Kevin Talbot is carrying the skill — and immense good will — he garnered as a Wildcat to his new role on the lacrosse team at Wesleyan.

Kevin, a 2020 graduate from Williston, just started his freshman year at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He was recruited to Wesleyan as a lacrosse player in the summer of 2019, and has been extremely motivated to excel both on the field and in the classroom ever since.

Kevin left his mark at Williston by becoming the best faceoff man in the history of the school. During his Williston career he set single season and career records for faceoffs and groundballs.  He was a four-year letterman for the varsity lacrosse team and was elected as one of four captains during his senior year.

Kevin’s success also went beyond the lacrosse field, as he was constantly competing for weight room records during his shortened senior year.

Mark Conroy, Williston’s Athletic Director, had Kevin as an advisee, and regarded him as one of the hardest working athletes during his tenure at school.

“He was an instant impact player for us when he arrived as a freshman, primarily because he was outstanding at faceoffs,” he said. “During his years at Williston, he went from being primarily a FOGO to a player that impacted the game in numerous ways.

FOGO stands for “face off go off,” which is the position of someone who takes the faceoff and gets of the field.

“I will say that off the field, you would be hard pressed to find a young man who was more dedicated to his development both in terms of this special skill (faceoffs) and his overall strength and fitness,” Conroy said. “He also probably spent more time in our fitness center then any student I could remember during his last three years.”

Conroy believes that Kevin’s work ethic and attitude for the game helped spark motivation in his teammates and peers at school.

“I think the largest impact Kevin had on Williston is that he brought a passion to the game of lacrosse that was infectious and inspired his teammates to do the same,” he said. “His commitment to lacrosse in season and out of season set a very high bar for his teammates.”

Connor Mooney, Head Coach of the Varsity Lacrosse team at Williston, was able to see Kevin develop first hand from a promising underclassman to a powerful leader, and is confident that Kevin will do the same thing at Wesleyan.

“Kevin was a unique player to coach during his time at Williston in the fact that he was so dedicated to his craft,” he said. “The biggest growth I saw in Kevin was as a leader. As a quiet underclassman he really improved his leadership skills and communication as a senior captain. I think the sky is the limit for Kevin at Wesleyan and we couldn’t be more proud of him.

“He has always wanted to be the best, and wants to prove that every single day,” added Mooney. “Wesleyan is one of the top programs in the NESCAC and all of Division 3 lacrosse. I believe he has a strong chance to start as a freshman this upcoming spring. The coaching staff at Wesleyan will certainly help to continue to develop Kevin as a player.”

Kevin is joining a lacrosse program with a very deep history, and before last years season was canceled due to Covid-19, the team had a record of 3-1 record.

Kevin has an extra sense of motivation going into this year after losing his senior season, and now he’s fighting for a starting spot.

“My motivation for lacrosse has increased a lot not only because I lost last season but also because it’s not like Williston where I had a guaranteed spot,” he told The Willistonian. “The competition is at a very high level and every practice is a fight for a starting spot for next season.”

He is working hard to balance his athletics and academic careers on campus, while also trying to remain social with all of the restrictions due to Covid.

“School is hard and online classes are tough because it’s easy to get distracted,” he said. “The social scene has been surprisingly good for the circumstances. The people are really cool and my dorm is huge so there are a lot of people in it.”

Coach Mooney emphasized the legacy that Kevin left on the Williston lacrosse program, and is confident that he will be able to leave a similar legacy at Wesleyan.

“Kevin has left a massive legacy within our program,” he said. “He has been one of our best examples of working hard to reach your goals. Kevin was one of the best faceoff men in all of NEPSAC for multiple years. He had an impact on every single game we played in.”