1972
Before Title IX, there were outstanding athletes such as Mary Gavin toiling in relative obscurity beyond the eyes of the press and the neon's glare. It is in this context that Mary led the 1972 AB Girls Basketball Team to the Championship of the Billerica Tournament, the forerunner of the girls EMASS Championship. This tournament was organized by the coaches themselves who shared the passion of women's sports. Mary shared that passion throughout her high school career.
This stellar three-sport athlete gave elementary and junior high aspiring female athletes someone to look up to and emulate. A dogged competitor and well-rounded master of the skills required in basketball, field hockey and softball, Mary was a pied piper whose instrument was the message of participation and excellence. From AB, Mary took her talents to New Hampshire's Plymouth State College. She continued her basketball career and added a new sport to her repertoire, women's lacrosse. As a coach, Mary has surpassed even her lofty earlier achievements as a P.E. and Health Education Teacher/Coach at Colebrook Academy in Colebrook, New Hampshire. Mary is the recipient of the 2001 NH Varsity Coach of the Year in Girls Soccer, twice named Sub-Varsity Coach of the Year in Basketball. Her teams were state finalist in basketball and soccer in 2001 and State Champions in soccer in 2002. Mary and her husband Buddy have two children, Kevin and Cory. Her most memorable moment at AB was winning the Billerica Tournament in 1972.
