Brandywine Athletics inducts 2026 Hall of Fame class

MEDIA, Pa. — The Penn State Brandywine Athletics Hall of Fame added four new members during an induction ceremony on Jan. 23. Members of the class of 2026 include former women’s soccer student-athlete Brianna Banks, softball student-athlete Katie DeStefano, baseball student-athlete Frank Flaim, and women’s basketball and softball student-athlete Nikki Velez.

“Tonight, we celebrate the history of Brandywine Athletics — the people, the moments and the programs that built the pride that we have in this room tonight,” said Bobbi Caprice, director of athletics, in her opening remarks.

Regional Chancellor Marilyn J. Wells acknowledged the hard work it took for the Hall of Fame honorees to get to where they are today.

“This is a wonderful evening about people, our passions and our accomplishments that occur day in and day out, in muddy practices, on the court, on the fields and in locker rooms,” she said. “We know it probably took 100,000 times that to bring our honorees to this evening, and tonight we celebrate them and their accomplishments.”

Nominees were inducted into the Hall of Fame by those who watched them grow during their time at Brandywine. Banks was inducted by Jim Hardy, founder and executive director of the Kensington Soccer Club; DeStefano was inducted by Brandywine Head Softball Coach Mark Caserta; Flaim was inducted by former Brandywine Head Baseball Coach Jeff Vickers; and Velez was inducted by Brandywine Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Brandywine Athletics Hall of Famer Larry Johnson.

Brianna Banks starred for the Penn State Brandywine women's soccer team 2016-19, earning four First Team All-American awards and National Player of the Year honors from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) during her final season with the Lions. The only four-time conference player of the year in Brandywine Athletics history, Banks led the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) in scoring all four seasons at Brandywine, totaling 119 goals, 24 assists and 262 points during her 64-match career. As a fourth-year student, Banks averaged more than 2 goals per match, setting a program record with 40 goals, as she led Brandywine to a fourth-straight conference championship and an appearance in the USCAA National Championship match. Banks was also a standout in the classroom as she earned First Team Academic All-American accolades following her final season.

Katie DeStefano set nearly every pitching record during her four seasons as a member of the Penn State Brandywine softball team 2015-18. DeStefano finished her four-year career with a 41-22 record, 254 strikeouts and 55 complete games, setting program benchmarks in all three categories. During the 2018 season, DeStefano pitched 163.0 of a possible 180.0 innings, spinning 29 complete games, while posting a record of 22-7. Also an offensive threat, DeStefano recorded 100 hits, a .373 batting average and 73 RBI in 134 career games. She aided Brandywine in winning the first four conference championships in program history.

Frank Flaim was the leader on offense during his career with the Penn State Delaware County baseball team 2003-07. (The campus was renamed Penn State Brandywine in fall 2007). A team captain, Flaim set the program's hit record, logging more than 100 hits during his career. Flaim was a three-time all-conference shortstop in the PSUAC. He led Penn State Delaware County to four conference tournament bids, including three appearances in the PSUAC Championship.

Nikki Velez became the most prolific scorer in Penn State Brandywine women's basketball history during her four-year career, 2016-20. Velez poured in 1,800 points during 111 games, while earning four-straight USCAA All-American awards. The 2019-20 USCAA National Player of the Year, Velez is the top three-point shooter in program history, having knocked down 325 triples. Velez was also a standout on the softball diamond for the Lions, tallying a .363 batting average, 107 hits and 55 RBI during three full seasons as the team's starting shortstop. Velez helped her teams to a total of five conference championships, winning a trio of softball titles and two women's basketball crowns.