Oswego, NY - The Oswego State Athletic Hall of Fame welcomed six new "Laker Legends" on Saturday, Oct. 3, in a ceremony in Sheldon Hall. Joseph Darling '88, Kevin Flynn '81, Jason Haethorne '02 M'06, Kelly Mraz Mylott '07, Caroline Coley Stainstreet '84 and Hayden Ward '13 were honored before a room filled with parents, spouses, kids, former teammates and coaches who shaped them. 
 
Again and again, the inductees came back to the same idea: choosing Oswego changed their lives. There were thank-yous to parents who never missed a game, stores of early-morning bus rides, and freezing January practices, and tributes to coaches seated just a few tables away. As Haethorne put it from the podium, it was "one of the best nights of my life".
 
Joseph Darling '88 of Virginia Beach, VA etched his name among the greatest wrestlers in Oswego history with a career defined by national-stage excellence. A Division III All-American at 150 pounds in 1986, Darling qualified for the NCAA Championships twice, in two different weight classes – 142 and 150 -- a feat few Lakers have matched. One of his signature moments came in 1985, when he stood alone as the only Oswego wrestler to beat a wrestler on the nationally ranked Ithaca team, then No.6 in the country and riding a dominant win streak. 
 
Presented by his brother Brian Darling '91, Darling grew up the middle child of nine in a family with six wrestling brothers and parents who never missed a match. He credited that household for everything that followed.
 
"Being number six of nine, we're in the middle somewhat, but it comes back to one thing." 
 
Darling said, "I tried to do the best I could to make my family proud."
 
Kevin Flynn '82 of Tyler, TX stands among the most accomplished players in Oswego men's ice hockey history. A three-time team captain and two-time SUNYAC champion, Flynn helped lead the Lakers through one of the program's most competitive eras. He finished his career with 225 points in 106 games -- fifth all-time in program history -- with 94 goals (tied for fifth) and 131 assists (fourth all-time), averaging more than two points a game. His presenter and former teammates, Rick Pratt '82, noted that Flynn led the 1980-91 Lakers to the best record in the nation at 26-3-1.
 
Forty-five years after his last game, Flynn admitted he was surprised to be remembered at all - with a sense of humor that made the whole room laugh. "My biggest accomplishment, I believe, was being captain for three years.". Flynn also thanked the Oswego community that adopted him, especially the Johnsons family, who "treated me like a son."
 
A dominant midfielder and the program's only USILA Academic All-American, Jason Hawthorne '02 M'06 of Baldwinsville, NY distinguished himself both on the field and in the classroom during his four years with Oswego men's lacrosse. A two-year captain, he earned All-League recognition every season, including three straight First Team selections from 2000-02, and was one of only nine Lakers picked for the USILA North/South Game over a 50-year span. He finished his career with 126 points (64 goals, 62 assists) – 14th on Oswego's all-time scoring list –  and captured the Ron Humphreys Memorial Award for ground balls all four years.
 
Now 25 years into a teaching and coaching career, Hawthorne used his time at the podium to thank the people behind him: his parents, grandparents, wife, three sons and an entire table of his former coaches. "One of the most important things I've learned is that success is led by people who are supported constantly in their life," he said. 
 
He closed with a moment from this summer, when Oswego's lacrosse coach, Andrew Daley, introduced himself to Hawthorne's son, Owen, a rising junior, and said he'd love to see him play at Oswego State. 
 
"It almost brought tears to my eyes, looking at my son and seeing the excitement in his eyes," Hawthorne said. 
 
Kelly Mraz Mylott '07 of Saratoga Springs, NY established herself as one of the most accomplished players in Oswego women's basketball history. She finished fifth all-time in scoring with 1,195 points, and she was the driving force - leading the team in scoring, assists and steals -- behind the Lakers' record-setting 2004-05 campaign. Mylott's freshman season alone earned her SUNYAC First Year Player of the Year honors, and she went on to earn First Team All-SUNYAC honors in 2004 and 2005 before being named SUNYAC Player of the Year following her breakout 2004-05 season.
 
Mylott said the choice to come to Oswego was an easy one once she knew she'd be playing alongside familiar faces - two of whom were in the audience. "When it came time to choose where I wanted to continue my basketball career, Oswego felt like the right place," she said. "The division was very easy, and it ended up being the best decision I could have made."
 
She shared the credit throughout. "It was very much a team effort throughout our four years, and it was definitely not an individual thing," Mylott said. She also revealed the origin of a nickname that still follows her: corn muffin. Her coach saved one warm corn muffin for her on every morning bus ride, and nobody else was allowed to touch it. 
 
A powerhouse in the pool, Caroline Coley Stanistreet '84 of Camillus, NY built her Oswego legacy over a four year run, two years as team captain and a Rookie of the Year debut in 1981. At the 1984 SUNYAC Championships, she placed second in both the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle.  By the time she left Oswego she held school records in the 200-, 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle, along with the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays.
 
Stainstreet structured her speech like a distance race, counting off her "laps of gratitude" to her family, including her "Oswego legacy daughter," Elizabeth - her "swim sisters" from 1980-84 and her coach, 2004 Hall of Famer Grace Mowatt Burritt, who helped her through the loss of her father at the start of junior year. 
 
"As I touch the wall tonight, I do so with a full heart," Stanistreet said. "This has been one unforgettable race, and I'm grateful to have shared so many laps with all of you. Thank you, and go Lakers."
 
Hayden Ward '13 of Montauk, NY cemented his legacy as one of the most dominant rebounders and consistent performers in Oswego men's basketball history. A team captain in 2012-13, Ward earned NABC Division III All-America honors that same year, was named First Team All-SUNYAC in each of his final three seasons and played a pivotal role on the Lakers' first-ever NCAA Tournament team in 2011. He finished his career eighth in program history in scoring (1,393 points) and second all-time in rebounds (892), capping his career with an 18.2-points, 9.6-rebounds senior season.
 
"What an honor it is to be a member of the SUNY Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame family," Ward said. "Even standing here right now, it's still hard to believe. It feels a little unreal."
 
Like Mylott, he pointed to his teammates. "We were a true team, and I really loved playing with those guys," he said, Then he offered the line that summed up the evening. 
 
"I really enjoyed my time at Oswego. I had a lot of fun, I loved playing basketball, and I met a lot of great people on and off the court. I can confidently say that choosing Oswego was one of the best decisions ever made." 
 
Nominations of alumni-athletes or former coaches (living or deceased) for future consideration are accepted online.
 
Check out the complete SUNY Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame members.

Written by Lillian Haggerty