On Friday, November 5, 2021, The Hill School held the Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony during the Alumni Red Meat Dinner. Both events are a part of The Hill vs. Lawrenceville Weekend, which celebrated the 134th anniversary of the first game between the schools this year. *A slideshow of photos from the event appears at the bottom of the article.

Following a dinner in the Center For The Arts Lobby, Head of School Zachary Lehman P'16 '18 welcomed inductees and their guests to the ceremony and offered an overview of the growth and celebratory achievements for Hill Athletics over the past five years. He also recognized the alumni who had been honored earlier in the day as part of the newly formed Alumni Centennial Hall and the Frank S. Bissell '33 Hall.

Director of Athletics and Co-Curricular Activities Seth Eilberg P'22 '23 '25 led the induction ceremony, which included a tribute video to each inductee. The eight individuals and two teams honored this year are as follows:

William J. Pierre Memorial Hall: Clarence Paulson, Class of 1923

One of our new inclusions for this year is the creation of the Willis J. Pierre Memorial Hall, created in memory of Willis Pierre, who taught at The Hill for 32 years and then, following his retirement, became a dedicated Hill School historian and served on the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.  In the spirit of Willis' interest in early Hill School history, this induction category recognizes deserving nominees from the Pre-World War II era. 

The inaugural Pierre Hall inductee is Clarence "Cippy" Paulson, Class of 1923.  During his five years at The Hill, Cippy made a name for himself in both the football and track programs.  He was on the football team for four seasons, playing on the “First 11” for two, and he was captain of the undefeated 1922 team.  On the track, Paulson excelled in the hurdles.  As a sixth former, he was the indoor National Interscholastic Champion in the 70-yard-high hurdles, setting a national record in the event.  In the spring of 1923, he was a first-team All-American and set state records in both the 120-yard high and 220-yard low hurdles.  He was inducted into the Pennsylvania High School Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2011.

Athlete: Leon Harbold '55

Leon starred on the wrestling mat and baseball diamond at Hill, finishing his three-year varsity wrestling career with just one loss while winning two National Prep titles.  An infielder on the baseball team, Leon did not commit a single error during his entire Hill career.  He went on to play both sports at Lehigh University, where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier on the wrestling team.  Leon has faithfully served as President of both the Hill and Lehigh Wrestling Associations.  Earlier today, he and his teammates were inducted into the Bissell Hall as part of 1952-53, 1953-54, and 1954-55 wrestling teams. View tribute video.

Athlete: Garrett Frank '88 

The top-ranked junior squash player in the nation at his age group, Garrett was a four-time school champion at Hill and helped propel Hill Squash to become one of the region's top programs in the mid-1980s.  At Yale University, Garrett was a two-time All-Ivy League selection; two-time All-American, and he helped lead Yale to the 1990 National Championship.  He also was a two-time national doubles champion. View tribute video.

Athlete: Colleen Gulick '09

A four-year starter on the field hockey team at Hill, Colleen graduated as the program's career leader in goals scored and helped lead the team to Mid-Atlantic Prep League titles in 2007 and 2008.  She continued her field hockey career at The University of Maryland, winning a pair of Division I National Championships and twice garnering All-ACC Honors. Also an outstanding cyclist, Colleen has earned 23 medals and won four national championships on her bike; she currently is a professional cyclist. View tribute video.

Coach: H. Wayne Curtis

"Summer miles lead to autumn smiles."  A favorite quote of Wayne's during his tenure as head cross country coach, Wayne's teams did indeed achieve plenty of autumn smiles.  His career record stands at 147 wins and just 16 losses and includes 10 consecutive victories over Lawrenceville.  During his first 10 seasons, Wayne's teams compiled separate undefeated streaks of 54 and 38 meets and won three state championships.  Wayne also was Hill's Athletic Director from 1990 until 2000. View tribute video.

Coach: Meg (Crocco) Watson

In her 9 seasons as Hill's head field hockey coach, Meg accumulated a career record of 103 wins, 28 losses, and 3 ties; during her final three seasons, the program's cumulative record was 43-3-1.  Meg guided Hill to five MAPL league championships and produced several collegiate field hockey players, three of whom would win Division I national championships.  Her former players quickly recall Meg’s directive, encouraging method of coaching that enabled her players to reach their full potential. View tribute video.

1988-89 Soccer Team:

The only undefeated soccer team in the program's modern history, the 1988 Hill soccer team finished with a record of 18 wins, no losses, and 1 tie, setting several program records that would last for a quarter-century.  Hill finished the 1988 season ranked seventh in Pennsylvania, the first time a Hill team earned a state ranking.  The team scored 76 goals and allowed only 11, both single-season program records (minimum 15 matches played) that stood until 2013. View tribute video.

1993-94 Cross Country Team:

A deep team with a strong sixth form contingent overwhelmed its opponents throughout the season.  Hill finished 1,2,3 in all but one meet and claimed the top-five spots to earn the minimum possible team score of 15 in eight races.  The team’s narrowest margin of victory was 13-points, and Hill defeated Lawrenceville by 29 points.  In the state championship meet, Hill upended defending champion St. Joe's Prep by 1 point to win the program's third state title in seven seasons. View tribute video.

Extraordinary Sports Achievement: Ryck Walbridge

A generation of Hill boys know Ryck Walbridge as the assistant varsity lacrosse coach; a generation of Hill girls know him as the head girls’ soccer coach.  In 1984, Ryck joined Harry Price on the lacrosse coaching staff, a role he held until Harry's retirement in 2000.  That fall, Ryck became the head girls’ soccer coach.  His early teams quickly found success, while his final teams were arguably his best.  He guided the 2010 and 2011 girls’ soccer teams to the MAPL league title and the 2011 and 2012 teams to state championships, finishing his career with exactly 150 victories. View tribute video.