Elizabeth Carter
Class of 1967
Elizabeth Carter, Class of 1967, was a uniquely gifted athlete who proved her considerable talents in field hockey, basketball, volleyball and softball.
Known during her high school years as Betty, Elizabeth was described as a “fantastic” athlete by legendary coach Fran Zaloski, who served as her mentor in all four sports, and as ahead of her time by others who had seen her play for NMHS.
Her field hockey skills helped lift the Green Wave from several seasons as a .500 team to a best-ever 7-1 during her senior year. Coach Zaloski, a fellow Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, was impressed from the start of Elizabeth’s high school sports career by her “natural athletic ability.”
Nancy Bierbower Carlson, a field hockey and volleyball teammate, described attributes that set Elizabeth apart from teammates and opponents: “She had the height, had the strength, had the natural ability and the eye-hand coordination… she was the best.”
During the winter months, Elizabeth used her height, strength and agility to rank each season as a Green Wave scoring and rebounding stalwart, at times teaming with talented older teammates such as Carol Hallock and Candy Duncan.
As rival basketball teams struggled to find a way to cope with her ability, Elizabeth helped the Green Wave achieve three straight winning campaigns. She was twice honored as the team’s MVP thanks to many scoring outbursts in double figures, peaking with a 22-point effort vs. Ridgefield. Elizabeth served as co-captain in her senior hardcourt campaign as the Green Wave built a 7-3 record.
On the volleyball court, Elizabeth was a key player for coach Zaloski’s Green Wave team that won regional laurels. The NMHS girls outplayed Masuk, two games to one, to advance to the state tournament at what was then known as Southern Connecticut State College in New Haven.
Come springtime, Elizabeth was an important member of coach Zaloski's Green Wave softball teams.
Elizabeth utilized her love of sports while serving as girls’ sports editor for the Class of ’67 yearbook.
Following her years at NMHS, Elizabeth was a physical education major at Southern Connecticut. Along the way, she helped the Southern women’s basketball team to a 7-1 record in 1968-69, qualifying the squad for the National Invitational Tournament at coach Zaloski’s alma mater, Westchester State College in Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth further demonstrated her athletic skills by earning an invitation as a javelin thrower to the 1968 United States Olympic trials in Colorado.
In retrospect, Elizabeth quietly raised the standard for excellence for future Green Wave girls while etching her name forever in NMHS sports annals.
