 


Valerie Warren Women's Basketball (1996-2000)
 
Valerie Warren came to Erskine from nearby Greenwood, SC where she was a standout athlete for the Greenwood High School.  While at Erskine she was a four-year starter for the women's basketball team from 1996-2000.  In her first season at Erskine she was named Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference's Freshman of the Year as well as second team All-Conference.  Valerie would follow this up with another second team All-Conference selection her sophomore season. 
           
Her junior season she would be one of the best seasons in program history as she would average 18.8 points per game, with 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals.  She would go on to earn CVAC first team All-Conference honors.  Her senior season started out with an All-American nomination campaign, however she tore her ACL early in the season but returned late in the year and still averaged 12.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 18 games. 
           
Valerie would finish her career with 1,534 points that would rank her fifth All-Time in program history.  She would also be named team MVP and Captain her junior and senior seasons.  As a senior, she was also named the Jake Todd Award winner as the top student-athlete at Erskine College.  
           
Valerie's former coach at Erskine Traci Westmoreland had this to say about her, "It was an absolute pleasure to coach Val for 4 years and watch her add elements to her game each year, play lock it down defense, treat teammates and coaches with respect, excel in the classroom, be humble in her accomplishments and be friends with everyone in her path. If as a coach you can demand the most in practice from your very best athlete and they deliver every day every year, you have something special!"
 




Craig Williams Men's Basketball (2003-07)
 
Craig Willaims came to Erskine from Paris, KY and became a dominant force inside for the Fleet for each of his four years.  Following his playing career, Craig has continued to support Erskine Athletics by serving as the chairman of the Flying Fleet Club.  
           
His sophomore season saw him earn first team All-Conference honors averaging 17.9 points per game, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists.  Craig also finished 19th in the country in field goal percentage shooting 61%.  As a junior, he would average 16.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks to earn his second straight All-Conference selection.  Again, he would finish 19th in the country in field goal percentage shooting 59.4%.  
 
Craig would earn his third straight All-Conference award as a senior averaging 17.8 points, and career highs in 8.9 rebounds and blocks 2.1.  His 2.1 blocks per game ranked him 26th in all of Division II.  For his career, Craig played in 108 games, scored 1,674 points, had 786 rebounds, 130 blocks, 165 assists, and 101 steals.   
           
On what Craig meant to the program head coach Mark Peeler said; "Craig Williams did not have great size, great athletic ability, or even the best work ethic.  What he did have was a high basketball IQ combined with an incredible knack for scoring in the post.  Craig had outstanding timing that helped with rebounding and blocking shots.  He had a gift for being able to score against taller and more athletic players.  Craig was the centerpiece of our offense for four years and we wanted him to touch the ball on every possession.  Good things happened when Craig Williams touched the ball.  I don't know that we have had a more effective or efficient offensive player at Erskine than Craig Williams.  He is deserving of Hall of Fame Honors."