The 2026 Hall of Honor nominees: Katie Lawrence Dixon, Brian Lapham, James Merrifield, Amy Patterson Schmitt and Richard Faulkner Photo: Sanford School Department
By Sanford School Department
Sanford High School announced this year’s nominees for the Sanford Athletics Hall of Honor: Katie Lawrence Dixon, Brian Lapham, James Merrifield, Amy Patterson Schmitt and Richard Faulkner. The five will be honored at the 3rd Annual Hall of Honor Ceremony at the Performing Arts Center on November 28, followed by a reception at the Elks Hall.
Katie Lawrence Dixon – Class of 1988
Dixon is among the most decorated multi-sport athletes in SHS history, excelling in field hockey, basketball, and softball. This nomination is in recognition of her extraordinary athletic career and the enduring records she left behind.
Achievements – Field hockey: 2nd Team All-State honors (1988), and a single-season scoring record with 16 goals. Basketball: 2nd Team All-Telegram honors (1986), 1st Team All-Telegram honors (1987, 1988), and East-West All-Star game selection; scored 1,073 points over three varsity seasons — averaging 23.3 points per game and 250 rebounds (remains a scoring record). Softball: .511 batting average; 1st Team All-Telegram honors (1987, 1988), along with team MVP honors and a Journal Tribune Cup.
Beyond SHS – Five-time All-American in women’s softball (most recently in 2016), competed in the World Series of coed softball, and umpired at the world military and local levels.
Brian Lapham – Class of 2001
Lapham was a standout four-year letterman in football and basketball, and a member of the track team. Longtime coach Mike Fallon called Lapham the most impressive student-athlete he coached in 34 years — a player whose championships, accolades, and academic distinction embody everything the Hall of Honor was created to celebrate.
Achievements – Football: Anchoring the offensive and defensive lines, helped lead Sanford to a Class A State Championship (1998) and conference runner-up finish (1999); All-State honors (1999, 2000), and 1st Team All-Conference (junior and senior years); semifinalist for the prestigious Fitzpatrick Trophy; on the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl roster; named to the All-Academic Team, graduating second in his class.
Beyond SHS – Played football at Harvard University for five years, graduating as a member of two Ivy League Championship teams; a two-time First-Team All-Ivy selection at interior offensive line, helping Harvard to a 40-9 record during his tenure; honored with the Joseph E. Wolf Award as the program’s outstanding lineman; tried out as a free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals before developing a successful career in medical sciences.
James Merrifield – Class of 1960
Merrifield was a four-year letterman in baseball, starred in football for three years, serving a co-captain, and ran track for two years as team captain. One of the most celebrated halfbacks in school history, he earned the nickname “Mr. Touchdown” during his playing days. This nomination is in recognition of Merrifield’s exceptional athletic achievements, his sportsmanship, and the lasting mark he left on the program.
Achievements – Football: A key member of SHS’s only undefeated State of Maine High School Championship football team; holds the school record for most rushing yards in a single season, highlighted by a memorable 78-yard touchdown run against Brunswick (1959); called one of the greatest halfbacks in Sanford history by his coach, a sentiment echoed in a 2009 Foster’s Daily Democrat feature on his career.
Beyond SHS – Served in the United States Navy (1960-1964), including duty aboard a destroyer during the blockade of Cuba at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Amy Patterson Schmitt – Class of 1989
Patterson Schmitt was a standout distance runner and three-sport athlete whose talent on the track carried her to the Division I level. This nomination is in recognition of her exceptional accomplishments on the track and in the classroom, as well as the leadership and character she exemplified both in high school and college — qualities she continues to pass on through her work with youth athletes today.
Achievements – Track and field: Competed for four years; placed in the 800 meters every year of high school, finishing 2nd as a sophomore, junior, and senior, while also winning state titles in the 1600 and 3200 meters as a senior, posting times of 5:08.4 and 11:17.92, respectively; earned an invitation to the Olympic Dream event in the 1500 meters; a two-time Class B state cross country champion; and received the Tribune Cup (1989).
Beyond SHS – Continued her track career at the University of Maine before transferring to Auburn University, where she earned a redshirt season and SEC All-District Cross Country honors as a freshman; two-time All-District selection, an SEC Outdoor 5000 meter champion, and NCAA provisional qualifier in both the indoor and outdoor 5000 meters, setting Auburn’s school record in the event; competed at the NCAA Outdoor Track prelims in Boise, ID, and finished 10th overall in the 5000 meters at the Penn Relays; graduated from Auburn (1994) with a degree in human sciences/education and built a career as an educator and coach of indoor and outdoor track as well as cross country.
Richard Faulkner – Sanford Athletics coach for 30+ years
Faulkner is one of the most decorated coaches in SHS history, spending more than three decades as a physical education teacher and varsity coach in wrestling, football, and track — a career that produced championships, national recognition, and a lasting impact on generations of Sanford student-athletes.
Achievements – Football: Linebacker for the Sanford Redskins (1965-1967), earning 1st Team All-State honors (1967), before playing four years at the University of Maine. Wrestling (coach): Returned to SHS and taught for 34 years while building one of the finest wrestling programs in Maine history — leading the team to four state championships (1979, 1980, 1991 and 1992, with the 1992 team rated among the top 25 programs in the nation), regional championships on seven occasions, and a run of 45 consecutive dual meet wins (1980-1982); director of the Redskin Invitational for 23 years; named MHSCA Coach of the Year (1978), SMAA Wrestling Coach of the Year (1989, 1991), and was inducted into the Maine State Amateur Hall of Fame for Wrestling (2021). Football (coach): Served as an assistant under three head coaches — George Riley, Pat Conley, and Mike Fallon — contributing to the 1982 Class A runner-up team and the 1998 Class A State Championship before taking over as head coach in 2001 and leading the Redskins to the playoffs.
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