Port Washington Inducts New Class Into Athletic Hall Of Fame

District recognizes the legacy of five alumni and one coach

The Port Washington School District recently inducted a new class of high-scorers, record-breakers and motivators into its Athletic Hall of Fame. The new class, including five alumni and one coach, shared poignant stories and lessons they learned from their time in Port Washington during a ceremony in the Schreiber High School auditorium the morning of the Viking’s first home game of the season.

Inductees included Caitlin Fitzpatrick, Class of 2006; Jacqueline Hehir, Class of 2004; Timothy Langton, Class of 1992; James McKenna, Class of 1975; Norman Taylor, Class of 1956, and Coach Stephen Shackel.

“Each of the honorees exemplify the support, humility and dedication that it takes to reach the milestone of being inducted into our Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Hynes. “They are role models who have each had a permanent impact on the Port Washington community as students, athletes and in all their endeavors.”

The Athletic Hall of Fame committee created poster board presentations highlighting each honoree, which guests viewed before the ceremony. In addition to their induction, honorees received proclamations from the Town of North Hempstead and rode as esteemed guests in Port Washington’s annual Pride in Port parade.

Caitlyn Fitzpatrick played soccer, track and field and lacrosse while at Schreiber High School. During her junior year, the Varsity Girls soccer team won the conference title for the first time in the team’s history and finished the season as the only undefeated and untied team on Long Island. Ms. Fitzpatrick went on to play lacrosse at Adelphi University and won several awards, including the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division II Goalkeeper of the Year. She went on to coach lacrosse at the college level before earning a master’s degree in sports medicine from Stony Brook University. She currently works for Excel Sports Performance Academy and was recently hired by Orlin and Cohen in the sports medicine field.

Jacqueline Hehir earned nine Varsity letters in two sports—field hockey and lacrosse—and served as captain of the field hockey team her junior and senior year. She began lacrosse as an eighth-grade student on the Junior Varsity team, but was brought onto the Varsity team for playoffs because of her stand-out talents. She went on to play at Harvard University, where she stood out for her tough defensive play. Ms. Hehir is currently an Ironman competitor who is running her tenth marathon this month when she competes in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Timothy Langton earned seven Varsity letters in lacrosse, football and cross-country track. He played lacrosse at Towson University, where he was named Division 1 First Team All-American Midfield player and served as team captain his senior year. Mr. Langton won his team’s Ferrante Award in 1995 as a junior, and became a North-South All-Star in 1996 as a senior. He joins his sister Jen, who was inducted into Schreiber’s Hall of Fame in 2008. Mr. Langton and his wife Elizabeth have three athletic children; Colin, who plays lacrosse at Army West Point, Quinlan, who just committed to Army West Point and plays lacrosse for Saint Anthony’s, and Meghan, a freshman at Saint Anthony’s.

James McKenna, who earned the nicknames Kip, Kipper, Nip and Nipper, during his playing days, played football, basketball, wrestling and lacrosse. He went to Ashland University in Ohio, where he was selected for the All-Midwest team his freshman, sophomore and senior years. He was also captain his junior and senior years. James was recognized in lacrosse for his whip-shot and led the team in one of its best seasons as captain. He also stood out in football and was named among the top 44 players in Nassau County in a group called the “Nassau County Gridiron 44.”

Norman Taylor moved to America from Scotland in 1948 and excelled in track and football at Port Washington. When he was in high school, his father passed away and he and his mom moved to Lake Success. Because of his love for Port Washington and Schreiber High School, Norman would walk or hitchhike every morning to school. To help keep Norman at Schrieber, a teammate’s mother vouched to District administration that Norman was living with them, allowing Norman to continue at Schreiber. Following graduation, Norman went on to attend Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks and joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He and his wife Judy enjoy sports today by watching their five grandchildren compete in volleyball, crew, football, basketball, lacrosse and Irish step dancing.

Stephen Shackel personified sportsmanship to his students and was remembered for going above and beyond for them. During his tenure, he renovated the Varsity Basketball closet in the boys’ locker room, and he created a media guide that detailed the history and progress of the team and its players. His wife Mary was also known to wash players’ uniforms during his tenure at the high school. Stephen began his career at Port Washington as a social studies teacher in 1973 before coaching softball and girls’ basketball at the then-junior high level. He became the Varsity Boys Basketball coach in 1987 and focused on morale and pride, earning his team the Nassau County Sportsmanship Award. He retired as a teacher in 2011, but continued coaching for another three years.

For more information about the Port Washington Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at www.portnet.org and ‘like’ our Facebook page: @PortWashSchools.

—Submitted by the
Port Washington School District