All posts by Rachael Hanley

Mar Harris-Kuiper ’15 Signs with Saint Leo

Teammates Call Basketball Star Their Role Model

Photo by Dennis CrommettThe Grubbs Gallery was a loud and happy place on November 12, as the entire Williston Northampton girls varsity basketball team turned out to see their teammate sign a National Letter of Intent to play with Saint Leo University of Florida.

Coach and teammates alike described Maranie “Mar” Harris-Kuiper ‘15 in glowing terms: warm, hardworking, gifted, strong, kind, and generous.

“Mar has been such a role model to me,” said teammate Sarah Marion ’17. “She always has my back—emotionally, physically, academically. I’m so proud of her.”

“She’s a kind and generous teammate who always wants the best for herself and those around her,” agreed Jen Fulcher, head coach of the girls basketball team. “She always believes we can, and that’s infectious.”

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Jack Gethings ’15 Signs with Fairfield

Baseball Player Described as "D1 Caliber"

Photo by Dennis CrommettEver since John “Jack” Gethings took to the baseball diamond as a little leaguer, coaches have been commenting on his standout abilities.

“We saw it,” said his mother, Colleen Gethings, during a recent event to celebrate her son signing a National Letter of Intent to play with Fairfield University Stags. “His gym teacher in elementary school said, ‘He’s going to be playing at the college level.”

By signing the agreement on Nov. 12, the Williston senior indicated that he could no longer be recruited by other schools.

His coach, Matthew Sawyer, noted that Mr. Gethings was “D1 caliber” and had shown a real consistency in his play, particularly in his role as lead off hitter.

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Girls Lacrosse Teammates Recognized for Outstanding Play

Hatch and Fitzgerald Named All-American, Academic All-American

To cap off their careers at the Williston Northampton School, two recent graduates and girls varsity lacrosse teammates have been recognized for their outstanding play by U.S. Lacrosse.

The Western Massachusetts Chapter of the national association named Maddie Hatch ‘14 an All-American. She and teammate Maggie Fitzgerald ’14 were also named Academic All-Americans. This is the second year both girls have received the latter honor.

Nominations of All-Americans are based on athletic statistics accrued over the season and recognize extraordinary achievements both on the field and in the classroom.
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Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: Boys Swimming Team 1972-1973

Boys Swimming 1974Even at a school with a storied history of swimming success, the 1972-73 boys team was a standout. The only undefeated swimming team in school history, the boys finished the year with a 12-0 record. It is no surprise the team was comprised of six All-Americans: Jan Kaplowitz in three events: 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay; Tim Wallace in three events: 200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly, 400 Medley Relay; Tom MacDonnell in two events: 200 Medley Relay and 400 Medley Relay; Chris Stack in two events: 200 Free and 400 Free; Jay Cilfone: 200 Medley Relay; and Scott Nicholson: 400 Medley Relay.

In an average meet, the team outscored their opponents by 24.3 points, and the schedule included teams from the Coast Guard, Harvard, West Point, Williams, and Yale. Coach David “Duff” Tyler ’65 took down the Bulldogs—after years of coach Warner Babcock’s refusal to allow his teams to beat Yale, out of allegiance to the Yale coach, who was a friend.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: David (Bartlett) Bates ’02 (Wrestling)

David (Bartlett) BatesDuring David (Bartlett) Bates’s six years at Williston Northampton, there wasn’t much that he didn’t accomplish as a wrestler. David was named as a prep school All-American three times, All-New England four times and All-State four times. In addition, he was twice the state champion in his weight class, was twice named State Outstanding Wrestler of the Year, and was a New England Champion. He was the Doug Parker Tournament champion twice and a finalist three times.

David holds the school record for career wins at Williston.

David was the Massachusetts cadet freestyle state champion twice and won a gold medal in cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman style at 76 kilograms at the Puerto Rican Olympic Festival in 1999. In addition, he won a gold medal at 76 kilogram cadet freestyle at the Deutsch Open in Germany in 2000.

Married to Larissa Bates ’99, David is currently an internist in Providence after receiving his medical degree from New York Medical College in 2011.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: Charles Lindbergh Hanson ’48

Charles Lindbergh HansonCharles “Lindy” Hanson ’48 was at Williston for two years, and by the time he graduated there wasn’t much he hadn’t accomplished on the football field or the basketball court. He was the captain of the undefeated 1947 football team, winning the Gold Football for most valuable player. He won the Mills Kicking Contest twice, and was awarded the 1948 Denman Bowl. Off the gridiron, he captained the 13-1 basketball team in his senior year.

Graduating from Williston at the age of 21, he attended Boston University, where he played football for the Terriers. In 1950, he led that team in scoring with 30 points against opponents that included Dusquesne, St. Bonaventure, Miami, Syracuse, William & Mary, Idaho, and the College of the Pacific. Lindy was captain of the football team in 1952 and was named an All-East and All-New England selection in 1952. He was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 1978.

Following his career at BU, Lindy was the longtime football coach at Plainfield High School in Massachusetts. A plaque in his memory was erected near Sawyer Field in 2000.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: Deborah Healy Gilmore ’91 (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis)

Deborah Healy GilmoreDeborah Healy Gilmore earned an unprecedented 12 varsity letters during her years at Williston Northampton, and she excelled in each of the three seasons.

It was fitting that Deborah scored the first basket in the new Athletic Center when it opened. She went on to become the first girl to break 1,000 points on the basketball court, scoring 1,687 points as a Wildcat, making her the second overall scorer in the school’s history. At the time of her graduation in 1991, Deborah held the record for total points scored (1,687), points in a game (38), and points per game average (25.9). She was a three-time All-League selection and a two-time most valuable player. She was the only preparatory school student named to the 1991 Academic All-State Team.

On the tennis courts, she was named most valuable player and played number one for the Wildcats in each of her six years at Williston Northampton. She was unbeaten during her last three years on the team, and compiled a 54-3 career record by the time she finished her final season. It was no surprise that she was awarded the Alumnae Bowl for outstanding girl athlete at her graduation. A member of the Cum Laude Society, Deborah went on to Dartmouth College, where she was a member of the tennis team.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: Paul “Duck” Doty ’64 (Lacrosse, Diving)

Paul DotyA four-year student at Williston, Paul Doty was an All-American in diving in 1962 and 1963 and a swimming All-Amerian in the Medley Relay in 1964. His accomplishments in the pool were impressive, but it was on the lacrosse field that Duck achieved legendary status. Captain of the 1964 undefeated team, he was named an All-New England selection in lacrosse that same year.

Following his career at Williston, Duck went on to Denison University, where he was named an All-American in lacrosse twice and set four records for the Big Red: most assists in a game, most assists in a season (which still stands today), most points in a game, and most points in a season. While at Denison, he led the nation in scoring (6.7 points per game), and he was named First Team All-American in 1968. He was the first lacrosse player elected to Denison’s Hall of Fame in 1982.

Duck was a born coach and spent his career doing just that. He coached
lacrosse and soccer at Tabor Academy, where he was New England Coach of
the Year in 1970. Both his boys lacrosse and soccer teams won New England
championships in 1972.

He left Tabor to become the Head Lacrosse Coach at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, from which he received his master’s in 1973. He coached the Tar Heels from 1972 to 1979. The team achieved a fifth place national ranking in 1976 and made the NCAA Playoffs, beating the University of Virginia for the first time in the program’s history. Duck returned to coaching at Southern Oregon University following time away from the field in 2013.

Duck continues to compete in new sports. In 1988, he placed third in the National Masters cross-country ski 30K race, and in 2005, he was part of a six-man team that won both the National Champions in Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Racing and the Catalina Island 30 mile race.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: Boys Soccer 1978

Boys Soccer 1978Coached by Ray Brown, the 1978 boys soccer team were Stewart Cup Champions for the second consecutive year, finishing the season with a 12-2-3 record. Paul Stockwell ’79 was named All-American, while Tim Wheaton ’79 was named All-New England and set a school record for most goals per season with 21. Finishing the season with nine straight wins after a 3-2-3 start, the Wildcats turned in seven shut-outs, scored 45 goals, and allowed only 13 goals in the 17 games they played that fall.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2014: Dan “Carpy” Carpenter, Sr.

Dan CarpenterDan “Carpy” Carpenter, Sr. personified what it meant to be a coach and a teacher during his 30 years at Williston. From 1955 until his retirement in 1985, Carpy coached football, hockey, and baseball, but it almost didn’t matter what sport he was working with at any given time—he was a mentor, a father figure, and a role model to all his players. During his career, he coached baseball to a 126-195-1 record (from 1959 to 1984) and the boys hockey team to a 162-150-6 record (from 1956 to 1980).

Carpy was also the assistant line coach for the football team from 1958 to 1975. He is second ranked coach in career wins in baseball and set the record for career wins in hockey. Beloved by generations of Williston and Williston Northampton School graduates, he was the father of five alumni of the school (Bill ’65, Dan ’68, Peter ’72, Debbie ’73, and Jennifer ’77).

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Register to attend here.