Individuals
Nicole Beardsley
Class of 2014, Lacrosse
Nicole Beardsley played as a starter on her varsity lacrosse team beginning in seventh grade, from 2009 through 2014. She set school records for career goals (288), assists (116), points (404), single-season goals (86, 2014), single-season assists (47, 2014) and single-game goals (8) assists (6) and points (11). Nicole is a two-time USA Lacrosse first-team All-American, a two-time USA Lacrosse Academic All-American, and was named to Under Armour All-America Underclassman Elite teams (2012, 2013) and Under Armour Max Exposure Class of 2014. She is a three-time first-team All-Suburban Council selection. Nicole scored a 2014 Section 2 championship game-winning goal in the seventh overtime period and her team reached New York State Class B Final Four for the first time in school history, and won a regional championship in 2014. The team won three Class B championships in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Academically, Nicole was a National Honor Society member, and was on the Principal’s List throughout high school.
Nicole attended Northeastern University where she earned a BS in Education and Social Policy, with a Human Development and Psychological Services concentration, and a minor in Psychology. As a senior, she appeared in all 21 games with 17 starts and recorded six multi-goal and nine multi-point games. Nicole set a career high with nine assists and 28 points on the season, tying her single season career high of 19 goals which was tied for sixth on the team. She tallied two goals and four points in first and second round NCAA Tournament wins over Richmond (5/11) and Towson (5/13), and two more goals in third round game against UNC (5/19). As a junior she had career highs in goals (19), assists (3), points (22), shots (53), shots on goal (40), ground balls (14), draw controls (5) and caused turnovers (3). She scored at least one goal in each of the final eight games of the season. Nicole was named to the All-Big Ten Team as well as the Big Ten Academic Scholars for Lacrosse, and was a Team Leadership Council member. Nicole helped her school into the NCAA Elite 8 tournament twice, and the NCAA second round twice. Nicole earned an MS in Sport & Performance Psychology from the University of Western States.
Professionally, Nicole was the Director of Operations & Player Development at Northwestern University Women’s Lacrosse from 2018 through 2021. In 2019 and 2021, the teams were Big Ten champions and made an appearance in the NCAA Final Four. During the 2021-22 season, Nicole was the Assistant Coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for Women’s Lacrosse. The team was the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season champions, made the first At-Large NCAA tournament bid in program history, and coached three All-American attackers. Since 2022, she is the Offensive Coordinator & Director of Recruiting at the University of Colorado Boulder for Women’s Lacrosse. The team made a Pac 12 championship game appearance in 2023, and she guided the first player in program history to get drafted to the Athlete’s Unlimited Professional Lacrosse League. Nicole was named to the 2024 USA Lacrosse U20 National Team as a staff member, where the team will play in August at the 2024 World Cup in Hong Kong.
Morgan (Burchhardt) Farnan
Class of 2014, Soccer, Track
Morgan (Burchhardt) Farnan excelled as a three sport, four year varsity athlete in soccer, indoor track and outdoor track. Morgan served as a two year captain and was a standout on the pitch, dominating all three major school records in career goals (59), assists (73) and points (191). She was a critical member in achieving four Section 2 Class A titles, three Class A Regional titles and advanced to three state semi-finals. Morgan’s dominant performances allowed her to garner all state accolades three times in addition to being named twice the Saratogian Player of the Year (2011 and 2012) as well as the Times Union Player of the Year (2012). During Morgan’s freshman year, she scored her first varsity goal, which ended up being the game winner against Scotia Glenville in the Section 2 semi-finals. As a sophomore, Morgan had a breakout year where she compiled 20 goals and 24 assists, with three games where she scored four goals. She also led her team in assists all four years on varsity. She broke a Section 2 assist record with 30 in one season during her junior campaign. As a junior, she was named the Suburban Council MVP for totaling 64 points behind 17 goals and 30 assists. Morgan also set other Section 2 records including the fastest goal recorded from kick off which took nine seconds against Guilderland in 2011 and then she scored four goals in less than a seven minute span against Columbia in 2012. In her senior campaign, Morgan had a six-game span scoring at least one goal, in the post season and ended with 15 goals and 16 assists. Morgan’s final high school soccer accolade was being named a Regional All-American.
In indoor and outdoor track, for three years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013), Morgan was crowned the 800m relay Section 2 Class A champion for indoor track and field. She was also instrumental in winning a Section 2 Class A title in the indoor 1600m relay during her senior year. In outdoor track, Morgan was crowned a Section 2 Class A champion in the 1600m relay as a senior as well as being named a champion in the 3200m relay during her junior year. In addition to individual titles, she also contributed to her team by winning three Section 2 Class A titles as a team between indoor and outdoor track. In her senior year, she competed at the New Balance Indoor Nationals on the Distance Medley Relay as the 400m leg and in the 3200m relay. She also competed at the prestigious Penn Relays in the 800m relay for outdoor track.
Morgan signed her National Letter of Intent on a full athletic scholarship to play at Division II national powerhouse, The College of Saint Rose. She made an immediate impact, starting and playing in 24 games while ranking second on the team in points, helping lead her team to a Northeast 10 Tournament Title as well as a NCAA Division II Final Four appearance as a freshman. Over her collegiate career, Morgan started and played in 91 games, ranking 5th overall in school history with 114 career points. She is the only player in the program to have 10+ assists each season and ranks #2 in school history for career assists in addition to being #3 overall in the Northeast 10 Conference history (52). In the fall of 2016, her junior year, Morgan was named a preseason All-American. However, she suffered a season ending injury just three games into the season. After redshirting two years in a row, Morgan persevered to overcome two ACL injuries in her left knee to propel her team to yet another NCAA Division II National Semi-Final appearance while being named a Division II All- American, Scholar All-American, and to the NCAA All- Tournament National Championship Team. In her last year of eligibility, Morgan was the country’s active career assist leader across all three divisions for women’s soccer. She served as a captain for the team starting in her sophomore year and her leadership was instrumental in her team winning two Northeast 10 conference titles, one Northeast 10 Regular Season title and four NCAA tournament bids. Morgan was named to the Northeast 10 All- Tournament Team twice and made All Conference Northeast 10 selection all four seasons she competed.
After a stellar career on the pitch, Morgan was immediately added to the coaching staff in July of 2020. She helped cultivate a team record of 57-3-5 across three seasons (2020 season canceled due to COVID). She was twice named the Division II East Region Coaching Staff of the Year, and won two consecutive Northeast 10 Regular Season titles, and three consecutive Northeast 10 Tournament titles. In 2021, she helped guide the team to a Division II National Championship appearance in Colorado Springs, CO where Saint Rose finished as National Finalists. Morgan completed her studies at The College of Saint Rose obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Management as well as her MBA. She currently works professionally as a Senior Director of Recruitment at Northwestern Mutual. Morgan resides in Brunswick, NY, with her husband, Patrick Farnan.
Tim Horan
Class of 2004, Football, Basketball, Track and Field
Tim Horan was an all-around athlete and excelled in three sports for BH-BL. As a football player, he helped lead his team to the Suburban Council Gold Division Championship title, and was an All New York State selection for Class A. He was a team captain for basketball, where his team won the Section 2 title. In track and field, Tim placed 3rd at the NYS Meet in the pentathlon. He was also a five-time Section 2 champion, which included team championships, and first-place finishes in the 110 High-Hurdles and the 400 Hurdles. Tim was the team captain, and the Suburban Council champion in the 100m.
Tim went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was an Army Football letter winner. In 2008, he was awarded the Colonel James B Gillespie Memorial Award for Outstanding Dedication, Performance, and Contribution. Upon graduation in 2009, Tim was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Army. Tim served for eight years including a deployment to Afghanistan, and notably as an Aide-de-Camp in the 10th Mountain Division, and a Company Commander in the 101st Airborne Division.
Since getting out of the Army, Tim has worked primarily in early-stage technology companies.
Tim and his wife Bridget live in Atlanta, GA with their four children.
Adam McGuire
Class of 2002, Football, Basketball
Adam McGuire played basketball for four years, scoring 1,038 points to become the 2nd on the All-time Scoring list in BH-BL history. The three year starter was a two-time First Team for the Suburban Council, and led the Suburban council in scoring for both his junior and senior years. As a senior, he averaged 20 points per game, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Among his many accomplishments were being named the Saratoga County Player of the Year, and to the Saratoga County Dream Team, as well as the First Team in the Troy Record and the Daily Gazette during his senior year. Adam was a first team selection as a senior and a fourth team choice as a junior for the Times Union, a News Channel 13 All-Star, and was named to the fourth team for the Class B All New York State team. As a captain during his senior year, he led his team to the Class B finals. He was the team MVP for two years, and the winner of the Spartan Junior Award.
Adam was honored as a First Team Suburban Council selection for football in 2002, where he was a two year starter at quarterback and a three year starter at defensive end and safety. He was honored as the Saratoga County Offensive Player of the Year, the Saratoga County Dreamteam for quarterback, and the third team for the Daily Gazette as a defensive end. Adam led his team to an 8-1 record during his senior year, the best in school history at the time, and ranking eighth place in New York State. That team also won the Suburban Council Gold Division title. For his efforts in basketball and football, he won the Harmon Rivenburg Award, honoring the top male athlete from BH-BL during his senior year.
Adam graduated from the College of Saint Rose, where he was a member of two NCAA tournament teams.
Emily (Ostrom) Meyers
Class of 2010, Softball, Basketball, Tennis
Emily (Ostrom) Meyers lettered for six years in softball for the Burnt Hills- Ballston Lake Spartans. She was the captain for three seasons. Emily was named to the Times Union First-Team and the Troy Record First-Team for softball and was an All- New York State First-Team selection in 2007. She was named First-Team Suburban Council during her senior year, and holds the New York State record for 23 strike-outs in a single game. She was the winner of the Aileen Durrant Award, given to one single player in Section 2 and selected by the Capital District softball umpires for sportsmanship, proficiency and leadership. Emily was also the winner of the Harmon Rivenburg Award as the most outstanding female athlete for BH-BL. In 2007 she was the varsity offensive player of the year, and during her freshman season, she struck-out 265 batters in 141 and ⅔ innings, with only 18 walks and eight earned runs.
Emily also lettered four years in basketball (senior captain) and three years in tennis for the Spartans. She helped the Spartans to sectional tennis championships three years in a row, was the tennis team captain as a senior, and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Emily attended SUNY Albany on an athletic scholarship for softball. In 2014 she made seven appearances as a pinch-runner, while in 2013 she finished the season with a 9-6 record, 5.06 ERA and 33 strikeouts. She made 16 starts on the mound with 12 complete games. Emily nearly threw a perfect game, losing the bid after 6 innings in a shutout win against St. Peter’s. In 2012 she played in 22 games, batted .091 with a double and two runs scored. She was a two-time America East Champion.
She continued her education and obtained a nurse practitioner degree from the University of Rochester. Emily is married to her high school sweetheart, Jacob Meyers. They live in Burnt Hills and are fixing up a farmhouse that was built in the early 1800’s. Jacob and Emily have three children, and Emily works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Legacy
Herbert Ketchum
Community
Herbert Cushing Ketchum was born along with his twin sister, Helen Palmer Ketchum, on June 15, 1905 in Niskayuna, N.Y. They were joined by another sister, Isabel, two years later. They were the children of John and Eva Ketchum.
Herb and his family moved to the farm on Crooked Street in Charlton when they were small children. There they attended the Little Troy one-room schoolhouse. Herb graduated from BH-BL School of Agriculture and Homemakin in 1925 with a class enrollment of six. In 1926 the school became known as the BH-BL High School.
Upon graduation, Herb joined his father at Ketchum’s Hardware Store in Ballston Lake, NY. In 1936, he purchased the business from his father. He owned and operated this business until 1977 when the store was closed.
As athletics was just getting started in the 1920s and 1930s (Basketball 1924, Baseball 1926 and Soccer 1935), Herb’s contribution to the sports program at BH-BL was financial as well through attending games. He was always available to help with the needs of the athletes.
Over the years, Herb was a proud and active member in the community. He served as the town clerk for the Town of Ballston for almost 32 years. He was a volunteer firefighter for the Ballston Lake Fire Department; a long-time member of the Burnt Hills Rotary Club; the treasurer of The Charlton School for Girls; and served on the Board of Directors of the Ballston Spa National Bank. This gentleman became an “icon” in our community and will always be remembered for his contributions and friendly manners.
Herbert Ketchum passed away in 1978. He is survived by his daughter, Muriel, and two grandchildren, Debbie and Mark.
Gino Latini
Community
Gino Latini was an art teacher at BH-BL High School for 27 years, from 1955 to 1982. He inspired thousands of students to explore their creativity through his talent, his patience, his passion, and his humor. Gino volunteered with the tennis team under Coach Rentz, and outdoor track and field where he worked with the pole vaulters. On the junior varsity football team, Gino’s standout players were Blaise Iuliano and Bill McKenna, and he also assisted with the junior varsity soccer team. In the winter, Gino was often in the weight room to help the wrestlers. He assisted with spotting, and assisted with technique. Gino was a valued assistant and advocate for the students, and provided moral support to the athletes with his friendly demeanor.
Post-retirement, Gino has been busy at times working at Pendleton Sign Company, regularly painting seasonal murals at Marcella’s local restaurant. He also helps his local friend and Stillwater art teacher, Ken Schmidt, to launch his own extensive art career. In addition, Gino enjoys getting together with his former colleagues and forever friends to play poker, bocce, etc.
Although at 96, Gino might be expected to slow down; don’t be mistaken, he continues to be active in the community, enjoying family events, traveling, and social events. Gino lives in the house he bought in 1963 with his wife, Irene. Their two children, Lisa Johnson and Eric Latini, both live locally. Lisa followed her father’s footsteps and teaches art at O’Rourke Middle School. Lisa is married to her husband, Kevin, and their two children attended BH-BL. Eric is a trumpet player with the Albany Symphony and teaches trumpet lessons at various colleges in the area.
Coach
Karen Layton
Girls Tennis, Field Hockey, Soccer
Karen Layton grew up in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Slippery Rock State College with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education, before receiving her Master of Science in Education from Duquesne University, leading to certification in Secondary School Guidance. Karen completed graduate courses beyond her MS at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, leading to New York State certification as a school counselor.
Karen was employed by the Jeannette School District for eight years. She taught physical education at the high school and was a guidance counselor at that middle school. During her tenure in Jeannette, she initiated and coached the varsity tennis team and also coached the junior varsity and varsity cheerleading squads.
Karen’s teaching career in Burnt Hills began in September 1994 as a permanent substitute teacher and freshman field hockey coach. She taught physical education at Richard O’Rourke Middle School and Pashley Elementary School. Karen was hired as a full time physical education teacher at O’Rourke Middle School as well as freshman soccer coach in the fall of 1996.
In 1998, she became the Varsity Tennis Coach and not long after, she began holding summer tennis camps to increase student interest and skills. She also initiated the varsity tennis ‘B’ team and in 2002, Karen petitioned the school board for a junior varsity team, which started in the fall of 2002.
Karen coached tennis from 1998 until her retirement in 2016, with the exception of 2013. She took that season off so she and her husband, Jim, could follow their youngest son, Paul, while he competed in his final Division I collegiate football season at Temple University in Philadelphia.
In 2003, the tennis team were Suburban Council Gold Division Champions. The 2004 team were Section II Class A Finalists and Suburban Council White Division Champions. The tennis team competed in every Section II Class A championship match from 2006 through 2016.
Karen led the tennis team to nine Section II Class A Championships during this time.In addition to the wins, the tennis team were recipients of the Scholar Athlete Teams Award every year during her tenure as coach. Karen was named 2008 and 2015 Times Union Section II Tennis Coach of the Year.
Karen and Jim live in Burnt Hills in the same home they first bought when they got married in 1979! Their four children were all multi-sport athletes and BH-BL graduates. Karen and Jim love spending their time visiting their children and three grandchildren all over the country! Jessica, her husband Andrew and son, CJ, live in Short Hills, NJ. Steve, his wife Jane and their two children Viktoria and Vladimir live in Greenville, South Carolina. Lauren lives in Las Vegas, NV. Paul and his wife Breanna live in Denver, CO.
Community
Bill York
Community and Staff Member, Girls Volleyball “Stat Man”
Bill York started teaching in BH-BL in 1974. He watched the girls volleyball team win the 2005 State Championship title, and the final match in their perfect season. In 2006, he watched every girls volleyball home and away match, and at the end of the season was asked by Gary Bynon to be the team’s “Stat Man.” The rest is history. In 2010, Bill retired from teaching but continued to keep the stats. Since 2005, Bill has only missed one varsity match, to attend his nephew’s wedding in September, 2022. Bill has loved being a small part of this outstanding athletic program.
Teams
Girls Volleyball
2011
After losing its two tallest players after the 2010 season, the 2011 team was facing down a season of being the underdogs. Coach Bynon knew this from the get-go, but refused to let it affect the season. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight,” read the team’s practice shirts. “It’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
Turns out, the dog had a fair amount of fight in it. The team’s first big win of the year came at the first home tournament—that was the first year it was called the Harold Van Earden Tournament. They followed that up with a win in the BH-BL Cider Challenge, and marked the program’s 300th consecutive league win in a victory over Niskayuna on September 13, 2011. So many players had come before them, and this team really appreciated the opportunity to represent them.
They wrapped up the Suburban Council season 16-0, and went on to win the program’s 10th sectional championship in a victory over South Glens Falls. After beating Fulton in the state quarterfinal, they headed to the program’s 10th straight final four berth to face off against Our Lady of Mercy, Cornwall and Kings Park.
On day one, they finished 5-1 and landed a coveted spot in the state final against the much-taller Our Lady of Mercy from Rochester. After going up 2-0, they dropped the third set. It was then that the grit and toughness that had defined the team the whole year was on full display, and they came back to win set four, marking the program’s fourth state championship.
Led by seniors Jeanette Braun, Ally Coniglione, Lizzy Morton, Michaela Piel, Kaitlyn Valade and Natalie Ziskin (average height: 5′ 7″), this team made its mark on a storied program not only with its 94.6 win average (third in the state), but also by proving that—as Coach Bynon reminded them almost daily—defense wins championships. Other members of the team were Jeanette Braun, Lindsay Bynon, Jess Dillon, Lynsea Hensel, Molly McCormack, Natalie Moore, Jaleah Owens, Avery Pollard, Kathleen Schurman, Natalie Schurman, Hannah Shell, Siena Wilder, and Erica Ziskin.
Girls Volleyball
2012
How hard is it to win a state championship? If that’s hard, how hard is it to do it two years in a row?
On the way home from the Glens Falls Civic Center in 2011, Coach Bynon remembers talking with a player on the team that’d just won the state title about winning again the following year. It would be hard, he said, but WHY NOT US?
That became the motto for the 2012 team. Why not us? Why can’t we go back and win the title again? Of course, there were major challenges: How do you replace the amazing seniors from the year before? How do you go into the season knowing that you’re the one everyone wants to beat?
Led by seniors Erica Ziskin, Molly McCormack, Siena Wilder, Lynsea Hensel, MaryLou Patenaude, Sloanie Campbell and Natalie Moore, the 2012 team rose to those challenges. They won the Harold Van Earden tournament and the John Glenn tournament. They won the Suburban Council South Division and then beat Queensbury 3-0 in the sectional final, marking the program’s 11th straight sectional championship. Next up was the state playoffs, where they beat Oswego and advanced to the state final four alongside Walter Panas, Kings Park, and Pittsford-Sutherland, led by Ohio State-bound Louisa Schurmur.
On day one, they went 5-1, dropping the first set to Pittsford but retaliating for a 30-28 win in set two. On Sunday, they squared off against Pittsford in a battle for the state title. They once again lost the first set, but came back to win the next three—and their second state championship in a row—to answer the question: WHY NOT US?
Other members of the team were Ashley Agan, Lindsay Bynon, Jessica Dillon, Molly Gallagher, Katrina Little, Molly McCormack, Jaleah Owens, Kathleen Schurman, and Natalie Schurman.