Athletic Hall of Fame

Head of School, 1969–1977 

Johnston was instrumental in developing Durham Academy’s varsity athletics program. He hired DA’s first athletic director and the school’s first physical education department leader while ensuring that the new Upper School campus, which opened in 1973, would have the facilities necessary to accommodate a growing athletics program.

Varsity Girls Soccer Coach, 2004–Present 

Ellis has compiled a record of 226–73–31 in 20 years at the head of the varsity girls soccer program. During that span, DA has won eight conference titles and advanced to 11 state tournament final fours.

Cross-Country, Track & Field 

Maxwell, once a record holder in multiple distances, boasts times that remain among the school’s eight fastest marks in the 3200-meter and 1600-meter distances. He was among the first of DA’s innumerable accomplished distance runners.

Varsity Boys Lacrosse, Varsity Boys Soccer

Seivold distinguished himself on the varsity boys soccer team, which he helped lead to two state championships. His lacrosse career was even more decorated: three All-State selections, two All-America selections and four consecutive state championships from 1996–1999.

Beischer, an All-Conference and All-State basketball player, still ranks in DA’s top five in rebounding and field goal percentage. Wearing a Cavs track and field uniform, he set school records in shot put and discus and was an individual state champion in discus. He remains among DA’s all-time top five in shot put and discus. Beischer is now a professor of architectural history and theory at Stanford University.

Cerwin excelled in field hockey, basketball and track at DA. She earned All-Conference and All-State honors in field hockey. She was a three-time individual event state champion in track and set the DA record in the 800-meter run. Cerwin went on to play field hockey at UNC-Chapel Hill, and she now works in digital transformation at Biogen.

Rothwell scored more than 1,000 points in basketball. On the track, she won five individual state championships in three different events and currently holds DA records in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 100-meter hurdles, high jump and long jump events. She set records in hurdles at both Dartmouth College and at Duke University, where she is earning a master’s degree in management studies.

Lauren Blazing ’11 was a three-sport star at Durham Academy, earning All-Conference and team MVP honors in field hockey, basketball and softball, and was Senior Athlete of the Year. She was a multi-year NCISAA All-State performer and an All-American in field hockey, making her one of DA’s all-time greats in the sport. She played field hockey at Duke University, where she earned All-ACC honors, was a three-time All-American and helped lead Duke to the NCAA Final in 2013. Blazing joined the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2014, competing internationally for the United States. She attends law school at Yale University.

Lawrence Craige ’85 is one of Durham Academy’s all-time best tennis players. Leading the Cavaliers, he finished with an 82–1 career singles record, posting undefeated single records as a sophomore and as a senior. Craige won three consecutive NCISAA singles titles, which remains a tie for the most high school singles titles in North Carolina history. Craige went on to be a conference singles and doubles champion as a player at the College of William and Mary. He is an attorney and lives in Wilmington.

Brandon Henry ’95 was a three-sport standout at Durham Academy, earning 10 varsity letters and was named MVP of the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams his senior year. Henry was an Academic All-American, a two time North Carolina Independent Schools Association (NCISAA) All-State selection and two time state champion in lacrosse. In addition, he was an All-Conference soccer player and was the Senior Athlete of the Year at Durham Academy. Henry was a four-year lacrosse letter winner at Dartmouth College. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Hall set the school record on DA’s old cross-country course in 1988. He is a five-time NCISAA individual event champion and is also a two-time Durham City-County Meet champion. Hall now stands among DA’s all-time top-three athletes in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter races, and he helped lead DA to four state championships in boys track and field and four state championships in boys cross-country.

Henry is counted among DA’s best all-around athletes ever, having earned 10 varsity letters in lacrosse, soccer and basketball. He earned multiple All-Conference and All-State honors and helped lead DA to two state championships in soccer. However, Henry garnered the most acclaim as a lacrosse player; he was a three-time All-State player and a two-time High School Lacrosse All-American, and he helped DA win three state championships.

Holtzclaw was a stand-out athlete in both track and volleyball. She remains among the top five long-jumpers and top 10 high-jumpers in Durham Academy history. Holtzclaw lettered in volleyball all four years of high school, earning All-Conference honors twice and being named All-State as a senior — a year in which she led her teammates to the NCISAA state championship.

Kearney was a two-year varsity basketball letter winner, twice earning All-Conference honors, and she lettered in soccer five years. As DA’s goalkeeper, Kearney developed into the top goalie in North Carolina and led the Cavaliers to the state tournament each season, including a runner-up finish in 2006. She earned All-State honors twice.

A multi-sport athlete, Barritt excelled in cross country, swimming and softball. She was cross country NCISAA individual state champion in 1993. A swimming high school All-American, she was an eight-time NCISAA individual state champion in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, and led DA to the 1994 NCISAA state swim team title. Barritt had an accomplished swimming career at UNC, where she was team captain.

Chandler has been DA’s varsity field hockey coach since 1992. In that time, she has won 22 conference championships and 10 NCISAA state championships and coached multiple athletes who went on to play in college. Chandler coached varsity softball from 2007 to 2012, winning one conference championship. 

Engebretsen began teaching and coaching at DA in 1981. As varsity boys basketball coach in the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s, he won 200 games and took DA to four NCISAA final-fours. In 10 seasons as varsity softball coach, his teams won 131 games and four conference titles. Since becoming DA’s athletic director in 1991, Engebretsen has served administratively at the state and conference level, has grown DA’s athletic program to 47 teams and has won 41 state championships.

One of DA's all-time great soccer players, Hilpert was a four-time all-conference player and two-time all-state player. He was three-time team most valuable player at DA and led his team to two NCISAA state championships. He scored 82 goals and had 52 assists at DA and participated in the North Carolina Olympic Development Program from 1991 to 1996. Hilpert played collegiately at Wake Forest University. 

Crawford was an all-state soccer player at DA and NCAA champion as a player at UNC. He played several years in Major League Soccer after college. 

Cullen, DA's track and cross-country coach from 1976 to 2015, is counted among the most respected and successful high school track and cross-country coaches in North Carolina history. He won 39 state championships in boys and girls track and cross-country. 

Dike, DA's athletic director from 1981 to 1991, was responsible for growing the number of teams offered and leading the program in its early years in the NCISAA. He worked as a successful track coach until 2013, years after his retirement.

An outstanding track athlete, Edwards won multiple state championships. His times in the 400m and 800m are still DA records and are among the best in high schools in North Carolina.