Betty Marquis made a great impact over her 45-year career as a teacher, coach, athletic director and school administrator, and on Wednesday, all of her contributions were acknowledged.

Marquis was the lone Warwick resident to be inducted into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening at the Crowne Plaza, authenticating all the work that she put in to mold students and student-athletes throughout her career.

“It verifies everything you’ve done over the years,” Marquis said of the honor. “Working with kids was always my No. 1 priority. I’ve loved doing everything I’ve done. There’s a feeling of joy associated with what I’ve done.”

From 1971 to 1994, Marquis taught health and physical education, logging most of those years in the Warwick school system, and also serving stints as athletic director and head of the Physical Education Department while at Pilgrim High School.

After Marquis retired from teaching, she spent the next 17 years in various administration roles at Warwick Vets, Pilgrim, Lincoln and Coventry. For her efforts, Marquis was recognized as the National Association of Secondary School Principals Assistant Principal of the Year in 1998, before winning the award for the Rhode Island Interscholastic Athletic Directors’ Association Administrator of the Year for 2005-06.

Over a 22-year period, Marquis left her print on girls’ athletics, coaching field hockey, basketball, volleyball and softball.

As a coach, Marquis was tremendously successful. She directed Pilgrim’s field hockey program to a 332-45-6 record in her time at the helm, clinching state championships in 1979 and 1981.

In fact, Marquis’ 1981 state championship team was the last Pilgrim field hockey team to win prior to the Pats clinching the Division II title on Sunday at Roger Williams University.

Marquis noted that she was set to go to the game on Sunday before the pouring rain deterred her from making the trip.

On Wednesday, however, the same night that Marquis was being inducted into the RIIL Hall of Fame, Pilgrim was taking on Tiverton at East Greenwich in the semifinals, and current Pilgrim head coach Stephanie Shields vowed to win in Marquis’ honor.

“The night of the induction ceremony, Stephanie made a comment that I had been inducted and they were going to win for me,” Marquis said. “It was a great honor because I coached the last field hockey state championship team at Pilgrim in 1981. It was great to see the two schools come together and achieve something great.”

That’s just an example of how well respected Marquis was, particularly in the Warwick athletic community.

Those acknowledged on Wednesday were distinguished individuals who achieved great things, whether it be on the athletic field, as a coach or in the classroom. Marquis certainly fit that criteria.

“I was ecstatic,” Marquis said of her reaction when she learned she was going to be inducted. “It was an incredible group that was honored. It was definitely an overwhelming honor.”