In every gym, on every field, and across every stage of life, athletics shape leaders. This Women’s History Month, as the Mount Vernon community rallies toward the finish line of the Let’s Do This Capital Campaign, we pause to celebrate the women who have defined what it means to compete with purpose. From Olympians and professional athletes to collegiate standouts, coaches, and mentors, Mount Vernon women embody the enduring lessons athletics teach: resilience, leadership, collaboration, and the courage to push beyond limits.
Their achievements span the spectrum of sport, from world stages to high school championship seasons, but what unites them is not just victory. It is impact.
Competing on the World Stage
Some Mount Vernon faculty and staff have taken their talents to the highest levels of competition.
Assistant Athletic Director Rita Williams rose to national prominence as a standout basketball player at the University of Connecticut before becoming a WNBA All-Star with the Indiana Fever. Her career has been recognized in both the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame, the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, and winning the Big East Most Outstanding Player.
Lower School faculty and Varsity Swim and Dive Coach Kylie (Stewart) Martinez represented Team USA from 2012–2019, competed for the University of Georgia, and helped the Bulldogs win the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming National Championship. Her accomplishments include a Junior World Championship gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke and multiple national age-group records.
For Leah Hannon, Head of Middle School, Olympic aspirations in weightlifting took her around the world with the USA Junior National Team, earning gold at the Louis Cyr International in Quebec. While her path eventually led to music in college, the discipline, strength, and focus forged through athletics remain central to her story.
Middle School faculty and Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Jordan Greenleaf played at Auburn University, where she earned SEC honors, and later played professionally overseas in Peru, Portugal, and Finland, exemplifying how Mount Vernon women take their grit beyond local courts.
Leadership Beyond the Game
Athletics at Mount Vernon are more than competition, they are a platform for leadership.
Middle School faculty and coach Kourtnay Y. Abernathy, inducted into the Miles College Hall of Fame for basketball and softball, continues to inspire as part of the college’s inaugural Top 50 Under 50 alumni class.
Chief IDEA Officer Dr. Stacey Jones Lee competed in volleyball and track and field at Bowdoin College, throwing hammer, shot put, discus, and the 20-pound weight, and earned NCAA All-American honors. Her athletic achievements were recently recognized with induction into the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor.
Other Mount Vernon leaders built remarkable collegiate careers before joining the school. Margaret Gunter, Director of Grade 9 Counseling and Academic Support, played collegiate basketball, while Kelli Bynum, Upper School Director of Counseling Services, excelled in both field hockey and lacrosse, earning MVP honors, hall of fame inductions, and regional recognition. Reflecting on her experiences, Bynum says, “Sports were the best way to build relationships in college while learning a lot about myself…Every athlete is part of something greater, and each of us has more to give than we think we do.”
Lessons That Last a Lifetime
For many, the most important wins aren’t measured on a scoreboard. Krista Fancher, Director of Innovation Diploma, reflects on the life lessons sport delivered: resilience in the face of failure, the power of collaboration, and the discipline of incremental improvement. She often shares two truths she learned through athletics: When we think we’re on empty, there is always something left in the tank…and there is no traffic on the extra mile. These lessons resonate across generations of Mount Vernon athletes.
Coaching the Next Generation
Mount Vernon athletics also build the environment where future athletes can thrive. Jennifer Brown, Athletic Director of Engagement & Experience and Varsity Cross Country Coach, was recently named a Positive Coaching Alliance National Coach of the Year Finalist—one of just 28 coaches recognized from more than 250 nominations nationwide. Her work exemplifies Mount Vernon’s mission: cultivating confident leaders who understand that teamwork, perseverance, and integrity extend far beyond the game.
A Legacy Still Being Built
From championship seasons and collegiate careers to coaching, mentoring, and leading, the women of Mount Vernon Athletics demonstrate that sport is more than competition—it is preparation for life. As the school approaches the final push of the Let’s Do This Capital Campaign, their stories remind us why investing in athletics matters. Fields, courts, and training spaces are more than facilities, they are classrooms where character is forged, leadership is discovered, and purpose begins to take shape.
For generations of Mount Vernon women, that journey is only just getting started.
