FORT MYERS, Fla. – Five illustrious FGCU student-athletes – softball player Carmen (Paez) Jimenez, men's golfer Derek Lamely, baseball players Richard Bleier and Casey Coleman, and softball/volleyball standout Cheyenne Jenks – were inducted as the 2023 Class of the FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night in a ceremony at the Cohen Student Union.
 
The Class of 2023 will be recognized in a halftime ceremony at Saturday's FGCU-Kennesaw State men's basketball game. The 2023 class joins the inaugural class of 2021 – baseball standout Chris Sale and volleyball star Brooke Youngquist Sweat, a trio of foundational forefathers in Dr. Ben Hill Griffin III, Dr. Bill Merwin, and Duane Swanson, Sr., and the 2012-13 "Dunk City" basketball team.

"It was heartwarming to witness the honoring of five Eagle pioneer icons," said FGCU Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. "Each of whom bet on a growing FGCU to provide them platforms for success, and who have parlayed those opportunities into generating significant success for themselves and tremendous pride for and from their institution."
 
Jimenez, who was unable to attend Friday night, was inducted into the ASUN Hall of Fame Class of 2019 in recognition of a stellar two-year career in the Green & Blue. A top 25 finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year in 2008, Jimenez was named ASUN Player of the Year and FGCU's Female Student-Athlete of the Year after leading the nation with a .638 on-base percentage with a .425 batting average, 22 HRs (fourth in the nation), 68 RBI, 76 runs scored, and an ASUN record 84 walks (fifth-most in NCAA history). The Eagles were a combined 110-23 in her two seasons.
 
"I'm sorry I could not be there to share with Richard, Casey, Cheyenne and Derek," Jimenez said via a message delivered by FGCU softball coach David Deiros. "My time to shine is over. I need to direct the spotlight to my three beautiful children, because they have things this weekend that are important to them. My days on the diamond were fabulous, but it would be selfish of me to be there when it is my children's time to shine.
 
"I am so proud and grateful that our entire softball team is at the ceremony to share in this honor with me and the four other inductees. The best advice I can give them, and anyone, is simple – to swing for the fences."
 
Lamely was a member of FGCU's first men's golf team, and would go onto become the first former FGCU golfer to win on the PGA Tour, capturing the 2010 Puerto Rico Open in his rookie season. Lamely won by two strokes over Kris Blanks, finishing with a then-tournament-record 19 under par. He became first rookie to win on the PGA Tour since Marc Turnesa won the 2008 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
 
"Doc Suttie, I wore him out over the years. Doc, Butch Person and Carl MacAloose got me into school and got me started on this path," Lamely said. "It is the love, and how you go about it, that makes this special. The games we would play every day, the trash talk we gave each other, was great even on days you are not your best."
 
Bleier earned ASUN Class of 2021 of Hall of Fame honors due to his excellence at FGCU. He was a unanimous selection for the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-Conference first team in 2008.  Bleier made 12 starts on the year and compiled four complete games, finishing with a 7-1 record and a team-best 2.09 ERA. He was named to the All-South Region second team as a sophomore in 2007, recording an 8-2 record with a 3.60 ERA in 85.0 innings. He was among the national leaders in wins and strikeouts, fanning 84 batters while walking just 18. During his Eagles career, he made 46 appearances with 26 starts and had 181 strikeouts in 209.2 innings pitched. Bleier made his MLB debut in 2016 with the Yankees, and continues to pitch in the majors with the Marlins.
 
"This is an incredible honor to be inducted. My story is fairly meek, I was at a UF showcase and our staff just liked what they saw. My dad forged an email to our coaches saying I was ready to play, because I had no real opportunities at the next level," Bleier said. "They didn't have any scholarship money, so I was a walk-on at Division II and grabbed the opportunity. I was pushed so hard by our coaching staff while I was here, and spent nine years in the minors before making it to the majors. But I wouldn't have made it without the motivation from all of them who steered me in the right direction."
 
A 2023 ASUN Hall of Famer, Coleman went 16-6 on the mound with 171 strikeouts from 2006-08, helping lead FGCU to a 119-49 record over that span. He split time at second base, shortstop and third base, and hit .318 with 98 runs scored, 156 hits, 26 doubles, nine triples, eight home runs and 97 RBIs. Despite only playing three seasons, Coleman still ranks among the top 10 in three FGCU career categories - triples (9, fourth), saves (6, ninth), and wins (16, 10th). Coleman played four years in the majors, competing in 58 games with the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals, with an 8-13 record, a 5.72 ERA and 123 strikeouts over 177.2 innings pitched.
 
"I just want to say thanks to all the people who allowed this to happen for me," Coleman said. "I was born and raised in Southwest Florida, in Cape Coral, and it is special for that reason. My dad, who couldn't be here, taught me how to be humble. I wouldn't be anything without learning humility from him. My mom never said no, was never too busy, never too tired. She would hit ground balls to me, pitch to me, and always was present with me. My mom was my coach growing up, and that wasn't easy."
 
Jenks was inducted to the ASUN Hall of Fame in 2020 in recognition of a stellar two-sport career in the Green & Blue. She was named First-Team All-American as a senior in 2009 – FGCU's first ever in any sport – and was unanimously chosen ASUN Player of the Year after hitting .473 with 23 HRs and matching her own ASUN record of 73 RBI. He was also a unanimous All-ASUN First Team selection as a junior helping the Eagles to a share of the 2008 regular-season championship, posting a .398 average with 16 home runs, a .738 slugging percentage, and 73 RBI, which set an ASUN record (tied for third in the nation). A two-sport star, Jenks was a key contributor to back-to-back ASUN regular-season volleyball championships in 2007 and 2008 and combined 72-14 record in her three seasons.
 
"It is special to be inducted alongside Brooke (Youngquist Sweat), and to also be inducted alongside a teammate in Carmen," Jenks said. "Some athletes want to make the pros and win awards and make Halls of Fame. But I just wanted to play, and FGCU allowed me to do just that. I wanted to play all the sports growing up, too, and FGCU allowed me the opportunity to pursue dreams in two sports."
 
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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 94 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 47 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22 and No. 25 in 2022-23) beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.66 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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