CONCORD, NH—NHTI – Concord’s Community College is saddened to acknowledge the passing of Tom Walton, NHTI faculty member, athletics coach, and member of the NHTI Athletics Hall of Fame.
Tom Walton first became involved with NHTI when he served on the committee for the inaugural NHTI/Delta Dental 5K road race in Fall 2004. He stayed involved in this annual race every year since, and his involvement and ideas led to the creation of the Capitol Area Races Series.
NHTI began competing in men’s and women’s cross-country events in Fall 2006. Walton was selected as the first head coach for both teams and coached our students from 2006-2016, during which time he won 5 men championships and 5 women championships in the Yankee Small College Conference. He was named YSCC Coach of the Year 9 times – 5 for the men’s team and 4 for the women’s team – and his teams earned appearances in the USCAA national championships all 11 years. Under his guidance, NHTI runners Heather Searles won the 2008 USCAA championship and “Nacho” Hernando finished second at the 2013 national championship. With him as their coach, NHTI runners won 6 USCAA All-American awards. He was the proudest of his runners winning a combined 28 USCAA Academic All-American awards.
Walton was completely devoted to his runners as both athletes and people. He even became a justice of the peace so he could marry two of them. He was recognized as the Carl A. Lundholm Memorial Award winner in 2013 for contributions for the community and athletics, and was elected to the NHTI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
As a member of NHTI’s faculty, Walton developed and taught two courses through the Natural Sciences department: Personal Wellness, and Personal Fitness Training.
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NHTI – Concord’s Community College
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency. Visit NHTI.edu for more information.
Press Contact Amber Gavriluk | 603-230-4001 | [email protected]
