Purpose

The Miss Porter’s School Athletics Hall of Fame acknowledges the contributions students, Ancients, and coaches have made to the world of athletic endeavors and inspires current and future Ancients to seek the highest level of competition and excellence in sports. The Athletics Hall of Fame will recognize excellence in training, competing, and winning as well as honor stories of perseverance, innovation, teamwork, and character.

Inductees
Carol Semple Thompson ‘66

Golf, Inducted 2018

Carol Semple Thompson ’66 was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania to a prominent golfing family; her father served as president of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 1974 and 1975 and her mother played competitive golf and served on various USGA committees.

Ms. Semple Thompson was active in athletics during her time at Miss Porter’s School, competing on the school’s field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams and playing golf at the Farmington Country Club in the spring. She competed in national amateur golf championships during the summer, winning her first tournament at the age of 16 when she defeated her mother in the finals of the Western Pennsylvania Women’s Championship.

Ms. Semple Thompson is a graduate of Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She won her first national championship, the U.S. Women’s Amateur, in 1973 and the British Women’s Amateur Championship in 1974 and is still one of only 11 golfers to hold both titles. Her other accomplishments include winning the 1976 and 1987 North and South Women’s Amateur, two U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs, and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, which she won four years in a row (1999 to 2002). Ms. Semple Thompson was part of the American team that won four Espirito Santo Trophys at the World Amateur Golf Team Championships and has been on more Curtis Cup teams and scored more victories than any competitor in the history of the Curtis Cup. She is one of only five people to have won three different USGA individual championship events, in good company alongside JoAnne Carner, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods.

In 2003, Ms. Semple Thompson received the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. In 2005, she was named recipient of the PGA “First Lady of Golf Award,” and in 2008, she was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category. Ms. Semple Thompson broke gender barriers in 2015, when she was one of the first 14 women admitted as members into the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.


Notable Statistics

  • 62 Amateur wins


Awards & Honors

  • 2003 Bob Jones Award
  • 2005 PGA of America First Lady of Golf
  • 2008 National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Kathrine Fugge McNamara ‘06

Swimming, Inducted 2018

Kathrine swam for 4 years with MPS. Practices were held at Trinity College, where the team was bussed in. Some of Kathrine’s achievements during her years at MPS, were being named an All American Swimmer in several events, New England Prep School Swimmer of the Year, Boston Globe Prep School Swimmer of the Year, breaking several records, and was named captain.

She went on to Northeastern University, swimming all 4 years for Division I, breaking records, winning several major competitions including championship events and served as captain. She also participated in crew for 4 years at MPS where her boat won several competitions including the New England’s Rowing Championships and Founders Day.

Katherine is the most decorated and accomplished swimmer in Porter’s history. Katherine was a USA Swimming Junior National Qualifier. Katherine went on to swim at Northeastern University for 4 years, was a captain and a member of the 400 Freestyle Relay to set the school record. Katherine had many accomplishments while at Miss Porter’s.

Notable Statistics

  • 7 Porter’s Varsity Records
  • All American in 3 events
  • New England Prep School (NEPSSA) Champion: ’03, 0’4, ’05, ’06
  • New England Prep School (NEPSSA) Record Holder: 100 M Free
  • New England Prep School (NEPSSA) All Time Best In NEPSSA History: 9th in 200IM, 16th 50 Free 6th 100 Free
  • Katherine won the Grace Robertson Award in 2006
  • Western New England Champion: ’04, ’05, ’06

Corinne (Coco) Schoeller ‘11

Crew, Inducted 2019

Coco started her rowing career at Miss Porter’s School in 2009 and graduated in 2011 as the captain of Miss Porter’s School Crew team and as one of the top collegiate rowing recruits in the U.S.

Coco went on to Brown University where she was the captain of the crew team and received the Marjorie Brown Smith award as Brown’s most outstanding female athlete.


Additional notable collegiate statistics

  • Winner of three Ivy League Championships titles
  • Represented Brown University at three NCAA Division 1 rowing championships
  • Earned First team All-Ivy honors
  • As captain, led Division 1 Brown Women’s Rowing to a ranking of #1 in the United States.

In addition to her remarkable collegiate career, Coco was a representative with US Rowing and was the only woman in the USA invited to join the US Senior National team in 2015.


Notable US Rowing statistics

  • Winner of a Gold medal in the Women’s 8 at the U23 World Rowing Championships, Linz, Austria
  • Placed 7th at U23 World Rowing Championships in the Women’s Quad, Varese, Italy
  • Won Gold in the Championship Women’s 4, Head of the Charles, Cambridge, MA
  • Won Silver in the USA Women’s 4, World Rowing Championships, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • Won Gold in the USA Women’s 8, Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on Thames, United Kingdom
  • Won Silver in the USA Women’s 4, World Rowing Cup, Poznan, Poland
  • Won fourth in the USA Women’s 8, World Rowing Championships, Sarasota, FL

 

Coco retired from the US National Team in December, 2018.

Coco is the most decorated and accomplished rower in Miss Porter’s School history.

Pamela B. Bent ‘62

Lacrosse & Field Hockey, Inducted 2019

Pamela Bent ’62, daughter of Alice Bent ’27, started as a varsity athlete while a student at Greenwich Country Day School and brought her athletic talents and passion to Miss Porter’s School where she continued to play varsity sports every year.

Pam went onto Hollins College where she was an outstanding field hockey player for all four years. As successful as she was at field hockey, it was while at Hollins College that Pam was introduced to the sport of lacrosse and her spark and passion for the game began.

When Pam moved to Colorado in 1968, she brought lacrosse to Colorado and spent over 30 years inspiring students with her love for the game. In the early 1980s, Pam formed and subsequently coached the Colorado Women’s Lacrosse team for many years. She later organized all of the high school lacrosse teams and formed the Colorado Girls Lacrosse Association. Pam was a legend in Colorado. In 1994, Pam was honored with the Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award by the Sportswoman of Colorado.

Sadly, Pam passed away in 2016. Pam was the kind of coach that no one ever forgot. Pam loved lacrosse, but she really loved the athletes that she coached. Her teams defied expectations simply because they wanted to win for their beloved, Coach Bent.

Eligibility criteria list for Athletics Hall of Fame
Nominations

We are pleased to announce Corinne (Coco) Schoeller ’11 and the late Pamela B. Bent ’62 were selected as the 2019 inductees into the Miss Porter’s School Athletics Hall of Fame. Coco for her contributions in rowing, rising to membership on the US Rowing team and Pamela for her devotion to women’s sports, particularly lacrosse. Pam founded both the Colorado Women’s Lacrosse Team and Lacrosse Association.

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