Poultney
posted
Oct 10, 2012
On Friday, Sept. 28, Green Mountain College hosted a ceremony to
welcome three new members to the Athletic Hall of Fame. Daniel
Gustafsson '02, Rick Stainton, Jr. '98, and Warren Mackey '89 were
all inducted in the celebration.
College President Paul Fonteyn kicked the evening off by
welcoming everyone to the event, recognizing the current
student-athletes and introducing the various teams to the
attendees. He finished his welcoming speech with an introduction of
new Athletic Director
Keith Bosley who acted as master of ceremonies for the
evening.
After Bosley thanked everyone for welcoming him to the College
so warmly, he officially started the ceremony by honoring the first
inductee, Daniel Gustafsson. Gustafsson lives in Sweden these
days and helps operate a large ski business with international
ties. Because of these responsibilities, Gustafsson was unable to
attend the ceremony, so the award was graciously accepted by Chris
Eder, Daniel's assistant ski coach. Eder reminisced about Daniel as
a competitor, saying that he encapsulated the terms "dedication"
and "determination."
"Daniel was an NCAA Division I caliber ski racer, but chose GMC
over other institutions because of the community and people,"
related Eder. "He loved it here and the time he spent at Green
Mountain was the best years of his life. Daniel's dedication and
competitiveness really helped establish a reputation for himself
and the College which subsequently aided the recruiting process for
the program even after he graduated."
Bosley returned to the podium after Eder's acceptance speech and
reflected on his experience coaching against Green Mountain on the
soccer pitch. He demonstrated through several examples how
absolutely powerful the soccer teams were at Green Mountain during
the mid-90's. That segued well into the introduction of the
night's second inductee, Rick Stainton, Jr.
Since graduating, Stainton has been engrossed in an illustrious
career as a soccer coach. He currently serves as the first
assistant coach at Seton Hall and was formerly the head coach of
the Sky Blue women's professional soccer club. On top of his
coaching accolades Rick also is the owner and president of his own
business.
Rick began by revealing that he began his collegiate athletic
career with GMC's club rugby team and had no intention of playing
soccer until he was urged to talk to Coach Gilmore after kicking
the ball around with some of the players on the team. The
first conversation did not go particularly well, but Stainton was
later given a chance to prove himself on the pitch and did not
disappoint. He became very focused and driven to put forth the
requisite effort to be successful in the classroom and on the
field. That desire to achieve was responsible for the
championships and national recognition that he and the team
shared.
Stainton also was appreciative for his opportunity to play
lacrosse. Being a member of the lacrosse team, having never
touched a stick until he got to GMC, taught him an important lesson
that you are capable of whatever you put your mind to. He became
one of school's first all-conference players in a time when the
program was struggling and fighting to exist.
"Through my experience at Green Mountain, I built great
relationships which turned me into the person I am today," remarked
Stainton. "If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to not
let opportunity pass you by, experience everything you can and
enjoy your time while you are here."
After Stainton's final words, Bosley then shifted the focus to
the final inductee of the night, Warren Mackey. This final
induction would be historical in nature as Mackey is the first
African American to be inducted into the GMC Hall of Fame. This
fact was highlighted by teammate and long-time friend Rick Martin
who introduced Mackey.
Martin is a fellow Green Mountain Hall of Fame member and stated
that his friendship with Mackey was born as soon as Warren stepped
on campus and he immediately knew he had a true teammate in the
Hall of Famer. Martin emphasized that although Mackey was a
tremendous athlete and 3-point shooter, he sacrificed his game to
play the role his team and coach asked of him.
"Warren was the only minority on the team," said Martin. "He was
the Jackie Robinson of Green Mountain College. Mackey is one of the
reasons that GMC has the diversity it does today. His great
interpersonal skills have influenced many people who have attended
the College."
Mackey was very inclusive in his address to the audience. Many
of his former coaches, mentors and teammates were brought up on
stage as a sign of his appreciation for the effort each put in to
help him become the man he is today.
"There are two things you need to go somewhere in life…a vision
and a village," proclaimed Mackey. "I had a vision of becoming a
talented basketball player growing up in Albany. I got to where I
did as a basketball player because of the support of my village; my
family, my educators, my church members, and friends all helped me
arrive where I am today and they are here supporting me again
tonight."
Hall of Fame Inductees
Daniel Gustafsson '02
A member of the ski team from 1999-2002, Gustafsson notched 23
career downhill victories during his tenure and finished on the
podium 40 times in all. He earned a 1st place overall finish at the
2000 USCSA Eastern Regional Championships by winning the giant
slalom event and placing 9th in the slalom event. He went on
to narrowly miss finishing on the podium by placing 4th in the
National Championships in 2000. Gustafsson twice earned the ECSC
Thompson Division Skier of the year ('99, '02), was a 3-time
All-ECSC Team member, and was also named USCSA All-American
numerous times. As part of the ski team he helped GMC to 2nd and
3rd place finishes in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Rick Stainton, Jr. '98
Stainton was a standout two-sport athlete in men's soccer and
lacrosse. During his senior season, Stainton claimed the starting
goalkeeper position for the men's soccer team, leading the squad to
a NAIA Regional Championship and a berth in the National
Tournament. Rick's tremendous efforts in goal received wide
acclaim as he was recognized with a place on the 1997 Mayflower
All-Conference Team and was named the 1997 NAIA Northeast Region's
Most Valuable Player.
Warren Mackey '89
Mackey was a leader on the court and a defensive stalwart for the
men's basketball teams during his tenure from 1986-89. He
captained the team during his junior and senior seasons while
providing lockdown defense for the team. Mackey was
recognized for his defensive prowess earning team defensive player
of the year in the 1988-89 season. He was honored with a
selection to the Mayflower Conference All-Defensive Team in
addition to being on both the Vermont State All-Star Team and NAIA
Regional All-Star Team in 1989. Mackey was a member of the
first team in GMC history to defeat the vaunted Castleton squad and
also the first team in GMC history to go to the playoffs.
