Springside Athletic Hall of Fame

List of 27 items.

1991 | 1936 Varsity Hockey Team
1992 | Phyllis M. Vare

Miss Vare was a much beloved coach and Head of Springside’s Physical Education Department. She first came to Springside in 1935 as a lacrosse coach and was made head of the department in 1945, a post which she held until her retirement in 1966. Upon her retirement, Miss Vare had been coaching at Springside for 31 years, longer than any coach in the history of the school. Miss Vare was an outstanding motivator of young women, who instilled in her students a lifelong appreciation of athletics and good sportsmanship. Susan Randall MacBride ’59 said of Miss Vare, ”She cared most that we tried our best, that we were a solid team in our solidarity with each other, that we had spirit and that we were respectful to the other team as we beat them!”
1993 | Hope Knowles Rawls '36

Hope was an extraordinary athlete and was the singles and doubles champion of Pennsylvania and singles champion of Connecticut in tennis; at one point she was ranked the 7th best tennis palyer in the country. In squash, her other primary sport, she worked to become the National Women’s Doubles and Atlantic Coast Singles Champion. Later in life, she returned to Springside School to become a gym teacher in the Lower School. Rawls was chosen to be the first inductee into Springside School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
1995 | May Howe Clark '33

May’s accomplishments in field hockey are extraordinary. While at Springside, she was on the All-Scholastic team for three years. She was also valedictorian and three-year president of ther class, captain of both the Springside and Chestnut hockey teams, member of the varsity basketball and tennis teams, and president of the dramatic club. After Springside, she was a three-time All American. She was on three national teams and played on the first U.S. team ever to score on the British; the U.S. lost 3-2, but Clark scored both goals. Among Clark’s lesser known athletic endeavors was when, on a bet from a friend, she traveled by pogo stick from her home at 7921 Lincoln Drive to Springside, without falling off!
1995 | Nina Harmar Thompson '63

A member of the 1960 and 1964 U.S. Olympic swim teams, Nina Thompson holds a fifth-place finish in 100 meter backstroke. In 1962, she was a member of the Pan American Olympic team, and between 1961 and 1965 she won eight national swimming championships: four individual and four relays. Mary Kelly Spitzer, Thompson’s coach for much of her swimming career, said: ”One of Nina’s qualities was that even while she was very young, she maintained a balanced perspective on her activities and interests of her life. During those years of devotion to swimming, she had also her allegiance to her school life..but she more than managed to keep afloat in both worlds without drowning.”
1996 | Anne Wieland Spaeth '54

Ann always excelled in athletics, having been named to the Philadelphia First Team (lacrosse) in 1958, 1962, and 1965 and the Philadelphia Fourth Team (hockey) in 1962. She was also the Pennsylvania State Ladies Champion for skiing in 1960 and has played on her club teams in tennis and paddle tennis for many years, winning numerous tournaments and awards. In addition, in her spare time, Spaeth rowed regularly and in 1991 came in fifth at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. Perhaps her greatest achievements were the years that she spent coaching and instilling in young women the importance of integrity and fair play. Spaeth coached all levels of hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Sprinside along with the renowned Phyllis Vare, from the late ’50s to the mid ’60s. She also found time to coach tennis at Germantown Friends School and the Tennis Farm for many years.
1998 | Louisa Johnson Manly-Power '41

Louisa was an alumna of Springside School and former varsity tennis coach at Chestnut Hill College. She taught tennis during the winter to juniors selected for the Gold Cup Program. She has represented the United States in both squash and hockey. She was captain of the USA squash touring team and captain of the Sears Cup. Her other accomplihsments included being the National Women’s Squash Racquet Champion six times and frequent holder of the doubles tennis championship title at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. In later years, she was director of the Chestnut Hill branch of the Tennis Farm and chair of the Chestnut Hill Community Association.
1999 | Leslie Blankin Lane '75

As a member of the class of 1975, Leslie Blankin Lane began her career at Springside as a tri-varsity athlete for four years and captain of the basketball and field hockey teams her senior year. She went on to shine at Hollins College where she became a leading scorer and four-year starter on the field hockey, fencing and lacrosse teams from 1975-1979, and was named an All-American in both lacrosse and field hockey.

After graduation from college, Leslie joined the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse team where she played from 1980-1983 and served as captain in 1983. She was a member of the very first U.S. World Cup Championship team in 1982 and scored the tying goal, which sent the final game against England into overtime. They eventually won and Leslie was named to the All-World tournament team for her outstanding play.

In addition to her playing career, Leslie coached Springside’s Varsity and Middle School lacrosse teams in the early 80s and 90s. Her first year there, she led the Varsity Lacrosse team to its first undefeated season. Leslie also made an impact on Springside athletics as she held the role of Athletic Director for many years.
2000 | Margaret Pilling Rux '77

As a member of the Springside class of 1977, Margaret played varsity field hockey and lacrosse for four years at Springside and Ithaca College. As a senior at Ithaca, she was invited to try out for the US Lacrosse team. Post-college, she played Philadelphia club hockey and lacrosse and was invited again to try out for the US Lacrosse team. In 1987, she began playing squash regularly and just one year later won the National B-level Singles Championship. She also was the National Senior Women’s Doubles Champion and finalist in the 40+ National Singles.
2001 | Johanna Sigmund '94

Johanna was a tri-varsity captain in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. She became the first Springside Lion mascot in 1993. She won the Phyllis M. Vare Award twice, the Players Award, the Alumnae Art Award, and the Caroline Susan Jones Award given by vote of the faculty and students to a senior who displays ”courage, cheerfulness, fair-mindedness, good sportsmanship, whose influence is widely felt, who has the courage of her own convictions and who is respected by all.” She continued to enjoy team sports in college at Fairfield University and in the fall of 2000, after a full year of training, commpleted the New York Marathon. Sigmund sadly lost her life on September 11, 2001 in the attack on the World Trade Center.
2002 | Patricia Kenworthy Nuckols '39

Patricia Kenworthy Nuckols played varsity field hockey and lacrosse for four years at Springside, was captain of the Philadelphia All-Scholastic hockey team, played on the Philadelphia All-Scholastic lacrosse team, and was athletic editor of the yearbook. After graduation, Pat attended secretarial school and Peirce Business School in Philadelphia. She also pursued her interest in athletics by playing on both the U.S. Field Hockey and Lacrosse teams throughout the 1940s. In 1987, Pat was inducted into the U.S. Field Hockey Hall of Fame housed at Ursinus College. For the past 30 years, Pat has been a ski instructor in Vermont and was voted one of the top 100 ski teachers in the country. Over 80 years old, she also heli skis and plays on a women’s ice hockey team, called the “Rusty Blades,” with teammates half her age. She has also played golf since 1946 and was the three-time champion at the Ekwanok Golf Club in Manchester, Vermont. To top it off, she lists horseback riding as her true passion since she was a child.
2003 | Sally Deaver Murray '51

At Springside, Sally Deaver Murray played varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. Her yearbook describes her as ”a terrific inner on hockey varsity” and several of her classmates remember her as a natural, hardworking athlete with great speed. In addition to her athletic pursuits at school, she excelled in tennis, golf, skating, horseback riding, and skiing. Between 1952 and 1959, Sally skied her way on to the U.S. Women’s ski team by winning the Alta Cup, Roch Cup, and Harriman Cup—the country’s top three invitational meets—and she won the 1956 and 1957 national Women’s Giant Slalom Championships and the 1956 national Women’s Slalom Championship. In the 1958 Word Championships in Badgastein, Austria, Sally surprised the international world of skiing by coming in second place in the Giant Slalom. She is quoted as saying, ”The only way to win a race is to take every chance and hope that you are lucky. You have to push yourself just a little further than you think you can go. There’s no point in trying for fifth or sixth. You have to think about coming in first.” Her skiing accomplishments have been honored through her inductions into the National Ski Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Ski Hall of Fame. In the early 60s, Sally exchanged her thirst for ski competition for competing in the horse world. Sadly, she was thrown from a horse and died at age 30.
2006 | Elisabeth Morris Turman '22

Bobbie Morris Turman she was a standout varsity athlete in field hockey and basketball at Springside. As head of the Athletic Board, she started the Blue and Gold competitions that our students have loved every since. After graduation, she returned to school as a P.E. teacher and coached both field hockey and basketball. She also coached and refereed the burgeoning local Philadelphia club field hockey teams well into her 30s. She took up golf and played on the Huntingdon Valley and Sunnybrook Golf Club teams for years where she was a tough and successful competitor. She is one of a very few golfers who can boast of three holes in one! [Ed. Note: Bobbie attended the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony shortly after celebrating her 102nd birthday, at which time she was Springside’s oldest alumna!]
2006 | Elizabeth Brode Harris '91

At Springside, Liz Brode Harris was a tri-varsity athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. She was captain of the lacrosse and field hockey teams her senior year and was voted Most Valuable Player in lacrosse in her junior and senior years. She was also MVP in field hockey her senior year and won the Phyllis Vare Award, Springside’s highest athletic award. Liz earned national acclaim at Lehigh University, leading her team in both field hockey and lacrosse. She was named a two-time second team All-American by lacrosse coaches and was the Patriot League’s MVP as a senior in 1995. She also finished third in the nation in goals scored as a junior midfielder and ranks second on the Lehigh all-time scoring list with 222 points and third all-time in goals scored with 166. In field hockey, she registered 19 points as a senior and was a two-time captain. In 1994, both the lacrosse team and the field hockey team captured their first league title while Liz played there. After graduation, she became an assistant coach at Harvard and then returned to work at Springside. She enrolled in law school and did interesting research on Title IX. She then accepted a position at Lehigh where she helped rebuild their lacrosse program. An advocate for women’s sports, Liz is a hall of famer in every sense of the word: “incredible talent, relentless drive, wonderful leadership, dedication to giving back, and excellent vision and execution.”
2007 | 1980 Varsity Lacrosse Team
2007 | Ethel "Babbie" Benson Nalle Wetherill '42

Babbie Benson Nalle Wetherill played field hockey, half-court basketball, and lacrosse in what she terms as “the dark ages,” but her real athletic love then and now is golf. In the spring of her junior and senior years, the school allowed her to play matches on Sunnybrook Golf Club’s team twice a week. That meant she could leave school as long as she returned for lacrosse practice and games. She was the youngest member of the golf team and never missed any lacrosse requirements. After WWII, Babbie played in local tournaments and then in 1952 went on the women’s amateur tour playing tournaments and covering the tour as a staff writer for Golf World. She returned to Philadelphia in time to win the Philadelphia championship in 1953 and was asked to go “pro” and be sponsored by Wilson Sports. But she chose to put her considerable energy into raising her five children. While her family became her top priority, she did go on to win Sunnybrook’s women’s golf championship 13 times. Sunnybrook Golf Club professional John Allen says of Babbie, “She is one of the finest players in the Philadelphia region. In fact, she has been the club champion here over six decades and we are mighty proud of her.”
2008 | Sylvia Knowles Clay '45

At Springside, Sylvia Knowles Clay was an outstanding varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse player at the same time that she was making a name for herself outside of school playing tennis and squash.
Her prescient classmates knew they had a national athlete in their midst and stated in the yearbook class prophecy, “Sylvia Knowles, it seems, is teaching Bill Tilden and Don Budge her super-swing.” Little did they know that she would indeed coach an all-time tennis great: Billie Jean King. Sylvia became a household name nationally in both tennis and squash. She won three Middle State Championships in tennis before capturing the New England Women’s indoor title at the age of 20 in 1948. In 1949, she was ranked 22nd in the nation. In 1950, she won the North Philadelphia Championship and in 1960 was ranked second in squash. She also received the Wightman Service Bowl in 1960 for her contribution to tennis. Locally, she had a long and illustrious career at the Philadelphia Cricket Club: she was the Ladies Singles and Doubles tennis winner in 1951–1956. And, in the 1954 and 1955 matches, she won the Doubles with close colleague Frank Steel. Sylvia capped off her tennis career at Philly Cricket with the Ladies Singles win in 1957. She was chair of the USLTA (United States Ladies Tennis Association) at the Germantown Cricket Club, and in 1960 she was ranked second nationally in squash. As in tennis, her name blankets the squash plaques at the Cricket Club recognizing her multiple tournament wins throughout her life.
2009 | Nina Knowles Talbot Robertson '86

Nina’s athlecticism comes to her through a long line of athletically gifted realtives. In fact, the DNA is so strong that she is the fourth ”Knowles” woman to be inducted into Sprinsdie’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She graduated with 12 varsity letters from Springside and started playing varsity tennis in sixth grade! Nina continued playing tennis outside of school and was ranked #1 in Philadelphia in the Under 12 and Under 14 divisions. In addition, she was ranked in the top five in the Middle States Tennis Association and competed in two national tennis championships. She won the Ladies’ Singles Tennis Championships at the Philadelphia Cricket Club at the age of 13 and subquently won the event the other two times she played in it, thereby winning in three separate decades. In Upper School, Nina was captain of the varsity field hockey team and played on the All-Philadelphia field hockey and All-Philadelphia lacrosse teams. At Yale, Nina played varsity squash from sophomore through senior years, and during her senior year the team finished second in the country. She competed in three U.S. Squash Nationals in 2006, 2008, and 2009, finishing 3rd, 2nd, and 4th.
2010 | Priscilla Taylor Kennedy '65

At Springside, Priscilla Taylor Kennedy played varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse all four years and was captain of the field hockey and lacrosse teams her senior year. She was a member of the Athletic Association for three years and president her senior year. Priscilla pursued her love of athletics at Vassar where she joined the field hockey and lacrosse club teams. She excelled at both, but lacrosse appeared to be her true love, and she made the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse team in her sophomore year, playing on this soon to be world-famous team for the next seven years. She was an attack wing and a leading scorer. Priscilla continued to follow her passion for athletics as the Athletic Director of Tuxedo Park School (1987-1994), where The Priscilla Taylor Kennedy Award was established and given to the best female athlete of the school. When her family moved to Massachusetts, she became the coach of the lacrosse team of Friends Academy in Dartmouth, MA for five years. In her yearbook, Priscilla’s peers say, “By means of her reserved devotion and competitive spirit, she has instilled in each team member a desire to succeed.” Priscilla has done this throughout her life as a team member, leader, and coach.
2011 | Betty Ann Fish HA

Betty Ann’s career has been marked with both academic and athletic accolades. A summa cum laude graduate in Health and Physical Education from the University of Delaware, she worked diligently in the classroom and on the field hockey and varsity lacrosse fields. Betty Ann received her master’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University. She is an active member of Pennsylvania AHPERD (Association for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance) and has served as the vice president for physical education. She has seamlessly incorporated technology into her teaching methods and was awarded the WeAreTeachers grant in 2010 for a project titled “I survived the heart adventure challenge course parent night” and was a grand prize winner of the 2011 NASPE and Polar Celebration Technology and Physical Activity National Video Contest: iPods and iPads Motivate Students in a Fitness Circuit. In 2015, Betty Ann received the award for the Eastern District’s Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators).

Betty Ann brought her passion and commitment to athletics and health to Springside School in 1987. As a P.E. teacher, she developed innovative course work for Lower School students, including an interactive heart course and Fitness Fridays, to name a few. Over the years, Betty Ann has instilled in her students the importance of being active at a young age. She has been successful at working with fellow teachers to incorporate the students’ curriculum with their work in the gym. She holds the students to high standards in her class and encourages them to be their best selves, both physically and academically.

During her years at Springside and SCH Academy, she has coached Upper School field hockey, basketball and lacrosse. Many of her athletes have gone on to play for top Division I schools as well as to coach field hockey and lacrosse teams themselves. Universally, her students are confident that they have a lifelong appreciation of athletics, fitness, and fair play because of Betty Ann’s coaching.
2012| 1998 Varsity Squash Team

Through the leadership of Coach Ginny Riddle Pearson ’64 and captains Margaret Elias Gerety ’98 and Sam Johnson ’98, this varsity squash team won Springside’s first Inter-Ac title in the sport. Many of the women on this team would later receive national and international recognition for squash, play at the varsity level in college, and be recipients of the Phyllis M. Vare Award and Aimee Willard Award. Their commitment to excellence in sports has provided a wonderful legacy and inspiration at their alma mater to those who follow.

Members of the team: Virginia Riddle Pearson ’64 (coach), Margaret Elias Gerety ’98, Sam Johnson '98, Sasha Fritsch Kone ’99, Ella Studdiford Cary ’00, Ali Pearson ’03, Liz Frank ’00, Janet Studdiford Malcolm ’00, and Emily Studdiford Vandegrift ’00.
2013 | Anne Livezey '88

Anne's has an impressive sports record at school, including the first recipient of the Phyllis M. Vare Scholoarship and senior captain of three sports. she followed with an equally impressive college career in lacrosse. She coached college-level lacrosse and has served on two NCAA women's regional ranking committees.
2016 | Alexandra Pearson '03

Ali was a Springside four-year three-sport athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. While at Springside, she was named All-Inter-Ac in each of her three sports. She played varsity squash beginning in 7th grade and was named All-Inter-Ac for six straight years. She led the team to multiple Inter-Ac and MASA Championships. She was named Honorable Mention for field hockey as a freshman and First Team All-Inter-Ac in field hockey as a junior and senior. In lacrosse, she was named First Team All-Inter-Ac in her freshman, sophomore, junior years, and Honorable Mention in her senior year. She was named the Aimee Willard Award winner, which honors the best multiple sport athlete in the Inter-Ac League. While at Springside, Ali was a two-time member of the U.S. World Championship Team and U19 National Team and was the youngest player in the country ever to do so. She helped the U.S. by winning the deciding match, which clinched fourth place that to this day is the highest world ranking of any American team. She was top 20 in the world before she turned 17. Ali attended Princeton University and was named All-American her freshman year. She was sidelined by injuries her entire sophomore year and returned to play during her junior season. In her senior year, she helped Princeton clinch the 2007 National Championship.
2016 | Emery Maine Greenwood '06

Emery was a Springside four-year three-sport athlete in field hockey, squash, and lacrosse. While at Springside, she was named All-Inter-Ac in each of her three sports. She played varsity squash beginning in 8th grade and was named First Team All-Inter-Ac for all five seasons. She was named First Team All-Inter-Ac in field hockey for all four years. During her five years playing varsity squash, the team won multiple Inter-Ac and MASA titles. She was the Junior Vare Award winner and as a senior was named the Aimee Willard Award winner, which honors the top multiple sport athlete in the Girls Inter-Ac League. She was named Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac and Honorable Mention All-American in lacrosse as a senior. In 2006, she won the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association Junior Sportsmanship Award. After Springside, Emery attended Princeton University where she played lacrosse for two years, then turned her attention to squash. As a sophomore and a junior, she was instrumental in helping Princeton win two national championships. In her senior year, she was a tri-captain of the squash team, which was ranked 5th in the nation.
2016 | Maggie Koch '03

Maggie was a Springside four-year three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. While at Springside, she was named All-Inter-Ac in each of her three sports. As a sophomore, Maggie was named Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac in soccer. As a junior, she was named Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac in basketball and First Team All-Inter-Ac in lacrosse. As a senior, she was First Team All-Inter-Ac in lacrosse and the first athlete from Springside School to be named a high school All-American in lacrosse. In her senior year, she was captain of all three sports. She started her college career at Drexel University then transferred to Georgetown University where she was named All-Big East and Defensive Player of the Year twice and a U.S. Lacrosse First Team All-American. She was also named U.S. Lacrosse Division I National Goalie of the Year. She was the one of the first Springside athletes to be signed by a nationally ranked NCAA Division I team. After graduation from Georgetown, she became the assistant coach at nationally ranked Syracuse University.
2019 | Margaret Elias Gerety ’98

At Springside, Margaret was a four-year varsity squash player. She was co-captain of the team her senior year when it won Springside’s first Inter-Ac title in squash. She was the recipient of the Phyllis M. Vare Sportsmanship Award her senior year for outstanding academic and athletic talents. She was ranked number one in the country for many years and played number one for both Springside and later Harvard University. Margaret was one of the most successful squash players in the United States during those years.

In October 2017, Margaret was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame for her outstanding and impressive achievements in squash. Her credentials during her collegiate career include four-time All-American first team (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002); two-time WISA All-Tournament team (2000, 2002); Ivy League Rookie of the Year (1999); and four-time All-Ivy League first team (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002). She was a WIRSA Individual Championship qualifier (1999), Academic All-Ivy League (2002), four-year letter winner, and two-time captain (2001, 2002).

Margaret was also a member of the U.S. National Team, traveling to compete against other countries at the highest level of squash. She continued to play competitively after her collegiate years, often with men in order to get adequate competition, and has participated in the Howe Cup each year as a member of a women’s team. She recently competed in the 2018 World Masters tournament.

Margaret has always supported her squash roots and given back in many ways to the squash community. She is currently the CEO of Squash on Fire, an urban squash facility in Washington, D.C., that aims to make squash accessible to everyone and offers world-class coaching and competitive play.
2019 | Katie Rutan ’09

At Springside, Katie Rutan was a basketball powerhouse. During her senior year when she averaged 20.6 points per game, she was a Blue and Gold Award Winner, Phyllis M. Vare Sportsmanship Award recipient, Inter-Ac League Player of the Year, and captain of the First Team All-Inter-Ac. She was ranked in the top 100 by ESPN, named McDonald’s All-American Honorable Mention, and impressively, remians the highest scorer in the school’s basketball history with a career 1,759 points.

Katie continued her success on the court at Xavier University where she played for two years before finishing her college career at the University of Maryland. At Xavier, she scored a career high of 25 points in a game and set an Xavier record for “threes” made in one half. She was named to the 2010 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and was an Associated Press First Team pick for Class A. She scored more than 1,000 points in her college career and was named All-ACC Academic Team (2012, 2013). After college, she played professional basketball in Europe for teams in Greece, Romania, and Luxembourg where she was named All-Romanian League Honorable Mention (2017).