The Athletics Hall of Honor Commemorates Exceptional Alumni, Coaches, and Teams in Pan Athletic Center
Andover recently announced the 2024 inductees into the Athletics Hall of Honor: Marla Milkowski Anderson ’89, Kathy Birecki P’04, Jane Cashin Demers AA’73 P’03, ’05, Randy Koch ’74, and Allison Jennings McCance AA’60. Since its launch in 2008, the Athletic Hall of Honor has inducted exceptional alumni, trainers, coaches, and teams from Phillips Academy and Abbot Academy, spanning 143 years of classes and 19 different sports.
Nominations are reviewed and selected by the Athletics Committee of Alumni Council. Before the nominations are chosen, the slate of proposed inductees undergoes multiple stages of approval. Inductees are honored during Reunion Weekend and receive recognition in the Hall of Honor in the Pan Athletic Center. Mary Corcoran, Assistant Director of Affinity Based Engagement and Programming in the Office of Alumni Engagement, described the Hall of Honor’s purpose.
“The mission of the Hall of Honor is to recognize and honor alumni, teams, and coaches from Phillips and Abbot academies who displayed exceptional athletic ability on the field and who continue to lead a life that embodies the values of the academies,” wrote Corcoran in an email to The Phillipian.
Following alumni advocacy, Andover has begun to induct talented athletes from Abbot alumnae in recent years. According to Demers, the inclusion of Abbot alumnae in the Hall of Honor was initially not considered due to a lack of team photos and records. However, multiple Abbot Academy graduates have since been nominated.
Demers began playing various sports from a young age. During her time at Abbot, she played varsity tennis, basketball, and lacrosse and participated in cheerleading. After graduation, Demers continued to pursue those sports — founding the lacrosse team at the University of Pennsylvania — and discovered her passion for rowing. Racing for Vesper Boat Club, Demers won the National Championship in the women’s eight and rowed in the 1974 World Championships in Switzerland. Demers reflected on the lessons she has learned through sports.
“Sports gives you an instant home. You make friends because you’re working towards a goal [and] you learn how to get over things quickly. If you’re scored on, [you think], ‘Okay, a new game starts right now. How do I go forward?’ There [are] a lot of life lessons that are taught on the field of sport that can’t be taught elsewhere. Sportsmanship is so important… It’s nice to exercise all the gifts that we have been given, and there’s a place in sport for everybody. You don’t have to be the best to gain a lot of enjoyment from it,” said Demers.
Similarly, Nnamdi Okike ’98, a 2023 Hall of Honor Inductee, highlighted the transformative impact of sports in his life as a whole. At Andover, Okike excelled in track, basketball, and cross country, winning cross country Interschools multiple times. He expressed appreciation towards his coaches Leon Modeste, Jonathan Stableford ’63, and John Strudwick.
“One thing I love about sports is that often what you put in is [what] you get out of it. I learned a lot about putting in the work: I remember the summers I’d be preparing for cross country and Coach Stableford would give us a training regimen. We had to send him, every week, the number of miles we ran… That level of preparation really impacted me. Of all the coaches I’ve ever had, [he was] the one that I felt was most prepared and really [showed me] the importance of preparation and hard work,” said Okike.
Okike continued, “When you’re in high school, you may not see the big picture. I remember when I was at school, [sports] was something I liked and I was passionate about, but I don’t think when you’re there you understand the big picture and how important those lessons are [throughout] the course of your life. Even if you’re not the best athlete, even if you’re not the star of the team, the things you learn as a member of a team really form your character.”
Dianne Hurley ’80, Co-chair of the Athletics Committee of Alumni Council and a 2014 Inductee, elaborated on her favorite memories as a student pursuing hockey, soccer, track and field, and lacrosse. She emphasized the importance of enjoying sports rather than fixating on competition and the outcome.
“I think that it’s taken on this level of seriousness that sometimes loses [its] perspective. It depends on the sport [and] the situation. I’m not saying universally that’s the case, but a lot more than when I was younger, both the students and the coaches and everyone and parents need to remember that having fun is really important. That’s part of something that I think, again, we’re losing a little bit of. Young athletes these days are so razor-focused in a way that we weren’t necessarily razor-focused on,” said Hurley.
Corcoran commented on the Hall of Honor’s legacy. She hopes that honoring exemplary members of Andover’s sports community can inspire students to follow in their footsteps.
“We hope that the Hall of Honor will be wonderful role models for our students today. From the sense of commitment and competition of our inducted athletes, we hope this will carry on to the student body to continue to carry those same attributes. As students walk down that hallway in the Pan Athletic Center that is dedicated to the athletes, coaches, trainers, and teams that have been inducted into the Athletics Hall of Honor, we hope that their stories and athletic achievements will inspire our student-athletes as they work hard and to follow their legacy,” wrote Corcoran.
