Florida Atlantic University Athletics
FAU Athletics Names 2010 Hall of Fame Class
12/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | General
Weekend Photo Gallery Dec. 3, 2010
BOCA RATON, FL - cFlorida Atlantic University's Athletics will induct its fifth Athletics Hall of Fame Class on Friday, December 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Marleen and Harold Forkas Alumni Center.
"We began recognizing our former outstanding student athletes with our inaugural class in 2005," said Craig Angelos, FAU athletics director. "As we grow our athletics department, it is important to honor those who have made today's accomplishments possible."
Meet the 2010 Honorees
Nick Presto 1993-96 (Baseball)
Nick Presto played baseball for Florida Atlantic University from 1993 to 1996. He began his career at third base and the following season moved to shortstop, a place he owned for three seasons. During his four-year career, the FAU baseball team defeated all but one team in the state of Florida. Presto was named first team Atlantic Sun Conference in 1995 and was a member of the 1996 Atlantic Sun Conference All-Tournament team, and tournament MVP, following his home run heroics. The two-time Cape Cod all-star was a team leader in all aspects of the word and ended his career among the top 10 in 12 of the 18 offensive categories. He donned the FAU uniform in 221 games, an average of more than 55 a year. He was inducted into the FAU Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Presto was drafted following his senior season by the Cincinnati Reds. At the completion of his professional playing career, he became a professional baseball scout.
Kelly Paiva, 2003-05 (Volleyball)
Kelly Paiva came to Florida Atlantic University as a two-time junior college All-American and didn't disappoint, earning second team All-Atlantic Sun Conference honors just one year after knee surgery. In 2005, Paiva was named the Atlantic Sun Volleyball Player of the Year after guiding the Owls to the A-Sun Conference Regular-Season and Tournament Championships. She earned A-Sun Tournament MVP honors and was a guiding force in the Owls' run to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. A consistent regular-season tournament MVP, Paiva ended her FAU career in the top three in total kills, with more than 1,000 achieved and more than 1,800 attempted. She is listed among the leaders in kills in a season and a career in addition to becoming the record holder for kills in a match, with 34. During her senior season, Paiva led the nation in kills. As a team, the 2005 Owls were perfect in conference play, allowing them to tally the highest-ever FAU volleyball team win percentage.
Lara Preacco 1994-98 (Swimming)
Lara Preacco joined the Florida Atlantic University swim team when the University was in the early stage of Division I status. Her drive and wide-ranging international experience were instrumental in helping the program retain its national prominence despite the elevated competition. By the time she came to FAU, Preacco was a 33-time gold medalist in national competition; she had been a medalist more than 60 times and a finalist 40 times. She was a five-time holder of the Swiss National Record, and she participated in the Swiss National Championships from 1983 to 1997, capturing gold five times. While at FAU, Preacco was named the team's MVP in 1995-96, and she served as team captain in 1996-97. She represented both Switzerland and FAU in the 1996 XXVI Olympic Games, held in Atlanta, Georgia. Academically, Preacco won an honorable mention in the All-American Scholar Excellence rankings, and at FAU she was on the Dean's List four times and the President's List three times. She earned both bachelor's and master's degrees at FAU and a doctorate at Western Michigan University.