April 7, 2003
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - It has been over 16 years since former Lafayette women's basketball standout Stacey Cagenello graced the hardwood on College Hill, but the Class of '87 star has not forgotten her time in a Leopards jersey and what the game taught her along the way.
Her home state of Connecticut has not forgotten her accomplishments either, and is honoring Cagenello with an induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame located at Central Connecticut State University.
"The interest in women's basketball in Connecticut is so big and it is a great honor to be recognized," Cagenello said.
Cagenello's induction will mark the second time that the 1987 graduate will be enshrined. In 1994, Lafayette celebrated Cagenello's career as a student-athlete with induction into the Maroon Club Hall of Fame, a moment that she will never forget.
"My induction into the Lafayette Hall of Fame was such a great honor," Cagenello said. "I had such fine memories of my years at Lafayette and I was so excited to be included with such great athletes."
Cagenello attributes her home state's newfound love and respect for the rampantly growing women's game to the success that the University of Connecticut has had since the early 1990's. Connecticut has adopted its own state university's unparalleled dynasty in a time when parity reigns at every level of sports.
Cagenello left Connecticut in 1983 to come and build something special on College Hill when the women's program was trying to carve out its own identity. Lafayette was hovering around .500, 33-35, under then fourth-year head coach Pat Fisher.
From the start, Cagenello helped solidify Fisher's backcourt and made an instant impact by helping the Leopards to a then school record 16 wins on her way to being named East Coast Conference (ECC) Rookie of the Year and team Most Valuable Player.
Cagenello did not slow down as a sophomore. She added the ECC Most Valuable Player award to her shelf and helped Lafayette shatter the school record with 24 wins against only six defeats. The Leopards won their first women's basketball championship, the ECC Title and Cagenello was named the Tournament MVP.
To win that first championship Lafayette had to go through its archrival, Lehigh. Thanks to Cagenello the Leopards dismantled Lehigh 72-52, and the sophomore started a trend of saving her best for the Engineers, as they were then called.
"We had a wonderful rivalry with Lehigh during my playing career," Cagenello recalls. "Both teams were vying for championships against each other and it was so exciting to play them."
Overall, with Cagenello in the backcourt, Lafayette amassed a 7-2 record over its archrival, including a 2-0 mark in ECC Championship games.
That second postseason title came in 1987 and turned out to be the perfect ending to Cagenello's career on College Hill. The Leopards stopped Lehigh once again, this time 60-58 in overtime.
Cagenello fondly recalls those championship seasons. "Being a champion is something every athlete strives for. To be able to end your season on a winning note, both times against Lehigh, is truly something special," Cagenello said. "Beating them (Lehigh) my senior year in the championship game is probably my best memory."
Cutting the nets down is not the only memory that stayed with Cagenello after all these years. She attributes some of her success in life to the commitment and the values learned from athletics at Lafayette.
"Winning two championships in four years was a testament to teamwork, hard work and trusting in our coaches and each other, and I have taken those lessons every step of the way," Cangenello said. "I spent seven years as an officer in the Army after Lafayette and there were countless times when I drew on the invaluable mental toughness to get to the next level professionally."
Also a standout on the softball diamond where she was twice named ECC Most Valuable Player, Cagenello won the Charles L. Albert '08 Award as the most outstanding female athlete of the senior class.
"Playing two sports was a tremendous time commitment," Cagenello said. "I had to make some sacrifices to fit everything in, but it was truly worth it."
After graduating, Cagenello was commissioned an Officer in the United States Army. Even in the service she made her mark on the basketball floor. Cagenello was named to the All-Army and All-Armed Forces Women's Basketball teams from 1988-90, and in 1989 she was honored as the Female Athlete of the Year by both organizations.
Cagenello proudly served in Saudia Arabia during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Desert Farewell. She went on to serve as the Director of Women's Athletics, head basketball, softball and volleyball coach at the West Point Military Academy Preparatory School.
From West Point's Preparatory School, Cagenello came back to College Hill as an assistant women's basketball coach under Fisher and head softball coach from 1994-98.
Today, Cagenello is in her second year as a fourth grade teacher at the Copper Hill School in Flemington, N.J.
"I absolutely love teaching, in particular this age, and love going to school everyday. I am able to bring my past experiences from both athletics and the Army into the classroom," Cagenello said. "I teach and practice with my students skills like respect and responsibility to build a classroom community where we look out for each other."
For Cagenello, it is all about giving back.
