NHTI Athletic Hall of Fame
A Concord native found a place to keep playing the sport and the sports she treasures right here at NHTI. Lauren attended Keene State College her freshman year and then transferred to NHTI where she discovered the challenges and opportunities at NHTI she was craving athletically and academically. She became a member of our NHTI basketball team and softball team. And Lauren also served as an assistant coach for NHTI women’s basketball after her playing days ended.
The smile of Lauren tells a huge story always. She has always maintained a great positive outlook on so many things in her life. Even a knee injury couldn’t keep her down. She fought hard to overcome a torn ACL injury that occurred in her sophomore year in high school that might have kept others from continuing their competitive career.
Lauren is the oldest from a family of 12 children. She has set a good example for her family with many personal achievements in sports, the classroom and in the real world now as a physical education teacher in Franklin, NH
Lauren possessed a myriad of moves with her back to the basket or as a faceup offensive threat. Her jump shot was consistent and deadly especially from 15 feet or closer to the hoop. During the 2005-2006 season, Lauren finished in the top ten for both scoring and rebounding with the USCAA.
Lauren used a combination of strength, her head for the game, along with a soft shooting touch to outsmart, outscore and outrebound opponents consistently. In the post, she used exceptional lower body strength and sound head fakes to get good shots in tight space. She was a master of the up and under! And when NHTI needed a big bucket and the game was on the line or we needed a basket to change momentum, NHTI would run a play to get her the ball for the win.
Lauren’s career at NHTI in women’s basketball playing for Coach Shelley Winters and Coach Ben Hill was fantastic with her earning YSCC all-conference honors, Academic All-American, second team All-American, team MVP honors and the William O’Claire female athlete of the year award.
Serving as a team captain, Lauren was a key contributor for our Lynx team that lost in the YSCC finals. A bid to the USCAA Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma was earned.
At the USCAA National Tournament against D-1 schools from around the country. The competition was fierce and NHTI was always outsized and outmanned at the National tournaments held in Tulsa, Oklahoma at that time.
Her career continued at Plymouth State where she earned a number of team awards and all LEC Defensive team recognition in 2008. Most importantly, Lauren continued her education after NHTI earning her Bachelor of Science in Health Fitness and then her Master’s degree in Physical Education and Health Education from PSU.
Lauren Daniels Last and her husband Josh reside right here in Concord with their two dogs Lola and Bella.
On behalf of NHTI Athletics, let’s welcome Lauren Daniels Last on stage for her induction to the NHTI Athletic Hall of Fame
