Falmouth Academy, MA|Athletic Hall of Fame

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 40 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. 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.

Allisa Dalpe '12

A three-sport athlete, Allisa was a leader by example. She exemplified toughness and character, setting the bar high for FA athletes who would follow her. Allisa shouldered a huge burden in those days. By far she took more charges in basketball than any FA player while holding down the ball-handling chores and scoring nearly 1,000 points for her career. Her teams averaged 15 wins per season. At Connecticut College, Allisa focused on lacrosse and was named to the NESCAC All-Academic Team twice. She had 90 saves one year, the third-best in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Allisa’s save percentage of 47.1% was seventh in the league.

Coach Peter Conzett

Coach Conzett is honored for his extraordinary success coaching girls' varsity soccer and boys' varsity lacrosse teams. Over a 15-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, his FA soccer coaching career featured 10 league championships, two unbeaten seasons, and an unbeaten streak of 46 games. In eight seasons as FA's boys' varsity lacrosse coach, 1990-1997, his 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.

Sarah Beninghof '98

Sarah was a leader, a mentor, and 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. Her record remained the benchmark for all Cape and Islands players until Kendall Currence '18 eclipsed her record with 2,310 points in 2018. Sarah was recruited to play basketball at Richard Stockton College.

Steven Smith '07

A three-sport athlete, Steven was one of the key players in the best five-year stretch of Falmouth Academy boys’ soccer. During that time, the boy’s went 43-17-5 won two SENEISAA league championships and appeared in two New England Tournaments. A gifted player, Steve matched his talented ball skills with a tenaciousness on the field that was rarely matched. He played a variety of positions and excelled at each one. Even as a sophomore, he was the player on the field that his teammates looked to for guidance. He is one of the few Falmouth Academy boys to start playing varsity as an eighth grader. A great captain his senior year, Steve left an indelible mark on the program. He attended Hobart William Smith College where he was named Most Improved Player his freshman year. He also earned the team's highest GPA. He later transferred to Northeastern University where he played club soccer.

Jodi Kopke '92

Jodi was a three-sport star and the foundation of FA's girls' athletic program in its formative years. A soccer standout playing center midfield, 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 went on to found 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.

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 45-4. 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 semifinals. 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.

Leigh (Stokey) Murray '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. Leigh was the heart and centerpiece of the FA soccer teams that made the Class D soccer finals for six consecutive years and won New England championships five years in a row. At Skidmore College, Leigh was a four-year varsity soccer starter and team captain as a senior. She helped Skidmore 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.

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 10 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 an assistant coach for FA’s basketball and lacrosse teams in subsequent seasons.

Xandy Walsh '11

Xandy was one of many three-sport standouts during his era at FA, which was a big part of why FA was consistently competitive at that time. As the goalkeeper in both soccer and lacrosse, Xandy was seen as the backbone of those teams. Xandy's best sport was lacrosse and in his junior year, he helped lead the team to win the SENEISAA championship over the Hyde School, making over 20 saves and allowing only 7 goals. That year, Xandy saved over 65% of the shots he faced. Coach Mike Earley called Xandy "a true competitor, fiery and outspoken at times, but always with the goal of competing at the highest level.” While attending the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Xandy continued playing lacrosse at the club level and was part of the U-19 Scottish development team in his freshman year.

Mark LaFaver '92

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 became a solidly contributing player. On the pitch, field, or court, Mark always displayed the perfect combination of 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.

Bene Webster '09

While attending Falmouth Academy, Bene found her game.. Her passion to compete was obvious as she trained as hard as she played. Her intensity bewildered opponents and inspired the play of her teammates. At Mt. Holyoke College, Bene played varsity lacrosse all four years. She captained the team as a junior and, as a senior, Bene was named to the NEWMAC Second Team.

Katie Palmer '05

Katie is a born athlete whose abilities and competitive nature led to her being a three-sport standout at Falmouth Academy. As a winger in soccer, she was a match-up nightmare for any opposing defender, and she provided the primary offensive threat for Mariner teams that captured five straight New England Class D Championships. Yet, it was on the basketball court that Katie excelled the most. Over 5’ 10’’ by her senior year, Katie could play all five positions on the floor in a dominant manner. She was a post-up scoring threat, an outstanding scorer on transition and attacking the rim, and a lethal three-point shooter from the perimeter. Such a complete set of skills propelled Katie into the 1,000 point scoring club, she finished with 1,336, third in FA history, and on to a stellar collegiate career at St. Lawrence University, where she was one of 6 student-athletes named by the Liberty League for outstanding performance her senior year. She was named Liberty League tournament MVP with a record 38 points in the league championship game win. She helped her team win an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, and she reached the 1,000 point milestone in January of senior year, bringing her four-year career totals there to 1,353 points and 530 rebounds.

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 1990s 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 lacrosse team during her years at the school, serving as co-captain her senior year. After graduation, she went on to a very successful four-year soccer career at Skidmore College.

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, his athleticism and knowledge of the game made all around him better players.

Coach Rob Wells

Rob Wells served as the school's athletic director for nearly 30 years, forging Falmouth Academy’s athletic identity as a school of three sports, as a school that identified participation as its central goal, and as a school that prided itself deeply on its commitment to sportsmanship. We have never wavered from these ideals. Mr. Wells invented the whole idea of FA sports as he went along. The beginning was pretty rough, but wins and championships have become part of the FA sports tradition. He knew that if we were to be in any way competitive, then we would need to avoid diluting our talents into multiple offerings. So we have one sport per season – soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and lacrosse in the spring. These are the ”teamiest” of the team games. They reward working together, knowing your teammates, and, as a result, being able to better anticipate the moves that yield a goal or a basket. Under Mr. Wells, we’ve had it all – remarkable success measured in the usual way of our culture, in wins and championships; a deeper success measured by our own standards of participation and sportsmanship; and the success to which schools always aspire for their students: that they learn some of the lessons of life on the fields of their youth.

(Excerpted from Peter Conzett’s speech at Mr. Wells’ induction into the Hall of Fame)

Athletic Hall of Fame

Celebrating our athletes and coaches

1000 Point Club (Basketball)

Sarah Swanbeck '03