Harpeth hall athletic hall of fame by Harpeth Hall Communications

THE HARPETH HALL/WARD-BELMONT

SUSAN THORNTON

KATHY DENTON STUMB

KARINNE MILLER CAULKINS

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LISSA BRADFORD

In recognition of our outstanding athletes, coaches, and athletic program administrators since the Ward-Belmont era to the present, Harpeth Hall announced the creation of an Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and unveiled a permanent installation in the Athletic and Wellness Center on January 29, 2014. Joining the ranks of our nine inaugural members inducted in 2014 are six new inductees: Lissa Bradford ‘81 for Golf, Sloan Burton ’81 for Track & Field and Cross Country, Karinne Miller Caulkins ’80 for Swimming, Macie Phillips Smitherman ‘81 for Swimming, Kathy Denton Stumb ’79 for Tennis, and Susan Thornton ’76 for Volleyball and Track & Field. A celebration of these deserving new members will take place on the afternoon of Friday, May 4, 2018 in the Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame hallway and on the Fleming Fitness Terrace at the Athletic and Wellness Center. Special thanks to the Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee chaired by Katie Groos Nelson ’80 and including Mary Lauren Barfield Allen ’88, Marion Granbery Floyd ’03, Macie Garrett ’04, Allison Graves Robinson ’77, Liz Porter Veyhl ’02, and Susan Russ, and supported by Scottie Fillebrown Coombs ’78, Susan Moll, and Karen Sutton. Katie Nelson stated: “Harpeth Hall’s 57 state championships are an impressive testament to the talent, discipline, and dedication of our athletes, coaches, and administrators over the decades. We are pleased to have this venue to celebrate the accomplishments of and the excellence modeled by our six new members of the Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame.” The Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame honors notable alumnae athletes, coaches, and administrators who have demonstrated outstanding athletic ability by competing or coaching at the state, national, or international level. Through their good sportsmanship, citizenship, and character, these outstanding women have left a lasting impression of achievement and excelled within the school’s athletic family. To nominate a candidate for the Harpeth Hall/ Ward-Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame, please refer to the Harpeth Hall website at https://HarpethHall.org/alumnae/athletic-hall-of-fame-nomination

CAROLYN SLOAN BURTON

MACIE PHILLIPS SMITHERMAN

bright and talented duo, other Honeybears joined the new track and field team, and Harpeth Hall went on to win the state title the next year as well. Susan still holds the high school 8-lb shot put state record. Susan had helped open the door of opportunity for girls in athletics at Harpeth Hall, an opportunity that eventually led to many Harpeth Hall Track and Field titles and a beautiful training facility, The Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex. At her graduation, Headmistress Idanelle McMurry presented to Susan her scavenged shot put, dubbed “George”, and also bestowed upon her one of the highest honors a Harpeth Hall student can receive, that of Lady of the Hall.

SUSAN THORNTON ’76 usan Thornton ’76 is a pioneer for Harpeth Hall athletics. Susan played almost every varsity sport that was available at Harpeth Hall in the early to mid-1970’s. During her high school years, she played varsity basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. But it was not until she found a shot put, dusty and hidden in an athletic department closet, that she found her elite calling. Having no throwing coach, Susan watched Olympian Brian Oldfield on television to learn shot put technique. Mostly self-taught, she went on to forge a clear path of dominance

Susan’s pioneer vision and decorated high school career led her to the University of Tennessee (UT) where she received partial scholarships for both track and field and volleyball. There, Susan joined the Canadian and the American National Record holding throwers and went on to compete at the national level. At UT, Susan and her teammates were known as “the Originals” as they were the first class of female athletes to be dubbed “Lady Vols”. This name was cherished by these young women as it represented a true, full blown, women’s athletics program which had previously only been offered as part of the P.E. department. As a Lady Vol, Susan qualified as an alternate for the 1980 United States Olympic Track and Field Team. Susan returned to her high school alma mater in 2000, at the request of Harpeth Hall Athletic Hall of Fame Coach Susan Russ, to coach shot put and discus. Susan coached numerous throwers to state qualifications and championships during her 17 years of coaching Harpeth Hall Track and Field. She is also the owner and president of her own construction company, First Construction Corporation. Susan continues to be an avid supporter of girls in athletics. When asked why she attends, to this day, so many Harpeth Hall basketball and volleyball games, track and cross country meets,

SUSAN THORNTON ’76 IS A PIONEER FOR HARPETH HALL ATHLETICS. in a discipline at that time dominated by boys. She recalls practicing throwing on the field hockey field, targeting distances marked off with socks scrounged from lost and found, and a flower bed near the Upper School parking lot became a creative training ground. A team of just two, Susan and one other athlete, Margaret Groos Sloan ’77, won the state track and field championship for Harpeth Hall, outscoring other much larger teams. Led by this

swim meets and soccer games, she explains that she wants to support the Harpeth Hall athletic programming for girls that has been decades in the making. And she likes to be encouraging to parents who may not know or understand how far girls’ athletics have come, “how important athletic opportunity is for girls, how many doors to higher education it can open, how empowering being an athlete is, and how being competitive is just fine.” SPRING 2018

also played basketball and ran track, in addition to tennis, and held important leadership roles on all three teams. It was not uncommon to find Kathy playing two team sports in one day, even when injured (run over) by a motorcyclist! The late Patty Chadwell, Harpeth Hall’s beloved physical education teacher and tennis coach, was one of Kathy’s biggest supporters.

KATHY DENTON STUMB ’79 rom the time she was a young girl, the words “Game, Set, Match” were fully part of Kathy Denton Stumb’s lexicon. A member of Harpeth Hall’s Class of 1979, Kathy was making a name for herself as a junior player, ranking No. 1 in the State, Top 3 in the South, and Top 50 in the United States in all age divisions (12s, 14s, 16s, and 18s).

With her powerful serve and volley and all-around game, Kathy transitioned her game to the college level, playing the No. 1 position at University of Alabama in women’s singles and doubles. Following a year-long contest with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AAW) for sole governance of women’s collegiate sports, tennis was one of twelve women’s sports added to the NCAA championship program after the enactment of Title IX, earning female athletes newfound opportunity and respect. Representing University of Alabama, Kathy played in the first-ever NCAA Women’s Championship in both singles and doubles during the 1981-82 school year and was named All Region the same year.

“MENTALLY TOUGH” AND A “FIERCE AND FOCUSED COMPETITOR” A four-year varsity athlete at Harpeth Hall, Kathy was a fourtime winner of the Banner N.I.L. Award for Tennis, was a three-time recipient of the Ted Lamare Tennis Award, and won Harpeth Hall’s first State High School Championship in 1977. She was undefeated in district and regional match play all four years. She was also awarded Honorable Mention High School All American. During her senior year at Harpeth Hall, Kathy won the 21 & Under National Indoor Championship in both singles and doubles, putting both tennis and Harpeth Hall on the map and in the newspapers during a time when all-girls sports were neither regularly publicized nor fully accepted. She was also recognized at the national level with the Sportsmanship Award, an honor only bestowed on only one player at each national tournament. Described as “mentally tough” and a “fierce and focused competitor,” Kathy was known as an outstanding athlete who 40

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After college, Kathy played the professional circuit in Europe then returned to Nashville where she coached tennis. A lifelong supporter of both tennis and Harpeth Hall, Kathy made headlines again during Harpeth Hall’s 1986 and 1987 State Championship matches, according to Mary Lauren Barfield Allen ’88 who played in those matches and remembers “the paper reported that Kathy was cheering on her alma mater from the sidelines.” “Tennis is such an individualized sport,” reflects Allen, “and I admire how Kathy really made tennis a team sport using her ability, grit, and determination to better women’s sports at Harpeth Hall and in the larger community.” Kathy married her high school sweetheart, Tom Stumb. They have five children, Tee Stumb, Grace Stumb Barbieri ’10, who now teaches and coaches at Harpeth Hall, Mary Denton Stumb ’13, Katy Stumb ’17, and Jake Stumb. All three of their daughters inherited their mother’s passion for sports and were award-winning athletes at Harpeth Hall.

KARINNE MILLER CAULKINS ’80 arinne Miller Caulkins’ swimming accomplishments brought recognition to Harpeth Hall on the local, national, and international stage. She is a state champion, former American record holder, and Pan-American Games silver medalist. While representing Harpeth Hall, Karinne was a member of the 1979 and 1980 state championship teams—the first ever state championships for Harpeth Hall’s successful swim program. She was a four-time individual state champion and two-time relay state champion. Karinne was named state champion in the 100 meter butterfly in 1978, 1979, and 1980. She was also victorious in the 200 meter individual medley in 1979. Joining forces with her teammates, and other Athletic Hall of Fame members, Tracy Caulkins Stockwell and Macie Phillips Smitherman, she was named state champion in the 200 meter medley relay in 1978 and 1979. Representing the storied Nashville Aquatic Club, Karinne saw success in the pool at an early age, narrowly missing the 1976 Olympic Trials, one of the highest levels of competition for a swimmer, as a fourteen-year old. Not allowing that disappointment to affect her, in that same year she went on to successfully compete in the USA Swimming National Championships. She placed fourth in the country in the 100 meter butterfly and broke her first American record as a member of the 400 meter medley relay.

SHE IS A STATE CHAMPION, FORMER AMERICAN RECORD HOLDER, AND PAN-AMERICAN GAMES SILVER MEDALIST. Continuing her successful career, in 1977 Karinne was selected to represent the United States in international competition. She traveled to East Germany and Russia to compete in multiple competitions. In that year, she was ranked in the top ten in the world in both the 100 meter and 200 meter butterfly.

medley relay, breaking the American record in both swims. In 1979, she placed second in the 200 meter butterfly at the national championships, earning a spot on the Pan-American Games team. While at the meet, Karinne earned a silver medal in the 200 meter butterfly, establishing herself as one of the top competitors in the world in that event.

Building on her success in the international competition in 1978 and 1979, she was a USA swimming national champion with her teammates as a member of the 400 meter

Over the course of her impressive swimming career, she was an eight time national finalist, ranking her as one of the top swimmers in the country each time. She qualified and competed in the 1980 Olympic Trials. After Harpeth Hall, Karinne went on to attend the University of Florida, where she was a member of the swimming and diving team her freshman year. Karinne’s impressive accomplishments have been recognized by many in the swimming community. She was inducted into the Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame in 2012 and is a member if the Nashville Aquatic Club Hall of Fame. Karinne graduated from University of Florida with a degree in Graphic Design. She currently lives in Nashville and has two college-aged daughters, Rachel and Rebecca. She is the design director for the Buntin Group and has won multiple awards for her design work over the years. SPRING 2018

LISSA BRADFORD HAS INFLUENCED THE GAME OF GOLF IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE AND BEYOND THROUGHOUT A CAREER THAT SPANS FOUR DECADES.

LISSA BRADFORD ’81 issa Bradford has influenced the game of golf in the state of Tennessee and beyond throughout a career that spans four decades thus far. In her senior year at Harpeth Hall, Lissa won the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Individual Golf State Championship making her the first from Harpeth Hall to claim this title. At this point, she remains the only Harpeth Hall golfer to accomplish this feat. The success she enjoyed in her youth provided her the opportunity to become a four-year letter winner at the University of Alabama. During her stint golfing for the Crimson Tide, she served as team captain for two years and was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Academic team. While she was in college, she also captured two Tennessee Women’s Amateur Championships. Lissa continued her golf career after she graduated from Alabama and joined the Tennessee Golf Foundation as the Director of Junior Golf and continues to hold this influential position. In 2001, she was named the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Belmont

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University where she still coaches at present. Lissa values the college experience and instills in her athletes both the significance of athletic and academic excellence. Her dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment to collegiate golf were highlighted when she received the Gladys Palmer Meritorious Service Award in 2010. This is the most prestigious award given by the members of the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, as it is intended to honor individuals who have influenced women’s golf in a manner that changed the complexion of the sport and have made a substantial contribution to the evolution of women’s collegiate golf. Lissa served on the NCAA Women’s golf committee from 20112015, and she has served on the USA Regional Association Committee since 2007. From the time that she was a young girl and during her time at Harpeth Hall, Lissa has spread her love and passion for the sport of golf across the state and the country. Her mother is adept and passionate about the sport as well, and Lissa remarked that her career highlight was “playing Augusta National with my mom.”

CAROLYN SLOAN BURTON ’81 loan Burton emerged as a top middle distance runner in AAU competition during her middle school years and began her success in the track and cross country on the Harpeth Hall Varsity Team as an eighth grader at Harpeth Hall. She was a part of the 1976-1978 State Championship Cross Country Team, and in 1980 led her teammates to another state championship winning first place honors with a state recordsetting time of 10:38 for the two-mile course at the Steeplechase in Percy Warner Park. Prior to the state championship, Sloan went undefeated during the regular cross country season leading her team to a perfect

In track and field, Sloan dominated the 800M and 1600M in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. She was undefeated in both events winning all major meets including TSSAA State Championship as well as several other invitational meets. At the Annual Vol Classic Meet in 1980, Sloan led off the 3200M relay team with a time of 2:14.03 giving Harpeth Hall a commanding lead and setting up a record setting time of 9:09.36 breaking the old meet record by 26 seconds. With a short amount of rest, Sloan stormed back in the 1600M winning with a new meet record of 4:53.02 breaking the old meet record by 8 seconds. Sloan’s best 1600M time ranked her third in the nation with a personal best time of 4:51.2 her senior year. Her outstanding track and field career also earned her All American Honors in 1981. As one of the top middle distance runner in the nation, Sloan was highly recruited by several major universities. She accepted a full scholarship in Track and Field at Stanford University where she also ran cross country. At Stanford, Sloan was named All American and Academic All American. Following Stanford, Sloan entered medical school at the University of Arkansas she where was honored as the top student in Psychiatry. After completing a Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,

WITH THE SAME DRIVE AND DETERMINATION SHE GAVE HER RUNNING CAREER, SLOAN IS COMMITTED TO HELPING OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION: CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WHO SUFFER FROM SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS. score of 15 in the Nashville Interscholastic Championship Meet, first place in the A. F. Bridges Meet and first place in the TSSAA Region Championship Meet. Sloan led Harpeth Hall to five new meet records out of seven major meets including a new team state record low score of 27 in the TSSAA State Meet. She was selected to the Nashville Interscholastic League in 1979 and 1980 for her outstanding performances in the city, state and regional competitions. Sloan also made her mark on the national scene placing second in the First American 10-Mile Run behind University of Tennessee All-American, Brenda Webb. In 1980, Sloan placed 9th in the AAU National Women’s Cross Country Championships in Pocatella, Idaho, competing against many of the country’s top runners including college athletes. In 1980, Sloan earned All American honors for her outstanding performances in cross country.

Sloan worked as an Assistant Medical Director at Third Way Center and was an attending psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado. She left her private practice in Frisco, Colorado, to run one of the six Crisis Stabilization Units in Colorado established by Governor Hickenlooper following the Aurora Theater Shooting in 2017. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Denver Health Medical Center where she teaches medical students, residents and fellows about the science of psychiatry and the art of delivering compassionate mental health care. This year, she will also assume a position on the executive board of Colorado Child and Adolescent Society. With the same drive and determination she gave her running career, Sloan is committed to helping our most vulnerable population: children, adolescents and adults who suffer from serious mental illness. SPRING 2018

States. She qualified for the meet every year of her swimming career until 1984, a total of eight years. In 1978 and 1979, Macie was a member of the national champion 800 meter freestyle relay team with Nashville Aquatic Club breaking the American record in both swims. As a junior at Harpeth Hall, she qualified for the 1980 Olympic Trials placing ninth place in the 200 meter butterfly. Also in 1980, she was ranked twenty-fifth in the world in the 200 meter butterfly, establishing herself as one of the top competitors in the world for the event. Continuing to build on her hard work in the pool, she had one of her most successful years as a swimmer, as a senior at

AS A JUNIOR AT HARPETH HALL, SHE QUALIFIED FOR THE 1980 OLYMPIC TRIALS PLACING NINTH PLACE IN THE 200 METER BUTTERFLY.

MACIE PHILLIPS SMITHERMAN ’81 acie Phillips Smitherman was a member of Harpeth Hall’s successful swimming program. In her swimming career both at Harpeth Hall and the University of Texas she was a state champion, a national champion, and an American record holder.

Harpeth Hall in 1981. She was a three-time USA swimming national finalist in the 200 meter backstroke, 200 meter freestyle, and the 200 meter butterfly, ranking her as one of the top eight swimmers in the United States in each of these events. She was ranked eleventh in the world in the 200 meter butterfly, improving on her world ranking from 1980.

As a member of the Harpeth Hall swim team, Macie was a part of two state championship teams in 1979 and 1980—the first state championships for the successful swim program. Macie was a two-time individual state champion and two-time relay state champion in her time at Harpeth Hall. She was victorious in the 100 meter butterfly in 1977 and the 100 meter backstroke in 1979. She teamed up with fellow Athletic Hall of Fame Members, Tracy Caulkins Stockwell and Karinne Miller Caulkins, to win the 200 meter medley relay in 1978 and 1979.

After graduating from Harpeth Hall in 1981, Macie went on to earn a scholarship to the University of Texas as a member of the swimming and diving team. She was a three-year letter winner on the team, with a shoulder injury preventing her from competition her senior year. She was a member of the 1982 and 1984 national championship teams for the University of Texas, contributing to the 1982 national team championship as a member of the winning 800 meter free relay team. While at Texas, she was a fourtime All-American and a one-time honorable mention All-American for the top eight finishes at the national championship meet.

Macie trained with and represented Nashville Aquatic Club during her time at Harpeth Hall, seeing success at the national level for many years. In 1977, at age thirteen, she qualified for the USA Swimming National Championships, one of the highest levels of competition for swimmers in the United

Macie graduated from the University of Texas in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration and received her MBA from Vanderbilt in 1991. She married Drew Smitherman and they live in Nashville with their two sons, James and Ben. She currently works at Vanderbilt as the Director of Executive MBA Programs.

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