LEWISTON, Maine – Bates College has announced the inaugural class of its new Athletics Hall of Fame, celebrating 10 inductees and eight legacy honorees. 

Bates established the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025 to honor, pay tribute, and perpetuate the memory of individuals and teams who, either through participation, support, or interest, have made outstanding contributions in the field of intercollegiate athletics and who have helped bring recognition, honor, distinction, and excellence to Bates College.

“This first Hall of Fame class is truly special and is a momentous occasion for Bates College and the Athletics Department as a whole,” Interim Director of Athletics Will Rothermel said. “These remarkable individuals represent the best of what it means to be a Bobcat and their achievements have left an indelible mark on our college. It is an honor to celebrate their legacies and we look forward to future years when we will be able to grow the Hall of Fame even more as we continue to celebrate all that makes Bates athletics great!”

Selected from more than 350 nominations by a nine-member Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee, the inaugural class spans seven decades and represents 18 eighteen varsity sports. It comprises six athletes, one team, two coaches, and one inductee who was an exemplar as both an athlete and coach at Bates.

They are, in alphabetical order:

• James “Andrew” Byrnes ’05, men’s rowing: Two-time Olympic medalist... Captured gold in the men’s eights for Canada in 2008.
• Rachel R. Clayton ’90, women’s volleyball, basketball, softball: Bates’ first volleyball All-American... Dominant outside hitter on 36-0 volleyball team in 1989... Still holds five softball records.
• Margaret W. Coffin ’08, women’s soccer, basketball, lacrosse: One of just two Bates All-Americans in two wholly separate women’s sports... Second team All-America on 2005 NESCAC champion women’s soccer team... Top-10 all-time scorer and rebounder in basketball.
• Sherry Deschaine, head coach: Pioneering women’s coach for a combined 50-plus sports seasons, focusing on field hockey and softball.
• Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler ’78, women's Nordic skiing, field hockey, cross country, lacrosse: Bates’ first woman to earn All-America honors... 14-time U.S. national champion and two-time Olympian in Nordic... Launched women’s cross country and lacrosse at Bates.
• Keelin Godsey ’06, women’s track and field: Most decorated track and field athlete in Bates history... 16-time All-American thrower... Two-time national champion.
• James P. Murphy ’69, football and head coach: Quarterbacked Bates’ winningest football era...  One of four gridiron Bobcats to have their number retired... Head coach of women’s soccer and women’s basketball for a combined 37 years, with numerous NCAA tournament appearances.
• William “David” Pless ’13, men’s track and field: Most decorated men’s track and field athlete in program history... 10-time All-American thrower... Three-time national champion. 
• Walter Slovenski, head coach: Legend who led men’s cross country and track and field for 43 years... Led Bobcat teams to 726 victories and five undefeated seasons, 20-plus Maine championships, and four New England regional championships.
• 2015 women’s rowing team: First team to win an NCAA championship in Bates history.

“The Bates Athletics Hall of Fame is a meaningful and long-awaited tribute to generations of Bobcats,” Vice President for College Advancement Eric Foushée, P’22, P’26 said. “It will truly honor the rich history, pride, and success that Bates athletes have had over many decades. The first class to be inducted represent some of our best student-athletes in a variety of sports and classes and were selected from nominations from alumni and friends of the college. Go Bobcats!”

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday morning, Oct. 4, 2025.

At the ceremony, Bates will also acknowledge eight legacy honorees, individuals whose athletic achievements and historical contributions to the college community occurred more than 50 years ago. By recognizing their enduring spirit, the Hall of Fame celebrates not only their individual legacies but also the rich history and foundational impact they have had on shaping the college’s athletic program for generations to come. 

The eight legacy honorees for the inaugural class are:

• Arthur H. Blanchard Jr. ’50, football, baseball: Star back for the undefeated 1946 Bobcats... MVP of the ’46 Glass Bowl... Two-time All-American.
• Raymond B. Buker, Class of 1922, men’s track and field: Twice won the two-mile run at the Penn Relays, putting Bates track and field on the national map... Placed fifth in the 1,500 at the 1924 Olympics.
• Russell H. Chapman ’31, men’s track and field: Bates’ first athletics All-American... Called the “greatest half-miler who ever lived.”... Missed a world record in the 880 by 0.1 seconds in 1931.
• Oliver Cutts, Class of 1896, football, baseball: Late 19th-century football star... Consensus All-America lineman at Harvard in 1901... Head football coach, 1922 and 1923... Director of Athletics to 1938.
• N. John Douglas ’60, men's track and field: Propelled Bates over 31 opponents in 21 straight meets, 1957 to 1959... Still No. 1 in indoor and outdoor long jump, and outdoor triple jump.
• Harry D. Lord, Class of 1908, baseball, football: Starred for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, 1907–14... Played football at Bates in 1904 and baseball in 1905... Returned to coach baseball in 1918.
• Rudolph V. Smith ’60, men’s track and field: His 1958 outdoor records (21.44 in the 200 meters, 47.04 in the 400 meters) still stand... Key figure in Bates’ winning streak of 21 meets over 31 opponents… Two-time MVP of the Maine meet.
• Howard S. Vandersea ’63, football, baseball: Two-way All-American football standout (center and linebacker)... One of four gridiron Bobcats to have their number retired... Baseball slugger who helped Bates to the Eastern NCAA Finals in 1962... Long-time and successful head college football coach. 

Bates student-athletes are eligible for the Bates College Athletics Hall of Fame at any time beginning ten years after their matriculating class has graduated. Coaches, trainers and administrators are eligible beginning five years after the end of their involvement in Bates athletics in a capacity other than as a student-athlete. 

The Bates Athletics Hall of Fame committee comprises men’s basketball head coach Jon Furbush ’05, athletics historian Richard Johnson ’78, six-time All-American thrower Vantiel Elizabeth Duncan ’10, field hockey and women’s lacrosse captain Carolyn Campbell-McGovern ’83, assistant field hockey coach Kelly McManus ’12, football co-captain Ira Waldman ’73, P’08, P’11, Interim Director of Athletics Will Rothermel, Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Adrienne Shibles ’91, P’26, and Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Chris McKibben. 

Joining Foushée as staff liaisons for the committee are Senior Director of Alumni Engagement Sarah Cameron, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement Stephanie Dumont, and Associate Athletic Communications Director Aaron Morse.

Bates College Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

James “Andrew” Byrnes ’05
Men’s Rowing

Rowing became a varsity sport at Bates in 1999. Andrew Byrnes ’05 arrived on campus in the fall of 2001, and immediately started setting standards that have yet to be matched.

A two-time Olympic medalist, Byrnes left his mark on both the Bates rowing record books and the international rowing world. As a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Byrnes’ accomplishments earned him the attention of both countries’ national team programs — a rare and impressive accomplishment for a Division III rower.

In his first year at Bates, Byrnes posted program ergometer records for a first-year in both the 20-minute (5853m) and 2000m (6:18.7) tests. Byrnes went on to break Bates ergometer records in every subsequent season that he rowed, covering 6000m and 2000m in 19:27.8 and 5:58.0, respectively, by his senior year.

In addition to distinguishing Byrnes as the fastest male rower ever to come through the varsity program at Bates, these scores placed him among the fastest in North America.

In his junior year, Byrnes’ 6000m score was the fastest time posted in the Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) National Development Program, while his 2000m score was the second fastest score posted with RCA and the third fastest score posted for the United States national team.

Byrnes’ speed on the ergometer was matched by his tremendous racing achievements on the water in both national and international events. At the 2003 U.S National Championship, Byrnes earned two gold medals and one silver medal in Pair and Four events. In both his junior and senior years, Byrnes went head-to-head against the fastest rowers in Canada during the RCA National Team Trials and finished seventh and 12th, respectively. These results earned Byrnes two consecutive invitations to selection camps for the Canadian National Under-23 Team. In 2005, Byrnes was selected to the squad and raced to a bronze medal with the Canadian Men’s 8+ at the U-23 World Rowing Championship in Amsterdam. 

After graduating from Bates with a degree in physics, Byrnes earned a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006. Then Byrnes reached the top of the rowing world in 2008 when he was part of the Canadian men's eights crew that captured the gold medal at the Beijing Summer Olympics. The Bobcats honored Byrnes for his accomplishment by christening one of their boats “The Andrew Byrnes,” which the men's second varsity eight rows in to this day. Then in 2012, he followed up his gold medal with a silver medal in the men's eights at the London Summer Olympics.

Byrnes remains the only Bobcat to ever medal at the Olympic Games.

Rachel R. Clayton ’90
Women’s Volleyball, Basketball, Softball

The first All-American for the Bates volleyball program (second team 1989) was awarded to perhaps the most athletic player to ever grace the courts at Bates College. Although unable to play her first year due to an injury, Rachel Clayton ’90 quickly rose to national prominence in just three seasons. Rachel led the team in all hitting categories, and was ranked nationally in kills and hitting percentage. During her career as an outside hitter on the team, the Bates volleyball team had a record of 111-8, capturing the Northeast Championship in 1987 and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship title in 1989 to cap off an undefeated season of 36-0. Rachel was also selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region team in 1988 and 1989, and voted Most Valuable Player in New England in 1989. "Rachel is a natural athlete," said her volleyball and basketball coach Marsha Graef. "Her quick development as a volleyball player became the foundation of the team's successes."

Related: ‘We had each other’s backs’: Memories from volleyball’s perfect season

On the softball diamond, Clayton demonstrated her talent and tenacity in every game she played. She set twenty-two school records, five of which still stand today, and the strength of her bat and the stability of her defense put Bates College in the official NCAA Division III record book. Rachel was a four year letter winner, a team captain and a member of the Maine Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (MAIAW) and the New England Intercollegiate Softball Association (NEISA) All-Star teams. Her career stats include a .454 batting average and a .919 fielding average. In 1988, Rachel was the national Division III leader in RBIs per game and in home runs. The MAIAW honored her as its Most Valuable Player and the United States handball team chose her for its travel squad after graduation.

Margaret W. Coffin ’08
Women’s Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse

In an era of increased specialization, Meg Coffin ’08 was a true three-sport star for Bates.

Whether at sweeper or wing defender – wherever she played on the soccer pitch – Coffin was the matchup problem opposing coaches could never seem to negotiate successfully. 

She began her soccer career at Bates by winning NEWISA All-New England Third Team honors, a rarity for a first-year defender. She followed that with a breakout sophomore campaign in which she earned NESCAC All-Conference First Team, NEWISA All-New England Second Team, NSCAA New England All-Region Second Team, and Team MVP honors. 

At wing defender, Coffin netted an improbable four goals and dished out one assist for the 9-4-2 Bobcats. Coffin moved back to the sweeper position as a junior, and she and the team flourished. She spearheaded a stingy Bates defense that keyed the team's run to its first NESCAC Championship. 

The Bobcats advanced to the Second Round of the 2005 NCAA Division III Championship and finished 14-4-1, setting the program record for wins in a season, while Coffin raised her scoring production to six goals and one assist on the season. A slew of postseason awards followed, including spots on the NSCAA All-America Second Team, the NESCAC All-Conference First Team, the NEWISA All-New England First Team and the NSCAA New England All-Region First Team. 

After posting an equally impressive basketball season later that year, Coffin would win NESCAC Player of the Year honors and become the second Bates female athlete ever to win All-America honors in two distinctive sports. She capped the year by being named Bates Female Athlete of the Year. Coffin tore ligaments in her knee late during her senior season of 2006, but had shown enough to earn NSCAA All-America Third Team honors, and also winning her fourth NEWISA All-New England award as well as her third NESCAC All-Conference, NSCAA New England All-Region and Team MVP awards. With uncommon athleticism for a 6-foot-1 player, Coffin also made her mark with smarts and leadership skills. "She plays skillfully, intelligently, aggressively, unselfishly," coach Jim Murphy told Bates Magazine. "She's the total package."

In her first basketball season, Coffin started for a 2003-04 team that finished 19-8, averaging 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She followed that by playing an effective complement to First Team All-American Olivia Zurek '05 in Zurek's brilliant senior season, in which Bates went 25-3 and was ranked No. 1 in Division III for three weeks in February. Coffin earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors that year, averaging 12.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and the Bobcats advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championship. With Zurek gone in 2005-06, Coffin became the center of attention as a junior, and she responded with a breakthrough season, leading the Bobcats in scoring (17.1), rebounding (11.0), blocked shots (1.6 bpg) and steals (2.3 spg), and she was at the top or near the top of the NESCAC in all of those categories. Coffin also set a new Bates record for field goal percentage, at .592, and after the Bobcats' season ended with a first-round loss in the NCAA tournament, the individual awards flooded in. Among several other plaudits, Coffin was named NESCAC Player of the Year, WBCA Honorable Mention All-America and D3Hoops.com Fourth Team All-America.

After missing the 2006-07 campaign due to injury, Coffin opted to return for her final season of eligibility in 2007-08 and posted another excellent season, averaging 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting .564 from the field for the 15-10 Bobcats. All-NESCAC First Team and her second State Farm Coaches All-American honors followed. Coffin closed the book on her career fourth all-time at Bates in scoring and rebounding with 1,252 points and 789 boards.

On top of all this, she was also a second team All-Region women's lacrosse player for Bates in 2006. “Whether I’m marking someone in soccer or basketball or lacrosse, my attitude is, ‘I’m going to shut you down,'” Coffin told Bates Magazine.

Sherry Deschaine
Head Coach

Sherry Deschaine, at the time Sherry Yakawonis, was hired to teach physical education at Bates in 1968 straight out of the University of Maine at Presque Isle and immediately became the school's first women's basketball coach.

Thirty years later, she retired after having had a hand in almost every women's sport on campus. She served as the head field hockey coach for 26 years and as the head softball coach for 21. Deschaine also at various times coached women's lacrosse and volleyball, and she assisted with the track and field team. She even coached varsity badminton and bowling during her time at Bates.

Deschaine coached field hockey from 1969-1994. She had 14 winning seasons in her first 15 years as the field hockey coach, including a 13-2-2 record in 1975 and marks of 12-2-2 and 10-2-3 in 1982 and 1983 respectively. Deschaine's career record at the helm of the field hockey program was 174-119-37. She coached softball from 1977-1997 and had six straight winning seasons from 1985-1990. Bates softball went 12-3 in 1994, still the best winning percentage in one season in program history. 

“Sherry focused on each individual, confident that individual success would lead to team success,” former Bates women's cross country and track & field coach Carolyn Court said. “Sherry did not bring in specialty coaches. She personally worked with the pitchers in softball and goalkeepers in field hockey, armed with knowledge from clinics and close coaching relationships. Sherry's athletes were challenged by their coach to work to their full potential while forming friendships that would last a lifetime.”

Related: Catching up with Bates coaching pioneer Sherry Deschaine

Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler ’78
Women’s Nordic Skiing, Field Hockey, Cross Country, Lacrosse

Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler ’78 came to Bates as an English major, expecting to play field hockey and lacrosse, though at the time women's lacrosse at Bates was more of a plan than a reality. During her sophomore year she was recruited to give Nordic skiing a try. Winning her first four races, Nancy later remembered with a laugh, "I was all lungs and no technique. I figured that if I could learn to ski properly, I might be pretty good at the sport." 

To put it mildly, so it proved. 

In one of the most extraordinary athletic accomplishments in Bates history, over the next three years Nancy won every race she entered. She finished her Bates career undefeated, and was Bates' first female All-American in any sport. She went on to be the first Bates woman ever to compete as an Olympic athlete, and was the fifth Bobcat ever selected for an Olympic team. Nancy was an English major, with great affection for Bates and her education. With Dean's List academic performance, she was elected to the College Key and earned a Senior Citation Award.  

With broad athletic interests, she helped bring two new club sports to women's athletics in lacrosse and cross country. After a trial period and with support from Bates, and in the helpful environment of the early years of Title IX, both sports became varsity programs at Bates. 

After Bates, Nancy continued her passion for Nordic skiing and made a push to try to qualify for the 1980 Olympic Team. She came up short and set her dream aside for a while. Seven years later she qualified for the U.S. World Championship team, thus beginning an eight-year run on the U.S. Ski Team. Nancy competed in four World Championships (1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993) and in two Winter Olympics, 1988 in Calgary and 1992 in Albertville. She finished 25th overall and was the top US finisher in the 1992 winter Olympics, at 18th place in the 30K race, and she placed 15th in the 15K race at the World Championships in 1989. Although these events are normally dominated by Europeans, Nancy was one of the best 20 female cross-country skiers in the world, and generally the top U.S. finisher in international races. 

Through the years, she competed in many World Cup races and won the U.S. national title 14 times. A ski writer said of her performances, "Nancy Fiddler was pure tensile strength. She willed herself to be one of the top Nordic skiers in the world." 

Related: Catching up with two-time Olympian Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler '78

Keelin Godsey ’06
Women's Track and Field

A two-time NCAA Division III champion in the hammer throw and the most decorated athlete in Bates track and field history, Keelin Godsey ’06 became the first Bobcat to earn a spot in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athlete Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 2024.

Everywhere Godsey competed for Bates, records fell. With Godsey, the benchmark became not All-NESCAC or All-New England honors, but All-America awards, national championships and national records. Godsey earned three All-America plaudits in the indoor shot put, three in the 20-pound weight throw, three in the discus, three in the outdoor shot put, and four in the hammer throw.

Out of those 16 awards, the lowest national finish Godsey recorded was fourth place. While dominant at most every meet in most every event, even against Division I competition at all-division Open New England meets, Godsey's specialty was the hammer throw. At the 2005 NCAA Championships, Godsey's top throw of 195 feet and 4 inches set a meet and facility record, though it was over 10 feet short of the school and NCAA Division III record Godsey set earlier that season. A year later, Godsey again set the NCAA Division III record, this time with a throw of 206 feet and 5 inches. That record stood from 2006 until 2017. 

Among Godsey's many other extraordinary accomplishments were winning two USTFCCCA New England Region Track and Field Athlete of the Year awards, a spot on the NCAA Silver Anniversary Division III Track and Field Championships Team, and earning the opportunity to compete with America's best at three U.S. Track and Field Championships (one indoor, two outdoor) while still in college. Godsey graduated with Bates records in the hammer (206-5), discus (166-6) and 20-pound weight throw (65-11.75), all of which still stand today.

In 2005, Godsey came out as transgender before the beginning of his senior year with the Bates women's track and field team. His experiences before 2005 and since then, from athletic feats to personal trials, are recounted in a special report published in the May 28, 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated, "The Transgender Athlete."

After graduating from Bates, Godsey continued to compete in the women's hammer throw. He finished seventh in the 2008 Olympic Trials and followed that with a fifth-place finish in the 2012 Olympic Trials. In 2011, he finished third at the USATF Nationals and represented the United States in the Pan American Games, where he finished fifth.

Professionally, Godsey has enjoyed success as a physical therapist and was recognized with a Clinical Excellence Award for his work. He graduated from Northeastern University in 2010 with his doctorate in physical therapy and also received his strength and conditioning specialist certification.

For Godsey, competing for the Bates track and field team went beyond just the results on the scoreboard.

"Sports saved my life," Godsey said. "I want people to understand that sports saves a lot of people's lives for a lot of different reasons. So, everyone deserves to play." 

Related: Catching up with USTFCCCA Hall of Famer Keelin Godsey '06

James P. Murphy ’69
Football and Head Coach, Women's Soccer and Basketball

Jim Murphy ’69 was one of the finest players in the history of Bates football, and perhaps the program’s greatest quarterback. He still owns the team’s records for touchdown passes in a career (50) and season (17), and is one of just four players to have his number (10) retired, in 1968. He also played two years of varsity basketball at Bates.

Murphy’s reputation even in his student days was built on his hard work and pursuit of team goals. “He was kind of humble about it all,” the late Bob Hatch, former Bates football coach, told Bates Magazine in 1997. “He never considered himself a big star, even though he clearly was.”

Led by Murphy, the Bates football team ran off four straight winning seasons from 1965 through 1968, with their best season coming in 1966, as Bates went 6-2 and captured the outright CBB series title. They successfully defended the crown in 1967 and the Bobcats finished Murphy's tenure at QB with an overall record of 22-11, the most successful four-year run in the history of the program.

Murphy returned to his alma mater in 1994 to lead the women’s varsity soccer and basketball programs.

At Bates, he spearheaded an almost immediate turnaround in the basketball team’s fortunes. Murphy led the Bobcats to a 17–7 mark in his second season, 1995–96, kicking off a run of 15 consecutive winning seasons. Bates competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in 1996–97, finishing 20–5, then returned to the NCAAs for three more years in a row, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1997–98.

Bates reached new heights in 2004–05, earning the No. 1 national ranking for four weeks and finishing 25–3 with a second NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance. Bates returned to the tournament for a sixth time in 2006, finishing 19–9. Sixteen of Murphy’s 21 teams finished with a winning record, and six former players were named All-America. In his 21 years leading the Bates women's basketball team, the Bobcats recorded a record of 343–187, good for a winning percentage of .647.

Murphy led the women’s soccer team for 16 seasons beginning in 1994, amassing a 146–93–13 record, including the 2005 NESCAC Women’s Soccer Championship and NCAA Division III Championship tournament appearances in 1996, 1997 and 2005. Murphy also coached the team to two ECAC Championship finals, winning the title in 1998.

Hailing from Portland, Maine, Murphy brought his simple, hard-boiled ethos into his coaching philosophy, and his players were known for their mental toughness. In the Bates Magazine story, he said, “Everything has to be earned. If you’re a member of varsity or a starter, you should be proud, but come fall or spring, it’s something you have to earn."

William “David” Pless ’13
Men's Track and Field

Before David Pless ’13 even set foot on campus, an enormously proud tradition of excellence in Bates track and field existed, particularly in throwing.

Pless’s impressive stature and talent were readily apparent to the achievement-rich community he would grow to personify. But in order to become the first 10-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion in a men's sport in Bates history, a lot of work needed to take place. It didn’t hurt to have teammates like Rich McNeil ’10, Chris Murtagh ’11, Ethan Waldman ’11 and Sean Enos ’15, All-Americans all, around to serve as daily sources of motivation.

Pless’s career took off at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. There, he won his first of three national titles in the shot put, breaking his own team record in the event at 56-6 and, incredibly, becoming Bates’ first All-American shot putter in men's track and field. He re-broke his own indoor and outdoor records countless times, but also attacked the other throwing disciplines with gusto. By the end, he owned every throwing record in program history but the javelin, and had set or re-set all of them in 2013.

These feats didn’t go unnoticed. Pless was one of Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” during his junior year, and was profiled in his hometown Atlanta Journal-Constitution, among numerous other periodicals.

A strong student who raised his grade point average to the level where he met the USTFCCCA’s demanding standards as Academic All-America, in addition to the athletic accolades, Pless also perfected the role of teammate and captain, showing more enthusiasm for the feats of his teammates than for his own.

“To me, as a coach, David was the consummate gift,” the late Bates head coach Al Fereshetian told suburban Atlanta's Neighbor Newspapers. “It doesn’t frequently happen that the athlete with the greatest talent and physical attributes for success is also your most dedicated, hardest working and most coachable athlete. David has left a lasting impact at Bates, one that will be remembered and appreciated by generations of athletes and coaches to come.”

Related: The return of David Pless

Walter Slovenski 
Head Coach

Walter Slovenski retired from Bates in 1995 after 43 years of coaching, leading his Bobcat track and cross country teams to 726 victories, five undefeated seasons, more than 20 State of Maine championships, and four New England regional championships.

"Walter Slovenski's years of service to Bates and his commitment to his family, to his student-athletes, to the importance of competition and to achievement are all emblematic of the highest standards and expectations," former Bates president Donald W. Harward said. "Bates is proud to have had the opportunity to be influenced by his decades of dedication, professionalism and humane good will."

Slovenski combined competitive zeal, deep care for his student-athletes, and a spirited sense of humor and fun to bring out the best in his performers.

"The Slovenski name is synonymous with track and field excellence," former Director of Athletics Suzanne Coffey said. "Whether watching him chase alongside and cajole an athlete, or seeing him offer a word of advice and encouragement to a younger coach in the department, it was easy to see the fire in this man's competitiveness and the humor in his soul. The Slovenski legacy is unparalleled."

Slovenski was an All-America baseball player at Syracuse, a two-way football player whose name still appears in the Orange's record books, and a member of the track and field teams, competing in the long jump and high jump.

After graduating from Syracuse in 1949, Slovenski earned a master's degree at New York University and coached track at Oneonta State College for two years before coming to Bates in 1952 as assistant football and head track coach. From 1957 to 1959, Bates compiled a winning streak of 21 consecutive dual meet victories over 31 opponents, including wins over schools like Boston University, the University of Connecticut and the University of Maine.

In 1958, Slovenski resurrected the long-dormant Bates cross country program and built it, too, into a consistent winner, posting a 9-1 record by 1963 and winning the first four New England Small College Athletic Conference championships between 1983 and 1986.

Slovenski produced 26 All-Americans, including five national champions. Slovenski's track and cross country teams produced impressive finishes at the NCAA championships, placing fifth at the indoor track and field meet in 1989 and sixth at the cross country championships in 1977.

Slovenski has been inducted into the Clearfield County (Pa.), Indiana (Pa.) and Lewiston Auburn Sports Halls of Fame, as well as the Maine Running Hall of Fame. In the 1960s, Slovenski was selected by the Mexican government to upgrade that country's track programs in preparation for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. A competitor in the World Veterans' track and field championships in 1989, Slovenski placed sixth in the hammer throw with a toss of 123 feet, 6 inches.

His impact was such that a Facebook group called “Sons of Walt Slovenski” remains active today with many stories of his remarkable career from the athletes who learned so much from him, on and off the track. 

2015 Bates Women’s Rowing
Team

In 2015, Bates College women's rowing claimed the first NCAA team championship in college history, edging defending champion Trinity by one point in the final team standings at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center.

Bates scored 12 points for its victory in the women's second varsity eights (W2V8) grand final, and 27 more for placing second to Trinity in the WV8 grand final, for a total of 39. Trinity placed third in the W2V8 behind Bates and Wellesley for eight points, and 30 for winning the WV8 grand final, for a total of 38 points. Wellesley (31) took third place in the team standings.

The NCAA title arrived in Bates' ninth ever and ninth consecutive national regatta appearance. Bates was the national runner-up to Williams for five straight years, between 2009 and 2013. This marked the second straight year the Bobcats had reached NCAAs as the top-ranked team in Division III and as NESCAC champions.

Bates first claimed the gold medal in the second varsity eights grand final for the second straight year, powering into the lead early on and never relinquishing it, and for the second straight day holding off a furious push by Wellesley over the final 250 meters. 

Bates has Wellesley to thank not only for pushing the Bobcats to the W2V8 gold medal but, equally importantly, for beating third-place Trinity for the silver.

Trinity's first varsity eight was not to be defeated in the WV8 grand final, but with any other boat but Wellesley winning the race, Bates only needed to place second to claim the team championship. But that didn't dissuade the Bantams from cranking out an impressive win, at the end of which they rejoiced, perhaps believing for a minute or two that they had repeated as NCAA champs. 

Instead, it was Bates that had won it all.

"One person figured out we won the points trophy and started crying a bit – she told us, 'We just won a national championship,'" said coxswain Abigail Bierman, who was watching the race with her 2V teammates. "We thought she was talking about our race but she said 'No, we just did it…we just won the points!'"

Even Bates head coach Peter Steenstra was surprised.

"I have to admit I didn’t have the points sheet with me and I guess I just automatically assumed that when you finish second in the varsity and first in the second varsity, and the competition finishes first and third, then you tie and the win goes to the winner of the varsity eight, but it turns out we were up by one point. It was pretty exciting," he said to Row 2K.

As described by the Row 2K reporter on-site, “The team celebrated wildly; hugs and tears, cheers and laughs abounded as the whole team was united on the landing beach. After so many years of the national title being just out of reach, they could finally celebrate like victors. The celebrations weren't confined to California; when the school back home learned of the Bates win, they interrupted the Baccalaureate service to announce the historic win to the senior class, who erupted into applause.”

First Varsity Eight (WV8)

Bow: Alison Simmons ’16 (Indiana, Pa.)
2: Eliza Barkan ’15 (Seattle, Wash.)
3: Emilie Muller ’16 (Concord, N.H.)
4: Elise Emil ’17 (Washington, D.C.)
5: Emma Taylor ’16 (Scituate, Mass.)
6: Jenna Armstrong ’15 (Florham Park, N.J.)
7: Mallory Ward ’15 (Pittsford, N.Y.)
Stroke: Rebecca O'Neill ’15 (Westminster, Vt.)
Cox: Katherine Traquina ’17 (Wayland, Mass.)

Second Varsity Eight (W2V8)

Bow: Laura Rand ’18 (Barrington, R.I.)
2: Elizabeth Scholle ’17 (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
3: Rosemary Kyne ’18 (Nashville, Tenn.)
4: Olivia Stockly ’18 (Cumberland, Maine)
5: Emma Conover ’16 (Camden, Maine)
6: Michelle Kelley ’16 (Shaftsbury, Vt.)
7: Julia Mason ’17 (Niskayuna, N.Y.)
Stroke: Molly Pritz ’17 (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Cox: Abigail Bierman ’17 (Bethlehem, N.Y.)

Alternates:

Hanna De Bruyn ’18 (cox) (Old Lyme, Conn.)
Sophia Gottlieb ’17 (Bow, N.H.)
Margaux Joselow ’16 (Manchester, N.H.)

Bates College Athletics Hall of Fame Legacy Honorees

Arthur H. Blanchard Jr. ’50
Football, Baseball

A World War II hero, Art Blanchard ’50 was a 24-year-old first-year in 1946, debuting that spring on the pitcher's mound and at third base for coach Raymond “Ducky” Pond’s Bobcats. At 5-7, 160 pounds, he was undersized even for his day, but Blanchard made an impact from the moment he arrived at Bates. He led the 1946 baseball team to a 7-2 record and a State Series title over Maine, Colby, and Bowdoin. 

But it's what he did that fall on the gridiron that put Blanchard into the history books. The 1946 Bates football team had a lot of talent. But all seemed lost when senior back Arnie Card went down with a broken leg against the University of Maine.

In stepped Blanchard, and the rest, as they say, is history. Bates beat Maine and then Blanchard led the Bobcats to victories over Bowdoin and Colby as well, completing a perfect season: 7-0. It remains the only undefeated Bates football regular season since the invention of the forward pass. 

Bates earned an invitation to the inaugural Glass Bowl versus the University of Toledo Rockets. Despite falling to Toledo by a score of 21-12, Blanchard was named the game's most outstanding player. The do-everything-back rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown, while completing 10 passes as well. On defense, he recorded a pair of interceptions.

Twice an AP Little All-America Honorable Mention, Blanchard battled injuries later in his career. But in that magical 1946 season, there might not have been a better pound-for-pound football player in the country.

Related: The Glass Bowl slipper fit the Bates football team

Raymond B. Buker, Class of 1922
Men's Track & Field

Ray Buker ’22 put Bates track and field on the map in 1921 by winning the international two-mile run at the Penn Relays.

As the Bates Student put it, “Words are feeble, for no use of them has yet been able to picture the inward emotions we feel, when someone to whom we have allotted a most difficult task has accomplished it in a manner that is nothing short of marvelous. As the [Hathorn] bell sounded the joyful news, our first impulse was that quiet, deep, stirring of the inner man that sends lumps into the throats and renders us unable to speak. Then comes the rush of pride for our champion and the pent-up emotions spring into a hilarious burst of enthusiasm and gratitude for the man who has brought us fame.”

After shocking the field in 1921, Buker successfully defended his two-mile title in 1922.

Reporting on Buker's second straight championship, The Student wrote: “Realizing that he was no ‘dark horse’ this year and that some of the greatest two-milers in the country would be attempting to outguess him, Ray Buker proved to athletic followers throughout the country that he can run just as good of a race with his head as he can with his legs. His performance was masterpiece of headwork and supreme self-confidence.”

Buker went on to compete for the United States at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he placed fifth in the 1,500 meters. He was the third Olympian in Bates athletics history.

Russell H. Chapman ’31
Men's Track & Field

Russell “Osie” Chapman ’31 was the school’s first All-American in any sport and one of the greatest half-milers of his era. Competing against the world’s elite, he defeated international stars like Phil Edwards and Séra Martin, and came within one-tenth of a second of the world record in the 880-yard run in 1931. 

As described by The Bates Student, “Osie Chapman failed by just one-tenth of a second to equal Lloyd Hahn 's indoor half-mile record of 1.51.4 in a special race run at the IC4A games. Running easily, and uncorking a tremendous burst of speed that carried him through the second quarter in less than fifty-six seconds, the Bates speed merchant led Phil Edwards to the tape by twenty-five yards, while the rest of the field trailed far behind." 

A multiple-time New England champion, he anchored Bates' record-setting 4x880-yard relay team at the Penn Relays. Coach C. Ray Thompson '13 called him “the greatest half-miler that ever lived.” Chapman remains a Bates legend and a pioneer in American track history.

An entire page in the 1931 Bates Mirror yearbook was devoted to Chapman's accomplishments.

Oliver Cutts, Class of 1896
Football, Baseball

In 1893, Bates fielded a football team for a full season for the first time in the college's history. Under head coach G.L. Crockett, the Bobcats posted a record of 5-2. The undisputed star of that team was lineman Oliver Cutts ’96 – pictured in the bottom row, third from left – in the above team photo. Cutts missed most of the 1894 football season due to a broken leg, but made his triumphant return in the spring, playing in the outfield for the Bates baseball team. In 1895, Cutts was back on the football field and Bates finished up a three-year run that saw them post an overall win-loss record of 14-5.

In 1948, the Boston Post selected its all-time Maine Football Team and reached way back to the late ‘90’s to select Cutts. He was the only 19th century player to make the list. The Post described Cutts as “an exceptionally powerful man who dominated almost every situation he encountered.”

In addition to his football exploits, Cutts was a standout member of the debate team and the literary editor of the Bates Student.

Cutts attended Harvard Law School and played for the Crimson in 1901. He was a consensus All-American tackle for a Harvard team that went 12-0 and was declared the national champion by the contemporaneous media. 

Cutts went on to be the head coach for Purdue and the University of Washington before returning to Bates in 1922. He coached the football team for two years and served as the Director of Athletics until stepping down in 1938.

In 1931, the Bates Student interviewed Cutts about his experience playing the University of Maine in Orono. The Bates defense was struggling to stop the UMaine “flying wedge” until Cutts did so single-handedly when he tackled Maine's player-coach in the backfield in spectacular fashion. 

As reported by The Student, “Cutts, determined to stop the advance, took a running dive over the center's head and landed with tremendous force on the bewildered Maine coach. As soon as that worthy found it possible to separate his features from affectionate Mother Earth he looked up with consternation and surprise written all over his dirty face to ask frankly, 'Where in hell did you come from!'”

N. John Douglas ’60
Men's Track and Field

John Douglas ’60 starred for the Bates men's track and field team in the late 1950s. Bates became a regional powerhouse during his time in Lewiston, at one point defeating 31 opponents in a row over the course of 21 meets between 1957 and 1959.

Douglas competed in numerous events for the Bobcats and his name is still number one in the Bates record books in both the indoor and outdoor long jump, as well as the outdoor triple jump. His indoor record long jump of 25-0.75 took place during his junior year in 1959 at Madison Square Garden, with Jesse Owens officiating. 

“I remember looking up, and I think there were about 15,000 people there," Douglas said. "I remember seeing these red dots, all these guys smoking cigars. You had this haze of smoke and then these red dots all over the place. But that didn’t really stop you.”

Later that same year, representing Bates in the segregated south, he set the program outdoor long jump record of 25-1.5. Both jumps also established New England records at the time.

The average life of a college record is 5 years. John Douglas’ college records have lasted for more than 65 years.

Douglas went on to have a remarkable professional career, working for the likes of Lockheed Research, Bank of America and Dole. Then he became a media mogul, starting his own TV station and purchasing a number of radio stations.

Related: Catching up with John Douglas '60

Harry D. Lord, Class of 1908
Baseball, Football

A Mainer, Harry Lord ’08 played just a handful of baseball games for the college before leaving in 1905 to marry, eventually pursuing a professional career at the encouragement of his former Bates football coach Royce Purinton ’00. He went on to become one of the top third basemen in Major League Baseball. As captain of the Boston Red Sox in 1909, he hit .315 – fourth in the American League behind three future Hall of Famers, including Ty Cobb – who admired Lord’s intensity. In 1911, as captain of the Chicago White Sox, Lord batted .321. Though he never graduated, and even played against Bates after leaving, Lord remains perhaps the best baseball player in Bates history.

He returned to campus in 1918 to coach the baseball team in an abbreviated season to a 6-5 record.

Related: Meet Headstrong Harry Lord, Bates' Lord of the Baseball Diamond

Rudolph V. Smith ’60
Men’s Track and Field

Like classmate John Douglas, Rudy Smith ’60 set Bates track and field records that still stand today. Smith's times of 47.04 seconds in the outdoor 400 meters and 21.44 seconds in the outdoor 200 meters – both set in 1958 – still hold up.

But it was Rudy's indoor showings that won him nationwide acclaim during his time at Bates. His greatest victory was in the 1958 New York Knights of Columbus Meet at Madison Square Garden. Running in the 600-yard event, he was clocked at 1:10.6 to best Villanova's great Charlie Jenkins, winner of two Olympic gold medals in 1956. Smith's time was the second best in the country in '58 and only seven-tenths of a second off the world record of 1:09.9.

Hailing from Fairfield, Conn. and known as the "Fairfield Flash", Smith was a two-time MVP of the Maine State Meet and was a key force in the team's remarkable winning streak that saw the Bobcats emerge victorious over 31 opponents in a row over the course of 21 meets between 1957 and 1959.

Howard S. Vandersea ’63
Football, Baseball

The 6-4, 220-pound Howie Vandersea ’63 arrived at Bates during the NCAA-mandated "one-platoon" era, where players had to play both offense and defense, almost never leaving the field. So Vandersea became a star on both sides of the ball, playing center and linebacker for the Bobcats. 

"Being a center and linebacker was kind of a position of notoriety," Vandersea said. "They even ranked the best ones in New England each week in the Boston newspapers. A lot of the people who made All-American, such as Dick Butkus, were centers and linebackers."

By his junior year, Vandersea was well-established in both football and baseball as one of the top players in New England. As a team, the Bobcats found success on the gridiron when they took on the undefeated University of Maine Black Bears in late October of 1961.

The Bobcats had tied Maine the previous season, but the visitors from Orono entered this contest as a heavy favorite. No one expected the 2-2-1 Bobcats to present much of a challenge. But it turned out Bates had other plans, playing Maine to a 15-15 tie. 

"Goliath rallies to tie inspired David," declared The Bates Student. "The University of Maine Black Bears left Garcelon Field, Saturday technically undefeated, but a beaten club as far as the 4,500 cheering fans who looked on were concerned. The Homecoming crowd, which included members of the undefeated 1946 Glass Bowl Team, were treated to Bates' finest effort of the season."

Vandersea was named one of the stars of the game by The Student, mainly for his ability at center to handle the newfangled shotgun offense unleashed by coach Hatch against the unsuspecting Black Bears.

"Howie also should be cited for his job at the pivot post on offensive play," The Student wrote. "It is a difficult job to snap back a ball five or six yards to the shotgun man while two opposing linemen are breathing down your neck."

While the tie with Maine was the highlight of the 1961 football season, the Bobcats had even better results on the baseball diamond that spring.

Bates won its most games in one season since 1907 and was voted the best team in New England, earning a spot in the NCAA East Regional Championships, where they beat Fairleigh Dickinson before falling to Rollins College.

When venturing out of state, Bates was easy to underestimate, said Vandersea. They came from Maine, and many of the starters wore glasses. 

"Most of us when we came here, didn't wear glasses," Vandersea said. "But the amount of reading you had to do into the night, the library would close, we would go to a classroom to study until midnight. So you just wore out your eyes. And everybody, even the catcher, had glasses on at games. Other teams would just start laughing at us." 

They typically stopped laughing once the game started, as Bates went a combined 22-12 over Vandersea's final two seasons.

In Vandersea's senior football season, "the Hatchmen" posted a 5-3 record, the program's first winning record since 1957. Vandersea was named an All-American by two different organizations, but to him being named a co-captain, by a vote of his peers, was much more meaningful. 

"There's no greater honor a person can receive than being voted by your teammates as a captain," Vandersea said. "As a captain, you have to talk to people, but you also have to set a good example. You have to be in better shape than everybody. You have to be out there all the time." 

Vandersea's accomplishments on the football field and the baseball diamond led to remarkable opportunities in both sports. The Chicago Bears and the Milwaukee Braves both wanted to sign him to a professional contract upon his graduation from Bates. 

Vandersea chose the Bears, then coached by George Halas. He remained in training camp for three weeks in the fall of 1963 before being released, a considerable accomplishment considering players were cut every day after practice. Vandersea dabbled in semi-pro football and had additional tryouts with the Bears and the Green Bay Packers before starting his collegiate coaching career in 1968 as a graduate assistant at Boston University, where he earned a master's in physical education.

Even though he spent 16 years as the head coach at rival Bowdoin, Vandersea remained a dedicated Bates alumnus, joining and helping to lead numerous Reunion committees over the years.

After retiring from Bowdoin, he helped his son Craig Vandersea coach the Bates baseball team in the early 2000s, and his impact was felt at Bates throughout the 20-year tenure of former head football coach Mark Harriman, who played for Vandersea at Springfield College. 

Vandersea won many awards, including the Carens Award for Contributions to New England Football, the Citation of Honor from the Football Writers Association of America, and the All-American Football Association's John Vaught Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2012, he was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2023 he became the fourth Bates football player to have his jersey number retired.

Related: Retiring a Bates legend’s jersey