BOSTON - Head coach Tara Danielson was recently inducted into the Bay State Games Hall of Fame and officially honored in a ceremony Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
Joining Danielson in this year's class are 2000 Olympic Gold medalist swimmer Samantha Livingstone and longtime Weightlifting Competition Co-Directors Denis Reno and David Lussier.
The Bay State Games Hall of Fame was created to recognize participants who have gone on to prestigious and successful athletic careers, as well as former and current coaches, officials, sports organizers and volunteers who have made significant contributions to the organization throughout its 37-year history.
Under Danielson's direction, Stanford has remained a fixture in the national rankings for all but one week of her tenure while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in seven of eight seasons. Danielson, who has compiled a 123-46 during her time on The Farm, led the Cardinal to its second straight America East championship in 2017, representing the program's fourth conference title since 2010.
A native of Greenfield, Massachusetts, Danielson was a three-sport standout at Greenfield High School, where she competed in Bay State Games field hockey and led the Green Wave to a state championship while also participating in basketball and softball.
Danielson graduated from Massachusetts in 1994 with a degree in sport management. A four-year letterwinner in field hockey and team captain during her senior year, she helped guide the Minutewomen to a pair of Atlantic 10 championships and four NCAA Tournament berths, including a record-breaking 1992 campaign that resulted in a trip to the national semifinals and the program's winningest season in school history. Danielson received her master's degree from Springfield College in athletic administration in 1999.
From 1998-2005, Danielson was a member of the U.S. National field hockey team that competed in the Pan American Games, World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.
"We are very proud of former Bay State Games participants who have truly excelled in their respective sports," said Phil Gloudemans, board chair of the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation, which produces and coordinates the annual summer and winter Bay State Games. "We equally appreciate our volunteers, who are the life-blood of the Bay State Games. Congratulations to all of our very deserving inductees."
Past inductees among the over 60 previous honorees include the NBA's Dana Barros ('06), Tom Thibodeau ('17) and the late Reggie Lewis ('02); WNBA's Rebecca Lobo ('03), the NHL's Bill Guerin ('09) and Keith Yandle ('14); Major League Baseball's Carlos Pena ('11) and Rich Hill ('13); Olympians Nancy Kerrigan ('07), Jim Pedro ('04) and Bill Cleary ('14) as well as US Paralympic Gold Medalist Joe Lemar ('15).
The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation (MASF), an independent, non-profit organizer of the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, provides Olympic-style athletic competitions and developmental programs for amateur athletes of all ages. Founded in 1981, the MASF operates statewide and year-round to promote personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship and mutual respect. From a modest beginning of four sports and 300 athletes, the Games have grown to include over 30 Summer and Winter Sports. The MASF is a member of the National Congress of State Games, comprised of over 35 states nationwide.