ARPS Coach Leila Tunnell Named to Ultimate Hall of Fame Class of 2026 

Source: Amherst Regional Public Schools

Leila Tunnell, Amherst Bx Varsity Ultimate co-coach, has been selected for induction into the Ultimate Hall of Fame Class of 2026. 

Tunnell has served as a co-coach of Amherst’s varsity ultimate program alongside Joe Costello since 2014. In addition to coaching student-athletes, she works with elementary students as an Amherst and Pelham Public School Garden Educator through the districts’ Garden Education Program.  

Hall of Fame Selection 
Tunnell was initially selected as one of 10 finalists in the Women’s Division before advancing through the Ultimate Hall of Fame’s final voting process and being selected for the Class of 2026. 

Her playing career included competition at Paideia High School, Connecticut College, UNC Pleiades, Ozone, Raleigh Phoenix, and Boston Brute Squad. 

Tunnell co-founded Raleigh Phoenix and later played with Boston Brute Squad, which won consecutive USA Ultimate Club National Championships in 2015 and 2016. 

Her individual honors include the 2011 Callahan Award, 2014 Kathy Pufahl Spirit Award, and 2015 Ultiworld Club Player of the Year. Internationally, she competed with U.S. national teams and was part of the U.S. Women’s National Team that won gold at the 2016 World Ultimate and Guts Championships. 

Tunnell will enter the Hall of Fame alongside her longtime teammate and Amherst Regional High School alumna Amber Sinicrope. 

“I am incredibly honored to share this recognition with my good friend, long-time teammate, and ARHS alum (class of ’07), Amber Sinicrope,” Tunnell said. “Amber and I first met as opponents at the Amherst Invitational back in ’03, and we’ve been close friends ever since!” 

“Having someone with Leila’s level of experience, talent, and understanding of the game working directly with our student-athletes is something very special,” Superintendent Dr. E. Xiomara Herman said. “Our students have the opportunity to learn from someone who has competed at the highest levels of her sport, but even more importantly, they have a coach who understands how to turn that experience into opportunities for young people to grow. Leila is a wonderful example of the exceptional talent we are fortunate to have throughout ARPS.” 

ARPS Athletic Director Victoria Dawson congratulated Tunnell on the recognition, saying, “No surprise that Leila made the Hall of Fame! I never had the opportunity to see her play, but I do know her as a person,” Dawson said. “She is a phenomenal coach and an even better person. Congratulations, Leila! Well deserved!”

Tunnell’s induction also continues Amherst’s representation within the Ultimate Hall of Fame. Previous inductees with connections to the Amherst community include ARHS alumnus Josh Ziperstein, former ARHS teacher and ultimate program founder Tiina Booth, and Tunnell’s brother Dylan Tunnell, an Amherst firefighter and UMass men’s ultimate coach. 

“It is deeply meaningful to join the ranks of other influential Amherst community members, including HoF inductees Josh Ziperstein (ARHS ’01), Tiina Booth (ARHS teacher and ultimate program founder), and my brother Dylan Tunnell (Amherst firefighter, and UMass men’s team coach), as well as fellow Hall of Fame nominees Emily Baecher and Johanna Neumann to name just a few,” Tunnell said. 

Tunnell’s Work Across ARPS 
In addition to her work with the Amherst varsity ultimate program, Tunnell serves students in the Amherst and Pelham elementary schools through the Garden Education Program. 

As a Garden Educator, Tunnell works directly with elementary students in school garden environments as part of the district’s educational programming. 

Her two roles allow Tunnell to work with ARPS students at both the elementary and secondary levels, including elementary students through garden education and student-athletes through the Amherst ultimate program.