Sailor, basketball star and women’s soccer team inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame

Amanda Clark '05, the most decorated student-athlete in the history of the College’s women’s sailing program; Dwayne Stallings '99, a prolific men’s basketball player who led the Camels to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament; and the 1998 women’s soccer team, which put together one of the most remarkable and memorable seasons in the College’s stories athletic history, were recently inducted into the Connecticut College Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Amanda Clark '05

Clark finished her career as a two-time Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women's All-American and a singlehanded national champion. In addition to her individual success, she helped the Camels place as high as fourth at the ICSA National Championships and advance to the Sloop National Championships. Clark's racing success continued after graduation; most notably, she represented the United States in the 470 Division at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and in the XXX Olympiad in London in 2012. After placing as high as eighth in the two-person women's sailing event at the Olympics, Clark served a four-year term as a sailing representative for the United States Olympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council. She continues to race recreationally and coach youth sailors.

 

Dwayne Stallings '99 

Stallings was the team captain and leading scorer for the 1998-99 program that ranked No. 1 in the country, posted a 28-1 record and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. Stallings established and still holds single-season program records for 3-point field goals (86) and steals (64). He is also the program's all-time leader in steals (168), and he finished his career as a collegian with 1,093 points. For his efforts, the guard was named a 1999 Columbus Multimedia Honorable Mention All-American as well as an All-NESCAC and All-ECAC First Team selection. After graduation, Stallings became the first Connecticut College men's basketball alum to play professionally when he signed a contract with the Westminster Warriors. He has also been inducted into the New London Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as the New England Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1998-99 team. Off the court, Stallings has pursued a career as a financial adviser with a focus on wealth management and retirement planning, he has been named one of the Top 100 Financial Advisors in America by Bank Investment Consultant magazine. 

 

The 1998 Women’s Soccer Team

Led by three student-athletes who have been inducted into the Connecticut College Athletic Hall of Fame as individuals—Caroline Davis '99, Kim-An Hernandez '99 and Meghan J. Welch '00—the 1998 women's soccer team finished the year with a 12-5 record and made a Cinderella postseason run as the lowest seed in its region to advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Camels first defeated top-seeded William Paterson, 2-1, in the opening round before edging second-seeded Williams by a 1-0 score in the regional final, avenging losses from earlier in the season to both opponents (both entered the tournament with undefeated records). The team's 12 victories established a school record at the time, and the program's No. 8 ranking in the final NSCAA national poll is the highest for any women's sport at the institution. The team also boasted an NSCAA All-American, two NSCAA All-Metro Region Second Team selections, and a trio of All-NESCAC honorees who finished the fall as the top three scorers in the league.

Photos courtesy of Clarus Studios.