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Reunion Brings Back Athletes to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Women at Hotchkiss

By Catherine Calamé

More than 100 alumnae from the Classes of 1977 to 2024 celebrated 50 years in sports for female athletes and coaches during Athletic Alumnae Weekend, which continued the School’s yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of women at Hotchkiss. 

Athletes and guests arrived in Lakeville from Oct. 18-20 to reconnect with teammates, coaches, and current student-athletes. The weekend was perfectly timed with a variety of Bearcats sporting events at home, including soccer, volleyball, cross country, and field hockey. 

“This was such an amazing event. It shined a light on the Hotchkiss legacy of outstanding female athletes following our celebration of Pioneers,” said Robin Chandler ’87, project manager for the year-long celebration of women at Hotchkiss. “This year, we honored the original 89 girls who enrolled in the fall of 1974 during a four-month exhibition in the Rotunda in Main Building, an exhibition in Tremaine Art Gallery, and now this athletic reception, proving that those original 89 Pioneers truly changed the face of Hotchkiss.” 

Off of the playing fields, alumnae enjoyed a welcome reception on Friday night. On Saturday morning, they were excited to take campus tours and see everything that had changed since their time on campus. They also enjoyed squash and tennis clinics with their classmates. One of the highlights was a student panel discussion featuring Petal Hammam ’25, Eleanor Helm ’25, Kaila Richards ’25, and Coco Sheronas ’26, who talked about their experiences as student-athletes. 

Later that afternoon, alumnae gathered to cheer on the younger Bearcats as they competed on the fields and courts. As evening approached, everyone headed to Fairfield Farm, where toasts were raised in gratitude to all those who returned to campus to celebrate the rich tradition of girls athletics. 

Lucy Hall ’25, a member of the coeducation council who helped plan the event, said, “We scheduled tons of activities for the returning athletes to participate in, from tennis clinics to breathing workshops. Overall, the committee aimed to create a weekend of memories and honor their legacies.”

During the weekend, a new display was installed in the hallway of the Mars Athletic Center between the squash courts and the field house. The plaques and banners honor the many accomplishments of alumnae athletes, including descriptions of professional and Olympic female athletes (see below). These accolades highlight the impressive history of women in sports at Hotchkiss.

Shaan Patel ’27 contributed to this article.