NH's top athletes, coaches, officials honored at The Leaders celebration
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BEDFORD — Jeff Cousineau aims to be a good Sherpa.
The Derryfield School boys soccer coach since 1997, Cousineau strives to help his players reach their goals.
“I don’t carry them to the top of the mountain, but I’ll walk alongside them,” Cousineau said. “They fall down, I help them up. They start to doubt themselves, I’m there just to try and tell them, ‘You can do this.’”
Cousineau was among the nine New Hampshire coaches who received the Walter A. Smith Award at the 65th edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader’s “The Leaders: A Celebration of New Hampshire Sports Champions” banquet on Sunday at Manchester Country Club.
“For all of my players — past and present — this award reflects on them and I so appreciate the opportunity to be part of this,” Cousineau said. “That’s why this award means a lot to me.”
Cousineau received the Walter A. Smith Coaches Award alongside Pinkerton Academy boys soccer coach Kerry Boles, Merrimack High School track and field coach John Snell, Winnisquam Regional High School baseball coach Fred Caruso, former Winnisquam volleyball coach Mike Livernois, former Nashua South football coach Scott Knight, former Campbell High School spirit coach Renee Lubinski, former Nashua High basketball coach George Noucas and former Belmont High School and Gilford High School outdoor track and field coach Joe Wernig.
The 2025 Union Leader Athletes of the Month, Male and Female Athletes of the Year, James Desmarais Special Recognition, Carl Lundholm Memorial, William Loeb Scholar Athlete, Ty Abate, and John R. Clark Officials award recipients were also recognized.
Londonderry High School softball pitcher Elisabeth Kearney won the Jenny Thompson Female Athlete of the Year Award.
During her junior season last spring, Kearney, last June’s athlete of the month, tossed six no-hitters and finished the season with an 18-0 record, 0.46 ERA and 292 strikeouts, helping Londonderry to a second straight NHIAA Division I title.
“God has blessed me with an amazing gift and with the most loving and supportive parents I could ever ask for,” said Kearney, a Stonehill College commit. “God has also surrounded me with the best coaches, mentors and teammates that push me to be better every single day. I love to compete and I’m grateful for each and every moment of this journey.”
The Robert “Red” Rolfe Male Athlete of the Year Award went to Bedford High School football and boys lacrosse player Bennett Matthews, last year’s November Athlete of the Month.
Matthews, a senior, quarterbacked Bedford to an undefeated season and NHIAA Division I title. He threw for 1,334 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 1,226 yards and 21 TDs.
In lacrosse as a junior last spring, Matthews was chosen as the Division I Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-Division I First Team.
“Obviously, it’s a blessing to get this award and I definitely was not expecting it,” Matthews said.
Mike Sartorelli, who has coached Concord Little League for 55 seasons, was honored with the James Desmarais Special Recognition Award.
In his acceptance speech, Sartorelli, 73, said he felt a little embarrassed receiving an award for something he has fun doing.
“When I played Little League in Concord many years ago, I was blessed to have a very kind and patient coach,” Sartorelli said. “When I became an adult, I decided that being involved with Little League would be my way to give back to the community that I love. My goals have never changed: to give kids a chance to play ball, to feel good about themselves and to help them find ways to succeed.”
Keene resident Kevin Watterson received this year’s Carl Lundholm Memorial Award for his decades of dedication to baseball in his community.
Watterson, 73, helped start Keene’s Cal Ripken Bambino League, coached in Keene’s Babe Ruth league and Keene Legion Post 4 and has been president of the Keene Swamp Bats New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) team since its founding in 1997.
The Swamp Bats won their sixth NECBL title last summer.
Watterson’s message to the athletes at the banquet was to remember and thank their teammates who helped them achieve their successes.
“Years from now, when you look back upon your careers, I assure you the most meaningful memories will be of those teammates,” he said.
Milford High School senior Anagha Pillai received the William Loeb Scholar Athlete Award. Pillai plays volleyball, basketball and tennis at Milford and serves as her class vice president.
New Ipswich resident and golfer Josiah Hakala won both the Ty Abate Award and the July Athlete of the Month award.
Named after the longtime Union Leader sportswriter best known for his golf coverage, the award is given to the golfer age 19 or under who posts the lowest score in stroke play at the New Hampshire Amateur Championship. At age 18, Hakala shared medalist honors and then won the State Am in July at Rochester Country Club.
Eight officials received the John R. Clark Award: Ray Baillargeon, Kathy Campbell-Kelley, John Fulton, Gary Custer, Terry Kukesh, Mike Lafond, Donna Plumb and Tim Purrington.
A three-sport athlete while at Keene High School and a former gymnastics and field hockey coach, Campbell-Kelley has officiated both field hockey and lacrosse since the late 1990s.
“Athletics is so life-changing,” she said. “It teaches you discipline, teamwork, so many different things and I’m so happy to be part of it still.”
