There is a track and field theme to the latest class to be inducted into the Brewer High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Two track teams, two track athletes and a man who pioneered track technology are among the Class of 2026, which includes six people and three teams.
Track athletes Gene Kirkpatrick (’71) and Kimberley Pierce (’88) and Doug DeAngelis (’84), who designed a timing system that revolutionized the sport, are joined in the class by the 1979 and 1980 boys indoor track teams. The class also includes the 1979 boys cross country team and multi-sport standouts Carolyn McAvoy Gudroe (’03) and Andy Kiah (’90) as well as longtime Brewer athletic community contributor Jim White (’62).
The Brewer Athletic Hall of Fame Committee chose the inductees and it is presented by Richard and Donna (Corey) Varney.
Kirkpatrick was an elite jumper, capturing the Penobscot Valley Conference high jump championship on two occasions. He was also an Eastern Maine titlist in the long jump.
His three school records in the high jump, triple jump and high hurdles lasted for nearly 25 years and he has the second longest triple jump in school history.
He still competes on the master’s circuit and holds a state record in the high jump.
He earned four gold medals at the Maine Indoor Senior Championships and has competed in the Senior Olympics and Nationals.
DeAngelis designed a new timing system in 1992 and it became the first photo-finish camera to produce digital race results for track and field.
Still today, the FinishLynx is the most popular photo-finish and timing results system in the world and its use expands beyond track meets that range from high school to the Olympic Trials.
It is also used at events like the Kentucky Derby, NASCAR stock car races and the Tour de France bicycle race.
DeAngelis is going to receive the Brewer Hall of Fame’s prestigious Historical Legacy Award for his outstanding contributions to sports worldwide.
Pierce was the 1988 Class A State indoor champion in the 600-yard run, establishing school and state records. She was an Eastern Maine Indoor Track League champion in the 300 and long jump and was a two-time champion in the 600.
She captured the league’s 1988 Top Performer Award and was a three-time PVC outdoor track and field winner in the 200-meter run, the 400-meter run and the long jump and she set a school record in the 400.
Kiah was an all-conference selection in football, hockey and baseball.
As a middle linebacker in football, he led the Pine Tree Conference in total tackles. He also anchored the offensive line from his guard position.
He was one of Brewer’s leading scorers in hockey and was an exceptional all-around player.
In baseball, he was a top-notch catcher and hitter who was a member of the 1988 Eastern Maine Championship Baseball Team.
He played four years of baseball at the University of Massachusetts and was voted the 1996 Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Catcher.
McAvoy Gudroe was a three time all-conference first team basketball player and was chosen to the Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star team.
In softball, she had a career batting average over .500, and earned three all-conference first team shortstop berths and was a Maine All-State selection.
She went on to star in softball at Bangor’s Husson University. She was inducted into the Husson Hall of Fame in 2016 and at the time of her induction, she was ranked in the top 10 in 14 offensive and defensive categories and she still owns the Husson record for career extra-base hits (67) and doubles (53).
She was a career .373 hitter at Husson and was a four-time all-conference pick and a Rookie of the Year recipient.
The 1979 boys indoor track team was the EMITL and state meet runner-up and set seven school records and one state record.
The 1980 boys indoor track team attained the best record in school history at 32-1, set three school records, and captured the EMITL championship. It was the runner-up in the state meet.
The 1979 boys cross country team is regarded as the school’s best ever as it was the Eastern Maine champion and runnerup in the PVC and state meets and the Eastern Maine championship.
White compiled a very impressive resume over the course of six decades of service to athletics in Brewer.
The longtime teacher and coach of baseball and basketball at Brewer High School also started the first varsity ski team in the early 70’s. He facilitated the construction of two athletic fields in Brewer (a secondary youth softball field and a Little League baseball field for Farm League) and he established Brewer’s first American Legion baseball team of the modern era in 1985.
The Legion program thrived for over 30 years, winning back to back state championships in 1996 and ’97.
The induction ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Brewer Community School Performing Arts Center, located at 92 Pendleton St. Refreshments will be provided starting at 2 p.m. Online pre-registration for the ceremony is recommended here.