Box Score Dr. Betsy J. Andersen McShea '87
A 12-time letterwinner, Betsy Andersen was a two-time All-State honoree in soccer, basketball and track & field and a ten-time all-conference selection. She was a two-time USA Today All-America honorable mention selection in basketball and graduated as the all-time basketball leader in points (1,185) and rebounds (858) and the school record-holder in the javelin (131-2). As a senior, she became the program's first 1,000-point scorer on Jan. 27 with a 19-point performance against Enfield. A 5-foot-9 inch post player, Andersen keyed the two most successful teams in the history of the RHS girls' basketball program under RHS Hall of Fame coach Jim Martello. In her final two seasons, the Rams combined on a 42-5 overall record for a 79.1 winning percentage, and reaching the 20-win plateau in each of those seasons. As a junior, Andersen led the Rams to their first state championship final, averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds en route to becoming the program's first All-State selection. In a 55-47 semifinal-round win over Danbury, Andersen scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. As a senior tri-captain, she averaged 17.5 points per game and led RHS to 21 consecutive victories, the conference championship, and into the Class "LL" semifinals. In that semifinal loss to Danbury, Andersen drew her third personal foul a minute into the second quarter with her team leading by 17 points. With Andersen on the bench, Danbury outscored the Rams 20-2 to surge into its first lead. With Andersen, the basketball program qualified for the CIAC tournament every year, winning four of seven contests. As a sophomore, Andersen helped the Rams claim their first CIAC tournament ever, eliminating Manchester 38-33. As a four-time all-conference track athlete, Andersen learned under 2013 RHS Hall of Famer Harry Geraghty and helped the Rams to the conference title as a freshman. As a senior, Andersen was selected to receive the RHS Academic Scholar Award. Andersen cites head coach Martello and assistant coach Art Wheelock for her development as a player and person: "They strove to develop a balance between training for competition and enjoyment of the sport and our teammates," said Andersen. "They were instrumental in helping our team develop a cohesiveness that served us well. And they encouraged me to take a leadership role, making sure that I knew that they knew that I was more than up to the task." Serving as an "essential support system" throughout her career, Anderson singled out "Schragger and the Twins." Upon graduation, Andersen accepted a full basketball scholarship at Division I University of Hartford, where she averaged 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in a 103-game career. She currently ranks fourth all-time in program history in minutes per game (29.9) and is 11th in rebounds (580). Anderson earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Hartford and an M.S. and Ph.D in Mathematics from American University. She is currently employed as a professor of developmental mathematics at Richard Stockton College and resides in Hainesport, NJ with husband Matthew and their three children.
