WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College athletics department has announced that five former student-athletes and one significant champion of the athletics program will be inducted into the Regis Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Induction Class of 2019.
The Regis Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019 will be formally inducted during Regis Fest weekend in a ceremony taking place Friday, Sept. 27, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Upper Student Center on campus. It will be the first new class of inductees since 2011, the 12th different group of new inductees overall, and the largest group of individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame in a single year. More information will be available soon for those interested in attending the Sept. 27 event.
"It will be an honor to see these six extraordinary individuals take their rightful place in the Regis Athletics Hall of Fame," Pam Roecker, Dean of Athletics, said. "All of them played a major role in the establishment, expansion, and foundation our comprehensive and competitive athletic program is built on today. They have been excellent representatives of the University. The Induction Ceremony will be a wonderful addition to Regis Fest, and we look forward to recognizing this group on Sept. 27."
Ryan Chambers '14 will be one of the first two male student-athletes to be inducted into the Regis Athletics Hall of Fame. A four-year member of the men's basketball program, Chambers is Regis' all-time leading scorer with 1,311 career points, plus he holds school records for single-season (76 in 2012-13) and career (260) three-pointers as well as single-season (86.7% in 2010-11) and career (78.9%) free throw percentage. Chambers is also second in program history with 119 career steals, plus he is one of just two players to score 30 points in a single game twice. A two-time honorable mention all-conference selection, he was also named to the NECC All-Tournament Team twice, was a three-time NECC All-Academic honoree, and was named to the NABC Honors Court in both 2013 and 2014. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in management and currently works for State Street Corporation in Boston.
Caitlin Connolly '05 played both field hockey and basketball at Regis. In the fall, she was the 2001 CCC Rookie of the Year and a four-time First Team All-CCC selection. In 2004, she earned Second Team All-Region honors after scoring 10 goals and dishing out six assists for 26 total points, still tied for the most points in a single season in program history. She also still holds Regis records for points in a career with 74 and assists in a career with 16. She was selected to the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad all four years. In the winter, she collected 1,229 career points and 836 career rebounds, currently seventh on the all-time scoring list and sixth on the all-time rebounding list. An honorable mention all-conference selection in 2004-05, Connolly received her bachelor's degree in communications and English and immediately entered the coaching world. She is currently Senior Woman Administrator as well as head field hockey coach and assistant women's lacrosse coach at Lasell University.
Samantha Dutily '97 was a three-sport student-athlete at Regis, serving as captain in all three sports. In her senior field hockey season of 1996, she finished with eight goals and three assists as the team posted its first winning season in program history at 10-8. She helped the basketball team to an 87-19 (.821) record during her career, including appearances in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and the 1997 ECAC Tournament. She is the all-time leader in steals with 349 and holds top-three career marks in made three-pointers (135) and assists (363). A Second Team All-CCC honoree in 1995-96, she finished with 1,028 career points, fourth-most at the time of her graduation. In the spring, she was a two-time CCC Player of the Year in softball, leading the team to a conference title in 1996 as part of a 20-6 overall record. She is still Regis' all-time leader in runs scored with 99 and is sixth in career batting average at .403 after hitting .443 in 1995 and .424 in 1996. Earning her bachelor's degree in business, Dutily is stationed in Bahrain as a Commander in the United States Navy.
Sister Thérèse M. Higgins '47 became a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston and spent her academic career at Regis, first as an English professor before starting her term as President of Regis College in 1974. Through an intensive planning process, several professional programs were introduced in the mid-1970s, including master's programs in communication, management, and nursing. Her contribution to the athletics program is highlighted by the completion of the Athletics Center in 1981. Other accomplishments during her tenure include the establishment of the Children's Center and the construction of the Fine Arts Center. Even though she retired from the presidency in 1992, Sr. Higgins maintained relationships with numerous alums up until her passing in February 2010. She is honored within the Athletics Center by the naming of Higgins Court, the current home court for the Regis basketball and volleyball teams.
Stephen McGovern '13 played a major role in the improvement of the Regis men's swimming and diving program during the early 2010s. He won four Great Northeast Athletic Conference titles: the 100 breaststroke in both 2011 and 2012, the 200 breaststroke in 2012, and as part of the 200 medley relay in 2012; GNAC records were broken in all four victories. A multiple All-GNAC and All-New England honoree, McGovern finished in the top three in the GNAC nine times out of 12 final appearances and in the top eight at the NEISDA Championships 15 times out of 21 final appearances. He was named team MVP in 2010-11 and received the Coach's Award in 2011-12. He broke the Regis school records in individual events 20 times and was part of 17 record-breaking performances in relay events. As of the end of the 2018-19 season, McGovern is still second on the all-time top times list for the 200 breaststroke, third in both the 50 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke, and seventh in both the 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley, plus he remains in the top 20 in four other events. McGovern earned his bachelor's degree in communications and business management and is currently a firefighter/paramedic.
Jan Rutkowski '77 was a two-sport student-athlete at Regis at a time when Title IX had just been enacted. She became the first freshman to play for the varsity basketball team and served as a captain during her senior year. She averaged around 15 points per game, scoring over 650 career points. She took on the challenge of playing forward against taller opponents and frequently outrebounded them. Rutkowski was also the starting catcher for the softball team from 1974 to 1977, serving as captain during her senior year. She moved into the sport of rugby after graduation, attending the first-ever Eagle camp and playing with the 1991 USA Women's National Team in winning the first-ever Women's Rugby World Cup. Locally, she played almost 20 years for Beantown RFC, winning six national championships. Rutkowski received her Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and worked as a software engineer for many years. She returned to Regis in May 2008 as Senior Database Analyst and then became CRM Application Administrator in February 2018.