4 former Franklin athletes inducted in hall of fame
On Thursday, Franklin College Athletic Hall of Fame added four new members to its family.
A banquet was held on that evening to induct the new members. The inductees will also be introduced during halftime of the football game on Saturday.
The new members of the hall of fame include Jane Betts, Al Harants, Jeff Lewis and Don Orlosky.
Jane Betts, from East Sandwich, Mass., a 1962 Franklin College graduate, is a former women’s athletic director at Valparaiso and MIT. Betts is nationally recognized for her work advancing the opportunities for women in sports. She was honored in 2006 with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of College Women in Athletics Administrators and received Franklin College’s Alumni Citation for Lifetime Achievement in 2007.
Al Harants, from Fort Wayne, a 1964 Franklin College graduate, served as a high school football coach and is a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Harants retired in 2002 after ten years at North Central High School in Indianapolis. He has also coached in Indiana at South Adams High School in Berne, Bellmont High School in Decatur and Fort Wayne High School.
Jeff Lewis, from Kissimmee, Fla., a 1975 Franklin College graduate, was the MVP of the Grizzlies golf team during each of his four years. He was an NAIA First Team All-American and received NAIA All-District 21 honors in 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Don Orlosky, from Odessa, Fla., a 1951 Franklin College graduate, served as captain of his Grizzly basketball team during the 1950-51 season. During his athletic career, he received ten varsity letters: four in basketball, four in track and two in tennis.
