While the induction of Brooke and Chad was announced in the spring, several members of the Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which Jim sits on, met in his absence and were thrilled to select him as a surprise inductee this year. 

James “Jim” Frey ’66 dedicated nearly five decades of his career to Vermont Academy. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Jim served as athletic trainer and head boys varsity hockey coach. 

Jim’s dedication to Vermont Academy athletes during his tenure as athletic trainer prevented injuries and kept our athletes in top condition for practices and competitions. Further, as a coach, Jim prepared numerous students to play at the collegiate and professional levels after graduation. The impact of Jim’s commitment to his athletes is evident in the enthusiastic response to Vermont Academy’s alumni hockey games as former Vermont Academy players eagerly travel to campus to once again play for Coach Frey.

When dedicating a new crew boat in Jim’s name, Former Crew Coach Thom Collins shared, “Some tinker with boats, some tinker with engines, and others tinker with souls, patiently and steadily studying each human condition, drawing upon past experience, and offering up advice or suggestions to try and repair or improve. Jim's patience with his students, athletes, and colleagues is his favorite tinkering tool. However, he also tinkers with humor. He tinkers with kindness and, most importantly, he tinkers with love."

Brooke Mooney ’14 came to Vermont Academy in 2013 as an accomplished junior national Nordic skier. It was at Vermont Academy that coach Thom Collins recruited her to row. Brooke’s newfound skills earned her a spot on the University of Washington’s D1 Rowing team, which placed in the top three NCAA Rowing Championships during three of her four years at the University.

She was named the 2018 Pac-12 Athlete of the Year and first-team All-Pac-12. She went on to win the USRowing Indoor National Championships in 2019. Brooke rowed in the 2021 Olympics (postponed from 2020) in Tokyo where she finished fourth in the women’s eight. 

In March of the same year, she broke the indoor women’s ergometer world record for 2,000 meters with a time of 6:21. 

Brooke is currently training for the 2024 Olympic qualifiers.

As a Vermont Academy student, Chad Wittman ’98 was a three-sport athlete and an All-American lacrosse player. After graduating, he attended the University of Denver where he was co-captain of his lacrosse team and was named Most Valuable Offensive Player. 

After college, he was drafted by the Vancouver Ravens of the National Lacrosse League. With 20 goals recorded and 23 assists in a 25-game career with both the Ravens and the Anaheim Storm, he was a force to be reckoned with. 

Chad channeled his athleticism into a successful career that included working at Harrow Sports and Reebok, where he climbed the ranks to vice president and brand director for the Asia Pacific region. He completed two Harvard Business School Executive Development programs in 2018 and 2019.

In 2020, he launched ACTIV8 Partners, LLC., merging personal coaching with management consulting.

Register to attend the festivities today!