The Newburyport Wall of Fame is going to have to make some more room.
That’s because on November 6th at the Newburyport Elks, a six-person 2025 class will be forever immortalized into Clipper history. The Wall of Fame has long since recognized the best and brightest sports figures who have walked down High Street, and they will soon be joined by six names who have undeniably left their mark on Clipper lore.
This year’s inductees are: Kevin Hale, Kyle Kravchuk, Jason Beauparlant, Don Hennigar, Joe Pace and Margaret Frash Pflugh.
A heavy-hitting group, for sure.
Hale (NHS ‘00) was a three-sport athlete who played football, basketball and baseball during his time as a Clipper, and he was a CAL All-League football player and Newburyport Daily News All-Around Athlete award winner. He was a member of the 1997 Newburyport football team that won the Division 4 Super Bowl, scoring the opening touchdown — a 2-yard run — during the team’s 12-8 win over Matignon.
Kravchuk (NHS ‘85) was also a three-sport athlete who played football, hockey and ran track. He was a CAL All-Star in both football and hockey during his high school days, and for the past 21 years, he’s been the Associate Director of Athletics/Ticket Operations at the University of Connecticut.
Beauparlant was a football coach along with being a longtime physical education teacher at Newburyport High. He was also the school’s first strength and conditioning coach.
Meanwhile, Hennigar has been the highly-successful varsity boys and girls cross country coach from 1997 to the present, while also being an assistant track coach during both seasons. He was a Boston Globe Coach of the Year, and has already been inducted into the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame. This fall, Hennigar’s boys cross country team won its eighth straight CAL Kinney title, while his girls team won its fourth straight.
Pace (NHS ‘06) was a two-sport athlete who excelled in basketball and baseball during his Newburyport tenure. He was our Daily News Baseball MVP and the Cape Ann League MVP in 2006, and he would go on to have a successful four-year career at Bowdoin College.
And finally, Frash-Pflugh (NHS ‘03) was a 12-season varsity athlete who competed in soccer, cross country and track. She was a CAL All-League runner in track as a Clipper, and would go on to both serve and have a highly-successful track career in the Air Force. In 2006, she was named to the NCAA Division I All-Academic Team.
Tickets are $50 for the Nov. 6 banquet at the Elks. They can be purchased at the Park Lunch, Newburyport High School in the office, or by contacting Paula Souliotis at: 978-518-6685.
Wall of Fame Open House
The Newburyport High School Wall of Fame will be having an open house on Friday, October 24th beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Clipper football team is playing “Border Battle” rival Triton Regional that night.
Please accept the committee’s invitation to view the Wall of Fame during this time. They have been working on renovations for a long time and are still doing finishing touches, but would love for the community to see their progress.