Alumni Athletes Category
Chris Bennice
Class of 2000, Soccer
Chris Bennice began his varsity soccer career in 1997 as a tenth grader. As a senior, he scored 32 goals, earning first team in the Suburban Council and Section 2. Chris was also named to the All-State first team, and the All East Coast first team. Chris was honored as the first Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Men’s Soccer Team All-American in history.
Chris played on scholarship for St. John’s University, where he scored three goals and had three assists in his two years, helping the team earn a number one ranking in the country. The team won the Big East Championships in 2002, and that year also made a Final Four appearance.
Chris transferred to the University of New Hampshire in 2003, and led the league in assists with 11. As a team captain during his senior year, he led the team to its first ever National Ranking, climbing as high as 19th in the country. He was named an All-New England All Star, and was the MVP in the All Star game, scoring one goal.
After college, Chris played professional soccer for the New Hampshire Phantoms before switching sports to become a professional place kicker in Delray, Florida. He signed a contract the the Arena Football League in 2007, and joined the Louisiana Bosier City Battlewings. In 2010, Chris moved to Austin, Texas, and now works as a Fundraising Consultant for Adrenalin Fundraising, Inc. for high school sports.
Wes Carr
Class of 1978, Track & Field and Football
Wes Carr was on the track and field team for five years, and played varsity football for two years.
Wes started competing in elementary school, and won every event he entered at the annual Stevens field day. As a 13 year old, he won the 100 yard dash, standing broad jump and long jump in the Charlton Jaycees Junior Championship Track Meet, and was selected as the outstanding performer at the meet.
In track and field, Wes won two Section II indoor titles in the 50 yards and the 300 yards, and he won three outdoor events in the 100 yards (9.9 seconds), 220 yards (22.0 seconds) and the 4×220 relay. At the New York State Championships, he placed fourth and sixth (200 meters in 21.96.) He also placed third at the 1978 Eastern States Championship Meet in the 220 yards. As team captain, he held the BH-BL High School team record in the 200 meters for 34 years until it was destroyed by his son, Joe, last year. He still holds school records in two relays, the 4×220 and 4×110.
Wes owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to his running coach, Dick Stevens, who had a way of getting the best out of him. Coach Stevens helped Wes with the mental aspects of competition, and always had him prepared to race.
As a football player, Wes played split end and free safety. He was named to the first all-area team as a split end by the Schenectady Gazette and the Albany Times Union, and to the All-State Team for New York State.
Wes went to Alfred University, where he ran track and field He held most of the sprint and relay records upon graduation, and still holds the outdoor 100 meters (10.7) and 200 meter (21.5) records. The two time team captain went to the NCAA National Championships twice, placing eighth in the 200 meters in 1980. He graduated in May, 1982 with a B.A. in Political Science/Economics, and will be inducted into the Alfred University Athletic Hall of Fame in October, 2013.
Wes lives in Burnt Hills with his wife, Robyn. His son, Joe, is a freshman at SUNY Oneonta. Wes is on the Board of Directors of the Burnt Hills Track Club, and is a former NYS certified track and field official. He works as a Youth Bureau Director for Saratoga County.
Anne (Richardson) Jorgensen
Class of 1976 – Soccer, Swimming & Diving and Tennis
Anne was on the Varsity Soccer and Tennis team for three years and the Boys Varsity Swim Team for four years. In soccer she was the starting goalie all three years. In Tennis she was the #1 player for two years.
Before breaking up into a girls and boys swim team, all swimmers swam together. During her sophomore and junior year, Anne was the #1 diver on the swim team and placed third and fourth at the Boy’s Section 2 Championship. In her senior year, she switched back to swimming and was a member of the 400 free relay that set the school record. She also received the Scholar-Athlete award her senior year.
After graduating from Burnt Hills she attended Colgate University. She was a four year varsity letter winner. Her team won the state championships 3 years. She competed in three A.I.A.W National Championship Meets on several relay teams which finished in the top 8. In her senior year she competed on the 200 yd. Medley relay team at the NCAA championships placing 8th and earning All-American honors. At the time of graduation, she held school records in the 200 and 400 Free and Medley relays and the 800 freestyle relay. She was also the school record holder in the 200 freestyle. In 1993 she was inducted into the Colgate Hall of Honors.
She continues to be involved in competitive swimming. She coached the University of Vt., The Addison Otters Swim team, Woodlin Club swim team and Schenectady High School swim team. She currently officiates high school swimming.
She currently teaches fourth grade at Central Park International School in Schenectady and lives in Ballston Spa. She has 2 children and 3 grandchildren. She is a member of the Ballston Spa Country Club and won the club championship in 2010.
Jenn Miklic
Class of 1995, Basketball, Softball and Soccer
Jennifer Miklic (Class of 1995, Basketball, Softball, Soccer) was on the varsity basketball team for four years, the softball team for one year, and the soccer team for three years.
In basketball, Jenn was a four year varsity team starter, and led the team to two consecutive 20 game winning seasons, reaching the State Semifinals both times. She holds the BH-BL HS scoring record for both boys and girls with 1,211 points, and averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in her senior year. Her career high was 32 points as a junior in the gold division championship game, and she was a member of the Empire State Games team that won a gold medal.
As a sophomore, Jenn was named to the Section II All Tournament team, an honor she also earned as a junior and a senior. As a junior and a senior, she was named to the Suburban Council All Star team, the Saratoga county Dream Team and the New York State All Tournament team. She was also named the two time Class B Most Valuable Player. As a senior in 1995, she captained the team and was named to the New York State Class B first team, USA Today New York State All Star team, and was awarded the Converse All-American Cage Classic Outstanding Player Award and the Sports Foundation Scholar Athlete Award.
As a freshman, she played on the BH-BL varsity team, and was named to the Saratogian Softball Dream team. Jenn was also a star on the soccer team, where she led the team to the New York State tournament Class B championship game. She was named to the Section II All Tournament team for three years, and the New York State Tournament All Star team for one year.
Jennifer attended Wake Forest University, where she was on the Deans List for four consecutive years. During her freshman year, she played in 18 games and scored a season-high six points against 10th ranked Virginia. As a sophomore, she tallied 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per appearance. As a junior, she was often assigned to cover an opponent’s top scoring threat. She averaged 2.4 points and 2 rebounds per game. She recorded a career-high 15 points versus Appalachian State, and was named the Best Defensive Player Award as a junior and a senior from Wake Forest. Jenn also won the Wake Forest Academic Excellence Award from 1996 through 1999.
Jenn is currently the co-owner and lead carpenter of a home improvement business.
Coach, Faculty, Administration Category
Neal Evans
Coach from 1970 to 2000
Neil Evans coached freshman soccer for 15 years from 1970-1984 with a record of 133wins, 26 losses,21 ties. From 1980-1984 had a record of 53-1-6 and ended Freshmen coaching career with a 58 game non-losing streak.
Coached Varsity soccer for 17 years from 1985-2001 with an overall record of 219 wins, 100 losses, 20 ties. He had six league championships–1985, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, and four Section II championships–1986, 1994, 1995, 2000.
Along with Bob Speck and Chuck Williamson started the Burnt Hills youth soccer program in the early ‘70’s. Started the Lakehill Soccer Club in the late ‘70’s and was a charter member of the Capital District youth soccer league(CDYSL)
League Suburban council representative to the Section II soccer committee for 11 years and initiated the expansion of the exceptional seniors game to include all leagues with the first games played at Burnt Hills.
Neil has been named the Section II coach of the year five times and been awarded the Golden Thread Award twice.
Ed Dempsey
Coach from 1955 to 1984
Ed Dempsey (Coach) is a native of Schenectady and a 1946 graduate of Mont Pleasant High School in which he participated in football and baseball. He played varsity football for two seasons and was co-captain both years. He scored the winning touchdown against arch-rival Nott Terrace in 1946 at Union College before a crowd of 7,500. He was also captain of his baseball team in his senior year leading the team in hitting.
Ed graduated from New Mexico Highlands University in 1951. He played football and started on the first baseball team in the school’s history. He continued his education with graduate courses taken at Cortland State, Ithaca College, and Oneonta State College.
His first teaching job was at the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill School District where he taught math, social studies and coached football. In 1953 he joined the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School System beginning as a sixth grade teacher. Later he became a Physical Education teacher, working for 30 years, before retiring in 1988.
Ed coached Burnt Hills Football for 30 years from its very first year in 1955 through 1984 as the offensive and defensive line coach, plus the defensive coordinator. During this time, Burnt Hills won the Suburban Council Championship in 1968 and 1969 and the Gold Division for three straight years from 1982 to 1984. Throughout Ed’s career Brunt Hills won 131 football games.
Ed also coached baseball at Burnt Hills for 20 years with a record of 40 and 11 in this last three years. Ed Dempsey’s family include his wife Marie, his sons Jim and Mark, their wives Kathy and Stephanie, and his granddaughter Kate.
Robert McGuire
Administrator
Robert McGuire (Administrator) has been the Director of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District for the past 17 years. Prior to coming to BH-BL, he served as Director of Physical Education and Athletics at Hoosick Falls Central school for 10 years. He graduated from Springfield College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Physical Education, and received his Masters in Education Administration at North Adams State College.
During his administrative career he has served as New York State Council of Administrators President for Physical Education Directors from 2000 to 2002. He was the Capital Zone Award winner in 1998. He was also editor for the “Administrative Times” newsletter published by NYSAHPERD, and has also been a committee member of the Educational Frameworks for Interscholastic Athletics. He also received the NYS Physical Education Director of the Year in 2010 and was named Chapter 2 Athletic Director of the year in 2013.
Locally, he has served the Capital Zone on the Section II Modified Committee, Section II Girls Basketball, Football Committee and Executive Committee, NYS Goals 2000 Committee, served as President for the Suburban Council, and in 2003 & 2007. Burnt Hills Ballston Lake School District was awarded the U.S. Department of Education Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grant in 2007 and 2012 which brought in over 1.3 million dollars to the district.
For the past four years Burnt Hills – Ballston Lake has received the Kerr Cup for being ranked as the #1 athletic school in NYS by the New York State Sportswriters Association, and for the past three years BH-BL has also received the NYS School of Distinction Award for academic excellence. Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Athletic program has won 18 state titles and 15 state finalist titles. The Athletic program has won over 250 sectional championships and finalist awards. These are great honors but Bob credits the work of his two previous athletic directors Jack Rentz and Hal Van Earden. His coaching staff, physical education staff, faculty, administration, parents, community businesses for the development of an outstanding physical education and athletic program.
Bob is married (Deb) and has three children (Adam, Jeff and Casey) and has two grandson’s Mason and Brody. His family resides in Scotia Glenville NY. In his free time he enjoys spending a lot of time with his grandsons, traveling with the family and golfing.
Team Category
2002 Boys 400 Relay Swimming
The 400 freestyle relay team, coached by Kevin Fitzpatrick and composed of Matt Dupay, Judson Rudgers, Bryan Brown and kevin Gatley, won the NYS championships in 2002 after finishing second in 2001. It was the culmination of years of hard work in a sport known for its grueling hours of training. The swim team went undefeated that year, winning the Class A championship, being named the number one small school in NYS and finishing in the top five in the country. These four young men capped off the finest season in school history by winning at states.
A quick story of the final swim is quite amusing. The trials, also being the Federation Championship, had senior Peter Goody leading off the relay. He was an important member of the team that swept through Sectionals. This relay qualified third, a good result for Saturday. As Matt Dupay stepped up on the blocks for the final, a member of the team from Pittsford, the team that qualified first and eventually finished second, noticed a change in swimmers, and asked Kevin Gatley if that was indeed the same swimmer who swam on Friday. Kevin answered in one word, “NOPE.” The result, a Section 2 record, State Championship, and All American status.
2002 Girls Volleyball Team
2002 State Champion Volleyball Team, coached by Gary Bynon. The date was November 10, 2001, and BH-BL was playing South Glens Falls in the Section 2 Championship game. The Spartans had won the last four championships and was the team to beat. South Glens Falls won in five games. Many members of this team returned in the fall of 2002 with a goal of returning to the championship. Ironically, almost exactly one year to the day, they played South Glens Falls again in the championship. The match was over in less than an hour, with the Spartans prevailing. BH-BL has not lost to a Section 2 team since that day in 2001. This team set a standard that others follow today. Their state championship was the first in program history, and started a run of five state championships in 10 years. Their win at SUNY Cortland was dedicated to all of the players in the program, the ones that built the program. The win was for all of them.