Memories made on playing fields and courts across generations were shared last week at Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle High School, as WLC inducted seven athletic standouts to the school’s Hall of Fame.

Over 70 attended the event, and per WLC Assistant Principal Katie Gosselin, “Every inductee dedicated their personal success to their time spent at WLC.”

David Finch, an educator and coach at WLC for nearly four decades, and for whom the school’s gym was recently named, shared his thoughts at the ceremony.

“Someone once said to me, ‘Dave, if you want to be successful, you have to surround yourself with successful people.’ The truth is it was very easy for me to be around successful people,” he said.

Catherine Lass

“Catherine Lass is the epitome of the WLC athlete,” said Gosselin.

Lass was a three-sport athlete all four of her high school years, excelling in soccer, basketball and softball with championship appearances and all-state honors, along with captaining three teams her senior year. Lass worked for USA Basketball from February 2020 until June 2022, starting as a 3x3 Olympic team athletic trainer during the camp and training process prior to the 2020 Olympics. She was the head athletic trainer for the 3x3 national camp in May 2022 and was the FIBA World Cup athletic trainer for both the men’s and women’s 3x3 national team in June 2022.

“When the life of the pendulum swings in the wrong direction, just know it is always going to swing back in the direction that is going to be a positive, and that is something I have kept close and dear to my heart,” Lass said.

Carol Young

Carol Young was inducted for her success in cross-country, field hockey, basketball and track and field while at WLC, but she also excelled in the classroom, being valedictorian of her 1987 class. Gosselin shared that in her senior year, Young was honored as the Unsung Female Athlete of the Year, the American Legion Female Athlete of the Year and as a U.S. Army Scholar Athlete in recognition of her contributions to WLC athletics, and was key to the basketball team’s undefeated season.

Young went on to a career in science education and also served as an Ultimate Frisbee club adviser and track and field coach, a path she credited WLC faculty with inspiring.  

“The teachers and the coaches here at Wilton did me a great service. They challenged me every step of the way. The lessons I learned here at Wilton helped pay forward in the things that I've done as an adult, the value of education and inspired me to become an educator,” said Young. 

Mike McMurray

Mike McMurray was recognized as WLC's all-time leading basketball scorer with over 1,700 pts throughout his high school career, and tied the single-game high of 48 points in a game three times. He was named to the both the Granite State League All-Star Team and the Monadnock League All-Star team each of his three years at WLC. 

He has found himself back in schools as a career, working at WLC as a special education teacher, an assistant principal at Hillside Middle School, earning a doctorate degree and running a school for at-risk youths. He is currently an assistant principal and dean of students at Goffstown High School.

“Wilton has and always will be home and I appreciate this opportunity,” he said.

Kristin Vander-Heyden

Kristin Vander-Heyden’s name showed up on the WLC Female Athlete of the Year plaque for three consecutive years. She was the softball team’s starting shortstop for all four years of high school. In 1984, she got her first experience of being on a state championship team, and again on the 1987 girls’ basketball team that went undefeated to win a state title. In field hockey, she was a Northeast All-American while at UNH and named a Wildcat Scholar Athlete in 1990, also attaining North Atlantic All-Conference Team and North Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll. She recalled how local crowds at games made a difference for her. 

“As I grow older, I’ve gotten the chance to think about all of the blessings in my life, and growing up here in Wilton has certainly been one of them. There were so many people from town that would come to the games, just giving their support,” said Vander-Heyden.

Nick Jowders

“High school athletics plays a major role in many people’s lives and for some like me, it was some of the best times and memories that I have,” noted Nick Jowders.

Jowders was a Granite State League All-Star in both soccer and baseball his junior and senior years at WLC. He led WLC’s baseball team to the best record in school history at 14-2, was named D4 Player of the Year in 2005.

Gosselin shared that “As a junior, he struck out 81 batters in 51 innings, had a 1.02 ERA, and hit over 400 at the plate.” 

Jowders was WLC’s Male Athlete of the Year both his junior and senior years, was basketball referee and baseball umpire for the Wilton Junior Athletic Association and later pitched for Plymouth State University. He is now with the Nashua Police Department. 

Ryan Harkleroad

A three-sport athlete at WLC, Ryan Harkleroad excelled in cross-country, basketball and track and field.

“Ryan quickly established himself as one of the premier runners in the state. He was a Monadnock and Granite State League All-Star in both cross country and track,” stated Gosselin, adding that “Ryan won the state championship in the high jump, anchored the 4x400 relay team to a state championship and was state runner-up in the 800 meters.”

Named WLC Male Athlete of the Year his senior year of 1987, Harkleroad was a finalist for the same award at the University of Maine. As head track and field coach at the University of Southern Maine from 2014 to 2021, his teams were nationally ranked for five years in a row.

“It (WLC) is the setting of some of the most formative years of my life, and I remember it fondly. Wilton -Lyndeborough prepared me exceptionally well, both academically and athletically,” said Harkleroad. 

Shauna Carter

Shauna Carter played field hockey, soccer, basketball, softball and tennis, earning multiple Most Valuable Player awards along the way. She was named to the all-area first team in both her sophomore and junior years. A standout in basketball, “as a shooter was was unmatched,” noted Gosselin. She made the 1,000-point club, finishing with 1,297, and sinking 41 in a single game.

Carter played ball in college and as a health and wellness coach, helped people achieve their goals. As with other inductees, she credited her years in town with imparting life lessons to her. 

“Growing up in Wilton, we really were privileged to play multiple sports and have that small community. Some of the things I learned as an athlete really helped me as an adult: hard work, discipline, the resilience of when you lose and how you get back up and keep going,” she said.

Finch returned gratitude back to his former players and students at the ceremony.

“All of you – students and inductees - are why I am standing up here today. I was surrounded by all of you at WLC. I can never repay you enough for all that you have given me,” said Finch.