Beneath the glossy, media-packaged veneer of college sports lives the student-athlete who competes for love, not fame or scholarships. Determined, self-motivated, and unrecruited, a walk-on athlete competes his or her way onto teams and sometimes even into the record books. UMass Amherst athletics is rich in these unsung underdogs, past and present, who have earned a spot on the roster, often becoming fan favorites, and sometimes even school legend.
One of those legends was inducted into the campus’s Hall of Fame in October. Michele Leary ’90 set five individual records during her swimming career, and four of those still stand.
“I was not a good high-school athlete,” says Leary, who came to UMass Amherst with a shoulder injury from throwing javelin at Malden High. Leary decided to try swimming at UMass, and Bob Newcomb, in just his second year of coaching, gave her a chance.
After shoulder surgery, Leary struggled her first season in the pool but slowly improved with weight training and practice. Then the unthinkable happened: just before the first meet in the fall of her senior year, she suffered a heart attack.
Undaunted, she returned that season and trained for sprints. She blew away the competition, setting school records in the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly, and the individual medley. She also won six individual titles and raced on six winning relay teams in the New England championships during her career.
“Bob took a lot of heat for letting me swim that year after my heart attack,” Leary says. But that gamble paid off and now Newcomb and Leary, who is pursuing a career in osteopathic medicine in Pasadena, California, are close. “I call Bob at least once a month. He’s a friend,” she adds.
While Leary never received athletic scholarship money despite her stellar accomplishments in the pool, she says she gained much more than financial aid.
“Swimming quite literally saved my life,” she explains. “I had some really dark days after my heart attack, but swimming gave me self-esteem and discipline. I loved going to the pool every day.”
David Burris ’08
Hometown: Southbridge, Massachusetts
The Student: The red-shirt senior has nearly completed his degree in Building Wood and Material Technology; summers he works in the building trade.
The Backstory: Ironically, Burris was recruited to play football at Northeastern by current head coach Don Brown. But Burris wanted to play linebacker and Mark Whipple–then at UMass–was the only coach who would give him a shot. Burris came to Amherst, as did Brown, and Burris’s quickness and eagerness won him a third-string spot on the Minuteman squad, ultimately as defensive end. Two teammates went down with injuries his sophomore year, and Burris has been on the starting roster since.
The Payday: Earned a full athletic scholarship and is one of the best pass rushers in Division I-AA.
Parting Shot: Burris dreams of playing in the NFL; “I want to be All-American,” he says. “And I hope I’ll still be playing football next year.”
Zack Simmons ’08
Hometown: Durham, New Hampshire
The Student: Zack graduates this year with a double major in history and economics. Law school, he says, is likely in his future.
The Backstory: A multisport athlete in high school, Zack tried out for men’s soccer as a freshman after playing in the campus’s club league. Due to an injury, he stepped into the starting goalkeeper’s role his first season and has held that spot ever since. In 2006 he set a school record for shutouts with 10.
The Payday: After two very successful seasons, Simmons earned some athletic scholarship money, as well as nine academic scholarships and awards.
Parting Shot: “You have maybe five chances during a game to make a difference, so you just can’t make mistakes.”
Erin Calipari ’09
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
The Student: Neuroscience major with goals of pharmacy school and a PhD in either biology or endocrinology.
The Backstory: Playing basketball seems only natural for Calipari, who grew up in Amherst while her father, John, coached the Minutemen to numerous A-10 championships and NCAA tournament appearances in the 1990s. Coming back to UMass for college was like coming home, she says.
The Payday: Teammates help keep her focused as she juggles the rigors of college athletics with the demands of a biology major, she says. “It’s like having a bunch of sisters.”
Parting Shot: Having a name synonymous with success in the UMass Amherst basketball community means “a lot of people seemed to think I should be like Michael Jordan or something.”
Matt Pennie ’07
Hometown: Hanson, Massachusetts
The Student: Pennie was recently admitted into the School of Education, where he will focus his studies in the secondary education program.
The Backstory: Pennie’s storybook career started after his freshman year, when he applied for the team manager’s position because he “loved being around the sport,” he says. After a year of carrying bags, filling water coolers, and handing out clean towels, Pennie, who had played high school ball, was recruited as an extra body for walk-on tryouts. His playing earned him a spot on the team.
The Payday: Pennie has become a fan favorite at the Mullins Center. He brought the house down last year when he hit an end-of-game three-pointer against Temple.
Parting Shot: Pennie has no illusions about his role on the team. “I’m a humble guy,” he says. “I try to be a leader, but I know I’m not a star. It’s really an honor just to be able to play here.”
Molly Chapin ’10
Hometown: Northfield, Massachusetts
The Student: Isenberg School of Management
The Backstory: Chapin’s first year coincided with the opening of the new track and field facility. After just one year working with assistant coach Mark Gottdenker, Chapin posted her best pole vault of 10 feet, 6 inches, to place second in the A-10 championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, her freshman season.
The Payday: Head coach Julie LaFrienier has promised Chapin a piece of the athletic scholarship pie if she reaches 12 feet.
Parting Shot: Like most track and field athletes, Chapin dreams of competing in the Olympics someday, but for now she is focused on breaking the 11-foot barrier. “It has been a kind of mind block for me,” she says.
