Lawrence Academy ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Saturday, June 10, 2017
2017 INDUCTEES THE HONORABLE JUDGE HAROLD B. JACKSON JR. CLASS OF 1957 THE GIRLS’ VARSITY SOCCER TEAM 1975 TASHA TAISTE CLASS OF 1995 CHRISTOPHER M. SPATOLA CLASS OF 1997
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 — featured horizontal bars, dumbbells, 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 (he proposed 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, the addition of the latter 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 2017 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 deceased, 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, associate head of school Caroline Heatley, assistant athletic director Catie Floyd McMenamin ’97, 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, vice president of the alumni council Geoff Harlan P ’16, ’18, director of alumni engagement Donna Mastrangelo P ’15, ’18, faculty Paul Husted ‘64, alumni council member 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, assistant director of communications 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 Kevin Potter, director of athletics Kimberly Bohlin Healy, associate director of college counseling Donna Mastrangelo, faculty Jeff Snow, past faculty
Honoring e Honorable Judge Harold B. Jackson Jr. ’57 e 1975 Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team Tasha V. Taiste ’95 Christopher M. Spatola ’97 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 The 1965 Tennis Team
2016 INDUCTEES Guillermo “Memo” Cantu ‘86 Jonathan Edwards ‘91 Patricia MacDougall White ‘93 Kristen Laggis Pedroli ‘95 The 1955 Varsity Football Team
EE 2017 INDUCT
THE HONORABLE JUDGE HAROLD B. JACKSON JR. CLASS OF 1957 F OOTBALL / B ASKETBALL B ASEBALL / TENNIS
A star running back on an undefeated Lawrence Academy football team, a basketball player who could “jump out of the gym,” a starter on the baseball team, and a champion tennis player in his 30s, Hal “Jackie” Jackson “could do it all, regardless of the sport,” in the words of an LA classmate. Hal entered Lawrence as a freshman in the fall of 1953 and graduated in 1957 as an honored scholar and athlete. Marquette University in Milwaukee awarded him a football scholarship; however, when the school’s football program was unexpectedly terminated, Hal attended Marquette on a basketball scholarship instead. During college, Hal was invited to try out for the NBA’s St. Louis Hawks, and although he made the final cut for the team, his father urged him to complete his educational path. Hal agreed, and remained at Marquette through law school, graduating in 1967. Hal enjoyed a long and distinguished legal career in Milwaukee, becoming the first African-American Milwaukee County circuit judge at age 33. Around that same time, he took up tennis, which he quickly came to love. Within four years, Hal ascended to a state ranking in the men’s 35-and-under division, earning countless accolades and trophies. Though his knees eventually forced him to give up playing tennis, Hal passed his love of the sport on to all his children and many friends. Hal Jackson stands out as an inspiration to generations of student-athletes. We are proud to induct him into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame as a committed and selfless team player, a fine scholar, and citizen.
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 10, 2017
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THE 1975 GIRLS’ VARSITY SOCCER TEAM Sometimes an athletic team’s greatest achievements are measured not only by its won-lost record or the accomplishments of its individual members, but also by its legacy. It is for such a legacy that we honor the Lawrence Academy 1975 girls’ varsity soccer team. Soccer was the only fall sport available to the small number of girls at LA in 1972-’73, the school’s second year of coeducation. Among the 24 girls on that first soccer team were some who had never played the game — and new faculty member Bob Kullen had never coached the sport! However, throughout the first four years of the program, “Kully”and his student-athletes bonded through soccer, life, and leadership, and many went on to play in college. One member of the 1975 varsity squad called Coach Kullen “a wonderful mentor and leader,” adding, “We all wanted to work hard for him, and each other.”
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 10, 2017
The experienced players passed on their skills to the beginners, and they forged a team that never forgot how to have fun while remaining a threat on the field. Talented in many ways — there were artists, writers, scientists, and musicians on the squad — the team, in the words of one veteran, was “smart, sassy, fast, and silly. Probably most of all, we preferred winning.” “There was no drama,” said another. “We loved to play, and we loved to play together.” By the time the 1975 team played its last game, Lawrence Academy’s girls’ soccer program had compiled a four-year record of 22 wins, five losses, and five ties, with a winning record every season. Benefiting from the leadership and strength of a small group of young women before them who were the very first female student-athletes at Lawrence, they laid the groundwork for a strong women’s athletic program at LA. To these devoted pioneers, we extend our thanks and our congratulations as we welcome the 1975 varsity girls’ soccer team into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.
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TASHA V. TAISTE CLASS OF 1995 S OCCER / B ASKETBALL
Tasha Taiste set a new standard for female athletes at Lawrence Academy, particularly in soccer and basketball. As a midfielder on the 1993 and 1994 varsity girls’ soccer teams, she was twice named ISL All-League; she earned a spot on the AISGA All-Star team both years and was the first female to be elected to the Massachusetts All-State team. In her senior year, Tasha led her team to both AISGA and NEPSAC championships. Tasha’s athletic star continued to shine at Rutgers University, where she played defensive back for four years and graduated on the Dean’s List in 1999. A tri-captain for two seasons, Tasha played in a total of 78 games. In her freshman year, the team was awarded Team of the Week honors by Soccer America; two years later, Tasha was named to the New Jersey All-State second team and to the Big East/Target Academic All-Conference team. Off the field, she served as representative to Rutgers’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. At the end of Tasha’s final soccer season at Lawrence, Coach Donna Mastrangelo commented, “The girls’ varsity soccer program has been most fortunate to have the best midfielder in the league on their side. She has been a leader by example, an outstanding player on the field, and a tremendous joy to work with — a coach’s true ‘dream player’!” Tasha’s contributions to the Lawrence Academy community were not limited to athletics, however. At graduation, she was awarded the Pillsbury Prize for General Improvement in Scholarship and School Duties During the Course. Tasha also earned the Proctor Award, which is given to “that student proctor who best demonstrated qualities of integrity, initiative, and responsibility.” For her athletic skills, her fine citizenship, and, above all, the enduring legacy she left for generations of female athletes at LA, we are honored to welcome Tasha Taiste into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 10, 2017
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CHRISTOPHER M. SPATOLA CLASS OF 1997 B ASKETBALL / C ROSS C OUNTRY
Chris graduated from Lawrence Academy both as the school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball, and as the only LA runner to win a New England championship in cross country. Chris captained the Spartans varsity basketball team as a junior and a senior and was named All-New England for both years. He averaged 20.3 points per game in his final season and was chosen as an All-ISL player. Considered one of the top cross country runners in New England, Chris was recruited for the sport by several Division I teams noted for their running programs. However, he opted to accept an appointment to West Point. Chris’ basketball career flourished at West Point, where he was a four-year letterman and became the fifth all-time leading scorer in Army history, with 1,543 points. During his West Point career, Chris led Army in scoring for three years and was the Patriot League’s leading scorer as a junior and as a senior. He also served as a tri-captain, was honored as the team's co-most valuable player, and was named to the All-Patriot League second team in 2001 and 2002. After graduating from West Point in 2002, Chris became a graduate assistant coach with the men’s basketball team for the 2002–2003 season before starting military service. After the Army, Chris was a member of the Duke men’s basketball coaching staff from 2007 to 2012, and he served as a court coach for the Men’s National Team. Currently, Chris is a college basketball analyst for ESPN and a host on SiriusXM radio. He speaks regularly to community organizations, clinics, and colleges about leadership and his time in the Army and in the game of basketball. For service to his country and to the sport he so loves, and for leaving to Lawrence Academy a lasting legacy of unselfish commitment and exemplary leadership, we gratefully induct Chris Spatola into the Lawrence Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. LAWRENCE ACADEMY
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME JUNE 10, 2017
To set the cause above renown, To love the game beyond the prize From Clifton Chapel, by Sir Henry Newbolt (1862-1938)