Ten of the greatest athletes associated with the long and storied history of Duxbury High School athletics will be honored on Saturday night, May 8, at the Plymouth Country Club in Plymouth, when the Duxbury Boosters Club hosts its third induction ceremony for the Duxbury High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

This year’s honorees in the induction class for 2008 include: Andy Bolster (’77-track), Matt Cushing (’84-soccer), Linda Renner Hartz (’80-field hockey), David Seger (’99-football) and Eric Arnold (’78-wrestling).

Alumni to be honored for the induction class of 2009 include: Kent Bolster (’78-track), Michael “Mickey” Curley (’94-basketball), Jill Maxwell Townsend (’95-soccer), Tory Fleming (’94-swimming), and Reginold Clark (basketball coach).

“Our goal is to make this a bi-annual event where we honor all those athletes whose careers were marked by outstanding achievement and notoriety for the Duxbury community,” said event coordinator Sheila Tenaglia. “By having such a large induction class, we anticipate this being a huge affair and one that all residents will want to attend so they can honor the people that have made their sports lives in Duxbury so memorable.”

The selections were made by a committee of media members, former DHS coaches and long-time observers of the Duxbury sports scene, who weighed the accomplishments of close to 20 finalists before narrowing it down to the five winners.

Unlike many booster clubs and athletic departments throughout the Commonwealth, Duxbury has been slow to embrace the Hall of Fame concept, which is intended to be a major fundraising event for the Boosters.

The inaugural celebration in 2005 that inducted Andy Downin ‘91, Bill Curley ‘90, Steven Cass ‘85, Jon Garrity ‘72, and George Teravainen ’42, was a huge social success, but lost the Boosters a significant amount of money with an approximate crowd of 100 in attendance.

If the athletic history of Duxbury High School, which in many cases dwarfs the accomplishments of other similar sized towns, is to become an integral part of the town’s celebration of individual achievement, then May’s event should be a special occasion for celebrating all those athletes who have brought so much enjoyment to the Duxbury community.

The induction ceremony will include several individuals who not only set records at DHS, but also went on to establish marks nationally and as state champions.

Five of the 10 inductees live locally and are expected to have friends and family out in full force to honor their accomplishments, while it is hoped that Andy Bolster (VA), Kent Bolster (PA), Maxwell (CT), Fleming (CA), and Clarke (ME) will also make it to town for the special evening.

The only incentive Kent Bolster needed to become a better discus thrower was beating his older brother.

“We were a very competitive family,” said Bolster. “Every weekend we’d go out behind the high school and throw. There is no question it drove the both of us to be better.”

Training with former Olympian Bob Backus, Bolster wasted little time in bettering his brother’s record by 2’2” when he finished second at the New England High School championships.

While a senior at DHS, Bolster turned down a scholarship to Iowa and enrolled at URI. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army’s Special Forces and was stationed in Germany, where he eventually won consecutive All-European Military Discus championships.

Bolster currently lives in Carlisle, PA with his wife Marina, twin daughters Jessica and Karina (19), and son Zachary (17), and is a government contractor.

Mickey Curley was pretty much in the same shoes as Bolster, following a sibling superstar and performing equally well under the pressure.

“I’m sure there was a little pressure following Billy,” said former Coach Foster Cass. “Winning the state championship was very important to Mickey.”

In order to get that championship, Curley would need to lead the Dragons to the most exciting game in DHS sports history.

Trailing by 25 points in the second half against top-seeded Lincoln-Sudbury, the Dragons battled back and won the game with seven seconds remaining on Aaron Smith’s baseline jumper at the Boston Garden to win the EMASS Division II South Sectional final. Curley would end up with 39 points and led Duxbury to the state title with a win over Greenfield.

Curley then went on to have an illustrious career at Boston College, before moving on to play professionally in Europe. He now lives in Kingston with his wife Tracy and daughter Gracie, and they are expecting their second child in April. Curley is a sales rep for Oreck.

Jill Maxwell Townsend becomes the second female soccer player to be inducted into the DHS Hall of Fame.

While teammate and Hall of Fame member Devon Bingham was noted for her creativity with the ball, it was Maxwell who was the finisher.

Scoring 30 goals in 1994, Maxwell’s offensive prowess led the Lady Dragons to the State title and a top five ranking in USA Today. She was named a Parade Magazine All-American and earned a scholarship to the University of Virginia.

“Jill’s success at UVA was remarkable,” said April Heinrichs, her former coach and former Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s Olympic team. “She overcame ACL surgery on both knees to return for her fifth year as our leading scorer. She consistently displayed mental toughness, courage, discipline, and hard work in her rehab and daily training when she was healthy. She wasn’t the fastest, quickest, or swiftest player at UVA, but she may very well be the player with the biggest heart and never-say-die attitude.”

Maxwell currently lives in Greenwich, Conn. with her husband Bruce and their three children, Haley (5), Kayla (3), and Max (6 months).

Swimming has always been a strong sport for Duxbury women and Tory Fleming was the woman to beat in the Walker Pool

Starting at Aqua-Dux at age seven, she progressed quickly, competing in her first Junior National event at age 11, while her competitors averaged 14 years of age.

Her sudden ascension to national levels created social conflicts locally that Fleming felt must be dealt with immediately.

“I backed off on some of my competitions. It just wasn’t worth it,” said Fleming. “I missed a lot of school activities in the first year and I missed high school practices, but I would still go to the meets. I wanted to do high school swimming for the social aspects of it.”

Her return to the joys of high school sports did little to hurt her swimming career. She went on to become one of the most dominant female swimmers in the state and enrolled at UConn, where she held five records at one time and was a three-time Big East selection.

Fleming is engaged and resides in San Diego, where she sells residential real estate.

Always the fashion plate, Reggie Clark strode up and down the sidelines in his green suit during his coaching career in Duxbury.

A math teacher for 22 years at DHS from 1971 through 1993, Clark also coached cross-country for 20 years and track for 14, while his basketball coaching career spanned 15 years and included a 190-30 record in his 10-year varsity stint.

Clark was the head coach when Billy Curley and company won the state title in 1989 and might have had a shot at a second title in 1994 had he stuck around for the Mickey Curley era.

However, Clark made a decision to seek a higher calling in his life and moved to Maine where he became the pastor of The Church of The Nazarene in Ellsworth, Maine.

“I had such a great time coaching so many players, especially the Curley kids. They were very special people,” said Clark. “Before I left in ’93 I talked to Mickey and the other kids and told them they’d be fine no matter who coached them. They had a good feeling about themselves after we talked and I knew at that point it was time to go.”

Clark now resides in Franklin, Maine with his wife Joanna, and has four sons: Patrick, Chris, Mike, and Samon.

Organizers of the event are hoping that the Duxbury community will put its full support behind this celebration, and are asking all high school coaches, team captains, and former teammates of the inductees to spend an enjoyable evening in acknowledging the achievements of these great individuals.

The evening will start off with a social hour (cash bar) beginning at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner and the awards presentation.

Tickets are $35 and can be bought by contacting Sheila Tenaglia at 781-934-7225 or sheilateneglia@gmailcom. Tickets can also be purchased by sending a check to Tenaglia at 146 Bay Road, Duxbury, MA 02332.