Heather Elizabeth Tapper
Graduating class: 2004
Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2015
Hall of Fame Category: Athlete
Heather was born in New Bedford and raised in Fairhaven. She attended Wood Elementary School, Hastings Middle School and Fairhaven High School. She continued her education and soccer career at Simmons College graduating in 2012.
Heather was an outstanding student with a GPA of 3.01 and a three (3) sport athlete earning letters in basketball, track and soccer. Heather earned various awards such as a FHS Scholar Athlete Award as a junior, a FHS Community Service Award in 2004; and Certificates of Recognition for being named to the Girls’ High School Soccer & Track Super Teams. Heather was basketball MVP in Tournament games against New Bedford and Case High Schools. During her high school career from 2001 - 2004, Heather was named as a South Coast Conference (SCC) All-Star and/or to the SCC Super Teams for Track and Soccer more than once. She was named Honorable Mention to the 2003-2004 SCC Basketball All-Star Team.
She led the Blue Devils basketball team in rebounding with over 12 per game, despite standing just 5’ 6”. Dave Brogioli, her coach, said, “the Sophomore power forward has plenty of upside and considers her one of the top defensive players for Fairhaven.” Heather averaged 3.1 steals per game. This excellence of performance continued in her Junior and Senior years. She was always assigned to guard and frustrate the opponents top low post scorer. Heather was named the S-T Girl’s Basketball Player of the Week several times during her career.
Heather was outstanding in track doing the javelin, and the only SCC qualifier for the State Meet in 2004. In 2004 she was the State Champion with a throw of 115’ 6” and finished 8th in the New England's with a throw of119’ 5”. A versatile scorer, Heather was part of the long jump team, did the high jump, discus throw, 200 and 400, meter dash, 400, 800, and the 1600 meter relay. She excelled in the javelin and finished 1st or 2nd in dual meets and more than held her own at the State Meets. Heather continued to improve in the javelin going from 69’ 0” as a Freshman to 122’ 3” as a Senior and in the discus from 78’ 3” to 87’ 5”. The week before one of the dual meets she was told to practice the High Jump, an event she’d never done before. She cleared the bar (not an easy thing to do) and scored points for the team. Heather and her sister Jamie were a major reason the team won most meets.
Heather excelled as a midfielder in soccer. Her coach Sam Galvin said, “Tapper could have played anywhere for us. She was a very versatile and unselfish player with a great knowledge of the game and she’s a real tough competitor. She made a lot of good things happen for herself and her teammates with hard work and determination.” Heather and her sister Jamie were a Dynamic Duo and unstoppable on the soccer field. Heather was captain in 2004. Heather was a special Student Athlete who improved her performances each year from Freshman to Senior and found time to maintain a 3.01 GPA. The result of her Academic and Athletic performances was to be one of two (2) seniors awarded to have her name placed on the Mildred Parkinson Tunstall Cup.
After earning her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Simmons College, Heather began working for Southcoast Hospitals Group, first at Tobey Hospital and presently at St. Luke’s Hospital intensive care unit. She ran her first 1/2 marathon this past February, the New Bedford 1/2 sponsored by The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.