It’s been four years since they were able to honor their sports heroes. But members of the Westport Athletic Hall of Fame made up for time lost due to Covid Sunday evening, when they inducted 23 standouts who played for the Wildcats over the past 52 years, and supporters who have worked to help promote and strengthen the town’s sports programs.

The induction ceremony at White’s of Westport was the first held by the organization in four years. Inductees include standouts in nearly every sport, from baseball to golf, track to softball and soccer. Below are biographies of half of this year’s inductees.

2024 inductees include:

Martha Manchester, Class of 1972

Manchester played varsity softball her senior year, and throughout grades nine to 12 also played field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball. She played for a great field hockey team in 1972 and that year won the Bristol County championship. Hall of Fame organizers said she instilled in her classmates a sense of good sportsmanship.

Gus Cariglia, Class of 1976
Cariglia played basketball four years and was captain and MVP in 1975 and 1976.
He was a member of the SEC (Southeastern Massachusetts Conference) All Star team 1975 and 1976, was named to the Fall River Herald News All Scholastic and New Bedford Standard Times All Scholastic basketball teams in 1975 and 1976. He played baseball his senior year and competed in the Bay State Invitational Tournament Champions in basketball in 1976. He was a Dave Cowens Award nominee in 1976.
He was the Freshman basketball coach from 1976 to 1980, the JV Basketball Coach from 1980 to 1988, the JV Baseball Coach from 1985 to 1986, and Golf Coach from 2000 to 2015.

Cheryl Guild (Vieira), Class of 1998

A three-sport athlete all four years at Westport High School, Guild played volleyball, basketball and softball and was a three-year varsity player in all three sports. She was a captain of all three in her senior year. An outside hitter in volleyball, she was quoted by the Standard Times as Westport’s best server, passer and hitter in her senior year.

She played many positions in softball, rotating mostly among second and third base, center field, pitcher and catcher. She batted fourth in the lineup most of her junior year and senior year.

Guild was a three-time Mayflower League champion in softball, and her team went undefeated in the league in 1996. She played shooting guard and small forward in basketball, and was best known for her three-point shooting and strong defense. She was a Dave Cowens nominee for basketball her senior year. She received Herald News and Standard Times All Star awards in all three sports. She was selected as the best female all-around athlete at Westport High School in 1998.

Guild has a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and has been teaching in Westport for 20 years. She and her husband Jonathan have two children, Joseph, 14, and Alexis, 13. Her children are continuing the family tradition of excelling as a Westport Wildcat athlete on the court and on the field.

Stephanie Ward (Grant), Class of 2002

A three sport athlete in soccer, winter track and softball, she was captain in winter track and softball. She was named Athlete of the Year in 2002. Ward’s passion continued through the years, as she coached town softball and soccer and at Westport Middle School. Her love for sports continues in her children, Landon and Makayla. She is married to Anthony Ward.

Kristin Gizzi, Class of 2004

Gizzi played four years of basketball and softball, and two of volleyball. Throughout her athletic career at Westport High School, her teams were Mayflower League co-champions in basketball and softball (2004), Basketball South Sectional Semi Finalists (2001), and qualified for the south sectionals all four years (2001 to 2004).

Gizzi served as a captain for the volleyball, basketball and softball teams, was named Mayflower League All Star and was named to the all-scholastic/All Star teams for the Herald News and Standard Times in basketball and softball. She was also a Dave Cowen’s award nominee.

Jennifer (Farias) Connery, Class of 2007

Connery was a two-sport athlete in field hockey and basketball. As a basketball player, she was a four-year starter and Mayflower league All Star, as well as two-time member of the Standard Times Super Team. She was a Dave Cowens nominee as well as a recipient of the Joanne Charest Memorial Sportsmanship award. She was recognized by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association as a female athlete who exemplifies commitment and perseverance. She earned MVP awards in both sports, was a two-year co-captain, and was acknowledged by the Standard Times for leadership skills during her time as a high school athlete.

She has been teaching freshman English at Durfee High School for the past 12 years, and lives in Westport with her husband Kevan and son Odilon.

Nick Jagoe, Class of 2008

A standout on the links who now works as a golf pro, Jagoe was a starter all four years, participated in the 2011 Little East Golf Champions NCAA tournament in 2011, and earned a bachelor of science degree from UMass/Dartmouth in 2013.

He was awarded the following during his years at Westport High School:

• 2004-5 All Mayflower League-Golf; Paul Walsh All Scholastic Award -Golf; JV Baseball/Basketball

• 2005-6 All Mayflower League-Golf;Booster Club MVP-Golf; Paul Walsh All Scholarship Award- Golf; Varsity Baseball/Basketball

• 2006-7 All Mayflower League-Golf;Captain-Golf Team; Athletic Booster Club MVP-Golf; Coaches Award- Golf; Varisty Baseball/Basketball

• 2007-8 Male Athlete of the Year Award; Carigula Memorial Sportsmanship Award; Dave Cowens Award nominee; Mayflower League Individual Golf Champion; Captain- Golf, Baseball, Basketball teams; All Mayflower League- Golf, Baseketball, Baseball, UMass/Dartmouth

After playing in the Minor League Golf tour in Florida in 2016-17, he served as head pro at the Allendale Country Club and is currently a teaching pro at the Wanumetonomy Country Club in Middletown, RI.

Kate Cooke (Farias) Class of 2009

A two sport athlete in field hockey and basketball and a four-year varsity starter, Cooke was

captain in both sports and was a two-time team MVP in basketball. She was selected as an EAC and

Mayflower League All Star in both sports as well as a Standard Times All-star recipient and

two-time member of the Super Team. She was also the 2009 nominee for the Dave Cowens

Award, in addition to receiving the Joanne Charest Memorial Sportsmanship Award in 2008 and

2009. She was selected as the 2008 Best All Around Female Athlete in her junior year. She

currently teaches second grade at the Pulaski School in New Bedford, where she lives with her husband James and son Grant.

Nick Friar Class of 2010

Friar was a nine-year letter winner for Westport, earning four playing baseball, three in basketball and two from soccer. In each of those nine seasons, the Wildcats won their conference title.
In baseball, Nick was a Mayflower League All-Star as a sophomore, then league MVP as a junior and senior. As a junior and senior he was named a Herald News All-Star. He was also named to the Standard-Times Super Team as a junior before being named the Standard-Times Baseball Player of the Year as a senior.

Across those three All Star campaigns, he put together a .407 batting average, powered by a .519 senior year, along with a 1.75 ERA and 222 strikeouts over 172.1 innings — most notable of his outings being a nine-inning, 21-strikeout performance in his senior year, which was largely made possible by fellow 2024 inductee and his younger brother Jake. His efforts on the mound earned him a baseball scholarship at Northwestern University, along with time in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and a stop in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
On the basketball court, Friar maintained a defense-first mentality, taking pride in ruining the day of opposing scorers. He kept that same approach on the soccer field, leading to a Mayflower League All Star nod as a senior player on the Westport soccer team that was ranked by The Boston Globe as among the top 20 programs, regardless of division, in all of Massachusetts.
His efforts in senior year led to a share of the Best All Around Athlete title, earning the honor alongside his longtime teammates and fellow 2024 inductees Matt Medeiros and Chris Rosa.

On top of his athletic achievements, Nick graduated sixth in his class at Westport. Those efforts in the classroom have allowed him to continue his career in athletics, now as a member of the media.

Matt Medeiros, Class of 2010

Medeiros, a varsity basketball player all four years, played in all 98 games during that time while helping Westport achieve a 77-21 record. He earned a host of credentials and awards during his time at Westport High School, including:

• Best All Around Athlete 2010

• Standard Times Boys High School Athlete Super Team 2010.

He played in Division Four South Sectional title games three times and in the semifinal round once, finishing his senior season with 582 points, an area-best 23.0 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 3.6 SPG.

He holds a career total of 1,118 points, and school records for most points (47) and three-point field goals (11) in one game. He is a two-time Herald News All Scholastic and Standard Times Player of the Year 2010.

Named Mayflower League MVP 2010, he was the first Westport player to win the Dave Cowens Achievement Award, given to the area's outstanding senior basketball players.

In his three years in varsity baseball (record 52-14) he batted .409 during his senior season, hit two home runs and scored 30 RBIs. On the mount for his senior year, he amassed a 3-0 record, pitched a perfect game, and struck out 30 batters in 24 innings.  

He was a Standard Times Second Team 2010 and Mayflower League All Star in 2010, and also played three years of varsity soccer (record 41-14-3) and was a three-year starter on defense.

Alex Ferreira, Class of 2011

Ferreira played four years of varsity soccer, then set the school record for goals with 45 in his junior year. He also set the school record for career goals with 140 goals over his four years, and played two years of baseball and tennis.

Kayla Kirby, Class of 2012

Kirby attended Westport High School from 2009 to 2012, earning her varsity letter in basketball and softball during her freshman year. A year later, she earned her varsity letter in volleyball during her sophomore year, her first year of playing.

As a junior, she was named a Mayflower Athletic Conference All Star. During her senior season she was named a captain and lead the team in aces and kills, and earned Mayflower Athletic Conference All Star honors in 2011 and a 2011 Boston Globe Mayflower League All Scholastic.

In 2012 she was named Mayflower Athletic Conference All Star, New Bedford Standard Times All Star and Fall River Herald News All Scholastic, and was nominated for the Dave Cowens Award.

Softball was her most dominant sport, starting all four years on varsity. She was named captain her junior year and batted fourth with the highest batting average on the team (.382 with a .582 slugging percentage, while driving in 21 runs). Behind the plate she picked off 16 runners for the season, went 10-10 on stolen bases and finished with .968 fielding percentage. She as named a Mayflower Athletic Conference All Star in 2011 and Standard Times Softball Second Team All Star. Her senior year, she was renamed captain and remained behind the plate while holding the highest batting average on the team in the four slot. She closed the season out with .375 batting average while hitting three home runs and driving in 29 runs. For awards she received the Mayflower Athletic Conference All Star, Boston Globe Mayflower League All Scholastic and Fall River Herald News All Scholastic.

She won the MIAA Award of Excellence for Exemplary Display of Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity in Softball and Basketball in 2011-12, the  2011-12 Joanne Charest Memorial Sportsmanship Award, the 2012 Standard Times Leadership Award, and 2011-12 Best All Around Athlete for Westport High School.

She went on to play softball at Salem State University for a year before transferring to UMass/Dartmouth. There, she was a three-year starter on the volleyball team and was Captain her senior year.

Jacob Friar, Class of 2013

Friar earned 11 varsity letters during his time at Westport High School: four for baseball, four for golf and three for basketball. He was co-Best All-Around Athlete with close friend Chris Hartnett and the first in WHS history to earn that honor in addition to being the valedictorian.  

In 2013, he was selected to the Standard-Times Scholastic Super Team and was a finalist for Athlete of the Year. The Standard-Times also presented him with a Leadership Award, and WHS awarded Jake with the John Hickey and Chris Cariglia Awards. 

Over the course of his baseball career, Jake was a two-time Standard-Times Super Team All Star (2012, 2013), a two-time Herald News First Team All Star (2012, 2013), a Herald News Second-Team All Star (2011) and a three-time Mayflower League All-Star (2011 to 2013). He was also selected to the Eastern Massachusetts All-Star team in 2013. 

Friar’s golf career was highlighted by his team earning entry to the South Sectional Tournament in 2012, where he placed third with a score of 78 and earned entry into the Division Three State Tournament. He was a three-time Herald News All-Star (2010 to 2012), two-time Standard-Times Super Team All-Star (2011 and 2012), a Standard-Times Second-Team All-Star (2010) and a three-time Mayflower League All-Star (2010 to 2012). 

On the basketball court, Jake was a Standard-Times Second Team All-Star and Mayflower League All Star during his senior year, and was also a starter in the New Bedford Boys & Girls Club All-Star game. 

Jake earned a scholarship to catch at Sacred Heart University in the Northeast Conference. He currently resides in Trumbull, CT with his wife Kylie.

Todd and Lisa MacMaster, John T Hickey Award

Todd and Lisa MacMaster have lived in Westport for 26 years and have been strong advocates for community sports programs here in town.

Todd is a social studies teacher, teaching previously in Providence for more than 20 years and in Newport for the past three.

Lisa has worked for a number of tech companies through her career and is currently sales manager for EMC Technologies in Fall River.

The MacMasters first started to get involved in Westport Athletics when Lisa coached the WHS girls’ tennis team from 2001 to 2006.

When their daughter Anastasia started playing sports around 2007, they got further involved. Over the years the MacMasters have coached in community soccer, basketball, baseball and tennis leagues. During Lisa’s tenure as the girl’s tennis coach, she met Louann Nygaard and joined the WHS Athletic Boosters. It was this relationship, during the 911 tragedy, that the Dianne B. Snyder Tennis Complex was formed.

Todd and Lisa, John Snyder, Pam and Skip Manchester, Louann and Klaus Nygaard and countless other “Friends of the Dianne B. Snyder Tennis Complex” raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to revitalize Westport’s community tennis courts. For years, the DBSTC continued their mission of tennis development in town by recruiting Westport High School tennis players to run clinics for kids and adults, offering leagues and tournaments, and overall fostering a general enthusiasm for tennis that continues today. 

Paul and Ann Vigeant, Larry and Nancy Ramos, John T Hickey Award

In 2002, limited town tax revenues required the Westport School Committee to propose the elimination of several varsity and junior varsity athletic programs and created new fees for students who participated in athletics.

A group of concerned parents responded by revitalizing the Westport High School Athletic Boosters Club to raise funds to restore funding for the athletic programs proposed for elimination. The Boosters Club sponsored various fund-raising events, including a mail solicitation, bake sales, operating food concession at sporting events and the Westport Harvest Festival, and by hosting benefit concerts.

In 2003, the club created the “Mr. Westport” pageant as its main annual fund-raising event. Last year, the “Mr. Westport” Pageant celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The Boosters Club raised sufficient funding to reinstate the high school athletic programs scheduled for elimination. The original leaders of the Boosters Club included Larry and Nancy Ramos, Klaus and Louann Nygaard, Todd and Lisa MacMaster and Ann and Paul Vigeant.

Glenn Lincoln, Jeff Hague Award

Lincoln began his coaching career with JV softball, then coached volleyball at Westport High School for six years (75-53 record), girls’ basketball for 16 years (242-126 record), baseball for 27 years (338-241 record), giving him a career win/loss record of 655/420, a 60.9 percent winning record.

He was named Coach of the Year multiple times in all sports, was a South Sectional Division IV Coach of the Year in basketball, a NFHS State Coach of the Year, andDivision Three Coach of the Year. He won the Division Three Sportsmanship Alliance of Massachusetts Award (received at Fenway Park). His teams were league champions or co-champions seven years in a row.