Middlebury Athletics is excited to announce eight members for the 2026 Hall of Fame. The 11th class represents 10 sports and includes Ray Alcindor '93, Emily Bracken '98, Lauren Greer '13, Simi Hamilton '09, Christina "Tina" Ilgner '86, Nancy Olson '93, Michael Stone '09 and Chris Waddell '91. The ceremony has been moved from the fall to the spring and will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026. 

Ray Alcindor '93 - Ice Hockey

Ray Alcindor, a member of the Class of 1993, was a standout on the ice for the men's hockey team and competed in track and field during the early 1990s.

Alcindor's name is found throughout the men's ice hockey record books, including a second-place tie for the most goals in a single season (28) and sixth in assists (30). The Panther was tabbed the Sid Watson Award Winner in 1993, given to the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. He garnered All-American First-Team honors, All-NESCAC First-Team praise, and was the lone Division III player selected to compete in the Shriners' NCAA Senior All-Star Game.

A captain, Alcindor was instrumental in leading Middlebury to an 18-4-2 record and the top spot in the ECAC East standings during his final campaign. He played in 95 games during his career, accumulating 62 goals and 68 assists, which ranks him 11th in program history with 130 points. The program was a combined 82-17-4 during Alcindor's career, including a 22-3-1 mark with an ECAC Championship during his sophomore year.

Following graduation, Alcindor was invited to try out with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks. He played professionally in the ECHL, QSPHL, the Swiss Division 2 League, and the Professional Roller Hockey League.

Alcindor also competed in track and field, participating in the sprints and relay events, while holding the College's bench press record at the time of graduation.

Emily Bracken '98 - Lacrosse

Emily Bracken, a member of the Class of 1998, was one of the most decorated players to go through the women's lacrosse program.

Bracken remains Middlebury's career saves leader with 708 in her career, while also ranking second with a .630 save percentage. She owns the top two spots in single-season saves while holding down four of the seven best save totals in a single game, including tying for first with 22. During her final two years, she ranked in the top-10 places nationally in goals against average, save percentage, and total stops. 

Bracken was named the 1998 BRINE/College Lacrosse USA Division III Women's Player of the Year. She garnered the NCAA Division III Goalie of the Year accolade twice, while she was a four-time All-American. Bracken was awarded the C. Markland Kelly Award, presented to Division III's top goalie, and she was tabbed to the NCAA All-Tournament team.

She posted a career record of 56-11, helping guide the program to its first NCAA Championship during her junior campaign. The Panthers participated in the national tournament four times, advancing to the NCAA Semifinals each year, with two appearances in the title game. 

Bracken also played on the women's tennis team for two years. 

Lauren Greer '13 - Field Hockey, Ice Hockey

Lauren Greer, a member of the Class of 2013, was a standout in both field hockey and ice hockey.

On the field, Greer rewrote numerous records throughout her career. She graduated atop the Panther ranks by wide margins in goals with 111 and points with 267, while her 45 assists are third. She established the top two slots for single-season goals (38 and 35) and points (90 and 86), while her 16 helpers are tied for second. 

She was named the 2012 NFHCA Division III Player of the Year and was a three-time All-American honoree, including first-team laurels twice. Greer was tabbed the NESCAC Player of the Year twice and the league's rookie of the year, while she was a four-time All-NESCAC recipient, including three first-team selections. The Panthers were the 2012 NESCAC Champions and competed in four NCAA Tournaments with a spot in the title game during Greer's junior season.

On the ice, Greer was an All-American Second-Team designee and a two-time All-NESCAC selection. The Panthers went 80-24-9 during her four seasons, claiming two NESCAC Championships and advancing to the NCAA Tournament three times. She helped the program make three appearances in the national quarterfinals and earn a spot in the championship contest during her senior year. Greer skated in 97 career games with 47 goals, 45 assists, and 92 points, highlighted by her junior campaign with 13 goals and 16 helpers. 

Following graduation, Greer was one of just 29 female student-athletes to be awarded a coveted NCAA Postgraduate scholarship.

Simi Hamilton '09 - Nordic Skiing

Simi Hamilton, a member of the Class of 2009, is a four-time Olympian and one of the top nordic skiers in the world. 

Before Middlebury, Hamilton claimed nine junior national titles and three Colorado State High School crowns before translating that momentum to the collegiate competitions. He was a four-time All-American in the Panther uniform, finishing in seventh place at the 2007 NCAA Championship in the 10K freestyle. He matched that showing two years later in the 10K classic, while he collected a ninth-place effort in the 20K free later in the championship. Hamilton crossed the finish line in 13th place during the 2008 event in both disciplines. He helped propel the program to a quartet of top-10 team results during his career, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in 2008. 

Following his career at Middlebury, Hamilton embarked on a professional skiing career. He made his World Cup debut in January 2010 and rose to 67th in the FIS rankings. He made 144 World Cup starts and eight Olympic starts, competing in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 games. He recorded a sixth-place finish in the team sprint in 2014 and 2018, while the 4x10K relay in 2014 he skied in was 11th.

Hamilton made six appearances in the World Championships from 2011 through 2021, accumulating six top-10 clockings, while finishing fifth in the 2017 team sprint. He competed on the World Cup circuit for 12 consecutive seasons with four podiums and a victory, racing to the line first in the 1.5K sprint during the 2013 Stage World Cup. He became the first American male skier to win a World Cup race since Bill Koch won the Sarajevo 30K in February 1983. On December 19, 2015, Hamilton placed second in the World Cup freestyle sprint in Toblach.

Hamilton retired from competitive skiing in March 2022 and served as a coach for the U.S. Paralympic team at the games that year.

Christina "Tina" Ilgner '86 - Track & Field, Cross Country

Christina "Tina" Ilgner, a member of the Class of 1986, was a true trailblazer for the Panther women's track and field and cross country programs.

In track and field, she is one of three Panthers to earn four NCAA All-American awards in the outdoor season, earning laurels in the 800 meters and 1,500. Ilgner was the runner-up in the 1,500 as a senior, while she secured third place in the 800 in 1982 and the 1,500 in 1985, and claimed fifth place in the 800 in 1983. She won four NESCAC Championships in both events, setting an ECAC Championship meet record in the longer distance as a senior. Ilgner lowered the state's best time in the 800 in 1983 and set a personal and school-record time of 2:12.23 during the NCAA meet, which stood for 18 years. Her clocking of 4:31.66 in the 1,500 was not bested by a Middlebury runner for 25 years. As a junior, she was the only Panther to qualify for the Division I New England and NCAA Championships.

In cross country, Ilgner was the 1983 NESCAC Champion, a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, and the NCAA Regional runner-up in her first fall. She didn't lose a race through her initial season and was the 1983 Vermont State Champion, setting the course record while taking down the defending winner. Ilgner set the Vermont State course record twice. A captain during her junior and senior seasons, she helped guide the program to NESCAC Championships in 1983 and 1985, as well as the 1983 NCAA Regional Championship.

Ilgner was recognized as the 1985 May Athlete of the Month by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. She returned to Middlebury in 2001 and serves as an assistant director in the Language Schools.

Nancy Olson '93 - Tennis

Nancy Olson, a member of the Class of 1993, was a standout on the tennis courts, with her name appearing frequently throughout the record books.

She impressively capped her career as a senior, winning the 1993 NCAA Doubles Championship with partner Helen Motter at host Carleton College in Minnesota. The duo defeated Stephanie Desmond and Pascale Muhleman of Trinity College by scores of 6-4 and 7-5 in the final to claim the crown. The doubles team was the first from Middlebury to earn a place in the NCAA Championships in school history, regardless of gender.

Olson is the initial All-American recognized in the women's tennis program's history, garnering first-team accolades. Olson and Motter went 8-1 as a tandem that season in dual matches and tallied a 24-1 record in doubles that year. The pair was victorious in the title match of the Rolex Regional Doubles Championships along the way. 

In singles play, Olson competed near the top of the lineup and was ranked 15th in the Eastern ranking and 36th nationally as a junior. She reached the finals of the Rolex Regional, where she lost to Motter. During her senior campaign, she served as the team captain.

Michael Stone '09 - Lacrosse

Michael Stone, a member of the Class of 2009, was a dominant force in the midfield for the men's lacrosse program. 

He was a three-time All-American, securing first-team honors in his final two seasons. Stone is one of four players in program history to be named to the first team on more than one occasion. 

Stone was honored as the NESCAC Player of the Year in each of his final two seasons, the only Panther to garner the league's top award twice. He was lauded as an All-NESCAC First-Team selection three times. The midfielder accumulated 172 career points on 124 goals and 48 assists, including 57 markers and 16 helpers as a senior. Stone's goal total ranks second in the program's single-season history. A senior captain, he posted seven goals in a contest that spring, putting him in a tie for fifth in the Middlebury record book. During his four seasons, the Panthers went a combined 52-17 and won a pair of NESCAC Championships. Stone was also recognized as a USILA All-American Scholar Athlete recipient.

Following graduation, Stone was selected in the Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft by the Boston Cannons, helping the team claim the 2011 MLL Championship. Stone emerged the following year as one of the best offensive midfielders in the league, securing MLL All-Star status over the next two seasons and also winning the Cannons' team honor as the Offensive Player of the Year. He was traded to the Long Island Lizards in 2015 and won another MLL Championship in his final season.

Chris Waddell '91 - Alpine Skiing

Chris Waddell, a member of the Class of 1991, was one of the top monoskiers in the world during his career. He is also a world-renowned motivational speaker, author, and an NBC Sports television host for the Paralympic games.

Waddell began his time at Middlebury in February 1988 and was paralyzed from the waist down in a skiing accident later that year. He competed in numerous carnivals throughout his career and served as a team captain during his senior winter. He was also a manager for the Panther men's soccer program. He represented Middlebury at the United States Disabled Nationals and won the championship race, earning a spot on the U.S. Ski Team. Waddell was honored with the Bubba Kenney Memorial Award, given annually to the Middlebury male skier who best exemplifies leadership and dedication. He also served as the College's 2011 Commencement speaker and received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Following graduation, Waddell continued to ski and compete in other events. He is a four-time Paralympic monoskier, earning gold medals in the 1994 games in downhill, slalom, giant slalom, and Super-G. Waddell has also participated in three summer Paralympic games, winning a silver medal in 2000.

He is the most decorated monoskier in Paralympic history, securing 12 medals. He won a pair of silvers in 1992 and swept four gold medals in four events (slalom, giant slalom, Super G, downhill) in 1994. In the downhill, he had the fastest time of all classes of monoskiers, becoming the quickest in the world. Waddell was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2009 and the U.S. Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2019. He was the inaugural ambassador of the International Paralympic Committee and was the first "nearly unassisted" paraplegic person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009. Waddell was tabbed as one of Ski Magazine's 25 Greatest Skiers in North America. 

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Information about the in-person celebration and tickets will be shared at a later date.

The Middlebury Athletics Hall of Fame is located in the Peterson Family Athletics Complex. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class in January 2015, in conjunction with the opening of Virtue Field House, and will induct up to 10 individuals a year. To be eligible, former student-athletes who are nominated for consideration must be at least 10 years removed from their final year of collegiate competition. Coaches, administrators and staff must have served with distinction and be a minimum of five years removed from their employment with the College in order to receive consideration. Pre- and post-Middlebury accomplishments can factor into a nominee's candidacy as long as the accomplishments fall within the sphere of athletic achievement and bear some connection to the nominee's athletic career at Middlebury.

Nominations are now being accepted for the next class, which will be inducted in April of 2027. For information about the Middlebury Athletics Hall of Fame, including complete biographies of inductees and a link to the nomination form, click here.