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2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Lauren Calabrese '03
Lauren Calabrese ‘03 played Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Soccer, and Varsity Basketball while at Moravian Academy, where she eventually became a soccer coach, former English teacher, and now parent of the school. Lauren has been the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Lehigh University since January 2022.
While at Lehigh as a student, she received a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s in Secondary Education and a Master's in English. Calabrese has had a track record of success as an athlete and coach that led her to this well-deserved achievement. As a soccer player for Lehigh from 2003-2006, she was a four-year starter and second team All-League honoree in 2003, currently fifth in the university's history with 13 career assists. During her career, she was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection and ranked fourth on the all-time list in assists.
Calabrese is very fond of Moravian Academy saying "Moravian’s an incredible place. Both of my sons, Tucker (7) and Skyler (4) attend Moravian. It’s really an amazing community. I learned the value of how to cultivate meaningful relationships, how to set goals for yourself, and the process of learning and growing. Moravian, Lehigh, it’s really competitive in terms of people having ambitions and drives to succeed. It’s navigating how you do that. I think our women are very similar. My life experiences have been similar. Some of my best memories happened from growing up and going through Moravian. Debbie Bross was my field hockey coach. She was a legend over at Moravian. Just had such an impact on me as a player. Manny Oudin coached me at Moravian and was actually the head coach at Lehigh. That’s one of the reasons why I played at Lehigh because my high school coach became my college coach at Lehigh.”
Chris Balshi ‘02 and Samir Ghia ‘02
Christopher Balshi ‘02 & Samir Ghia ‘02
Samir Ghia ‘02 and Chris Balshi ‘02 led the Boys’ Tennis Team from 1999-2002, winning League, District, and State Championships. In 1999, Samir placed 3rd in the Pennsylvania State Singles Championship and in 2000, Chris and Samir were runners up in the State Doubles Championship. 2001 was a particularly strong year, as the duo led the team to an outstanding 20-0 record and District 11 Team Championship, and Chris and Samir won the State Doubles Championship. In 2002, they led Moravian Academy to the State Team Championship, with Samir placing 4th in the State Singles Championship.
About Chris Balshi ‘02
At Moravian, Chris was a talented three-sport athlete playing basketball and runningcross country in addition to tennis. In cross country, he was a two time Colonial League 5K race winner and a two time District XI top 10 finisher.
"I have great memories of playing multiple sports with some of my best friends and my brother Drew. Athletics were always an important part of my experience at Moravian and I am glad to have been there during a great stretch for the tennis team and other programs."
After Moravian, Chris Balshi went onto Middlebury College and now lives in Bethlehem, PA. Chris is President of Maurer & Scott Sales, Inc. headquartered in Coopersburg PA and maintains blaster's licenses in five states.
In his free time he enjoys being with his wife Laree and children, Lenni and Brick, as well as playing golf, platform tennis, and fishing.
About Samir Ghia ‘02
After graduating from Moravian Academy in 2002, Samir attended Columbia University, where he played on the Men’s Tennis Team and earned a B.A. in Political Science. After Columbia, Samir enrolled in Stetson University’s College of Law and School of Business Administration, graduating with J.D. and M.B.A. degrees in 2011. Samir practiced law at Greenberg Traurig in Miami, where he specialized in representing owners and developers in real estate development projects in both transactional and litigation capacities. Samir also served as an adjunct professor of law for Florida International University College of Law, leading courses in Intellectual Property and Business Law.
Samir went on to start Ghia Law and Triten Law, nationally-focused mass tort law firms representing individuals injured by defective medical devices, harmful pharmaceuticals, and dangerous consumer products, among other matters. From 2020-2023, Samir was named a “Rising Star” by “Super Lawyers” and “Top 40 Under 40" by The National Trial Lawyers publication.
In 2020, Samir co-founded Opt Health in San Francisco. Opt Health is a digital health platform focused on preventive medicine, epigenetics, and longevity. By digitizing the process, Opt aims to provide access to proven health optimization treatments to a broader audience.
Samir is most grateful to Moravian Academy for friendships made, and for instilling the credo of “developing mind, body, and spirit,” which serves as a guiding force in his life to this day. Samir dedicates his Hall of Fame induction to his father, Dr. Pradeep S. Ghia.
Will Murphy '96
Will Murphy ‘96 played varsity tennis his freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years at Moravian Academy, coached by Tom Schuett. He was a 3-sport athlete, playing tennis, cross country, and basketball. He also played varsity golf his freshman sophomore years.
During his sophomore year, the Tennis Team finished with an 11-2 record, and Murphy made it to District II quarter finals in singles and doubles. During the award ceremony, he received the M.V.P award. During his junior year, the team had a winning season with a record of 8-6. Most valuable player was once again given to Murphy, who was a finalist in the Districts and reached the quarterfinals in States. During his senior year, they finished with an 8-7 record, and Murphy received the MVP and Captains’ Award. Overall, his tennis record at Moravian Academy was 72-4.
Additional awards include The Express Times Boy’s Tennis Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996. He was also awarded the Outstanding Male Athlete Award at his Class of 1996 graduation.
After graduating from Moravian Academy, he received his bachelor’s degree from Furman University. While at Furman University, he played tennis where they were champions of the Southern Conference twice. Since graduating from Furman, he has worked as a Private Wealth Financial Advisor, Managing Director for Wells Fargo Advisors since 2006. Throughout his career, he has received accolades, including being names as one of Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors. He resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his family, and his mom is Christine Murphy ‘70S, Moravian Seminary alumna, former employee, and active member of the Alumni Association Executive Board.
