Page 5 - Winter 2023 Rochester Athletics Newsletter | University of Rochester

The couple’s gift, Hickton says, Hickton’s transferred what she’s
recognizes the importance of higher
education, coaching excellence, and
the impact of collegiate sports on
young lives. It also names the Hickton
Family Golf Training Center.
“Declan thrived at Rochester during
a very difficult time,” she adds, noting
that two years of his collegiate
experience ran parallel with the
pandemic. “Coach Dan Wesley was
always there for him and the other
students. He provided support,
inspiration, and mentorship.
“We wanted to
acknowledge and
celebrate that with
this gift, which for
me is also a way
to thank Rochester
for the wonderful
experiences I had
there.”
Hickton adds that great coaches, like
great leaders, bring out the best in
people and recognize that each person
has something that can help the team
be successful. She credits Coach Jane
Gibbons and the late Bill Boomer with
her success during college.
“Coach Gibbons trained us hard—six
days a week, twice a day, including
wet and dry land workouts,” she says.
“Coach Boomer’s bucket workouts
were some of the most memorable.
We each wore a contraption in the
water that connected us to a weighted
bucket. If we didn’t swim in constant
motion, we’d get pulled backward. I’m
sure we hated it at the time, but those
experiences made us stronger and
more resilient. They also made us
a tighter team.”
“My mom is the
learned in the pool to her career.
Today, she is the CEO and chair of most competitive
Cumberland Additive, Inc., a titanium person you’ll ever
3-D printing start-up. Formerly, she was
the executive vice president and chief meet,”
executive officer at Jacobs, NASA’s says Declan, who is now pursuing
largest services contractor. Before a career as a pilot in the aerospace
that, Hickton was the CEO of RTI industry.
International Metals and one of the few
women business leaders to manage “That’s why each
a publicly traded firm. In 2020, she of us in the family
served as the first woman chair of the
Federal Reserve of Cleveland. got into sports
and why she’s had
Throughout the years, Hickton has such a successful
remained an athlete. She credits
David and their children for continually
challenging her and providing new career. She has
opportunities to learn, play, and a motor in her
compete. “My kids have always
been into sports, and I’ve picked up and a contagious
whatever they enjoy,” she adds. For drive. It’s what has
instance, her sons, Conor and Dan, pushed all of us to
played ice hockey, so she learned
to skate. Her daughter, Bridget, is an be our best.”
equestrian, so now Hickton rides. And
her sons, Keenan and Declan loved
golf, so she picked that up , too.
When Hickton turned 50, she set a
new goal for herself: to run a marathon.
Two years later, she’s met that goal
and then some, having also raced in
two full and 13 half marathons. And, The Hickton Family Golf Training Center
right now, she and Declan are training
for the Miami half marathon in March —Kristine Kappel Thompson
of 2023.
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