Athletics
Welcome to the Portledge School Athletic Hall of Fame!
The purpose of the Hall of Fame is twofold. First, the Athletic Department would like to honor the careers and accomplishments of select extraordinary student-athletes in a public and special way to both recognize their exceptional accomplishments and to inspire our current student-athletes to strive for greatness. Second, Portledge is actively and thoughtfully working to strengthen the ties between alumni and the School. The Hall of Fame aims to accomplish both of these priorities in a celebratory way.
Beginning in November 2018, all Portledge School alumni were able to nominate others who they believed were worthy of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Eligible alumni are those whose class year is a multiple of five from that year’s graduating class. Therefore, the alumni eligible for nomination in 2022 were student-athletes who graduated from Portledge in 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. Each year, this tradition will continue in a similar fashion with the Hall of Fame committee making recommendations on which nominees should be inducted into The Hall. The final decision regarding induction will be made by the Portledge Administration.
The announcement of the honorees will be made in August and posted simultaneously online. The official induction ceremony will take place each fall on Founders Day in conjunction with the Alumni Fall Reunion. We are hopeful that you, your friends, and fellow alums will return to campus for the day’s festivities each and every year.
We are proud to announce the 2022 Portledge Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees:
- Tom Decker ‘87
- Harry Taylor ‘92
- 1996-1997 Soccer Team
- Nick Lobley ‘12
Class of 2022 Inductees
Tom Decker ‘87
The consummate team player, Tom Decker ‘87 was a four-year starter in three sports during his time at Portledge. In addition to being a valuable member of the soccer team, he was a two-time captain and team MVP of the basketball team. Yet, it was on the lacrosse field that Tom really shined. As a senior, he led the varsity team as team captain and was named the season’s most valuable player, and received the additional honor of being named Honorable Mention All-American. Tom went on to play Lacrosse for R.I.T. and was a valued member of a team that rose to #3 in the country and played in the NCAA Division III National Semifinals. We are thrilled to honor Tom for his amazing career and welcome him to the Hall of Fame, Class of 2022.
(Nominated by Maurice Freedman ‘87)
The consummate team player, Tom Decker ‘87 was a four-year starter in three sports during his time at Portledge. In addition to being a valuable member of the soccer team, he was a two-time captain and team MVP of the basketball team. Yet, it was on the lacrosse field that Tom really shined. As a senior, he led the varsity team as team captain and was named the season’s most valuable player, and received the additional honor of being named Honorable Mention All-American. Tom went on to play Lacrosse for R.I.T. and was a valued member of a team that rose to #3 in the country and played in the NCAA Division III National Semifinals. We are thrilled to honor Tom for his amazing career and welcome him to the Hall of Fame, Class of 2022.
(Nominated by Maurice Freedman ‘87)
Harry Taylor ‘92
Praised by his teammates for his leadership and character, Harry Taylor ‘92 was a four-year starter on the lacrosse team and a captain his senior year. In addition to his time on the lacrosse field, Harry was also a four-year letter winner in soccer and a three-year award winner in basketball. As a defenseman, Harry did not rack up the stats that others had but his contributions were key to preventing the other teams' attack and he was the natural choice for guarding the opposition’s top player. His solid defensive play and all-around game were recognized on both the team and league level, as he was awarded team MVP and All-League in his junior and senior seasons. In addition, he was selected to play in the North-South game his senior year and honored as an All-American. Harry was a leader on the 1991 NYMLA Championship team and went on to have a successful collegiate career at Hamilton College. For his work on the field and his work off the field as a leader and exceptional teammate, we are pleased to induct Harry Taylor ‘92 into the Portledge Athletics Hall of Fame.
(Nominated by Christopher Masotto ‘94)
(Nominated by Christopher Masotto ‘94)
1996-1997 Soccer Team
The 1996-1997 varsity soccer team will go down as one of the greatest teams to play in any sport in the history of Portledge Athletics. The 1996-1997 varsity soccer team played fiercely in the regular season and playoffs, finishing with an unblemished record of seventeen wins and zero losses to claim the IPPSAL Championship. The team averaged over five goals a game and had a margin of victory of over four goals a game. The 1996-1997 varsity soccer team was coached by Curt Sawyer and Seth Gottesman and captained by Phil Han, Greg Brayman, and Andrew Getting. The team developed multiple players who went on to play at the collegiate level, including Jordan Cila, who went on to play collegiately at Duke as well as in Major League Soccer and with the United States National team. The 1996-1997 varsity soccer team set the benchmark for success and we are honored to have them as part of the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees.
(Nominated by Phillip Han ‘98)
(Nominated by Phillip Han ‘98)
Nick Lobley ‘12
Throughout his athletic career at Portledge, Nick Lobley lettered in an impressive three sports: soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. In his year on the varsity soccer team, Nick was a formidable competitor and team player. He was a four-year athlete in basketball and recognized as a two-time all-IPPSAL player as well as a two-time league champion. Adding to accolades as a five-year varsity lacrosse star at Portledge, Nick was a major focus of the Oberlin College offense during his four years there. He was a four-year starter, and led the team in assists his freshman year and in goals in both his junior and senior seasons. He completed his career third in all-time career goals and total points and sixth in all-time career assists in Oberlin lacrosse history. In 2016, Nick was selected to the Second Team All-NCAC. Nick and his family are active members of the Portledge community and we are excited to welcome Nick to the Portledge Hall of Fame.
(Nominated by Zac Pilson ‘12)
Hall of Fame Selection Committee
Amy Mulligan, Director of Athletics
Curt Sawyer, Fmr Portledge Director of Athletics 1981-2003
Phil Hills, Fmr Portledge Director of Athletics 2003-2006 & Current Teacher & Coach
Terri Austin Keogh '85
Seth Gottesman '86
Justin Ort '90
Hall of Fame Dinner 2019
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Portledge School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial aid, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs.
Portledge School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial aid, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs.