MIDDLEBURY — The Athletics Department at Middlebury College has announced eight members for the 2027 Hall of Fame. The 12th class represents 13 sports and includes Brian Bush ’09, Brittany Cronin Geissinger ’05, Susan “Sue” Follett Panella ’80, Duane M. Ford ’78, Rob MacLeod ’88, Wendy Reeves ’87, Michael “Schmidty” Schmidt ’12 and Flora Weeks Athappilly ’12. The ceremony will take place on April 10, 2027.

Brian Bush ’09 – Soccer

Brian Bush, Class of 2009, was an anchor for the men’s soccer defensive unit as a goalie.

He was a two-time All-American First Team selection, one of only four in the program’s storied history to be named to the top team twice. The goalie was a two-time All-NESCAC First-Team honoree and was lauded as a 2007 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Adidas All-Region recipient. Bush was selected as the men’s soccer program’s initial NESCAC Player of the Year following the 2008 season, sporting a 15–2–4 record that fall with 12 shutouts and an impressive 0.37 goals against average. At the conclusion of that campaign, he was also named a CoSIDA Academic All-America District I team honoree for his combined work on the field and in the classroom.

During Bush’s career, the Panthers made three NCAA Tournament appearances, claiming the 2007 national championship with a thrilling 1–0 shootout decision over Trinity (Texas) in the title match. Bush guided the squad during the five NCAA contests, not allowing a goal during the impressive span. Following the tournament, he was lauded as the event’s Most Outstanding Player.

The netminder has his name sprinkled throughout the record books. He graduated with the single-season mark in shutouts (13) and is atop the ranks in goals against average in a career (0.35).

Brittany Cronin Geissinger ’05 – Soccer

Brittany Cronin Geissinger, Class of 2005, was one of the most prolific scorers of the women’s soccer program during her time at Middlebury.

Cronin was lauded as an All-American during her senior season, landing a spot on the second team. She was also recognized as the 2004 NESCAC Player of the Year, the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Vermont, and an All-New England honoree. She garnered slots on the All-NESCAC team with a first-team plaudit as a senior and a second-team accolade in her junior campaign.

Over her career, she helped lead the Panthers to a 44–14–7 mark, highlighted by a spot in the 2004 NESCAC Championship match and advancement to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. That season, the squad established a program record with 15 victories, which was tied twice before it was finally broken in 2017.

The forward set Middlebury’s single-season record for goals (19) and points (42) during her final year, while she slotted fourth in points during a campaign (31) and into a fourth-place tie in goals (13) during her junior slate. She currently ranks third in school history for career goals (34) and career points (79).

Susan “Sue” Follett Panella ’80 – Swimming & Diving

Susan Follett Panella, Class of 1980, was a dominant and versatile swimmer who excelled in numerous strokes during the early years of the swimming and diving program at Middlebury.

Perhaps the strongest Panther swimmer of her era, Follett primarily competed in backstroke events while also finding success in freestyle and individual medley races. The co-captain helped lead her team to 44 dual meet triumphs, including an unblemished 11–0 campaign in 1979–80.

Follett also played a pivotal role in challenging and improving the men’s swimming and diving team in its club days. Alongside her teammates, she regularly bested her male counterparts, helping further hone her craft.

She shared or outright held 12 team records and established three Brown Pool records that were never broken. One such accomplishment was the 100-yard freestyle record of 56.9 seconds, a blistering clocking during a time of slower pools that stood for many years.

Duane M. Ford ’78 – Football, Hockey, Lacrosse

Duane Ford, Class of 1978, was a three-sport standout in football, hockey, and lacrosse, as well as a storied coach, mentor, and administrator.

Ford was a driving force behind the emergence of the Middlebury football program. During his senior year, he was the team captain and secured First-Team New England honors as a linebacker. Ford was a 1977 New York Times All-East honoree, the only defensive player chosen from Division III that fall. He was a two-time All-ECAC selection in 1976 and 1977. As a senior, he paced the 7–1 squad with 84 tackles and 46 assisted stops.

In lacrosse, Ford was a 1978 All-American Honorable Mention, served as the team’s captain, and was tabbed the Most Valuable Player. He garnered All-New England and All-Snively Division accolades and was selected to participate in the 1978 North/South All-Star game. The two-way midfielder was named the 1977 and 1978 Midd Baggataway Award winner, given to the player who exemplifies the best spirit and leadership in the program. He led his teams to four straight ECAC Championships, the furthest the program could advance on the national scene at that time.

Following his playing days, Ford remained involved in both sports, using his talents on the sidelines to foster the next generation. He served four seasons as Middlebury’s defensive line coach. Ford was Tufts’ defensive coordinator for three years and later became the head football coach from 1985 through 1993. In his second season on the gridiron, he guided the Jumbos to a 7–1 record, secured the NESCAC Championship, and was recognized as the NESCAC Coach of the Year. During that period, he was also the head lacrosse coach from 1983 until 1986. Following his time at Tufts, Ford spent 32 years teaching and coaching football and lacrosse at the Holderness School in New Hampshire.

Rob MacLeod ’88 – Alpine Skiing

Rob MacLeod, Class of 1988, stands as one of the most decorated alpine athletes in the history of Middlebury skiing.

A four-time All-American and four-time All-East First-Team selection, MacLeod utilized a style described by his teammates as unique and unconventional to make an immediate impact with the Panthers. He shone in the slalom on the Eastern Intercollegiate Skiing Association (EISA) circuit throughout his career, accumulating 11 podium finishes and six first-place showings. MacLeod also posted seven giant slalom efforts of seventh place or higher, including a podium-topping finish at the 1988 EISA Championships.

This success translated well to the national stage. At the NCAA Championships in 1987, MacLeod claimed runner-up laurels in the slalom. He followed with a runner-up finish in the same discipline the following year, clocking the fastest second trip down the mountain of any competitor.

He broke through in his senior campaign, placing fourth in his opening run before winning the second round by 0.5 seconds to take the NCAA title. MacLeod became the first Panther since John Clough ’64 to prevail in the slalom discipline at the national event.

Wendy Reeves ’87 – Cross Country, Nordic Skiing, Track & Field

Wendy Reeves, Class of 1987, routinely resided inside the top five and challenged for podium space across her stellar career on the Nordic skiing trails.

As a first-year competitor, she claimed her debut discipline victory at the Williams Carnival before stunning peers, coaches, and spectators by winning the EISA Championships on her home course. At the NCAA Championships that same year, Reeves recorded a runner-up finish for her highest collegiate placing at the event.

Throughout her career, Reeves collected a pair of All-American honors and three All-East selections. She secured a second-team selection in the region as a sophomore and earned a nomination for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 1984 Olympia Award.

She starred in her senior slate, earning a first-team nod from the EISA after four top-five finishes on the circuit. A runner-up finish at the University of Vermont Carnival helped the Panthers secure a team upset over the Catamounts, and she went on to place seventh at the national championship to earn her second All-American honor.

Reeves also competed on the cross country and track and field teams at Middlebury. She placed fourth in the 1985 Vermont State Cross Country meet, leading the Panthers to claim the trophy, and added an eighth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run at the 1986 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship.

Following graduation, Reeves continued to compete at the global level. She was a member of the U.S. Ski Team for 10 years as well as the Val di Fiemme and Lahti World Championship teams and was an alternate for a pair of Winter Olympic Games. Reeves was the winner of the 1990 Erik Judeen Award, given to the woman who scores the highest at the U.S. Cross Country Championships. She led the field to the line and secured a gold medal at the U.S. National Championships in the 20K, was part of numerous relay podium finishes, and became the first American to win a race in Russia at the 1988 Murmansk Ski Marathon.

Michael “Schmidty” Schmidt ’12 – Cross Country, Track & Field

Michael “Schmidty” Schmidt, Class of 2012, left an indelible mark on the men’s cross country and track and field programs and continues to give back to the sport today.

Schmidt thrived in all three seasons, arguably achieving his greatest success in the outdoor slate. He concluded his career as a six-time NESCAC Champion spanning three events and as the 2012 national runner-up in the 10,000-meter run. At the NCAA Championship later that spring, Schmidt placed fourth in the 5,000 to earn a second All-American distinction and the third of his career. He holds program records in each discipline that still stand today.

Schmidt added a pair of indoor All-American accolades in his senior indoor campaign, including the 5,000 and the distance medley relay (DMR). His indoor clocking of 14:10.30 in the individual event is still a school record.

A four-time All-NESCAC selection and 2011 All-American in cross country, Schmidt was just as successful on the course. He led the men’s program to its initial NESCAC team title and an individual runner-up showing in 2010 and paced the field to the finish line the following year despite losing a shoe in the mud during the early stages. The Panther collected a pair of regional individual titles in those same two seasons. Schmidt’s efforts helped secure the program’s first two NCAA Championship berths. The Panther men’s cross country program’s Most Valuable Person, which is handed out annually at the conclusion of each season, is named after him.

Following graduation, Schmidt spent 11 years coaching at Tufts, was named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) New England Division III Assistant Coach of the Year three times, and was part of the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year on five occasions. The current head coach of men’s and women’s cross country and assistant coach of men’s and women’s track and field at Brandeis, Schmidt has guided numerous stellar athletes, including 44 track and field All-Americans. He competed in the 2026 Boston Marathon, posting a clocking of 2:22.33 to finish 92nd overall and earn the title as the “fastest Bostonian.”

Flora Weeks Athappilly ’12 – Golf

Flora Weeks Athappilly, Class of 2012, was a standout on the links for the women’s golf team during her time as a Panther.

Weeks’s name appears throughout the program’s record books, as she earned numerous awards and accolades. She is the only golfer in Middlebury’s history, regardless of gender, with multiple All-American laurels. Weeks earned honorable-mention certificates during her sophomore and junior years before a second-team nod followed in her senior season. She was also tabbed a National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-East First-Team selection in each of her last three seasons. Weeks collected NESCAC Individual Medalist honors three times during her career.

Weeks was instrumental in guiding the Panthers to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament during the latter stages of the 2000s, highlighted by helping the team to an 8th-place showing in her initial campaign. She competed in a trio of NCAA Championships as an individual, tying for 20th place in her rookie campaign. She followed that with 14th-place ties as both a sophomore and senior.

The Panther saved her best season for last, claiming medalist honors in five of the seven invitationals with an impressive four in a row. She garnered fifth-place accolades in the other two competitions.

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The Middlebury Athletics Hall of Fame is located in the Peterson Family Athletics Complex. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class in January 2015, in conjunction with the opening of Virtue Field House, and will induct up to 10 individuals a year. To be eligible, former student-athletes who are nominated for consideration must be at least 10 years removed from their final year of collegiate competition. Coaches, administrators and staff must have served with distinction and be a minimum of five years removed from their employment with the college to receive consideration. Pre- and post-Middlebury accomplishments can factor into a nominee’s candidacy as long as the accomplishments fall within the sphere of athletic achievement and bear some connection to the nominee’s athletic career at Middlebury.

Nominations are now being accepted for the next class. For information about the Middlebury Athletics Hall of Fame, including complete biographies of inductees and a link to the nomination form.