Wakefield High School Athletics will be inducting its first Hall of Fame class on May 1 at 6 p.m. in the school’s main gymnasium. The ceremony will pay tribute to former Wakefield athletes and alumni, some of whom have gone on to play professionally, as well as honor coaches for their dedication and lasting impact on the school’s sports programs. The event will also be open to the public, including all students and adults in the area who want to show their support. 

Seniors Corinne Fisher and Genevieve Tomlinson, participants in the Wakefield Athletics internship program, have played a major role in organizing the event. While the idea has been floated around for the past few years, Fisher and Tomilnson worked to execute it and bring it to life. They communicated with the nominees, inductees, athletic directors and the Wakefield Booster Club. In recognition of their hard work, Fisher hopes that the Hall of Fame will leave a lasting legacy on Wakefield. 

“I hope for recognition for the programs that [Wakefield] has and the success stories that come from Wakefield in all aspects,” Fisher said. “So many people have left an impact on the school.”

Garret Stevens, head coach of the boys’ varsity basketball team, also played a key role in planning the Hall of Fame, particularly in helping define the criteria for induction. The Hall aims to honor not only former athletes who went on to play professionally, but also coaches, contributors and Wakefield’s former athletic director, Dexter Cooley. Sifting through 25 years of school history was no small task, but Stevens and his team rose to the challenge, ultimately inducting a large inaugural class, as well as creating a plan for this to be an annual tradition. 

“This is our biggest class—we’re inducting 10 people,” Stevens said. “Since it’s the first one, we had to catch up on 25 years of athletics, but we plan to make [the ceremony] annual.”

The ceremony will not only serve the athletics community by recognizing hard workers, but it will also appeal to people in the entire Wakefield area. Public input played a major role in the selection process, with a public nomination form available on the Wakefield Athletics website. Fisher explains how this event will be more than just a ceremony, as it is designed to be a memorable evening. 

“[The Hall of Fame induction ceremony] is a fun event,” Fisher said. “It is for remembrance, but we are also going to have a red carpet, photographer and a reason to dress up.” 

With this foundation laid and the event thoughtfully planned, the focus now turns to the individuals being honored. Each inductee represents a unique chapter in Wakefield’s athletic history. Their contributions to the school not only reflect personal achievement but also the legacy of Wakefield Athletics. 

Among the inaugural Hall of Fame inductees is Darian Mack, a standout volleyball player who graduated from Wakefield in 2014. Mack spent all four years of high school on the women’s volleyball team and also played a season of JV basketball her freshman year. Her athletic journey continued beyond high school, as she went on to play Division I volleyball at the University of Kentucky. Mack fondly remembers her time at Wakefield and is thrilled to be included in this event. 

“Honestly, I never imagined something like [the Athletics Hall of Fame] when I was at Wakefield,” Mack said. “My focus was playing volleyball and enjoying the sport with my teammates. It’s truly an honor to be recognized in this way.”

Mack’s high school career was filled with unforgettable moments, including winning a state championship her senior year, where she was named MVP. 

“I rushed to the court at Reynolds Coliseum after winning the state championship with my team,” Mack said. “My mom still reminds me of that moment with newspaper clippings.”

Another one of the inductees is Kathleen Slay, a class of 2010 graduate and current speech language pathologist, who played volleyball and basketball at Wakefield. Slay is honored to be included in the ceremony and has countless memories from her time at Wakefield, specifically regarding the friendships she made through sports. 

“We were always hanging out with teammates and coaches in the back hallway, going out for team dinners and truly enjoying playing our respective sports,” Slay said. 

Slay hopes that current student-athletes at Wakefield who also wish to leave a mark will look past the trophies and awards. She stresses that to become the best athlete one can be, one must take a step back and focus on the people around them.

“I can still remember all the people who were kind and helpful to me throughout my years at Wakefield, and that is what truly left the biggest impact on me,” Slay said. “So in the spirit of that, I’d recommend being present, having fun, working hard and investing in your teammates.”

Also joining the inaugural Hall of Fame class is Darius Johnson-Odom, a four-year basketball player who helped lead Wakefield to a state championship during his junior year in 2006. Johnson-Odom went on to play Division 1 basketball at Marquette University and was even drafted into the NBA in 2012. Johnson-Odom most recently played for Al-Difaa Al-Jawi in the Iraqi Basketball Premier League. 

For Johnson-Odom, the recognition of being inducted into the Wakefield Athletics Hall of Fame represents more than just an honor—it’s a reflection of the years of dedication he put into the sport.

“[This recognition shows my] hard work and [how I was] continuously putting that work in,” Johnson-Odom said. “Athletics shaped me to believe in hard work. If you put your time and effort into anything you do, results will show.”

Even as his career has taken him far beyond Wakefield, Johnson-Odom still stays connected with the school when he can.

“I have followed the sports programs here,” Johnson-Odom said. “I try to stay involved as much as I can because of the relationships I have built over the previous years.”

As Wakefield prepares to celebrate its first-ever Hall of Fame class, the event stands as a reflection of dedication and shared pride. With the effort from the athletes who won championships to the contributors who built the foundation, this ceremony honors all those who shaped Wakefield Athletics into what it is today. Every student, past or present, can leave a legacy at the school, and as the years go on, their efforts can be recognized in the Hall of Fame. 

“To those aspiring to make a significant impact at Wakefield, my foremost advice is to excel as a supportive teammate,” Mack said. “My achievements are largely attributed to the efforts and collaboration of my teammates.”