Weston graduates produce in college

Good times for a few alums of Weston High School: Former swimming stars Eric Nilsson and Mason White are putting together standout seasons in the pool.

Nilsson, a senior at Northwestern University, has racked up times placing him among the top Division 1 swimmers: eighth in the 200-yard freestyle, 17th in the 500-yard freestyle and 25th in the 200-yard butterfly.

Considered Northwestern's top swimmer, he is expected to challenge for Big Ten titles and All-America honors in the three events. Nilsson was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 11 and Nov. 25, the latter after he earned MVP honors and led Northwestern to first place at the Wildcats' own TYR Invitational in Evanston, Ill.

White, a sophomore at Emory University in Atlanta, set an school record in the 100-yard breaststroke (56.1 seconds) and was part of the school record-setting 200-yard medley squad. Both marks were established at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational early last month. White also qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke for the NCAA Division 3 national meet, to be held March 18-21 in Minneapolis.

Another Weston grad, Drew Crowley, the Globe's Division 3 Boys' Soccer Player of the Year in 2005, was honored as team MVP and a captain-elect for the men's soccer team at Washington & Lee University in Virginia, which was 9-6-2 overall this fall. Crowley started all 17 games and was third in team scoring with 4 goals and 1 assist.

Candace Williams of Norfolk, who was honored as the Most Improved Player on the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team last season after averaging 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, has taken her game up a notch.

Through 12 games, the 6-foot junior forward was leading the team in points (15.2) and rebounds (8.9). While UNH is 2-10, Williams has been a standout.

"Candace is a tremendous asset to our team. She's playing really well for us and I'm excited how much better she is getting every day," said UNH head coach Kristin Cole. "Candace does a great job offensively and is tenacious on the boards."

Williams, whose father, Toby, played for the New England Patriots from 1983-89 and whose mother, Christine, received a basketball scholarship to the University of Nebraska, scored 1,656 career points while earning all-state, league, division and class honors at St. Raphael Academy in Rhode Island.

Former Brookline High football coach and athletic director Ed Schluntz of Newton, Harvard offensive coordinator Joel Lamb of Natick, and Atlantic Coast Conference head linesman Mike Kelley of Shrewsbury will be honored at the Gridiron Club of Boston's Bob Whelan College Football Awards Night on Jan. 15 at the Burlington Marriott hotel.

Schluntz, a former Harvard freshman coach and a guiding force in establishing the Massachusetts high school football Super Bowl in 1972, will receive the John Baronian Lifetime Contribution to Football Award.

Lamb was named Assistant Coach of the Year after directing a Crimson offense that ranked atop the Ivy League in scoring offense in a 9-1 season.

Kelley will receive the Joseph V. McKenney Award as the top collegiate football official.

Harvard junior left tackle James Williams of Newton has been named to the Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision All-America third team. Williams was previously a two-time All-America selection by multiple organizations . . . Wheaton College sophomore back Alessia Viscomi, a graduate of Newton North High, was named to the first team on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas All-New England squad. She anchored a defense that yielded only 18 goals and posted 13 shutouts. Viscomi's only goal was a big one - the lone tally in Wheaton's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference tournament semifinal win over Clark University . . . Adam Conklin of Dover, a tight end and linebacker for Milton Academy's football team, will serve as a senior cocaptain next fall. Milton won the Class A New England Prep championship this season . . . Ashland resident Mel McKee has been promoted to head coach of the Assumption College men's lacrosse program. McKee, the Globe's 2000 Eastern Mass. Division 2 Coach of the Year while at Ashland High, was offensive coordinator and goalkeeper coach at Assumption the past three seasons. He is a founder of the Ashland Youth Lacrosse program . . . Don Moorhead has retired as golf coach at Bentley University. He guided Bentley to three Northeast-10 Conference championships (1992, 2006, 2007) and a berth in the NCAA Division 2 regionals nine times, including the last two years. A 1970 graduate of Bentley, where he was a basketball team captain, Moorhead was a three-time NE-10 Golf Coach of the Year.

Marvin Pave can be reached at 508-820-4223 or marvin.pave@rcn.com.