Newton sports hall of fame to induct 11

By Marvin Pave  |  November 9, 2008

The Newton High/Newton North High School Athletic Hall of Fame will induct 11 new members on Nov. 28 at the Sheraton Needham Hotel.

The inductees are John Butterworth (class of 1984), Alfreda Farina Cleveland ('56), David Craig ('58), Ed Fraktman ('49), Tom Hagerstrom ('78), Karl Hatton ('80), Judy Hinchey ('80), Lou Kahlenbeck ('54), Colin Ryan ('85), George Wales ('47), and longtime coach Norm Walker. In addition, Jim Gaquin ('40) will receive the Dr. L. Bradford "Doc" Thompson Award for outstanding service to the athletic program.

Butterworth led Newton North to the Suburban League hockey championship his senior year while setting a school scoring record that still stands (26 goals, 30 assists). Cleveland was a multisport athlete at Newton High and Boston University and was inducted into the BU Hall of Fame in 2001. Craig led Newton High to the EMass baseball title his senior season, batting .357 while compiling a 12-3 mark on the mound. He was also a standout hockey defenseman.

Fraktman, a three-sport star and former principal of Day Middle School and housemaster at Newton High, was the Tigers' head baseball coach and previously assisted Hall of Fame coach Howard Ferguson. Hagerstrom earned eight varsity letters and played on six league championship teams at Newton North as an offensive player in soccer, a wing in hockey, and a shortstop in baseball. Hatton, one of the greatest lacrosse players in school history, was a team captain in 1980 when he was honored as a National Scholastic All-American and Boston Globe Player of the Year.

Hinchey was captain of the basketball and tennis teams and a cocaptain on the soccer team at Newton North who led all three teams to the Eastern Massachusetts finals and the tennis team to the 1980 state championship. Kahlenbeck threw the javelin 197 feet while winning the state and New England championships, a school record that still stands. His pass receiving also led Newton to a memorable 32-31 football win against visiting Waltham in 1953. Ryan, a starter his junior and senior years in football, basketball, and baseball and a two-sport captain, played in the College World Series for Maine.

Walker coached several major sports at Newton North in the 1970s and '80s. His football teams won three Class A championships and berths in two Super Bowls. He is a member of the Massachusetts football and wrestling coaches halls of fame and the Swampscott High Athletic Hall of Fame. Wales, a football, hockey, and baseball standout, was selected to play on the Boston Globe All-Scholastic Baseball team at Braves Field and was awarded honorable mention on the newspaper's Football All-Scholastic Team.

Gaquin, a reporter for the Waltham News Tribune, covered Newton sports from 1948 to 1953. He became press secretary for the PGA of America Tour and is director of the Cape Cod Open and Cape Cod Senior Open.

The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner. Tickets are available through Nov. 19. For details, call 781-449-2668.

Needham resident Bobby Conroy, who died Oct. 27 at age 49 after a courageous battle with colon cancer, will be remembered as a friend and champion of youth in the town. He coached youth baseball and basketball in Needham and was president of the committee that successfully pushed to fund the new turf athletic fields being installed.

"Bobby cared what youngsters were saying and truly listened to them," said Needham youth soccer coach Douglas Spink III.

Endicott College senior midfielder Michelle Berard of Ashland was named the Commonwealth Coast Conference Field Hockey Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Gordon College. The win gave Endicott its first undefeated conference season (8-0) and top seed for the conference tournament.

"Michelle is consistent and exhibits great stick work," said Gulls head coach Jodi Cipolla.

Former Newton North High girls' soccer captain Erica Jones has helped the New York University women's soccer team post a winning record. Jones, a freshman starting midfielder, had four assists through 15 games. . . . Junior defender Casey Brown of Natick repeated as America East Conference Defender of the Year, and Needham native Nancy Feldman and her assistants received Coaching Staff of the Year honors after the Boston University women's soccer team captured the conference's regular season championship.

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