Hall of Fame
Ken Steblen was a star in the early years of the Norwich men’s lacrosse program. He earned First Team All-Colonial Division honors and First Team All-New England honors during his standout career for the Maroon & Gold. Steblen joined the lacrosse club his freshman season in the spring of 1968 with the expectation of the team becoming a varsity sport the following year. He was member of the inaugural varsity team in 1969, helping to lead the Cadets to a 5-1 record.
During the 1970 season, Steblen led the team with 13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points. The next closest points-totaling player on the team had 23 points. The Cadets went 5-2 that season, beating Dartmouth, St. Michael’s, Plymouth State, New England College, and Castleton.
During his senior season in 1971, Steblen served as a co-captain along with Bob Murphy. He played all four years under Norwich Hall of Fame coach Wally Baines.
“Wally was a great coach and an even better person,” Steblen said. “He recruited players from all over New England, New York, and Maryland to play lacrosse at Norwich. To this day I am proud to have been on the first varsity lacrosse team and part of Norwich sports history. I was lucky enough to win a few awards during my playing career, but none of the awards would have been possible without my friends and teammates and, of course, Coach Baines.”
Steblen graduated with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in economics. He made Dean’s List his junior and senior year and was a member Alpha Kappa Psi.
After graduating, a knee injury kept Steblen from active duty service in the Army. Instead, he moved to Orlando, Fla. to work in the hospitality industry at Disney World. He spent the next 28 years in hotel management, culminating in being named the Vice President for Howard Johnson franchise systems in Washington, D.C. He earned a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) from the U.S. Hospitality Industry, which is its highest professional award.
Steblen has been married to his wife, Sherry, for 43 years. They have three children: Lauren, Lindsey, and Kenny. Ken and Sherry live in Clayton, N.Y. on the St. Lawrence River where he enjoys boating, fishing, and hunting.
