Tonight, I had the honor of introducing Samantha Coletti, Class of 2016, at her induction into the Whitman-Hanson Athletic Hall of Fame. Samantha is a student-athlete we are all very proud of, a hero we all admire, and a person all should emulate. Thank you, Samantha. My speech, which falls far short of serving Samantha's many accomplishments justice, follows:
Today we gather to celebrate the High School accomplishments of a pretty impressive group of teams and individuals. But it’s important to note that those accomplishments, while noteworthy, barely scratch the surface of the lifetime achievements made or yet to come for those honored. I have the privilege of introducing one such individual for induction into the Whitman-Hanson Athletic Hall of Fame, from the Class of 2016, Samantha Coletti.
During her four years at Whitman-Hanson Samantha was an incredibly successful athlete in Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field, and Outdoor Track and Field. Samantha was team Captain in all three sports, and was awarded Team MVP, League MVP, Patriot League All-Star and Enterprise All-Scholastic honors on numerous occasions as a member of each of those teams. During her career as a Panther Samantha was a 5-time State Divisional Champion in three different events - the 1000 Meter run, the Mile and the 2 Mile. Upon graduation, Samantha was awarded the school’s prestigious Scholar-Athlete Award. I believe two things best summarize Samantha’s high school athletic accomplishments. The first is that during her four years at Whitman-Hanson, Samantha competed in 125 Individual Running events and won an incredible 77 times, a whopping 62%, nearly 2 out of every 3 times out. (Think about that. Mind boggling.) And that doesn’t include the countless relays she and her teammates won over that four-year span or the many times she stepped up to compete in a field event by either jumping or throwing. The second thing that stands out is that there are 11 different events which make up the mid-distance and distance running records here at Whitman-Hanson. Samantha holds the school record in 9 of those events. In addition to being an elite, perhaps even a generational athlete, Samantha was the consummate teammate and, in every aspect, an absolute pleasure to coach and work with each and every day.
But as I mentioned, Samantha and the others being inducted into the Whitman-Hanson Hall of Fame today have achieved so much more than glory on our playing fields. Samantha received an appointment to the United States Military Academy where she continued as a student-athlete following her time here. She went on to establish more records at West Point, at least one of which still stands. I spoke with Samantha’s college coach, Mike Smith, who coached Samantha in both Cross Country and Track and Field for four years at the United States Military Academy, and he had this to say about Samantha:
“In 2019, Army narrowly won the cross-country Star meet over Navy by one point. The win was one of many that Samantha Coletti was a part of in her time at West Point. There is a picture from that race of three Army women charging to the finish line. Samantha Coletti is leading that charge. A close look at that photo tells you all you need to know about Sam Coletti. When it came to competition, she was vicious. The pain she is feeling at that moment in that picture is illustrated by her muscles in full flex and there is a look of absolute determination on her face. I keep that photo in our trophy case so that I can show recruits and families what the Army Navy rivalry looks like and more importantly what it feels like. Sam has that effect on people. You can’t be around her and not feel her presence. That isn’t to say that she is the center of attention because that would be antithetical to who she is. In fact, she has a glow about her and a welcoming smile that invites you into her orbit and once inside you just feel better about yourself and better about life. She is a joy to be around and was a joy to coach. When it came to competition, Samantha Coletti was a “silent killer”. She didn’t say much, and she didn’t always exude confidence but if you mistook the blank look on her face for a lack of nerve, you were in trouble once the gun went off. She never really over thought things, she just ran until she couldn’t run anymore. And more often than not, that was better than her opponents. We didn’t know what kind of talent we had when she showed up for R(eception)-day in the summer of 2016. But it soon became apparent that she was special. In her 4-year career, she set records, inked her name on the all-time top 10 lists, was a beloved team captain and when it came to competition against Navy, she destroyed them again and again and again.”
Upon completion of her studies Samantha was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant. She has served at home and abroad and is in fact a combat veteran having served in Iraq where her air base came under rocket attack in February 2021. I know you join me in gratitude for her efforts on the Whitman-Hanson playing field but perhaps more so for her service to our nation.
It is indeed my honor not only to present but to have been in the presence of, an elite student- athlete; an outstanding leader; certainly, one of our best and brightest; a very brave and remarkable young woman who will continue to accomplish great things through what I know will be a long and joyous life, Lieutenant Samantha Coletti.
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