Celebrating a legacy of excellence: 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees honored

On March 13, 1897 – just six years after the game of basketball was invented by James Naismith – 14 young women from Ward Seminary took to the court for the first women’s basketball game in Tennessee, facing off against Vanderbilt Co-Ed.

“I am happy to report that Vanderbilt won 5-0 on a last-second shot that counted for five points,” joked Candice Storey Lee Ed.D., Vanderbilt University’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, as she spoke at Harpeth Hall’s 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “I love that shared history, and I love to think about women in Nashville playing back in the 1890s. …As we chart a course for the future, it's essential to appreciate where we've come from.”

From that early Ward Seminary basketball game to world-record-breaking achievements today, Harpeth Hall students and alumnae have carried forward a legacy of excellence – breaking barriers and making their mark on the world of athletics. 

In early October, the school honored nine women who have played notable roles in athletics at Harpeth Hall and beyond by inducting them into the Harpeth Hall Athletic Hall of Fame. 

This year’s inductees — Melissa Hayes Baker '80, Alison Brooks '91, Mary Price Russell Maddox '91, Brie Brown Buchanan '99, Gabby Gioia Leonard '07, Alex Walsh '20, and Gretchen Walsh '21 and coaches Polly Linden and Legare Vest — embody more than individual achievement; they represent decades of progress, resilience, and teamwork. The induction ceremony in their honor brought together students, families, and fellow alumnae to hear from Dr. Lee, a Harpeth Hall trustee, and to celebrate generations of strong women in sports.

With a nomination process guided by tradition, the Hall of Fame honors alumnae, coaches, and administrators who have not only excelled in their athletic endeavors but who have also carried the values of sportsmanship and integrity into every arena of life. The 2025 honorees joined a distinct group from the 2013 and 2018 induction ceremonies. 

These women are not just leaders on the field, pool, or court. Many have transitioned from state champions and college standouts to excel in their career fields as physicians, professors, lawyers, and coaches. And two honorees, Alex and Gretchen Walsh, continue to awe the world on the Olympic stage. Each of these women attributes her success to her athletic and academic experiences at Harpeth Hall..

“One value that Harpeth Hall instilled in me that I carried over to my swimming career is one of the biggest pillars of living honorably,” said 2025 inductee Gretchen Walsh, in a video message she and her sister Alex recorded to share with Harpeth Hall students on Hall of Fame induction day. “Of course, I learned the importance of honor and the honor code in the classroom at Harpeth Hall, and I was able to carry this over to the classroom at UVA (University of Virginia), but maybe more importantly, into the pool. Every single day at practice, I try to honor my coaches and my teammates with my honest effort, and I really believe that this kind of culture is what pushes me to new heights and allows me to contribute to the team’s shared goals.”

To Dr. Lee, that is no surprise. Studies show that more than 90% of women in the executive suite have a background in athletics, she said as she spoke to the Athletic Hall of Fame crowd.In addition, 85% of women who played sports shared that the skills they developed during their time in sports were important to the success of their professional careers.

“These are astounding numbers, and they would have been unimaginable just a few generations ago,” Dr. Lee said. “Sports can teach us so much, such as teamwork and being part of something larger than ourselves. Accountability. Confidence. Mastery of skills. The courage to try again. The courage to have tough conversations. How to lead. How to follow. Resilience. Discipline. How to win and lose with grace and humility. How to work with others. We may not all look or think alike, but we can come together in pursuit of a common goal.”

At the core, Harpeth Hall’s athletics program so well reflects the part of the school’s value statement that speaks to “building resilience, empowering our girls to be confident in their beliefs and abilities.”

“Today, when we talk about empowering young women, I think it's necessary that we recognize the role that participation in athletics can play in developing women leaders,” Dr. Lee said. “Whether a girl or a young woman plays competitively in high school or college, goes on to the Olympics, or just plays at the rec league level for the pure enjoyment of the game. …We must support one another as women in sports, in all we do as critical thinkers, confident leaders and honorable citizens.”

Read more about this year’s honorees.