FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2013
Courtesy of Bentley & Franklin Pierce Athletics Communications
Terry Carleton, a 1977 Bentley University graduate, and Johannah Leedham, a 2010 Franklin Pierce University grad, were among 48 individuals selected to the NCAA Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team.
Developed through a partnership with the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, the Tribute Team highlights one male and one female from each of the division's 23 current conferences as well as two at-large selections. Carleton and Leedham represented the Northeast-10 Conference on the Tribute Team.
"This group of former student-athletes is meant to reflect the core values of Division II athletics," said Josh Looney, associate director of Division II. "Commissioners have helped identify a diverse group of championship individuals from Division II's 40-year history. Not only did these former student-athletes act as champions in athletics and in the classroom, they've gone on to live championship lives as well.
"This group is a true representation of Division II's commitment to providing its student-athletes a 'Life in the Balance' that extends beyond athletics."
"It's an honor for me to be recognized from a conference and a school that holds the balance of academics and athletics in such high esteem," said Carleton, a Walpole native who who went on to serve as the university's Chairman of the Board for seven years.
Bentley University President Gloria Larson added, "The story of athletics is much broader than success academically and athletically – and Terry personifies that. Like our scholar-athletes on campus today, he has taken the leadership skills he learned on teams and applied it to all aspects of his professional and personal life. While college sports is and should be about learning and development as an athlete, it is also about how an individual contributes to the organizations they work for and the communities they live in. Terry has helped create a spirited and engaged campus here at Bentley for many years. He has illustrated to our students how to give back in meaningful ways. We are so pleased and proud that he has been recognized in this way."
Carleton came to Bentley as a freshman in the fall of 1973 when the soccer program was in its infancy. Two years later, in just the fourth season of varsity soccer, he helped lead the Falcons to their only NCAA Division II tournament berth to date. Carleton finished his career with 32 goals and 20 assists for 84 points, a total that ranks fourth in Bentley history, and he still owns the school records for points and goals in a game.
"Terry was one of the most outstanding soccer players of his era and co-captain and the emotional leader of that NCAA tournament team", said his former coach, Detlev Suderow.
Carleton graduated with honors in 1977, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and an Associate degree in Accounting. That year, he received the prestigious Edward J. Powers Award as Bentley's outstanding senior scholar athlete. He was inducted into the Bentley Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.
Carleton has been extremely successful in his professional career, rising to number two at Hill, Holiday, one of the world's premier advertising agencies, and has been highly instrumental in the growth of Bentley University over the past dozen years or more. He currently serves as a Financial Advisor with UPS Private Wealth Management.
Carleton has been a member of Bentley's Board of Trustees since 2000, and served as Chair from 2005-12. During his first two years in that role, while the school conducted a presidential search, he served as "acting" president and worked with the Cabinet to lead the institution through the Office of the Chairman.
Prior to becoming head of the Board of Trustees, he chaired the board's Physical Facilities Sub-Committee during a time of major expansion in the university's academic, residential and athletic/recreational facilities.
"As a trustee, I was thrilled to see that 350 of our student-athletes were named to the Northeast-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the fall semester," said Carleton. "To have nearly 70 percent honored is a great statement. And I know that success and tradition will continue."
In addition to his service to his alma mater, Carleton has been very active in volunteering his time and leadership skills to a number of other non-profit organizations, including Caritas Hospital in Norwood and Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.
Leedham starred at Franklin Pierce from 2006-10 and became one of the finest players in Division II history. She is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division II women's basketball history with 3,050 points, which is also the fifth highest total across all divisions.
Leedham scored 915 points during her senior season (the fourth highest single season total in Division II history) and broke the NCAA Division II career scoring record in the 2010 Northeast-10 Championship. Leedham also made her mark on the defensive end by ranking seventh in Division II women's basketball history with 459 career steals. She is the only player in Division II women's basketball history to rank among the top-10 in both career scoring and career steals.
Leedham's accomplishments were recognized on the conference, regional and national levels. She was named the State Farm/WBCA Division II National Player of the Year in both the 2008 and 2010 seasons. As a senior in 2009-10, Leedham also garnered the national player-of-the-year award from both Daktronics and Women's Division II Bulletin. Leedham was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Year three straight years from 2008-10, after being named the 2007 Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year.
Led by Leedham, Franklin Pierce claimed three consecutive NCAA Division II East Regional Championships (2008-10) and back-to-back Northeast-10 Championships in 2009 and 2010. The Ravens also reached the national championship game in 2009, which aired live on national television.
Leedham also picked up numerous academic awards as a student-athlete, earning the 2010 Northeast-10 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award for women's basketball while also being named an ESPN The Magazine Second-Team Academic All-American. In June of 2010, Leedham was named the Northeast-10 Woman of the Year, and overall she was named a Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference honoree three times.
Leedham was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in the third round of the 2010 WNBA Draft before professionally overseas for the last three years, but she recently just signed a professional contract with Connecticut this past February.
Leedham's biggest international accomplishment was representing her home country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as she starred for Great Britain, which was making its first-ever appearance in the sport of women's basketball at the Olympic games.
Leedham averaged a team-best 16.2 points per game, while also posting averages of 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. For her efforts, Leedham was named to EuroBasket.com's All-Olympic Women's Basketball Second-Team, joining the likes of USA's Diana Taurasi and Angel McCoughtry. Leedham has also represented her home country in other international competitions, including the 2009 World University Games where she ranked third in the tournament with an 18.9 points per game average.
By becoming an Olympic star, Leedham has vaulted
into one of the most recognizeable and well-liked athletes in her
home country. She has become a pioneer for the sport of women's
basketball in Great Britain and hopes to parlay that role into
continuing to advance the sport on a competitive level on the
international scene.
Among the others named to the 40th Anniversary Tribute Team are New England Patriot running back Danny Woodhead (Chadron State), Houston Astros owner James Crane (Central Missouri), Olympian Edwin Moses (Morehouse), astronaut Sandra Magnus (Missouri S&T), Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby (Minnesota State Moorhead) and Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan).
Division II gained its own unique intercollegiate athletics identity when Divisions I, II and III were formalized during a special NCAA Convention held in 1973. Prior to 1973, the NCAA was organized into two divisions––"University" and "College."
The year-long 40th Anniversary celebration will feature a number of initiatives branded by Division II's tradition, history and community influence.
Each member of the Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team will receive a commemorative 40th Anniversary gift and is slated to have his/her accomplishments profiled through Division II media channels.
The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that are committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
- #NE10 -
