Lawrence Academy ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Saturday, June 11, 2016
2016 INDUCTEES GUILLERMO “MEMO” CANTÚ CLASS OF 1986 JONATHAN EDWARDS CLASS OF 1991 PATRICIA MACDOUGALL WHITE CLASS OF 1993 KRISTEN LAGGIS PEDROLI CLASS OF 1995 FOOTBALL TEAM 1955
Reunion Weekend
ATHLETICS AT LA Athletics at Lawrence Academy have come a long way since James Lawrence donated the first gymnasium equipment in 1878. Used by both boys and girls, the gym — which also served as a study hall, theatre, and faculty meeting space — which featured horizontal bars, dumbbells, and Indian clubs and the like. There were no fields until 1900, when Shumway Field opened, so outdoor “sports” were limited to walking and running. There was, however, a tennis court, which the Student Aid of June 1889 called “one of the pleasant features connected with our school.” Football had been played informally since around 1880, though the principal, Mr. Ball, quickly banned it because of the destruction it wrought on the lawns, proposing croquet in its place! With a new field created in 1901, however, the sport caught on quickly. Out of a total school enrollment of 28 boys, 13 were on the team during that first season. Baseball thrived in those days as well, and basketball became a team sport within a few years. The modern era of LA athletics really began with the arrival of young Norman Grant in 1929. He added lacrosse as a varsity sport, and in 1940, the school started construction of the Spaulding-Stearns Athletic Fields. By the end of that decade, the Fred C. Gray Building opened, providing the Academy’s first dedicated athletic facility. It included squash courts and a wrestling room, anticipating the addition of that sport in 1950. The athletic program expanded again with the return to coeducation in 1971–72, and the construction of the Stone Athletic Center in 1993 provided up-to-date facilities for both boys and girls. The Academy’s first year in the Independent School League, 1976, saw undefeated football and cross-country teams; the football team shared the ISL championship. That winter, moreover, the boys’ varsity hockey team won the ISL Keller Division title. Lawrence’s athletes in 1976 ushered in a new level of competition and recognition. Since that time, Lawrence Academy has celebrated numerous boys’ and girls’ championship teams in the ISL and the New England Division. In addition, many individual athletes have aspired to achieve greatness beyond their days at LA, in collegiate sports and with national teams, both as amateurs and professionals.
At this 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, we recognize outstanding Lawrence Academy athletes from the old days and the new, carrying out the organization’s mission “to honor and perpetuate the memory of individuals and teams that have made outstanding contributions to the quality of LA athletics and have helped bring recognition, honor, and excellence to the Academy and its athletic program throughout its history.” As the mission statement concludes, “e Athletic Hall of Fame will highlight athletic character, sportsmanship, achievement, and pride and will strive to provide a positive link between the student-athletes of today and those of the past.” We welcome you on this happy occasion, as we honor members of the Lawrence community, living and dead, who gave of their talents and helped ensure that their school on the hillside would forever remain “worthy of its great renown.”
COMMITTEE MEMBERS Kevin Potter, P’13, ’15, athletic director, chair Rob Moore, P’04, ’06, ’09, assistant head of school Caroline Heatley, assistant athletic director Sue (Meenan) Barron ’86, P’14, ’17, president of the alumni council Rich Johnson ’74, alumnus Sean Sheehan ’87, director of college counseling Marianne (Crescenzi) Balfour ’88, alumni council member Beth Frissora ’95, alumni council member Geoff Harlan P’16, ’18, director of annual giving Donna Mastrangelo P’15, ’18, faculty Paul Husted ‘64, alumni council member Megan Denault, director of alumni engagement Many thanks to the following members of the LA community who worked hard to establish, produce, and facilitate Lawrence Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Dan Scheibe, head of school Dick Jeffers P’84, ’86, Jeffers Heritage Center Paul Husted ’64, Jeffers Heritage Center John Bishop, director of communications Jonny Gotlib, rich media communications specialist Dale Cunningham P’13, assistant director of communications Joe Sheppard P’93, ’94, retired faculty, writer-at-large Joel Sugerman, director of theatre Linda Deasy, director of finance and operations
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY O RDER
OF
P ROGRAM
LA Athletics: A Journey Through Time Opening Remarks Dan Scheibe, head of school Welcome Master of Ceremonies Richard Johnson ’74, curator for the New England Sports Museum Facilitators and Presenters Rob Moore, assistant head of school Kevin Potter, director of athletics Donna Mastrangelo, faculty
Honoring Guillermo “Memo” Cantú ’86 Jonathan Edwards ’91 Patricia MacDougall White ’93 Kristen Laggis Pedroli ’95 e 1955 Varsity Football Team
Closing Remarks Dan Scheibe, head of school
2014 INDUCTEES Raymond T. “Scooter” McLean ‘32 Victor Heyliger ‘33 William Flynn ‘35 Norman B. Grant, faculty Cindy Ryder Matthes ‘84 David A. Jensen ‘84 Laurie Baker ‘95
2015 INDUCTEES William J. Stewart, Jr. ‘39 Thomas B. Warner ‘75 Richmond Baker, faculty Victoria Wellington Hanna ‘97 Craig MacDonald ‘95 Anthony Voce ‘00 1965 Tennis Team
EE 2016 INDUCT
GUILLERMO “MEMO” CANTÚ CLASS OF 1986 S OCCER
Soccer has been Guillermo “Memo” Cantú’s life almost forever. Coming to Lawrence Academy as a junior from his hometown of Torreón, Mexico, he started immediately as a forward on the school’s varsity boys’ soccer team — and scored enough goals over two seasons to make him one of the top scorers in school history. Memo’s effect on the boys’ soccer program lasted long after he graduated. As Head Coach Rob Moore put it, “Memo’s arrival gave a boost to the program that took LA to the top of the ISL, where we stayed for many years.” After attending ITAM, the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Memo turned his passion for soccer into a career, playing professionally for 12 years. He stayed a regular starter for the Atlante club for many seasons. Memo also represented his country in soccer, appearing on the Mexican national team for four matches. In the 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup, he played in an 8-0 victory match over Canada, and then helped to defeat the United States 4-0 in the final. Memo’s professional playing career ended in 1998. Since then, he has been active in Mexican soccer administration: He was director of national selections for the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol from 2004 to 2009, and also served as president of both Santos Laguna and Chiapas, holding the latter post from 2010 to 2012. Currently, he is an owner of Club Necaxa, a professional team from the city of Aquascalientes, and holds the post of General Secretary of the Mexican Soccer Federation. For all that he did for Lawrence Academy soccer, and for a lifetime of service to the sport he loves and the public who loves it, we gratefully induct Guillermo “Memo” Cantú into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 11, 2016
EE 2016 INDUCT
JONATHAN EDWARDS CLASS OF 1991 L ACROSSE / O LYMPIC L UGE
Like every great athlete, young Jon Edwards was driven by a passion to excel — in two sports. He started playing lacrosse at the age of 10, at Thayer Academy. Jon’s net skills were already strong enough that he was appointed goalie on the school’s junior varsity squad. His success at Thayer spawned dreams of becoming an All-American. As a junior at Lawrence, Jon quickly became one of the top goalies in the Independent School League, and by the end of his senior year, he saw his dream fulfilled: He was named All-American. Lacrosse was not the only reason for Jon’s transfer to LA, however. At Thayer, he had been exposed to the sport of luge at a summer sports camp; because of his exceptional performance, Jon was one of 50 athletes invited to a two-week camp at the Olympic training center in Lake Placid. He stayed for five weeks, winning his first major luge competition. The Olympics beckoned. LA’s Independent Immersion Program gave Jon the flexibility to finish high school while training for the Winter Olympics. Although omitted from the ’92 games because of one very close loss, Jon was undeterred, passing up the opportunity to play lacrosse for the University of Notre Dame in order to train for the 1994 Winter Olympics. He and his teammate made the ’94 luge team, finishing fourth in the men’s doubles. Lacrosse called Jon again after the Olympics: In 1999, he started a blog, LacrosseGoalieTips.com, now the most widely read lacrosse goalie blog on the planet. In business with his wife Michelle and living in Calgary, Alberta, Jon also serves as vice president of Olympic luge for the Canadian Luge Association. For serving his school, his country, and generations of aspiring athletes through his lifelong passion, we welcome Jonathan Edwards into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 11, 2016
EE 2016 INDUCT
PATRICIA MACDOUGALL WHITE CLASS OF 1993 S OCCER / H OCKEY / S OFTBALL
Already an honored athlete when she came to Lawrence Academy as a junior, Trish brought with her talent and leadership that would change the face of LA girls’ sports. She led the varsity girls’ soccer and hockey teams to new heights, and was twice elected ISL All-League in both soccer and softball. At Riverview High School in Nova Scotia, Trish was voted Rookie of the Year in soccer; she subsequently served as captain and earned MVP and All-Star accolades. At LA, she led the Spartans to their first NEPSAC Small School tournament. In AISGA tournaments, she twice won All-Star honors. Just as in soccer, Trish’s talents and her dedicated leadership sparked vast improvement in the girls’ hockey program, culminating in All-League honors and an ISL co-championship. Trish’s spring seasons saw her playing shortstop on the softball field. One of the most consistent hitters on the team, she batted a team-best .488 as a senior. Trish continued to star at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, where she captained the women’s soccer team for two years, earning AUAA Rookie of the Year, All-Star, and MVP awards, as well as two CIAU All-Canadian honors. In 2014, Trish became the first female soccer player to be inducted into the St. Francis Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame. At her Lawrence graduation, Trish won two coveted awards for student-athletes, the Richmond Baker Prize and the Norman and Catherine Grant Prize. A third award, however, spoke with special eloquence to her contributions to Spartan athletics: the Claire Saltonstall Memorial Award, voted by coaches and teammates to “that individual whose unselfish play and overall determination most served to inspire the team.” For service, for inspiration, and with thanks, we celebrate Trish MacDougall White’s induction into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 11, 2016
EE 2016 INDUCT
KRISTEN LAGGIS PEDROLI CLASS OF 1995 S OCCER / B ASKETBALL / S OFTBALL
At Lawrence Academy, Kristi was a class officer, a top scholar, and a star threeseason athlete. A striker on varsity soccer for three years, she was an AISGA Tournament All-Star, scoring four goals in the championship contest to help the team capture its first-ever New England championship. As co-captain of the varsity softball team for two of her four playing years, Kristi led the squad to two AISGA championships. On the Lawrence varsity girls’ basketball team, Kristi was elected co-captain for three of her four years. She still holds LA’s female scoring title, with 1,446 points; as a senior she led the Spartans to the best season in the history of the program, and was the first ever to score 1,000 points. She won over a dozen league MVP and All-Star honors, and earned the ISL scoring title three times. At Bentley College, Kristi was a four-year letter winner on a team that won the New England-10 Regular Season championship for four consecutive years and appeared in four NCAA Elite 8 tournaments. Kristi twice received the prestigious Coaches’ Award — a great honor for a player who helped the Falcons to a four-year record of 121 wins and only 14 losses. When Kristi graduated in 1995, she carried with her not only a well-earned diploma, but three respected prizes: the Thomas B. Warner Memorial Award, the Richmond Baker Prize, and the Norman and Catherine Grant Prize. All are awarded to seniors of exceptional character who have shown unselfish dedication and commitment in all their endeavors, both in the school community and on the field. It is with pride and gratitude that we welcome Kristi Laggis Pedroli into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 11, 2016
EE 2016 INDUCT
THE 1955 VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM “One of the most versatile and power-laden teams in the history of the school,” exclaimed the 1956 Lawrencian, describing that year’s undefeated football team — the first in two decades. “It can truly be said that the team had everything: Speed, power, depth, and, most of all, desire.” Led by co-captains Kenney Provost and All-Prep School guard Barry Cook, the team entered their six-game season with just two weeks of practice before facing Monson Academy. Monson would be the first of five teams to fall to LA that season; the only blemish on Lawrence’s record was a hard-fought 12–12 tie with Wilbraham. However, the Wilbraham game must have lit a fire in the team, for they went on to shut out all three of their remaining opponents: New Hampton, Thayer, and Cushing, the latter a “perennial conqueror of LA since 1947.” Though outweighed, the “Lawrence Academy eleven” carried the game to a 19–0 victory — a triumphant end to an unforgettable season. Many teams can boast of their “speed, power, and depth,” but only a handful possess the desire to push themselves to defeat every single opponent in a season. For desire is not merely hunger or determination; rather, desire comes from heartfelt loyalty and love for one’s teammates and school. It guided LA’s 1955 varsity football team to victory after victory, and we now welcome them gratefully into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 11, 2016
To set the cause above renown, To love the game beyond the prize From Clifton Chapel, by Sir Henry Newbolt (1862-1938)