NORFOLK, Va. -- A two-sport standout, a former defensive tackle from the early days of FCS football, a women's soccer member of the first NCAA Tournament team and a pair of golfers will be honored on September 23 as the 2023 Old Dominion University Athletic Hall of Fame class was announced on Thursday by ODU Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig.
Lisa Bernardini DeJohn (Women's Lacrosse/Women's Soccer), Ronnie Cameron (Football), Samantha Morrell (Women's Golf), Eric Onesi (Men's Golf) and Katie Watson (Women's Soccer) will receive the honor on the morning of the ODU Football game against Texas A&M University-Commerce to highlight Homecoming Weekend.
Bernardini DeJohn played women's lacrosse and soccer from 2008-12 and was named the ODU Alumni Association Female Athlete of the Year in 2012. She was an All-Rookie selection in lacrosse in 2009 and earned First Team All-CAA honors as a senior. Bernardini DeJohn is currently second on the All-Time assists list (66), fourth on the All-Time points scored list (190) and sixth on the All-Time goals scored list (124). She scored 34 goals in 2011 and 2012 after tallying 33 in 2010. On the soccer pitch, she was a two-time All-CAA Second Team selection as a defender. In her freshman season, she earned All-Freshman Mid Atlantic honors by Soccer Buzz. As a senior she moved to offense and led the team with six goals and 18 points. She graduated with a degree in health and physical education. She graduated with a degree in communications.
Cameron was a two-year standout at defensive tackle in 2010 and 2011 after joining the Monarchs following Hofstra's disbanding of its football team. He earned six All-America honors in 2011, three of those being first team selections, as the Monarchs went 10-3 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The 2012 ODU Alumni Association Male Athlete of the Year, he also earned Scholar Athlete of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors from the CAA in 2011. Cameron was a first team All-CAA and All-State selection in 2011 after recording 71 tackles and 31 for a loss in 2011. The Norfolk Sports Club recognized him with the 2012 Tom Scott Award winner honoring ODU's top senior. Cameron graduated with a master's in business administration in 2011.
Morrell was a four-year letterwinner on the women's golf team from 2009-13 being named the 2013 ODU Alumni Female Athlete of the Year and the Norfolk Sports Club's Tom Scott Award recipient. She recorded three top 11 finishes in conference championships, finishing 11th in the CAA in 2011, seventh in the CAA in 2012 and 10th in 2013 in Conference USA. She was named the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2010 and earned second team All-CAA honors with a 76.1 stroke average. In August of 2020, she became the first ODU women's golfer to play in an LPGA Tour Major event participating in the KPMG Women's Championship. Morrell graduated with a communications degree.
Onesi was a member of the men's golf team from 2007-10 earning All-CAA honors in each of his four seasons. He was a two-time First Team and a two-time Second Team All-CAA selection and earned Team MVP honors twice. Onesi was a two-time CAA Championship runner-up in 2009 and 2010, named CAA Rookie of the Year in 2006-07 and earned a spot on the CAA 25th Anniversary All-Time team. He won the Delaware State Amateur in 2008 and also took second at the prestigious Eastern Amateur that year. Onesi advanced to match play at the US Amateur Championships held at the famous San Francisco Olympic Club in 2007. He has competed on the PGA Tour-Canada in 2015 and the PGA Tour-Latino America and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA South Central Regional Championship in Oklahoma in 2009. Onesi graduated with a degree in business management with a communications concentration.
Watson played for the women's soccer program from 2006-09 earning two First Team NSCAA All-Region honors and was ODU's first NSCAA Scholar All-American in 2006-07. A two-time First Team All-CAA honoree, she led the league in scoring as a freshman with 13 goals and seven assists for 33 points and was third in 2008-09 with 12 goals and seven assists for 31 points. Watson was a key cog in helping ODU to its first national ranking coming in 25th by Soccer America on Sept. 25, 2008, and had a hat trick against Akron that season. She helped lead ODU to its only CAA title and first NCAA Tournament appearance as a freshman. For her career she finished fourth in points scored (75) and sixth in goals scored (26). She graduated with a degree in sports management.
LISA BERNARDINI DEJOHN (2008-12) – Women's Lacrosse/Soccer, Langhorne, PA.
2012 ODU Alumni Association's Female Athlete of the Year
2012 First Team All-CAA Midfielder Lacrosse
ODU's 2nd All-Time Lacrosse Assist leader (66)/ 4th All-Time Pts Leader(190)/6th all-time Goals (124)
Led ODU with 34 goals & 15 Assists in Lacrosse in 2012
Led ODU with 34 goals in 2011 in Lacrosse & 33 goals in 2010
2009 CAA All-Rookie selection in Lacrosse
Led ODU Women's Soccer with 6 goals & 6 assists for 18 total points in 2011 as a senior.
2009 and 2011 2nd team All-CAA Women's Soccer Defender
2008 Soccer Buzz All-Freshman Mid Atlantic in Women's Soccer
Major: Graduated in Health and Physical Education
RONNIE CAMERON (2010 & 11) – Football/Defensive Tackle/Westbury, NY.
Earned six All-America Honors as a senior in 2011 (3 First team selections)
Helped lead ODU to 10-3 record & 2nd round NCAA FCS Playoff Appearance in 2011
2012 ODU Alumni association's Male Athlete of the Year
CAA's Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2011
CAA 2011 Defensive Player of the Year/ Roanoke Times Virginia Defensive Player of the Year
2012 Tom Scott Award as ODU's top Senior by Norfolk Sports Club
2011 Elite Defensive Tackle Award by College Football Performance Awards.
First Team All-CAA and All-State in 2011
2nd in CAA in Tackles and tackles for loss (71 tackles/31 tfl) in 2011
Tied for 8th nationally (FCS) in tackles for loss (70 yds/1.73 tfl)
Came to ODU after Hofstra dropped program
2012 played in NFL for Cleveland and Philadelphia
Currently: Working for Deloitte (One of the top 4 Consulting Firms in the USA)
Major: Graduated in Business Administration (Master's) Dec. 2011
SAMANTHA MORRELL, (2009-13) - Women's Golf/Kingston, RI
2013 ODU Alumni Female Athlete of the Year
2013- Norfolk Sports Club Tom Scott Award Winner as ODU's top senior athlete
CAA Rookie of the Year in 2010 - 2nd team All-CAA -- 76.1 stroke avg.
First team All-CAA selection in 2012
Placed 7th at 2012 CAA Championships with 74.7 stroke average
Placed 10th at 2013 C-USA Championships with 75.6 stroke AVG. - Four Top five Finishes
Second team in 2011 All-CAA selection with a T-11th place finish at championships.
In Aug. 2020 as the first ODU women's golfer to play in LPGA tour major at KPMG Women's Championship.
Currently at her tenth year at Durland Golf School.
Communications Major.
ERIC ONESI – Men's Golf – 2007-10/ Bear, DE.
Earned At-Large Bid To NCAA So. Central Regional in Oklahoma in 2009
2-time First team All-CAA/2 time 2nd team All-CAA/ 2-time Team MVP
2-time First Team All-State by Va. Golf Coaches Assoc.
2-time CAA Championship Runner-up
CAA Rookie of the Year in 2006-07
First team All-CAA & All-State/ CAA Runner-up/ 72.9 stroke AVG. in 2010
Named to CAA's 25th Anniversary all-Time Golf Team
Place Second at CAA Championships in 2009 72.6 stroke avg.
Finished second at Eastern Amateur & won Delaware State Amateur in 2008
2nd Team All-CAA …73.5 stroke average in 2008
Advanced to Match play at US Amateur Championships in San Francisco Olympic Club
Competed in PGA Tour-Canada in 2015 & PGA Tour Latino America
Graduated in Business Management - Communications Major
KATIE WATSON- Women's Soccer 2006-09 –Forward, Woodbridge, VA
Two-Time 1st team NCSAA All-Regional 2008-09 & 2006-07
Two-Time 1st team All-CAA
NSCAA Scholar All-American in 2006-07
Led CAA in scoring (13 gls./ 7 ast./33 pts in 2006-07)
3rd in CAA in scoring (12 gls/ 7 ast) in 2008-09)
Helped ODU to first national ranking in 2008 at #25 by Soccer American(9-25-08)
Scored had trick vs. Akron in 2008
4th All-Time at ODU in pts (75) 6th in Goals (26)
Helped lead ODU to only CAA title and 1st NCAA Tournament in 2006-07
Missed 2007-08 season with an injury
Graduated with a degree in Sports Management
Old Dominion To Induct Five Into Hall Of Fame
