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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Joyce to be Inducted into Seventh Hall of Fame
6/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 20, 2006
STAMFORD, CT - Florida Atlantic University head softball coach Joan Joyce will be inducted into the Fairfield County (Conn.) Sports Hall of Fame, as announced on Tuesday by the Fairfield County Sports Commission.
Joyce, a native of Waterbury, Conn., is being recognized for her play with the Stratford Brakettes, with whom she won 11 national championships over 19 seasons. She holds a career pitching record of 753-42, with 150 no-hitters and 50 perfect games.
Joyce recently completed her 12th season as the only coach in Florida Atlantic softball history, ending the season with her ninth Atlantic Sun Conference title, seventh NCAA Tournament berth and 545 career wins. She has coached 23 First Team All-Conference players and 26 Second Team honorees, including two-time All-American Nikki Myers.
"The names going into the Fairfield County Hall of Fame are some of the biggest in all of sports," noted Joyce. "To be mentioned in the same breath with Mo Vaughn, Bobby Valentine, (Frank) "Porky" Vieira and the likes of Steve Young means a lot to me."
Joyce is one of two honorees being inducted into the James O'Rourke Amateur Wing of the hall, joined by high school basketball legend Walter Luckett. Former Olympic champions Dorothy Hamill, Bruce Jenner and Bill Toomey are the amateur wing's other members.
Vaughn and Valentine are going into the hall after having distinguished careers in professional baseball, while Connecticut prep coach Ray Barry and Vieira, among the greatest coaches in collegiate baseball history at the University of New Haven, complete this year's class of six. Young, an NFL Hall of Famer with the San Francisco 49ers, was among nine members inducted in 2005, the inaugural year for the FCSC Hall.
The induction, which will take place on Monday, Oct. 23, at the Westin in Stamford, is at least the seventh such honor for Joyce. She has also been inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, International Softball Federation Hall of Fame, National Amateur Softball Hall of Fame, Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Greater Waterbury Hall of Fame and Hank O'Donnell Hall of Fame.
"Being inducted into any of these halls is a great honor because they all have their own merits on which they stand," interjected Joyce. "I am in awe of the fact that I continue being so recognized after retiring from playing so many years ago."
Joyce's past honors also include being runner-up for Women's Sports Magazine Athlete of the Year in 1976 and finishing third among Connecticut's Athletes of the Millennium.
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