Mr. Singleton, Katie Walker’02, Ed Carter’96, and Mrs. Soderberg smiling during halftime at Academy vs. Wellington Hall of Fame . (Milana Biswas/Staff)
On Saturday, February 5, the Academy community recognized two alumni, Ed Carter’96 and Katie Walker ‘02, who made remarkable achievements as athletes during their time at CA. The troubles of COVID-19 suspended this ceremony, scheduled in 2019, but the Athletic department honored them during a pre-game ceremony and a halftime recognition during the CA vs. Wellington basketball match.
Carter, son of Middle School Dean, Susan Carter, and brother of Middle School teacher, Matt Carter ‘00, earned 7 varsity letters in tennis, cross country, football, and basketball. He was a cross- country team captain of and a district qualifier as an individual in 1995. Additionally, during his tennis career, Carter was a singles runner-up in the 1996 OHSAA State Tournament and earned fourth place in the State Finals as a freshman. Because of his striking performance, he was the 1996 recipient of the John Noble Award for the best high school tennis player in Central Ohio, as well as the OHSAA district champion all four years of high school. After graduating from CA, Carter played 4 years of tennis at Arizona State University in both singles and doubles as a varsity starter and continued his tennis career as a professional and college coach at the University of Texas.
Walker played basketball, track and field, and volleyball, earning 12 varsity letters by her 2002 graduation. In volleyball, she received an all-league honorable mention as a 9th grader and was MVP her senior year. As a basketball captain, she was second team all-district as a junior, team MVP, and all-district honoree as a senior. Her track and field career was most impressive, being an MVP her sophomore, junior, and senior years and was an all-region, two-time district winner, and regional champion in the long-jump. She became a state runner-up as a senior in long jump, and she still holds the school record for long jump, as well as the 4×200 and 4×400 relays in which she ran the anchor leg. Following graduation, Walker played basketball, track and field, and volleyball at Kenyon College, where she is the current record-holder in the long jump and 55-meter dash. Carter finished her college career as a three-time All-American in long jump and returned to Academy to help coach Middle School, JV, and Varsity volleyball. Along with all of Walker’s achievements, she is the first African-American female in Academy history inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Mr. Carter and Ms. Walker’s portraits are featured in the hallway between the Jones and Mack gyms, along with the other inductees, dating back to as early as 1936.
