Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce the first induction class into the Whittier Tech Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Athletic Hall of Fame was established to honor the 50th anniversary of Whittier Tech. The school received more than 100 nominations, but with the help of the Selection Committee, the field was narrowed to 10 honorees, including two teams, two coaches, one significant contributor, and five former student-athletes.

The first induction class of the Whittier Tech Athletic Hall of Fame includes:

Student-athletes

Stephen Jayne, of Newburyport: Jayne graduated in 1980 and competed in multiple sports while at Whittier Tech. He was a three-year letter recipient in football and also received letters in hockey, baseball, and spring track and field. He led WT to the 1979 Commonwealth Athletic Conference football championship, playing both offense and defense, and punting. He was also the winner of the Haverhill Gazette's Tom McCann Award. Jayne played college football at Central Connecticut University.
Scott LaValley, of Merrimac: LaValley graduated in 1998. He was a four-year starter in baseball, three-time CAC All-Star, two-time CAC MVP, and went on to have a Hall of Fame career at UMass Lowell in baseball. LaValley was also a four-year varsity basketball player and three-year All-Star cross-country runner.
Alicia Cook, of Haverhill: Cook graduated in 2002. She was a four-year starter in basketball, volleyball, and softball. She was named MVP in volleyball and softball, and she won championships in all three of her chosen sports. Cook hit 30 home runs in her career at WT.
John Campbell, of Haverhill: Campbell graduated in 1988. He was a two-year CAC All-Star in basketball. He was named CAC MVP and was named All-Area by the Eagle Tribune, Haverhill Gazette, and the Daily News of Newburyport. Campbell was the premiere scorer during the late 1980s and recorded more than 1,000 points during his career and was selected to three All-Star teams.
Amanda Dennis, of Haverhill: Dennis graduated in 2005. She was captain of the 2005 basketball, volleyball, and softball teams. Dennis was named team and league MVP and two-time CAC All-Star in basketball during her career at WT. She also recorded 523 rebounds. She was a critical part of bringing the 2005 girls' basketball team to the state championship at the Boston Garden. Dennis was known to score more than 30 points in a game, but her highlight came when she scored 51 points versus Lynn Tech. Dennis went on to play at Pine Manor College, where they retired her jersey.

Significant Contributor

Edward Penney: Penney started the Whittier Tech concession stand in 1974. The Penneys started selling refreshments out of the back of their van with other Booster Club members at all home games. The WT snack shack is now named after Edward Penny. He is the father of Patrick Penney, who played football for WT from 1974-1976. His grandsons also attended WT and participated in athletics.

Coaches

Denise Woodcock: Woodcock was the first female coach at Whittier, beginning in 1975. She was a strong advocate for female sports in the beginning stages of Title IX. Woodcock was the head coach of the softball and basketball teams and was instrumental in developing the first girls' volleyball program. As head coach, her team won the first CAC Softball Championship in 1976.
Denis Cronin: Cronin coached football and track at WT from 1974-2015. He developed numerous programs that went on to win conference and state championships. Cronin was a critical part of many team and individual successes. Not only did he develop student-athletes, but also many coaches throughout his years at Whittier. Cronin completed his coaching years in style by winning the 2015 State Vocational Super Bowl.

Teams

2005 girls' basketball team: The 2005 girls' basketball team, CAC Conference Champions, played for the state championship at the Boston Garden. Record-breaking seniors included Amanda Dennis, Kristina Janelle, Brandi Badge, Nicole Doras, and Andrea Lavigne.
1979 football team: The 1979 football team was the first CAC Championship team in WT history. The team finished the year 8-2 and won third place in the Eastern Mass standings for Division III, outscoring opponents 222-50. All-Star players included Steven Jayne, quarterback, Kevin Ryan, lineman, Ken Senter, tight end, Tom Donovan, running back, Randy Hill, lineman, Mike Sprout, linebacker, and Paul Duncan, defensive end.

An induction ceremony and celebration will be held on Friday, Oct. 13 at Haverhill Country Club, 58 Brickett Lane, Haverhill. A cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the recognition ceremony at 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar and entertainment.

Tickets are $85 per person or $800 for a table of 10. Tickets can be purchased at whittiertech.org

"Congratulations to all who were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame! All of us at Whittier Tech are very excited about this new tradition," said Superintendent Lynch. "Thank you to the Selection Committee, who put in so much effort into narrowing down the list of well-deserving nominees. We are looking forward to celebrating the inductees in October!"

More information on the Whittier Tech Athletic Hall of Fame can be found here.