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Administration Joe Browning

UNCW Inducts Trio Into Athletic Hall of Fame

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – High scoring men's soccer forward Colin Bonner, women's golf ace Michelle Jarman and women's basketball playmaker Cherie Lea joined the pantheon of sports at UNCW early Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, with the induction of the trio into the UNCW Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
The three individuals pushed the elite group's membership to 60 overall since the inaugural event took place in 1998. Family and friends alike joined the threesome as the Seahawk icons took turns sharing stories of their days on the field, the links and court.
 
UNCW Athletic Hall of Fame | Class of 2023 Inductees

Colin Bonner
 
A tall, athletic forward, Bonner was a force on the pitch for the men's soccer team from 2012-15. A native of Laurel, Md., Bonner played in all 75 games and made 72 starts during a stellar career that featured numerous honors.
 
Bonner was recognized by the Colonial Athletic Association all four seasons. He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2012, earned Second-Team All-CAA accolades in 2013 and moved up to First-Team All-CAA honors his final two seasons.
 
During his four years with the team, Bonner was the leading scorer three times and closed out his career with 61 points on 23 goals and 15 assists. He ranks among the top-15 in school history in eight statistical categories.
 
In his senior year, Bonner swept the school's top two athletic honors – the Chancellor's Cup and Thomas V. Mosley Award – and became UNCW's first CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree. He was nominated for the NCAA's Top 30 Senior CLASS Award for his achievements in the community, classroom, character and competition.
 
Bonner excelled in the classroom as well. He earned the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award all four years and was named the 2015 CAA Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's soccer out of nearly 1,500 competitors.
 
Bonner was the first player in UNCW history to be chosen in the MLS SuperDraft when he was selected in the 3rd Round (45th overall) by FC Dallas. He was loaned to the United Soccer League's Oklahoma City Energy and scored four goals with the club.
 
Bonner completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from UNCW's Cameron School of Business in 2016, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.82 grade point average.
 
Bonner became the third men's soccer player in the Hall of Fame, joining Gene Borowski (2004) and Brad Knighton (2018).
 
Michelle Jarman
 
An underwriting and portfolio manager at Live Oak Bank, Jarman put up some impressive numbers during her career with the women's golf team from 2002-06.
 
The Wilmington native was a four-time All-Conference performer for the Seahawks, leading the team to a pair of conference titles and three NCAA East Regional appearances. She also registered a top-20 finish as an individual at the 2006 NCAA Regionals.
 
Jarman racked up numerous statistical achievements during her sparkling career. She finished with a 76.46 career scoring average over 119 rounds with five tournament victories.
 
Jarman was tabbed the 2005 and 2006 CAA Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year and was named the 2005 CAA Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. She was the recipient of the Thomas V. Moseley Award for the 2005-06 season as the school's season-ending athletic awards banquet.
 
Jarman is the only player in the program's history to qualify for six USGA Championships, the U.S. Girls Junior, the U.S. Women's Open, the U.S. Women's Amateur and the U.S. Women's Mid-Am. She went on to play four years on the LPGA's Duramed Futures Tour.
 
In the classroom, Jarman's scorecard was nearly perfect. A four-time Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Scholar, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.993 GPA and passed the CPA exam on her initial try.
 
Jarman earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration/Finance in 2006 and completed her Master of Science in Accounting at UNCW in 2007.
 
Jarman joined all-time great Becky Berzonski (2018) as women's golf honorees in the Hall of Fame.

Cherie Lea
 
Lea signed on with the Seahawks for the 2002-03 women's basketball season and made an immediate impact with the team.
 
A transfer from UNC Chapel Hill, the versatile guard powered the Seahawks to a 37-19 record over two seasons, earning First-Team All-CAA and Team MVP recognition both years.
 
The Blanch, N.C., product scored 884 points (14.7 ppg), grabbed 301 rebounds (5.4 rpg) and dished out 165 assists (2.9 apg) in 56 appearances for the Seahawks. She started 55 of those contests and continues as the only two-time First-Team All-CAA pick in Seahawk women's hoops history. She was honored as a CAA legend in 2005.
 
Lea also excelled in the classroom during her time in Wilmington. She was a two-time selection to the CAA's All-Academic Team and was tabbed as the CAA's Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2003-04. Following her senior year, Lea was named recipient of the prestigious Dean Ehlers Award from the CAA.
 
Following graduation, Lea enjoyed an outstanding professional career overseas. She played professionally in Luxembourg and Holland, where she was the two-time MVP of the Dutch League and a participant in four All-Star Games. Lea won a pair of Dutch titles during her time in The Netherlands.
 
Lea is in her eighth season on the women's basketball staff at Duquesne, where she was named associate head coach last June.
 
Lea earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from UNCW in 2004.
 
Lea became the sixth women's basketball member of the Hall of Fame. Previous honorees include Jill Amos Lindblade (2005), Gwen Austin (2010), Sheila Boles (2012), Tressa Reese (2016) and Sharon McDowell (2020).
 
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