The 1970/71 basketball team with Noelia Figuereo and NECC President Lane Glenn (navy blue sweater)

Northern Essex’s Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on Thursday evening, February 28 was a reunion, a source of inspiration, and an affirmation of the college’s athletic program, which has been growing in recent years.

Inaugural inductees to the hall of fame included Noelia Figuereo, a runner from Haverhill who, less than ten years ago, was a two-time national champion, and the 1970/71 men’s basketball team, which captured the state title almost 50 years ago.

“We’re growing our athletic program, adding sports and athletes, and we felt it was a good time to honor the successes of the past,” said Dan Blair, NECC athletic director.  “The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be an annual event, and there will be an open nomination process for future inductees.”

Figuereo was a Two-time National Champion

Noelia Figuereo was a track star at Haverhill High School before enrolling at Northern Essex, where she was on the women’s track and field team for two years.  She was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Champion, capturing the Women’s 200-meter national championship in 2010 and returning in 2011 to claim the 100-meter title.  After graduating from Northern Essex, Figuereo transferred to Merrimack College, where she ran track and earned a bachelor’s in Spanish in 2015 and a master’s in education in 2017.  She is now working for a nonprofit that is under the Department of Mental Health.

Figuereo says she realized track “was her calling” after running in her first track meet in middle school.  High school presented challenges for her, as she helped care for her beloved grandmother, who was diagnosed with dementia.   She says it was difficult to adjust to her role as “a primary caregiver and a student athlete”.  Figuereo credited the college, her coaches Dawn Caputo and Andrew Barron, and her family—more than a dozen family members and friends were there for the induction—with providing the support that led to her success.  She calls her mother Maria, a 1999 graduate of the college’s Computer Science Program, her “number one supporter.”

1970/71 Men’s Basketball Team Captured Conference Championship

The 1970/71 men’s basketball team was a collection of young men from areas towns such as Lawrence, Haverhill, Newburyport, Lowell, and Salem, NH, among others, said Blair.  The team was coached by the late Jack Wysong of Newburyport, who was a longtime faculty member and administrator at Northern Essex.  With a 21-6 record, the team captured both the Massachusetts Community College Championship and the Eastern Massachusetts Small College Conference Championship.   At the conclusion of the season, Neil Reardon of Newburyport and Joe Goldsmith of Newburyport were named Eastern Mass All-Stars.  Reardon and Goldsmith and John “Butch” Dunham of Salem, NH were named among the class of 1971 Outstanding College Athletes in America.  Joe Tardif of Plaistow, NH, who was also on the team, is still at the college.  For the past 20 years, he has coached men’s basketball, currently serving as head coach.

In attendance at the banquet were Dennis Levesque of Nashua, Dan Habib of Haverhill, Andy Desrosiers of Windham, Rob Rouine of Billerica, and Dave Levine of Coral Springs, FL.   Charles McClure, Bob McNabb, Dick Crawford, Mike Horgan, and John “Butch” Dunham were unable to attend.

Neil Reardon, who went on to coach the Newburyport High School girls basketball team for 27 years until his retirement in 2010, spoke on behalf of the team, which was represented by a remarkable eight of the thirteen original team members.   “It’s almost 50 years since we played ball together and this is a special night for all of us.”

The Athletic Inaugural Hall of Fame Banquet included a social hour, a buffet dinner, and a program featuring remarks by Blair, NECC President Lane Glenn, and the inductees.

NECC will Add Three Varsity Sports This Year

Northern Essex competes as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and currently sponsors nine varsity intercollegiate sports including baseball, men’s basketball, golf, softball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s track and field.  In the fall, Northern Essex will have the largest community college athletic program in the state with the addition of three new sports: men’s soccer, women’s basketball and eSports.  Nine of the 15 community colleges in the state have varsity athletic programs.

Those interested in nominating athletes—individuals or teams—for the next ceremony are invited to submit nominations through the form on the NECC Athletics website.

Jayme Bates has been named the new women’s basketball coach at NECC.

Northern Essex Community College Director of Athletics Dan Blair has announced Jayme Bates has been named head coach of the Knights reestablished women’s basketball program. He began March 1.

“I would like to thank Athletic Director Dan Blair, and Northern Essex Community College for the opportunity to serve as NECC’s new Women’s Basketball Coach. I look forward to building our team from the ground up, and can’t wait to get out on the recruiting trail this spring,” said Bates.

Prior to joining Northern Essex, Bates had significant junior college coaching experience in upstate New York. Most recently he was the head women’s coach at Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson, NY from 2016-2018, where he built a program from the ground up after it had been dormant since 2006. His record over two seasons as head coach was 32-24. Prior to his time at Columbia Greene, Bates spent time as an assistant men’s coach at both Hudson Valley Community College and Schenectady Community College.

A native of Troy, NY he attended Hudson Valley Community College where he served as a student assistant with the men’s basketball program. When on the staff the team secured a 20-10 record.

“I’m excited to bring Jayme on board here at NECC. To identify someone with his experience to help us in reestablishing the women’s basketball program at the college, I couldn’t be happier. I look forward to watching the program grow,” said Blair.

The NECC women’s basketball program will return to the court in the fall of 2019 for the first time since 2012.

Prospective students interested in the NECC women’s basketball program are encouraged to complete the NECC Athletic Recruitment Form or contact Coach Bates at jbates@necc.mass.edu, or the athletic department directly at 978-556-3820.

Northern Essex Community College competes as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and sponsors nine varsity intercollegiate sports including baseball, men’s basketball, golf, softball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s track and field. For more information on Northern Essex Community College Athletics please visit the official website of Northern Essex Athletics.

Three NECC Students receive the Knights of the STEM Table Award (L to R) Anglea Reppucci-Mathieu of Methuen, Robert Moeller of Andover, and Aranxa Pena-Mendez of Lawrence.

Three high-achieving Northern Essex Community College STEM students recently became the first to receive the Knights of the STEM Table Award, recognizing academic achievements in the face of obstacles.

The inaugural group included Angela Reppucci-Mathieu of Methuen, an environmental science major; Robert Moeller of Andover, an electrical engineering major; and Aranxa Pena-Mendez of Lawrence, a computer information science major.

Three students will be selected for the honor each semester, based on nominations from faculty.  Students receive a certificate presented by Northern Essex President Lane Glenn at an event held in the STEM Center.

Moeller plans to transfer to UMass Lowell to continue his education after receiving his degree from Northern Essex this spring. Based on his success, his advice to Northern Essex students is “Don’t skip steps!”

Pena-Mendez is a computer information science transfer student from Lawrence, who graduated from Northern Essex in December 2018. She hopes to one day get her bachelor’s degree in her field and to complete an internship in computer science. During her time at Northern Essex Pena-Mendez was involved in activities such as the STEM academy in 2017, and “The Pipeline from School to Industry” Panel in Spring 2018. She is “grateful that my efforts have been recognized by other people,” and “will continue to work hard to achieve my goals.”

Reppucci-Mathieu is a 2015 graduate of Salem High School.  Her goal is to transfer to UMass Boston or UMass Lowell after graduating from Northern Essex and pursue a career as a field scientist.  She is applying to internships for this summer.  Reppucci-Mathieu says “I am happy to see my hard work paying off and I’m looking forward to continue working towards my future career in STEM.”

To learn more about STEM Programs offered at Northern Essex, visit the website.

International Women’s Day

Northern Essex Community College will host its second annual International Women’s Day event on Tuesday, March 5, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Hartleb Technology Center with a panel of four local women who hold high profile positions.

Following the theme of “Balance for Better,” they will share their stories as to what motivated them to become agents of change. They will describe their challenges and share advice for college students who want to make the world a better place.

This event is free and open to the college community. Faculty are encouraged to ask their students to attend. Please register here for the event.

The event, sponsored by NECC’s student life, will provide a light lunch. Speakers include Mary Ellen Daly O’Brien, Haverhill City Council; Bopha Malone, Enterprise Bank vice president; Juana Matias, attorney and social worker; and Tram Nguyen, Massachusetts State Representative.

For additional information, contact Janel D’Agata Lynch, NECC’s coordinator of community resources, at jdagatalynch@necc.mass.edu