By Braedan Shea
@Braedan Shea
With Springfield College’s rich history in the world of athletics, The Springfield Student wanted to highlight some of the most influential Black athletes who have come through the school.
Michael “Spider” Brown ‘80
Michael “Spider” Brown ‘80 was one of the most versatile, and decorated, track and field athletes to ever compete at Springfield College. In his four years at Springfield, Brown was a three-time All-New England performer, a New England Indoor Long Jump Champion, an Eastern Long Jump Champion and the IC4A Indoor Pentathlon Champion. In 1980, Brown earned Division II All-American honors after finishing second in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships. As of 2025, 45 years after he graduated, Brown still holds four program records, including the high jump (6-11), long jump (24-5.5), the indoor pentathlon (3,833 points), and the decathlon (7265 points). Four years after graduating, Brown was a finalist in the 1984 United States Olympic Decathlon Trials. He was inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
Marilyn Bevans ‘77
In 1977, Marilyn Bevans ‘77 made American history as both the first female athlete to cross the finish line of the Maryland Marathon – and the first Black American woman to ever win a marathon. That was far from the only record she set that year, when she also became the first Black American woman to medal at the Boston Marathon, finishing in 2:51:12 and earning runner-up honors. After getting her personal-best time down to 2:49:56 later that year, Bevans was ranked as the 10th fastest female marathoner in the world by Track & Field News. Bevans also became the first Black American woman to finish a marathon in under three hours, achieving the feat at the 1975 Boston Marathon when produced a time of 2:55:52. In 2013, she was a member of the first class inducted into the National Black Marathoners Association’s Distance Runner Hall of Fame, and in 2014, she was named as one of the Heroes of Running by Runner’s World. In her time after competing, Beaven’s moved into coaching – where the accolades continued to pile up. As a mid-distance and long-distance running coach at Perry Hall High School in Baltimore, she was named All-Metro Coach of the Year twice. She was inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
John F. Curtis ‘71
During his tenure at Springfield College, John F. Curtis ‘71 was more than just a three-sport athlete. While he racked up accolades on the gridiron – including being an All-New England wide receiver in 1969 and 1970, an All-East Wide Receiver in 1970, a Kodak Division II Wide Receiver Honorable Mention 1969, a Kodak Division II Wide Receiver First Team in 1970 and an Associated Press Little All-American Wide Receiver in 1970 – as well as competing in both baseball and track and field, Curtis also made his mark off the field. He was integral to the campus’s Black community, serving as a key part of the protests in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s, when Black students took over Springfield College’s Administration building in response to a denial of demands made of the school administration. Another group of students took over Massasoit Hall, a coed dormitory building, on March 10, 1970, forcing out the students who lived there, as a protest of the college administration. The students who participated in this takeover were arrested and charged with civil contempt, and 47 of the 49 students charged served jail time. After graduating from Springfield College, Curtis had a short stint playing in the National Football League, before moving on to become a head coach, P.E. instructor, crisis teacher and athletic director for New Jersey Inner City Schools. He also served as a Special Olympics Official, and was inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.
Nikki Hay ‘11
Nikki Hay’s ‘11 time at Springfield College as a track and field athlete was nothing short of dominant. During her career, Hay captured 11 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) titles, nine NCAA Division III Track and Field All-America honors across long jump, triple jump and the 4×100 relay and took home gold in the triple jump at the 2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships. She was also named as a three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) New England Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, the USTFCCCA Outstanding Women’s Field Performer at the 2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships and was nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year in 2010. Hay still holds three campus records, including the indoor triple jump (39’3.75”, 2009), outdoor triple jump (40’1.25”, 2009), and the 4×100 relay (46.91, 2010). After graduating, Hay has worked in social work with the Department of Children and Families in Massachusetts. For her illustrious career, Hay was inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
Stephen Headley ‘13
When he graduated in 2013, nobody held more men’s track and field program records than Stephen Headley. Headley was a dominant sprinter, racking up accolade-after-accolade during his career. He was a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion, including the 100 meter and 55 meter titles in 2009 and the 100 meter title in 2010, A 10-time NCAA Division III All-America honoree, including three NCAA Division III Championship national runner-up finishes, was selected as the 2010 USTFCCCA Division III Scholar Athlete of the Year and the National Track Athlete of the Year, a four-time USTFCCCA New England Track Athlete of the Year honoree, a two-time NEWMAC Track Athlete of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and NEWMAC Rookie of the Year in 2007. He still holds the program records in the 55m (6.24, 2009), 100m (10.33, 2010), 200m (21.10, 2010) and 4×200 relay (1:29:57, 2008). After graduating from Springfield, Headley was a member of the Barbados National Track and Field Team for the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Games, 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2015 and 2016 Boston Grand Prix, and 2017 IAAF World Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games. Headley cemented his campus legacy by being inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Howard Hinds ‘00
Not only was Howard Hinds ‘00 one of the greatest swimmers in Springfield College history, being named as the NEWMAC Swimmer of the Year in 1999 and 2000, winning a combined six individual championships in those two years, a seven-time NCAA Division III All-America honoree, including a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle in 2000, co-recipient of Robert Muir Award given annually to the senior swimmer scored the most points in four years of competition at the New England Championships and holding the men’s 100 freestyle record of 45.08, which he set in 2000, Hinds became of one the few athletes to compete at the sports highest level: the Olympics. He competed for Netherlands Antilles in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, finishing 51st in the world in the 100 free and 52nd in the 50 free in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He also raced in the 1999 and 2003 Pan-American Games for Netherlands Antilles and reached the semifinals of the 50 freestyle 2003. After his competing career, Hinds made his way back to his alma mater, becoming the first black swim coach in the history of Springfield College. Also, since 2014, has been the owner of Impact Training NYC, serving as both a personal trainer and swim instructor. Hinds was also inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 as an athlete.
Anthony V. Jeffreys ‘81
Anthony V. Jeffreys ‘81 was a scoring machine on the hardwood at Springfield. He currently sits at seventh on the men’s basketball All-Time Scorer’s List with 1,681 points, and was recognized numerous times for his abilities. By the end of his career, Jeffreys was a three-time All American, played in two NCAA Tournaments, was a member of four Springfield College teams who won Mayor’s Trophy Tournaments, selected Springfield College Athlete Of The Year his sophomore & junior years, and was a recipient of the John Bunn Leadership Award as a senior. He still holds the program record for highest-career field-goal percentage, shooting 59 percent in 97 career games, leading to an induction into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. Following his tenure at Springfield, Jeffreys became a staple in the Black community in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C. In 2010, he founded The Way Forward, LLC, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consulting firm. He assists companies in hiring diverse workforces and making sure employees feel they belong and have the opportunity to advance. Jeffreys also mentored Black high school students by becoming the volunteer president and a founding member of the local chapter of 100 Black Men of America. The organization teaches students how to be accountable, how to interact in social settings, how to respect and treat women, and how to engage with police with the overall goal of preparing them for college.
Ramses Kelly ‘91
Ramses Kelly ’91 was a standout, and versatile, basketball player at Springfield College, who still ranks in the top five in six different categories of the program’s all-time records, including fourth in career points (1,782). He was a two-year men’s basketball captain, named Male Team Athlete of the Year in 1988, 1989 and 1991, he also earned Northeast-10 All Freshman, NE-10 All-Star and NE-10 All-Academic team accolades. He made the All-National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II All-District Team in 1991. After graduation, Kelly played professionally in Germany and Puerto Rico. He became an educator and coach, working as a teacher in Puerto Rico and New York. Since 2002, Kelly has served the Florida community, working as an English language arts teacher and administrative dean, and was inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Hugh B. Mendez ‘58
Hugh B. Mendez ‘58 was one of the best three-sport athletes in the history of Springfield College athletics, competing on the men’s basketball team and was named a captain of the football team. But where Mendez shined the most was on the basepaths as a baseball player. During his senior year, Mendez led the nation (NCAA) in stolen bases, and was also named a two-time All New England athlete. After graduating, he devoted his life to coaching and education. Following a stint being in the Navy, he played professional baseball for the Cincinnati Reds for one year before he began a long and distinguished career, which included coaching positions in Long Branch, NJ, Germany, Austria, Italy, and most notably, at Whittier College, where he became the first Black head football coach of a four-year institution in California.
Janet Williams ‘86
In 1986, the Springfield College indoor women’s track and field team took runner-up honors during that year’s NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. There was one catch, however, as Janet Williams ‘86, was the only person to score points for the Pride. Williams single-handedly pushed the Pride to their second place finish, earning All-American status in five events at the 1986 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships (long jump, triple jump, high jump, 55 meters, and the 55-meter hurdles). A two-time national champion and eight-time All-American in women’s track & field, Williams set records in 12 separate events, including the indoor 55 meters (7.14), 55-meter high hurdles (7.99), 200 meters (25.3), 300 meters (40.96) and the pentathlon (3,659 points), the outdoor 100 meters (12.0), 200 meters (24.6), 100-meter high hurdles (13.86), 400-meter hurdles (58.67), and the heptathlon (5,169 points), and two relays: the 4×100 (47.7) and the 4×400 (3:50.5). She also captured the 1985 NCAA Division II outdoor championship in the 400-meter hurdles and was the NCAA Division II indoor national champion in the 55-meter hurdles in ’85. Also set an NCAA record in that event that stood for 14 years, was a two-time All-American in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles (1985 and ’86). Also an All-American in the heptathlon and the 400-meter hurdles and member of the U.S. Olympic Festival East Team in ’86. In 2005, Williams was unsurprisingly inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame, and in 2021 she became the first-ever Springfield College student-athlete inducted into the USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame in recognition of that incredible performance at the 1986 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships.
James Frank G’56
Although never competing as an athlete at Springfield College, Dr. James Frank G’56, DPE’63 had one of the biggest impacts on collegiate athletics. After receiving his masters of science in 1956 and a doctoral degree in Physical Education with emphasis in college administration in 1963 from Springfield College, Frank went on to become the first-ever Black president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 1981 to 1983, also becoming the first college president to serve as NCAA president. He later served as commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for 15 years from 1983 until his retirement in 1998, a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities in the Southern United States. Frank also served on many NCAA committees and held the secretary-treasurer positions. He was closely involved in several issues that changed NCAA history. Including leading the NCAA Long-Range Planning Committee and discussions of enhanced presidential partnership that eventually led to a demographic change in Association leadership in the ‘70s. He was a key force in bringing women’s championships under the NCAA umbrella and pushing for the advancement of women’s intercollegiate athletics within the NCAA structure asserting that “‘separate but equal’ does not lead to equality.” Former NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers and Frank began discussions in the late 1980s that led to the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, a group devoted to give diversity a greater voice in Association policy-making. Frank received numerous awards recognizing his devotion to college sports. In 2007, he claimed the NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award, honoring individuals who have provided significant leadership as an advocate for higher education and intercollegiate athletics. Other honors include: the James Corbett Award, which is the highest award given by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA); the Distinguished Alumni Award from Springfield College; and a listing as one of the “100 Most Influential Athletes” during the NCAA’s Centennial Celebration.
Hassan Robinson ‘95
Quite frankly, Hassan Robinson ‘95 is one of the most decorated athletes in Springfield College athletics history. A two-sport athlete who starred on the hardwood and on the baseball field, Robinson claimed a plethora of accolades. Competing for the men’s basketball program, Robinson was a NE-10 Basketball Freshman of the Year in 1992 & Defensive Player of the Year in 1994, National Association of Basketball Coaches Div. II New England District First Team All-Star in 1994, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference basketball Division II North All-Star Team in 1994, Basketball Times NCAA Division II All-America First Team in 1995, NABC/Sears Division II All- America Second Team in 1995, NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors All-American Team in 1995, Northeast-10 Basketball Players of the Year in 1995, a Northeast-10 Conference First Team Basketball All-Star in 1994 and 1995 and became the first basketball player to score over 2,000 career points with 2,003. As a baseball player, Robinson was named Northeast-10 Baseball Rookie of the Year in 1992, an American Baseball Coaches Association Division II Northeast Region All-Star Team in 1993 and 1994, Northeast-10 Conference Baseball All-Star Team in 1993 and 1994 along with MVP honors in 1994, Baseball Honorable Mention All-American in 1994, set Springfield College baseball record for most total bases in a single season (105, 1994) and career record for for career home runs (22, 1995), 1995 and ranks second for most hits in a season (59). Robinson set an NCAA Division II Baseball record by hitting in 38 consecutive games, and was named Springfield’s Male Athlete of the Year 1992, 1993, 1994 and Dual-sport Athlete of the Year 1993 and 1994. Following his amazing career, Robinson was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1994, going on to play in the minor leagues for the Auburn Astros (1994-1995), Quad City River Bandits (1996), Kissimmee Cobras (1997), Jackson Generals (1997). Robinson was quickly inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
Branwen Smith King ‘78
Not only was Branwen Smith-King a standout thrower on the women’s track and field team at Springfield in the late ‘70’s, but without her efforts, there may not have been a women’s program to compete on. During her junior and senior years in 1977 and 1978, Smith-King was integral in getting the program from the club level to varsity. And once it did, Smith-King dominated. As an Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field Team Captain, she went on to become an All-American in Shot Put in both Indoor (fourth place) and Outdoor (fifth place) in 1978, a New England Indoor and Outdoor Shot Put Champion (’77, ’78), All-New England in discus and was a Penn Relays Shot Put Champion (’77, ’78). Smith-King was more than just a star at Springfield, as she held the National Shot Put, Pentathlon Discus, Long Jump and 100 meters records for her home country of Bermuda, later being named as an Assistant National Coach for Bermuda at 1996 Olympics. She also became the Head Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Coach at Tufts University, serving in the role from 1982 until 1999, where she coached 13 National Champions and over 50 All-Americans. From 1991-1996, Smith-King was on the NCAA Track and Field National Committee. In 2006, Smith-King was entered into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives