FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2004

Michele Fanelli Receives
Rhode Island College’s
Helen M. Murphy Award

Providence, RI—Rhode Island College senior Michele Fanelli (Pembroke Pines, Florida) received Rhode Island College’s Helen M. Murphy award at the College’s annual Cap and Gown ceremony on Wednesday, Apr. 28. The award is based not only on athletic prowess, but also values community and campus involvement and honors an outstanding Rhode Island College senior woman athlete.

Fanelli finished her career in 2003 as one of the greatest softball players in RIC history. She played in 148 games, starting 139 of them and batted .359 with 435 at-bats, 77 runs, 156 hits, 31 doubles, seven triples, 36 walks and eight stolen bases. She owned a career slugging percentage of .462 and an on-base percentage of .417. She leaves RIC as the school’s all-time leader in hits, doubles, RBI, hit by pitch and total bases.

As a senior in 2003, Fanelli was named the Little East Conference’s Co-Player of the Year, as well as earning First Team All-Little East honors for the third straight year and team MVP honors for the second consecutive season. She played in 34 games, starting all of them. Fanelli batted .382 with 16 runs, 39 hits, 12 doubles and 23 RBI. She owned a .500 slugging percentage, a .479 on-base percentage and a .981 fielding percentage.

As a junior in 2002, she was named First Team All-Little East Conference. Fanelli played in 38 games, starting all of them. She batted .375 with 22 runs, 48 hits, six doubles, four triples, 28 RBI and one stolen base. She owned a .484 slugging percentage, a .396 on-base percentage and a .990 fielding percentage.

As a sophomore in 2001, she was named First Team All-Little East Conference and to the LEC All-Tournament Team. On the season, Fanelli played in 41 games, starting 40 of them. She batted .385 with 47 hits, 22 RBI, 26 runs, nine doubles, three triples and four stolen bases. She posted a .508 slugging percentage, a .444 on-base percentage and a .961 fielding percentage.

As a freshman in 2000, Fanelli played in 35 games, starting 27. She batted .265 with 22 hits, 13 runs, five RBI, four doubles, three stolen bases, 26 total bases for a .313 slugging percentage, a .322 on-base percentage and recorded a .895 fielding percentage.

She is a communications major and a 1999 graduate of Cooper City High School.

ABOUT THE HELEN M. MURPHY AWARD

The Murphy Award was established in 1979 and sponsored by the faculty of the Henry Barnard School to honor an outstanding Rhode Island College senior woman athlete. The award is named for Helen M. Murphy, a graduate of Rhode Island College in 1939, who was a member of the faculty for 38 years and taught at the Henry Barnard School, beginning in 1941, until her retirement in 1979.

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