The College of New Jersey Athletics

Michele Walters-Dearden was a two-sport athlete on some of the most successful teams in TCNJ history. Walters came through in the biggest moments of her career as she hit over .500 in the NCAA Tournament as a member of the softball team. Walters was also just the fourth player in program history to score 1,000 points for the Lions basketball team.
 
As a freshman on the basketball team in 1981-82, Walters averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds. The team went 18-9, including a 6-1 conference mark.
 
Walters increased her offensive production as a sophomore, scoring 8.9 points per game. She also hauled in 3.6 rebounds per game as TCNJ produced an 18-11 season.
 
The Lions were again a strong team in the 1983-84 season. Walters averaged 10.6 points and 4.0 rebounds. The Lions outscored opponents by 13.6 points per game on their way to a 20-8 season.
 
A captain on the 84-85 team, Walters increased her scoring output for a fourth straight season. She averaged career highs in both scoring (11.6) and rebounding (4.5) on her way to earning All-Conference honors.  The team went 16-9 overall and was 9-2 in conference play.
 
On the softball field, Walters was a part of teams that finished second during the 1982 season and fought back to win the NCAA Championship in 1983.
 
In 1984, the Lions went a perfect 14-0 in conference play and 48-4 overall. TCNJ ultimately fell twice to Buena Vista in the NCAA Tournament. Walters hit .336 that season playing primarily third base. She was also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts during the year.
 
Walters closed out her Lions career in 1985, hitting .289 with a team leading 18 walks. She was again perfect on the base paths, stealing successfully on all six of her attempts. The Lions were again perfect in conference play going 12-0. The Lions went deep in the postseason, winning five NCAA Tournament games.