Hall of Fame
Lisa Trujillo Fenton's spirit of gratitude led to her role as a coach in her Temecula, Calif., community. "I really enjoy coaching," she said. "Coaches made a big difference in my life, and I promised myself someday I'd give back to the community that way."
Outside of her duties as a second grade teacher at St. Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School, Fenton coaches volleyball, soccer and basketball in their middle school program and at the local community center.
After receiving a BS in Education at Norwich, Fenton returned to her native California and has been an elementary school teacher ever since.
At Norwich, Fenton excelled on the basketball court. She lettered all four years and at the time of her graduation she was Norwich's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with a career total of 1,561 points and 1,137 rebounds.
Fenton's achievements started her freshman year when she was twice named the ECAC "Rookie of the Week."Â The 1990-1991 women's basketball team, which Fenton was a part of, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Her sophomore year earned Fenton a spot on the ECAC honor roll. As a junior, she scored her 1000th career point, was given the team MVP award, was named "Defensive Player of the Year" and was named to the NEWBA third team.
Fenton served as captain of the team her senior year, the 1993-94 season. She led the team to a 17-9 overall record. That team made the ECAC Tournament for the first time in women's sports history at Norwich. Fenton was elected to the second team all-conference NEWBA, selected to play in the NEWBA Senior Classic game and was named MVP of the NEWAC.
Traveling across the country to attend school pushed Fenton past her comfort zone and she described it as a "hard decision to make."Â However, the coaches and professors helped give her confidence and direction to balance her athletic and academic life.
Fenton credits Paula Gills as a strong and positive influence for her. "Paula helped and inspired me," she said. "She understood I was far from home and she was always positive, with nice things to say. It made a difference."
Fenton has been married and has a daughter she feels lucky to coach now. "Every year I love the kids and their ages," Fenton said of teaching and motherhood. "Every year they are so amazing."
