PRESQUE ISLE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle Owls’ Athletic Hall of Fame will induct three new members on Saturday, Sept. 13 in a ceremony during homecoming weekend. The reception is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., with dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremonies.
The event will take place at the UMPI Campus Center, and all are welcome to attend.
This year’s inductees include Heather A. (Brewer) Richards (Class of 1996); Jeffrey M. Joseph (Class of 2000); and longtime Caribou High School Athletic Director Dwight Hunter.
Heather A. (Brewer) Richards was a two-sport star during her time at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, excelling as a four-year starter on both the basketball and softball teams. Richards earned many accolades during her time as an athlete, especially on the basketball court where she was twice selected to the Star City Shootout All-Star team, once as an MVP. She earned rookie of the week honors once, led the Maine Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (MAIAW) in steals as a freshman and sophomore and in assists the following year. During her sophomore season, Richards was selected to both the Maine Athletic Conference (MAC) and the MAIAW All-State second teams. As a senior, she finished her final season as the MAC conference leader in assists.
On the diamond, she was an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) District V All-Star and NAIA Rookie of the Year as a freshman. That same year, Richards was also named as an MAIAW All-Star. Richards was selected to the MAC All-State softball team during her junior season and was awarded the team MVP and Most Inspirational Awards.
Richards was a Dean’s List Student during her time at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and was awarded the MAPHERD Outstanding Major Award in physical education. She graduated from UMPI earning a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, with a minor in Health.
Following graduation, Richards has coached a variety of sports at various levels, including middle school field hockey and cheerleading, varsity field hockey and JV basketball. She has just finished her 11th year of teaching, the last six as a health teacher at Old Town High School. Richards resides in Bradley, with her husband Jason, and three children, Mikayla, Bryce and Hannah.
Jeffrey M. Joseph was a standout basketball player for the Owls. Among the many accolades earned over his four-year career, Jeffrey led his team in rebounding for three years, was his conference leading rebounder as a junior and senior, and earned several player of the week honors, both within his conference and statewide. Following his junior year, Joseph became a member of the Dominican National Basketball Team.
As a co-captain his senior year, Joseph led his team in both scoring and rebounding, with 18.6 ppg (points per game) and 14.2 rpg (rebounds per game), respectively. He was unanimously selected team MVP, as well as earning First-Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State honors. He was the NAIA Division II leading rebounder nationally, helping to earn him the selection of NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. Additionally, while scoring 1,212 points, which placed him as the sixth career leading scorer at UMPI, Joseph also set school records for most rebounds in a season with 340 and most career rebounds with 887.
In addition to his dominant post play, he finished his career with a field goal percentage of 48.8 percent. Due to all of his efforts and hard work, Joseph was selected as UMPI Male Athlete of the Year as a senior.
Shortly after leaving UMPI, having earned a degree in Business Management, Jeffrey continued to excel in his passion, playing in two different semi-professional leagues. Within the NABL, or National Alliance Basketball League, he played for the Hickory Nuts in Hickory, N.C. and then briefly with another team in Willington, NC. After some time off, he returned to action as a part of the XBA where he played for a team in Columbia, SC. Following his basketball career, Jeffrey has spent time volunteering at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club teaching “Street Smarts,” a gang prevention program.
Joseph currently works at New York Life in Manchester, NH, where he resides with his wife Lori, also a graduate of UMPI.
Dwight P. Hunter was a baseball and basketball standout at Presque Isle High School, graduating in 1955. He then played both sports while attending Aroostook State Teachers College in Presque Isle for two years before transferring to the University of Maine, where he studied physical education. Hunter served in the Army before returning to Aroostook County in 1961 to begin his teaching career at Caribou High School. He served as a teacher, coach and athletic director at CHS for the next 41 years.
He coached varsity basketball for five years, soccer for 11, and also had stints with the cross country and track and field teams. For several years, he continued to be active athletically, playing baseball in the Independent Maine-New Brunswick League. During his tenure, Caribou teams accumulated nine state championships, 21 Eastern Maine championships and 35 sportsmanship awards in various sports. The final category is the one Hunter holds with the greatest pride.
“When I came here, one of my goals was to develop hard-nosed kids who played within the rules,” explained Hunter. “Sportsmanship is what it’s all about … it applies not only to athletics, but to life.”
Hunter has also been active in advancing the growth of Maine high school sports in ways that transcend the playing field. He has received numerous national, state and local awards throughout his career such as the Maine’s Athletic Director of the Year and State Award of Merit. He was voted Teacher of the Year and has received the Big East Conference Service Award. In 1998, he was one of just six athletic directors in the country selected by the National Inter-scholastic Athletic Administrators’ Association to receive the National Federation Citation Award.
Hunter still follows the Caribou Vikings athletic teams closely. He attends the annual high school basketball tournament in Bangor every February and tries to stay current with all the County teams. Dwight and his wife of 45 years, Nancy, live in Caribou and have three grown children, Scott, Shelley and Stacey, and nine grandchildren.
The Hll of Fame Induction Ceremony and dinner is open to the public. Reservations for the dinner and induction ceremonies are being accepted through the university’s Department of Athletics at 768-9506 (or email an RSVP to Connie Levesque at connie.levesque@umpi.edu). The cost is $15 per person. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
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