Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/22/08
Upper Moreland graduate Brenda Lear, who starred in lacrosse and field hockey at the University of Delaware in the 1990s, was inducted into the college’s Athletics Hall of Fame last night.
Lear and the rest of the Class of 2008 will be honored today at halftime of the Blue Hen’s football game against Villanova in Newark. Other inductees include men’s lacrosse All-American and all-time leading scorer Anthony DiMarzo, of Putnam Valley, N.Y., and Liza Shoemaker (Kelly), an All-American lacrosse player from Baltimore, Md.
Lear was a four-year starter in both field hockey and lacrosse during her career at Delaware from 1991-95. In lacrosse, the Willow Grove native was a four-year starter at midfield for the nationally-ranked Blue Hens and contributed 28 goals and 27 assists for her career.
Lear was a high school All-American at Upper Moreland in 1991.
Lear also earned Collegiate Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American honors in both 1993 and 1994 and was a first team All-North Atlantic Conference selection as a midfielder in 1992 and 1993. A two-time all-region pick, she also earned a spot as a member of the U.S. Under 21 Field Hockey team. She tallied 18 career assists and ranked No. 2 in that category upon her graduation.
Lear currently resides in Petaluma, Calif. with her fiancé, Dan Walsh, and is studying herbal medicine at the California School of Herbal Studies and through the David Winston Center of Herbal Studies. She enjoys wilderness travel, rock climbing, and botanizing and also runs her own Yoga practice.
The Class of 2008 includes Alison Farrance (track and field); Cindy Johnson (basketball); Gardy Kahoe (football); Al Neiger (baseball); Mike Renna (football); and Steve Steinwedel (basketball coach).
