Mark Young & Dana (Pellegrino) Farinella Named 2017 Fairfield University’s MAAC Basketball Honor Roll Inductees
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced Fairfield University’s honorees to be inducted in the MAAC Honor Roll, in which honorees will be enshrined in “The MAAC Experience” exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 16.
Each member institution of the MAAC honors one male and one female from its basketball “family” as part of the 2017 induction class. A dinner event will be on Saturday, September 16 at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Court of Dreams to recognize the Honor Roll inductees.
Each honoree will be profiled in the game program for the 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships, and will also be featured in a video display at “The MAAC Experience.”
Mark Young ‘79
Mark Young made his mark on the Fairfield University record book both as a shooter and as a defender during his four-year stay. He registered 1,643 points which placed second all-time at the time of his graduation, and remains in the top 10 among Fairfield’s all-time scorers. He ranks third in program history with a .558 field goal percentage, a number aided by his New England record .629 field goal percentage as a junior. He also placed sixth in the nation with that field goal percentage, connecting on 149 of 237 attempts that season. The center was also effective at the free throw line, setting a school record with 193 charity tosses in his senior season and setting the standard with 543 career free throws. Young scored 30 or more points in five games during his career, highlighted by a 32-point performance against Dayton in the 1978 NIT. As a senior, Young led all Fairfield student-athletes in both scoring (20.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg). He became the fifth Stag in school history to surpass 800 career rebounds, collecting 808 in his 106 career appearances. As a sophomore, Young grabbed 19 rebounds against Merrimack College.
Dana (Pellegrino) Farinella ‘88
Dana Pellegrino-Farinella finished her Fairfield University basketball career as one of the top scorers in program history. A Kodak Academic All-District student-athlete, she scored 1,530 points in her four-year career which placed third in school history at the time of her graduation and currently ranks her ninth on the school’s scoring list. A prolific scorer, Pellegrino scored a career-high 30 points against New Hampshire during the 1985-86 season, becoming only the second Stag at that time to score 30 points in a game. She was a member of the program’s first NCAA tournament team, an honor which came after the Stags won the 1988 MAAC Championship. She was named the MAAC tournament most valuable player for her efforts. Pellegrino led the team in scoring in the MAAC title game with 18 points, and followed up with a team-high 21 points against St. John’s in the NCAA tournament game. She led all scorers in 1987-88 with a 15.8 scoring average. Pellegrino earned a spot on the All-MAAC first team, her second straight appearance on the conference’s top team. The guard began her career as the MAAC Rookie of the Year after averaging 9.4 points per game. She followed up with an All-MAAC second team appearance as a sophomore, posting 14.6 points per contest. Pellegrino was a MAAC All-Academic selection as a junior and as a senior. Off the basketball court, Pellegrino also excelled on the softball diamond, finishing sixth in the nation with a .440 batting average as a junior. She earned All-MAAC honors on the diamond. Pellegrino capped her career at Fairfield by being recognized as the University’s female athlete of the year in her sophomore, junior, and senior years.
The 2017 MAAC Basketball Honor Roll Class (to date):
| MAAC Honoree |
Bob Belber |
| Canisius College |
Craig Wise |
| Canisius College |
Jenel Stevens |
| Fairfield University |
Mark Young |
| Fairfield University |
Dana (Pellegrino) Farinella |