Scholar-Athlete Commencement Stoles Bestowed on Wellesley's Graduating Seniors

A flurry of celebratory and ceremonial activity mark the run-up to Commencement Exercises at Wellesley. Wine and cheese on Monday, Senior Gala on Tuesday, Senior Luncheon and rehearsal on Wednesday, Baccalaureate on Thursday… and many more moments, large and small, honor and round out the last undergraduate days of Wellesley’s graduating seniors. 

Among the festivities, also on Thursday, was the annual Senior Scholar-Athlete Breakfast where the Wellesley athletics program raised a cheer for the 50 members of the Wellesley Athletics Class of 2013 who will take part in the College’s commencement ceremony on Friday morning.  All Wellesley senior athletes receive a stole to wear at Commencement in honor of Barbara Barnes Hauptfuhrer, who was a member of the class of 1949. A strong supporter of Wellesley College, Friends of Athletics, and our scholar-athletes, the stoles are embroidered with Barbara’s initials in recognition of her commitment to the ideals of a Wellesley scholar-athlete.

Earlier in May, Wellesley Athletics also held the annual Scholar-Athlete Celebration, which included recognition of several awards and honors earned by Wellesley teams and athletes in 2012-13. The event culminated in the announcement of the winner of the Barbara Barnes Hauptfuhrer Scholar-Athlete Award, crew team member Jennifer Lamy.

Hauptfuhrer Award

The Hauptfuhrer award is given each year to a graduating senior who has best demonstrated athletic achievement, scholarship, and leadership while at Wellesley. Lamy is a four-year member of the crew team, hailing from Chester, N.H. She has spent the last three seasons as the stroke seat of the Wellesley varsity eight, guiding the team to three straight NEWMAC and Seven Sisters titles. A team captain this season, Lamy is looking to lead the Blue to their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships. Wellesley has taken third at the last two national championships, with a fifth place finish in 2010.  (This year’s regatta starts on Commencement Day in Indianapolis.)

Lamy has individual awards at all levels, including being named a first-team All-American in 2013 and 2011, and earning All-ECAC and All-Seven Sisters recognition. She is also a three-time national, regional, and conference All-Academic award winner. A double major in economics and environmental sciences, Lamy will be Wellesley's nomination for the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

There were five other finalists for the Hauptfuhrer award: Isabel Custodio (Volleyball), Lauren Goldfarb (Softball), Emily Lewis (Field Hockey), Malia Maier (Basketball), and Meredith Roy (Lacrosse). Custodio is a three-time honorable mention All-America selection and a four-time NEWMAC first-team All-Conference selection. Goldfarb is an All-American, as well as a three-time first-team All-Conference honoree. Lewis is a two-time All-Region and two-time All-Conference selection. Maier is a three-time All-Conference selection, and has finished in the top five in the nation in steals for four years. Finally, Roy is a two-time NEWMAC All-Conference selection.

More Wellesley Awards & Honors

Two Friends of Wellesley College Athletics Honor Awards were presented at the event, going to Bob Allen and Anna Young. Allen is a 20-year employee of the College and has worked as an athletics groundskeeper for the last four years, in addition to serving as the club rugby coach. Young is Wellesley's Associate Director of Admission, who has been instrumental in creating the liaison program for Wellesley coaches.

Taking home the Department's Most Outstanding Contribution award was senior Ashleigh Sargent. Sargent was honored for her unparalleled dedication to the athletic program at Wellesley, through her involvement in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Sports Information Office, the Athlete Mentor Program, and the Basketball Team.

The Outstanding Senior Athlete Award, which is given to a senior with extraordinary athletic accomplishments at Wellesley, was presented to Randelle Boots for her contributions to the cross country and track teams. The 2011 NCAA National Champion in the mile, Boots is a 10-time NCAA qualifier and a seven-time All-America honoree. She has won races at all levels of competition, including NCAA, New England, NEWMAC, and Seven Sisters.

The Inspirational Award, which is presented to a student who has overcome exceptional circumstances to participate in athletics, was awarded to junior fencer, Courtney Collins, for her perseverance in dealing with injuries. Collins notably rebounded from a possible career-ending injury, including re-learning to fence with her left arm, to continue to compete for Wellesley.

Finally, first years Dorothy Ren and Carly Bresee were named co-recipients of the Wellesley Athletics Rookie of the Year award. Ren, a member of the swimming and diving team, earned NCAA cuts in two events this season. A NEWMAC All-Conference swimmer for the Blue, she also led the team to their 16th straight Seven Sisters Championships, winning all seven of the events she was entered in. Bresee, a member of the softball team, recently became the program's first NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. A first-team All-Conference selection, her .412 batting average this season tied her for the highest single season mark in program history.

Several other individual award recipients were recognized at the event, including national and regional athletic award honorees. NEWMAC and Seven Sisters awards were also presented, including NEWMAC yearly, All-Conference, and All-Academic awards, and Seven Sisters Senior-Scholar Athlete and All-Tournament awards.

The event ended with a send-off from the current Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive board, juniors Ava Mokhtari, Annie Hamilton, and Zoe Sobel. The trio presented both the Blue Pride Award and the slogan for Wellesley Athletics for the 2013-14 school year. The softball and basketball teams were named co-recipients of the Blue Pride Award, for their continual demonstration of Wellesley pride and support of other athletics teams. The new athletics slogan, replacing this year's “Blue Nation,” was unveiled: “Set The Standard.”