Five former Latin student-athletes, the entire 2016-17 boys soccer team, and two former faculty members were inducted into the Latin Athletic Hall of Fame at a recent ceremony.

The formal ceremony in the Field Gym on Jan. 29 and the additional recognition at the Big Games at UIC the following night brought alumni, faculty, students, and families back together to celebrate athletic achievement at Latin. While fans honored the inductees briefly at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game, the more substantive ceremony at school allowed the Latin community to hear from the inductees and reflect on the role athletics plays in shaping student experiences at Latin and long after graduation.

This year’s induction ceremony at school was the largest and most energetic event ever for the Athletic Hall of Fame. More than 100 members of the Latin community attended to support the inductees.

The selection process for the Athletic Hall of Fame begins years earlier. Prior to graduation each year, coaches nominate and then vote to select the Outstanding Senior Athletes.

These resumes are then entered into a pool of potential Athletic Hall of Fame candidates, and anyone in the Latin community can submit additional nominations. Athletes become eligible five years after their graduation. From there, candidates are evaluated based on their athletic accomplishments at Latin, including records, championships, leadership, and overall team impact.

The Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which traditionally includes current and former coaches, other Athletic Department leaders, and the school’s Director of Alumni Engagement, then votes on nominees, aiming for a handful of exceptional student-athletes. (In some years, including this year, the committee also selects a standout Latin team and one or two faculty members who have had an extraordinary impact on the school’s athletic program.)

The 2016–17 boys soccer team was inducted after a historic season that included a state championship. The team’s cohesion and resilience helped define one of the most successful seasons in program history.

Beyond the team’s success, this year’s Hall of Fame class also included standout individual athletes whose impact extended well beyond a single season.

One of this year’s inductees, Simon Ricci ‘16, received recognition for running cross country and track at Latin. At Latin, Simon was a three-time ISL Athlete of the Year, the first boy in school history to earn IHSA All-State recognition in cross country, and he graduated holding school records in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs in track as well as the three-mile cross country distance. He went on to run for Caltech and has since won several marathons, including the 2022 San Francisco Marathon.

Simon now works in analytics for the San Francisco Giants, and he remains connected to Latin. On the day of the Hall of Fame ceremony, he visited two sections of AP Statistics classes to discuss his athletic and professional career and his experience with sports analytics.

For junior Nick Frey, hearing from Simon made the Hall of Fame feel more personal and relatable. “He told us a lot about his job with the Giants, his time at Latin, and his college experience, and all the running he did before and after Latin,” Nick said. “He basically connected everything about his job in analytics back to statistics at the end, which was interesting to see.”

The Alumni Office hopes to implement experiences like Nick’s throughout the entire school.

“I hope that alums can commonly come back and speak to students, just like Simon did, whether it’s during affinity times, specific classes, or gatherings,” said Director of Alumni Engagement Victor Agapay. “Even in a class of 18 students, if one alum like Simon inspires even one single student, that is a success and is what I’m hoping becomes more common at Latin.”

Simon was not the only inductee to continue a running career after Latin. Abigail Nadler ‘15, a standout distance runner at Latin who also played field hockey and ice hockey, went on to become a seven-time All-American runner at Middlebury College.

At Latin, Abigail was a two-time IHSA All-State cross country runner, was IHSA All-State in track, and graduated holding multiple school records. She was also part of the girls ice hockey team that became state champions.

Abigail said that being able to play so many sports was one of her favorite parts of attending Latin.

“One thing that was really nice about Latin being such a small school was that you could play a lot of sports,” Abigail said. “Even in Middle School, I played softball. I was terrible, but I wasn’t cut.”

Another Hall of Fame inductee, Camille Coklow ‘12, earned All-American recognition as a sprinter at Mount Holyoke College after a stellar track career at Latin.

Although three of this year’s cohort were selected for their running prowess, Latin has a wide range of athletic teams covering many sports, and equity is a priority for the selection committee. Kathy Presberg, Director of Athletic Operations and Hall of Fame selection committee member, emphasized the committee’s intentional effort to ensure balance in the Hall of Fame.

“We make a conscious effort to spread recognition across sports,” Ms. Presberg said. “There are outstanding athletes in almost every sport we offer, and we try hard to reflect that in the Hall of Fame.”

This year’s inductees covered a range of sports. Charlotte Cronister ‘19 played both volleyball and soccer. Kelly Cameron Newton ‘00 swam and played water polo. Camille also swam for Latin in addition to competing in track & field.

Despite the school’s effort to include athletes from a wide range of sports, there are still some sports that don’t get recognized for potential induction into the Hall of Fame. Two types in particular aren’t recognized: club athletics, and any sport completed post-graduation, whether in college or after. This rule stands despite some of Latin’s best athletes excelling in college and in sports outside of Latin.

While it may be hard to track college and post-graduate success in athletics, Latin’s Athletic Department does track participation in club or outside-of-school sports, since they are counted in students’ mandatory P.E. credit. Yet this participation is still not taken into account.

“For athletes who were focusing on sports outside of Latin, it was harder, because they had to miss school, manage a heavier workload, and weren’t recognized as much since they played outside of school,” Abigail said. “If they aren’t already, I could see out-of-school sports being considered for the Hall of Fame because of the time commitments and lack of appreciation.”

Alumni aren’t the only voices calling for reconsideration. Mr. Agapay echoed this message, providing some of his own reasoning.

“I think the committee is going to have to ask ourselves if it is a missed opportunity to not consider club sports in this decision,” Mr. Agapay said. “Carla McSweeney, for example, played for the club hockey team, which isn’t considered a Latin team, but [she] was an excellent athlete and is doing great at Harvard, so I don’t think it’s really fair not to consider her in a few years for the Hall of Fame.”

With more than 100 attendees filling the Field Gym, and bleachers pulled out to accommodate the crowd, the increased turnout signaled growing interest and awareness of the Athletic Hall of Fame.

“I personally had no clue the Hall of Fame existed before this year,” Nick said. “I learned a lot more about it, and I think more people also learned what the Hall of Fame was this year.”

As more students, families, and alumni engage with the celebration, the Hall of Fame continues to serve as a meaningful way to capture and celebrate Latin athletics across generations.

“Athletics is such a big part of people’s identity when they’re here, and for a lot of alumni, that’s what they remember most vividly,” Mr. Agapay said. “So when you honor that, it makes people feel seen and appreciated.”