Athletics

Jodi Kopke ‘92

Jodi was a three-sport star who served as the building foundation of FA’s girls’ athletic program in its formative years. A soccer standout playing center mid-field, Jodi led the Mariners to the school’s first-ever appearance in the New England Prep Tournament in 1991, capping an unbeaten regular season of 12-0-1. On the basketball court, Jodi was named All-League First Team her senior year, the first FA player ever to be so honored. It was during Jodi’s years at FA that the school began playing girls’ lacrosse. Building on her experience here, Jodi later founded Duxbury’s girls’ youth lacrosse program. After FA, Jodi went on to a distinguished college athletic career at Bates College where she captained both the lacrosse and soccer teams, and to a collegiate lacrosse coaching career as well.

David Tamasi ‘90

David was the key to respectability for FA’s soccer and basketball teams at a time when these programs were making the transition from club status to interscholastic prep school competition. On the soccer field, David was a potent offensive player who scored over forty goals in a three-year varsity career. Yet basketball was his true passion. In just three years at FA, David scored over 1,000 points, finishing his career with 1,117. He remains the school’s all-time mens’ scoring leader. In 1990, David was named the Most Valuable Player in the annual Cape & Islands All-Star game, a contest that showcases the best high school basketball players from the region. After graduation from FA, David attended Gettysburg College, where he was recruited to play soccer

Mark Lafaver ‘92

A three-sport athlete, Mark epitomized the attitude and values most cherished by Falmouth Academy. Although soccer and lacrosse were his best sports, Mark willingly applied himself to learning the game of basketball and contributed solidly as a player. On the pitch, field, or court, Mark always displayed the perfect combination of determined competitiveness and adherence to the highest code of sportsmanship. Mark, an intelligent, quick center midfielder, was co-captain of FA’s very first lacrosse team; he finished his high school lacrosse career with more than 50 goals scored. At his induction, Mark said that the best lesson he learned from his involvement in Falmouth Academy athletics was to “keep your head up in defeat and your nose down in victory.”

Karen (Geagan) Lopes ‘96

Karen was the offensive star of four highly successful FA soccer teams, two of which received bids to the New England Prep Tournament. Foreshadowing FA’s dominance of the New England Tourney in the late 1990’s and beyond, Karen provided both goals in the team’s first-ever tournament victory, a 2-1 quarter-final win over Gunnery School in 1995. An exceptionally quick left wing, Karen finished her FA soccer career with a school record of 99 goals. In addition to soccer, Karen was also a cornerstone of the FA lacrosse team, serving as co-captain her senior year. After graduation, she went on to a very successful four-year soccer career at Skidmore College, and then a high school coaching and teaching career.

Greg Clancy ‘97

Greg was a three-sport star at FA, but his greatest claim to fame lies in his unprecedented five year stint as FA’s starting lacrosse goalie. In an amazing three of those seasons, 1994, 1996, and 1997, the Mariners finished unbeaten, capturing two league championships. With Greg in net, FA compiled a five-year lacrosse record of 45 wins and only four losses. In soccer, Greg anchored the center midfield on FA’s first SENEISAA championship-contending team in 1995; a season highlighted by a dramatic double overtime victory over Providence Country Day in the league tournament semi-finals. A multi-year co-captain of soccer, basketball and lacrosse, Greg was recruited to Kenyon College to play lacrosse. He won the starting goaltending job as a freshman, and was in goal for two NCAA Division III tournament teams. Throughout his college career, he was ranked among the leaders with the fewest goals allowed on average.

James Canedy ‘97

James came to Falmouth Academy as a sophomore, hoping to play lacrosse. His dream became a reality as he played center midfield and teamed with Greg Clancy ’97 to become the centerpieces of the school’s great run of three unbeaten seasons, 1994, 1996 and 1997. James was recruited to play at Roanoke College, starting as a freshman, and recorded a successful career there. At FA, James’ athleticism and knowledge of the game made everyone around him a better player.

Murro van Meter ‘95

Murro was a three-sport athlete at Falmouth Academy, but a stellar lacrosse player. A crease attackman, Murro finished his high school career with 123 goals, the school’s all-time record. He also set the single season goal scoring record with 50 during his senior year, a feat which he accomplished in just ten games. During Murro’s four years of varsity play, his FA teams posted an impressive record of 33-7.  Recruited to play at Wesleyan University, Murro has also served as assistant coach for FA’s basketball and lacrosse teams in subsequent seasons.

Sarah Beninghof ‘98

Sarah was a leader and mentor as well as a terrific athlete at Falmouth Academy. A force in both soccer and basketball, she was named to the Cape and Islands All-Star teams in both sports. But her biggest athletic achievement, and the school’s, came in 1998, when Sarah broke Cape Cod’s overall high-scoring record, held by Harwich’s Glenn Rose since 1962, by reaching 1,812 points. Hers continues to be the benchmark today for all Cape and Islands players. Sarah was recruited to play basketball at Richard Stockton College.

Coach Peter Conzett

Coach Conzett is honored for his extraordinary success coaching girls’ varsity soccer and boys’ varsity lacrosse teams.

Over a fifteen-season span, from 1990 to 2004, Coach Conzett’s girls’ soccer teams compiled a record of 204-23-26, a winning percentage of over .800. The 1999 season began a string of five consecutive New England Tournament Championships for Coach Conzett’s Mariners, with the team reaching the tournament finals in the sixth year as well. In addition to those post-season titles, Conzett’s FA soccer coaching career featured ten league championships, two unbeaten seasons, and an unbeaten streak that reached 46 games.

In eight seasons as FA’s boys’ varsity lacrosse coach, 1990-1997, Conzett’s teams went 61-21, capturing two league championships. In 1994, 1996, and 1997, Coach Conzett led the Mariners to unbeaten seasons, retiring as lacrosse coach with a 23 game winning streak intact.

Leigh Stokey ‘02

A three-sport athlete at FA, Leigh Stokey ‘02 was especially honored for her outstanding talents on the soccer field and the basketball court. Athletic director Rob Wells called Leigh the heart and centerpiece of the FA soccer teams that made the Class D soccer finals for six consecutive years and, consequently, won New England championships five years in a row. At Skidmore College, Leigh was a four-year varsity soccer starter and captain of the team as a senior. She helped the school rank 23rd in the nation. As a freshman, Leigh was named Rookie of the Week in her division.

On the basketball court as a 9th and 10th grader, Leigh was a reliable scorer. When some younger and stronger players arrived, Leigh was the first to recognize their scoring potential, and was quick to ask in what other ways she could help the team. Even with this reduced role as a scorer in her last two seasons, Leigh finished her FA career with over 1,000 points scored.

The 1,000 Point Club

Achieving over 1,000 points during their high school basketball careers are the following Falmouth Academy players:

Sarah Beninghof ’98, 1,812 points
Katie Palmer ’05, 1,336 points
David Tamasi ’90, 1,117 points
Leigh Stokey ’02, 1,001 points
Thomas Aviles ‘12 1,121 points