Announcing the 2023 Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame Class
September 27, 2023
We are excited to announce this year’s inductees for the Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame! These distinguished Warriors will be recognized at the Alumni Awards Celebration during next month’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend festivities.
During her time as a student-athlete at Wheeler, Nicole Ayotte Giardino ’93 (pictured middle row, center) was honored with four All-State selections for her incredible performances on the field hockey (1991 and 1992) and lacrosse (1992 and 1993) fields. In addition, and perhaps most notably, Ayotte Giardino was selected as an All-American in lacrosse her senior year. She played an integral role in helping Wheeler capture the 1991 and 1993 SLI Championships. After graduating from Wheeler, she went on to play Division I lacrosse at Brown University.
Melissa (Lissa) Eagles ’98 (pictured middle row, left) was another spectacular multi-sport student-athlete at Wheeler. Her 1300+ career points in Girls Basketball set a benchmark at that time for individual achievement on the hardwood, as she was recognized with four all-state selections in basketball from 1995-98. Her efforts helped Wheeler capture a pair of SENE championships and advance to the only two NEPSAC championship games in Girls Basketball history, including the team winning the title her senior year. Beyond basketball, Eagles was also a tremendous goalkeeper in soccer, earning an All-State selection in 1997. After graduating from Wheeler, she went on to play Division I basketball at Temple University.
Bevin Ingram ’88 (pictured middle row, right) also left an indelible mark on the basketball court. He scored over 1,500 points during his Wheeler career and earned three All-State selections from 1996-98). His accomplishments helped lay the foundation for a strong Boys Basketball program for years to come. After graduating from Wheeler, he played Division III basketball at UMass Dartmouth, where he was a First Team All-Conference Selection and a two-time NCAA Tournament participant. He also set a single-game scoring record at UMass Dartmouth that lasted for 25 years.
Upper School Science Teacher Bob Schmidt P’14 and P’16 and Esan Looper (pictured top) coached the Wheeler Girls Basketball team to back-to-back SENE championships in 1997 and 1998. They will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame as coaches, and their 1998 Girls Basketball team (pictured bottom), which won the only NEPSAC title in the program’s history, will be inducted as a group. After finishing the season with a record of 17-4, that 1998 Wheeler team defeated Moses Brown in the SENEISAA championship game and defeated Kingswood Oxford 52-50 in the NEPSAC Class C championship game. Team members included Lissa Eagles ’98 , Sara Gilbane Sullivan ’98, Kimberly Haxton ’98, Maris Prichett ’98, Jennifer Seggel ’98, Janna Donahue Runyon ’99, Louisa Kimball Baker ’99, Chanmany Daley ’99, Sarah Small ’99, Lindsey Brickle ’00, and Stephanie Cohen ’00.
“Wheeler’s third Hall of Fame Class is an exciting one,” says Director of Athletics Sean Kelly ’02, P’35. “The individuals – Bevin, Nicole, and Lissa – have garnered a reputation here at Wheeler as incredible and somewhat mythic figures in their respective sports. Stories of their athletic skills and personal success on the field of play have loomed large and are the cornerstone of many of our programs. The 1998 Girls Basketball team was a squad that not only achieved unforgettable success with their NEPSAC Class C Championship, but they did so by embracing the very essence of teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship.”
Please join us in celebrating all of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees! They will be honored at the Alumni Awards Celebration on Saturday, October 14. You can see more information and register for Wheeler’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend on our alumni website, The Wheel.
