HENNIKER, N.H. - The New England College Department of Athletics has announced their Hall of Fame Class of 2025, which includes seven student-athletes and one long-time contributor, whose remarkable accomplishments and enduring legacies have helped define NEC's athletic history.
The NEC Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be honored at halftime of the Football game against Curry College on Saturday, October 4th during Fall Festival Weekend and later enshrined at our induction ceremony on Saturday, May 16th.
2025 Athletics Hall of Fame Class:
Ralph Aiello of the Class of 2001 was a four-year member of the NEC men's ice hockey team, first stepping out onto the ice at Lee Clement Arena in the 1996-97 season. As a freshman, he totaled 12 points on six goals and six assists. He improved upon those numbers in his second season in 1998-99, scoring seven goals and making 18 assists. The following season, Aiello led the Pilgrims with a team-high 24 helpers while still finding the back of the net eight times. He had the best season of his college career as a senior in 2000-01, scoring a team-best 25 goals to go along with 29 assists for a team-leading 54 points. NEC won 20 games that season, a mark that is still tied for the most in program history. Aiello himself was named to the 2000-01 AHCA All-American Second Team-East for his big season. For his career, Aiello scored 46 goals and connected on 77 assists.
Tara Bainbridge of the Class of 2019 had a record-setting four-year career in Henniker for the NEC women's lacrosse team. Bainbridge was named the NAC Rookie of the Year in 2016 while also being named to the NAC First Team All-Conference after scoring 49 goals with 15 assists. She would make the NAC First Team All-Conference in both 2017 and 2018 after putting up 75 goals and 33 assists as a sophomore, and 105 goals and 34 assists as a junior. In her senior season, Bainbridge reached another level, setting school single-season records with 140 goals and 60 assists – totaling 200 points. She helped lead her 2019 team to an NECC Championship while garnering NECC Player of the Year honors. Her 369 career goals, 142 career assists, and 511 career points are all NEC program records. Bainbridge was also a four-year member of the NEC women's soccer team where she scored 14 career goals and made seven assists.
Evan Delaney of the Class of 2019 rewrote many of the NEC baseball record books in just three seasons with the Pilgrims. In his first season in 2017, Delaney set the single-season records with 47 runs, six triples, 33 stolen bases, and 41 walks. He batted .391 with nine home runs and 41 runs batted in on his way to being named the NAC Player of the Year and earning a spot on the 2017 All-New England Second Team. He was a Preseason All-American in both 2018 and 2019. In his final season, Delaney batted .415 with nine home runs and set the school record with 46 runs batted in. That year, he helped lead the Pilgrims to their most successful season in program history, winning 29 games, an NECC Championship, and advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals. He holds the NEC career record for hits, runs scored, doubles, runs batted in, walks, and stolen bases.
Rene Hudson of the Class of 2020 was the most prolific scorer in NEC women's basketball program history. The 2016-17 NAC Rookie of the Year, Hudson never averaged less than 15 points per game in a season in her career. She set the single-season school record in 2017-18 with 87 three-point field goals made during a season in which she averaged 19.2 points per game. The following season, she was named the NECC Player of the Year and led the Pilgrims to an NECC Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. As a senior, Hudson again led NEC to a Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance with the best scoring season of her career - averaging 19.9 points per game. She ended her career as the all-time leader in points scored in program history with 1,974 and a record 325 made three-pointers.
Jay Muniz originally of the Class of 2013 was a four-year member of the NEC men's rugby team. He was also a runner for the NEC track & field team of the early 2010s. Muniz had a decorated career on the rugby pitch, earning national recognition for both himself and his team. In 2013, Muniz was named the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) Player of the Year and was the only player to be selected as All-NSCRO in both 7s and 15s. He was also named an All-American honorable mention. That year, the Pilgrims finished 3rd in the NSCRO 15s and were a semifinalist in the NSCRO 7s. In 2014, the Muniz-led team finally broke through, winning the NSCRO 7s national championship. The following year, NEC won the NSCRO 15s national championship with Muniz at the helm. Jay was a four-time All-NSCRO Team selection and in 2015 he graduated with his master's - departing Henniker as a rugby icon.
Jacqui Parker of the Class of 2007 was a three-sport athlete on NEC's women's lacrosse, field hockey, and women's ice hockey teams. In women's lacrosse, Parker scored 32 career goals as an attacker with seven assists. As a three-year goalkeeper for the field hockey team, Parker accumulated the fourth most wins (43), fourth most saves (570), and third most shutouts (12) in program history. Her 16 wins in the 2006 season remain tied for the school record. Parker's teams were CCC Champions all three years from 2004 to 2006 with three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. On the ice, Parker was a four-year starter in net for the 'Grims and was named to the ECAC East All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Conference in 2003-04. Jacqui holds the NEC career records in saves (2,163), wins (33), and shutouts (9) and carried a career save percentage of .918. The 'Grims 15 wins in 2005-06 remains tied for the most in program history.
Izaiah Winston-Brooks of the Class of 2020 was a four-year member of the NEC men's basketball team who was a force on both ends of the court for the Pilgrims. Izaiah was named to the NAC Second Team All-Conference as a freshman in 2016-17 when he led the team in both scoring (16.7 PPG) and steals (51). After being named to the NAC First Team All-Conference as a sophomore, he averaged a career-best 18.2 points per game as a junior in 2018-19 and was selected to the NECC Second Team All-Conference. Izaiah and company went on to be NAC Champions and earned the NCAA Tournament bid. He concluded his career by once again leading the team in scoring as a senior with 17.6 points per game. The 2018-19 team tallied a program-record 22 wins. Winston-Brooks played in over 100 games for the Pilgrims and his 1,757 career points scored are the third most all-time in program history. He also sits second in career blocks with 111 and third in career steals with 206.
George Ward was an NEC graduate of 1977 who was born in Staten Island, New York, and raised in Edison, New Jersey. Once George made his way to Henniker, he never left. He became a fixture in town, a key figure in building up the surrounding area, and he met his wife and raised his family just a couple miles from the College. He worked for NEC for 25 years in facilities and groundskeeping until his retirement in 2022. He spent time working in and around the dorms and classroom buildings, but his first love was providing the best fields and facilities he could for the thousands of student-athletes who participated in his time here. George was a one-man entity that managed and upkept NEC's 26 acres of athletic fields and trails, handled growth and repair in Bridges Gym and the NEC Field House, and most notably managed the Lee Clement Arena and the ice maintenance. One of his greatest sources of pride was that he never missed a single hockey game in his time at NEC. The Zamboni still proudly wears the 'George' emblem on its' side panel. George passed away in 2024. His wife Marsha still lives in town along with his daughter Kali Wampler, son-in-law Travis Wampler, and two grandchildren, Jolene and Levon.
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