Colby Celebrates 122nd C Club Award Recipients

Track & field standout Jay Hartshorn ’94 was honored for her distinguished career as an athlete and coach. Kebba Tolbert ’94 introduced Hartshorn as the recipient. After sharing details of Hartshorn’s athletic career, Tolbert described her as a living example of Colby’s spirit of excellence, fairness, and the courage to challenge and grow.

Hartshorn has coached collegiate cross country and track & field for more than 20 years, boasting success at several programs. She is currently head coach of track & field and cross country at Mount Holyoke College.

Hartshorn came to Mount Holyoke from Bates College, where she served as head coach of the women’s cross country and track & field programs for 17 years. A three-time NESCAC Coach of the Year, Hartshorn led Bates track & field student-athletes to 49 indoor track & field All-America performances and coached 11 student-athletes to 20 outdoor track & field All-America performances, including a national championship.

Before Bates, Hartshorn was assistant coach for track & field at Syracuse University from 2001 to 2005. From 1999 to 2001, she was assistant coach of cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field at Smith College, where she earned her master’s degree in exercise and sports studies.

Her foundation in collegiate athletics was built at Colby. As a standout student-athlete on Mayflower Hill, Hartshorn was an Academic All-American and a national qualifier in cross country. She achieved three-time All-American status in indoor and outdoor track & field, and she proudly captained Colby’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams.

Reflecting on her time on Mayflower Hill, Hartshorn said, “There were definitely times in my career that I was not the most qualified person for the job I got. It’s hard to become accomplished unless someone has given you a chance. I want to thank Colby for giving me that chance.”

Known for his discipline, integrity, and unwavering support of Colby Athletics, Jack Parker ’76 was recognized as a model of leadership. Introduced by his longtime friend Paul Spillane ’79, Parker was praised for his relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to planning.

Following the thoughtful introduction, Parker reflected on the lessons he learned on the field.

“It’s really athletics that gives to us, right? We learn the value of hard work, preparation, resilience, teamwork, perseverance, leadership, and loyalty. We learn how to win and how to lose graciously. To me, sports reveal the lessons of life.”

Parker earned his B.A. in government from Colby and his M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. Parker serves as chairman and CEO of Reed & Reed, Inc., one of Northern New England’s largest and most versatile heavy civil contractors. He began his tenure at Reed & Reed during college, working summers on bridge and other construction projects. He joined the company full time in 1982 as CFO and was elected president and CEO in 1985. Under his leadership, Reed & Reed, Inc. has achieved significant growth through acquisitions, the establishment of a new business unit in the Caribbean, and expansion into new markets.

A former captain of the Colby football team, Parker remains a dedicated presence on the sidelines of Colby football games and was a founding member of the Friends of Football Alumni Board. His wife, Susan, is also a Colby ’76 graduate who played on Colby’s first women’s hockey team. Three of their four children— Abigail ’01, Jackson ’07, and Gardiner ’09—are Colby graduates, with Jackson Jr. and Gardiner both competing on the Colby football team.

Parker concluded by saying, “We celebrate excellence as a reminder that success, while difficult to achieve, is a goal worth achieving. Colby Athletics has given so many of us that chance.”

Introduced by legendary basketball coach Dick Whitmore, Hank Newman ’77 was celebrated for his impact on and beyond Mayflower Hill. Newman, a former linebacker and later assistant coach, spoke of football as the ultimate team game.

“The 11 people on the team have to do their job or they lose. They’re all as important as the next person,” he said. “That lesson carried into my business practice. From the vice president of sales to the person sweeping the floor, everyone is just as important. That is what I learned here at Colby.”

Newman served as president of Newman Associates, LLC, where he has been employed since 1980 and learned the business from the ground up. Newman began his career as a member of the inside sales team and was appointed president in 1983, expanding the company’s reach into Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and Vermont. In 1990, Newman founded Westwood Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Newman Associates, which provides customized fabrication solutions. During the 1990s, he led Newman Associates into the design and engineering field, and in 2003, he led their national expansion and coordinated the relocation of all operations to Canton, Mass. In August 2014, Newman became chairman of Newman Associates, LLC. Prior to 1980, he served as an assistant football coach at Colby for three years.

Newman majored in history at Colby. He was a member of the varsity football team all four years, serving as captain his senior year. In 1974, he had the most tackles in a game and in a season, a Colby record that stood for nearly 20 years. In 1977, he was awarded the Norman R. White Award, given to a Colby male student-athlete for inspirational leadership and sportsmanship. He is a current member of the Friends of Football Alumni Board.

“Look at the campus,” Newman said. “From the beautiful buildings, like the new athletic center, to Colby and the city of Waterville becoming one, I am prouder than ever to come back to Colby.”

The evening concluded with the induction of the 2000 football team as the Mules Team of the Year. The squad won a NESCAC championship and Colby’s first CBB title in three years. Former coaches Tom Austin, Ed Mestieri, Tom Dexter, and captains Mark D’Ambrosio ’01 and Drew Johnson ’01 reunited to share memories of their historic run.

“Everything to gain, nothing to lose,” D’Ambrosio said, recalling the team’s locker room mantra. “I’m convinced that the togetherness, the attention to detail, the camaraderie, and the positive visualization made the difference that season.”

Johnson reflected on the lifelong bonds created from the program.

“Where else but Colby can a blue-collar dad from northern Minnesota and a lobsterman from Maine watch football together,” he said. “This is a special place.”

The 2000 Colby football team finished the season 7-1, securing the program’s first NESCAC Championship. This dominant squad led the conference in points scored (23.4 points per game) and total offense (382.1 yards per game). Its strong performance extended to the defense, which ranked third in total defense (262.1 yards allowed per game) and fourth in points allowed (13 points per game).

Three records from the 2000 season include the longest play from scrimmage, 80 yards (Danny Noyes ’02); most passing yards in a season, 1,996 (Patrick Conley ’03); and most yards of total offense in a season, 2,082 (Patrick Conley ’03).

The Mules were undefeated at home with a 4-0 record, culminating their championship season with a decisive 34-7 victory over Bowdoin.

The 2000 football team included Mark Azevedo ’04, Jared Beers ’01, James Bradford ’04, Jason Brooks ’02, Alex Burgess ’03, Michael Callinan ’04, Lee Carlson ’04, Matthew Carter ’01, Dennis Clark ’01, Matthew Clason ’04, Patrick Conley ’03, Timothy Cullen ’04, Jason Cummings ’02, Jason Cunnane ’03, Mark D’Ambrosio ’01 (captain), Anthony DiSotto ’03, Louis DiStasi ’01, Michael DiStefano ’03, Patrick Fahey ’02, Thomas Ferzoco ’02, Ryan Glennon ’04, Matthew R. Glynn ’04, Jason Grantham ’02, Daniel Greenfield ’02, Christos Hatzidakis ’01, Bodo Heiliger ’02, David Herrle ’02, Brandon Irwin ’04, Jeremy Jamieson ’04, Drew Johnson ’01 (captain), Keith Jonassen ’02, Guito Joseph ’04, Chip Kennett ’03, Kevin Kiley ’03, Brian Kittler ’04, Robert Lippert ’04, Peter Loverso ’03, Gregory Lynch ’04, Ian MacPherson ’03, Matthew Mahoney ’03, David McGeehan ’01, Jason Meadows ’01, Michael Moran ’03, Patrick Morris ’03, Jeffrey Moyer ’04, Joe Murray ’02, Danny Noyes ’02, Jeffrey Owen ’03, Justin Paré ’01, Daniel Parise ’03, Kevin Presbrey ’03, Rashad Randolph ’02, Jacob Seilheimer ’03, Peter Sherman ’05, Timothy Sielschott ’04, Kevin Smalley ’03, Andrew Tripp ’01, Robert Vail ’04, Matthew Wallerstein ’03, Luke Webster ’03, Brian Wezowicz ’02, Donald Williams ’03, and Matthew York ’03.