December 21, 2024
COLLEGE REPORT

Husson Sports Hall of Fame to induct 5

Clara Swan and Jack Scott will have their jersey numbers retired, while five others will be inducted into the Husson College Sports Hall of Fame on Friday as part of the school’s homecoming activities.

Eagles women’s basketball coach Mary “Kissy” Walker, along with former Husson athletes Matt Dutille, Rich Mazurek, Tara Leavitt Mayo and Adam Heaslewood will be honored Friday during a dinner and ceremony at the G. Peirce Webber Campus Center.

A reception kicks off the evening at 5:30 p.m., with dinner ($20) scheduled for 6 p.m.

Swan began her career at Husson as a student in 1930 and participated in all sports available to women at the time. After graduation she taught at the high school level and then returned to Husson in 1939.

Swan coached her women’s basketball teams to a 241-34 record in 19 seasons, then was active with the Association of Women Basketball Coaches.

In 2002, on her 90th birthday, Husson dedicated the Clara Swan Center in the Newman Gymnasium.

Scott, of Trenton, is a 1963 Husson graduate. In three seasons, he helped the team post a 51-3 record, scoring more than 1,000 career points.

Coach Del Merrill called Scott, “the best basketball player I ever witnessed in the state of Maine.”

Jack was a highly successful baseball coach for many years at Ellsworth High School and is a member of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame.

Dutille (Class of 1993), of Charlotte, N.C., played baseball at Husson from 1988-1993. He was named to the All-District team each of his four years and in 1991-92 was in the top 5 NAIA national rankings for strikeouts per 9 innings and in earned run average.

As a senior, he was an NAIA All-American honorable mention and an All-Area 8 selection. He struck out 18 batters in a game vs. Colby and that year his team won the District Championship.

Heaslewood (Class of ’97) of Kent, England, was a soccer standout at Husson. The three-time captain scored 59 goals and had 66 assists.

In 1993 he was Maine Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and was Player of the Year for three straight years. He was a four-time All-New England pick and a two-time, second-team All-American.

Upon graduation he played semi-pro soccer in England.

Rockland native Mazurek (Class of ’94) played basketball at Husson from 1990-1994. He scored 1,505 points for his career and was a career 77 percent free-throw shooter.

Mazurek also shot better than 44 percent from 3-point range. Mazurek was a recipient of the Nelson Degrasse Award given for athletic ability and sportsmanship.

After graduating from Husson he has coached youth basketball and has been serving on the board in Rockland Little League. He lives in Rockland with his wife Jennifer and their two children.

Leavitt Mayo of Hampden (Class of ’94) was four-year basketball standout at Husson. The accomplished rebounder was a member of the 1992-93 squad that advanced to the NAIA Final Four.

Mayo ranks second at Husson with 904 career rebounds, scored 1,131 points and is fourth all time in blocked shots. She made three national tournament appearances.

Mayo, a first-team all-conference pick in 1994, lives in Hampden with her husband and four daughters.

Walker of Bangor (Class of ’03) has become one of the most successful women’s basketball coaches in Maine.

She coached at Husson from 1989-2001, then returned to the bench in 2003 and still holds the post. Walker’s teams have recorded 302 wins and made five trips to the national tourney.

Walker’s 1992-93 team advanced to the NAIA Final Four. The Cony High School grad played four seasons at UMaine, where she was a captain as a senior.

Walker is the Clinical Coordinator and Instructor in the Physical Education Program at Husson. She and her son Isaiah live in Bangor.

Seven to ender USM sports hall

Seven former University of Southern Maine student-athletes comprise the Husky Hall of Fame Class of 2007 to be inducted Saturday at the 22nd Hall of Fame Banquet at the Kenneth Brooks Student Center on the Gorham campus.

A reception begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by dinner and the ceremonies at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $30. Call 207-780-5588 for information.

This year’s inductees are former men’s basketball standout Charles Andre, Class of 1951; men’s soccer All-American Donald Franzese, Class of 1984; women’s track All-American Christine Berube, Class of 1996; all-region field hockey player Denise Arsenault Turner, Class of 1996; men’s ice hockey standout Travis Bezio, Class of 1997; softball All-American and All-America honorable mention women’s basketball player Julie Plant, Class of 2000; and 1997 NCAA Division III Baseball National Championship Most Valuable Player Jason Jensen, Class of 2002.

USM will present three special departmental awards. The 2007 Richard A. “Doc” Costello Special Achievement Award is being bestowed upon former USM baseball player David Page (Class of 1989), currently the Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Boston Red Sox.

The recipient of the David F. Drew III Service Award is Richard Clarey, a former Faculty-Athletics Representative for the department and Dean of the School of Business.

The Clifford O.T. Weiden Award goes to Richard Pattenaude, former USM President and the current Chancellor of the University of Southern Maine System, recognizing his support and dedication to the USM athletic department during his tenure as USM President.


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