BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins University wrestling coach Keith Norris has announced the launching of a campaign to support the Bradlee Hillier LaMontagne Legacy Fund.  Created in honor of Bradlee LaMontagne, a member of the Blue Jay wrestling program who died in a tragic boating accident in December 2020, the initiative was created to ensure his legacy and impact on the program continue into the future.
 
LaMontagne, who had been elected a captain for what would have been his junior season in 2020-21, chose to attend Johns Hopkins so that he could make a difference in the world.  After arriving on campus as a freshman in the fall of 2017, he quickly established himself as a hard-working, exceptional teammate within the wrestling program.  More importantly, he became an active leader on campus and demonstrated four characteristics with everything he did:  Drive, Discovery, Balance and Passion.
 
Drive – Quite simply, LaMontagne had a "no quit" attitude that served as an inspiration not only on the mat, but in every aspect of his life.  Moving forward, his initials, BL, will be added to the team singlets, headgear and other team-issued items to ensure Blue Jay wrestlers remember his unwavering drive.
 
Discovery – A biology major with a computer science minor, LaMontagne was active in a variety of clubs on campus.  To support his many other interests, the team's annual "Black and Blue Brawl" (an intersquad scrimmage that opens the season each year) will be renamed "Bradlee's Brawl" and will be used a fund-raiser with all proceeds supporting different clubs and organizations on the Homewood campus.
 
Balance – A native of Virginia Beach, LaMontagne loved the outdoors and understood that friendships were essential to life; he loved bringing people together.  To that end, the Blue Jay wrestling team is formulating plans to host an annual Spikeball Tournament on campus to bring the Hopkins community together.
 
Passion – Among LaMontagne's many loves, or passions, was wrestling.  There are two levels to the Legacy Fund, the first of which is an initiative to name the Johns Hopkins wrestling room the "Bradlee Hillier LaMontagne Wrestling Room."  Funds will be utilized to enhance the current room and training equipment that will help each Blue Jay wrestler reach their full potential and attract high-level student-athletes.
 
Legacy Fund Benchmarks:
Our goal is to honor Bradlee and his legacy through funding an endowment to support our most pressing annual programmatic needs, and to name the wrestling room the Bradlee Hillier LaMontagne Wrestling Room. If you would like to join in our efforts to honor Bradlee, please consider making a gift towards the endowment.
 
Please contact Meredith Rosenblatt in Blue Jays Unlimited with specific questions about the Bradlee Hillier LaMontagne Legacy Fund (mrosenblatt@jhu.edu).