It is one thing to be good at two different sports at the
college level. It is quite an accomplishment to be a record-setting
performer in two sports—a feat accomplished by Dave
Helming.
Helming began his basketball career with a standout season on
the junior varsity. During the 1960-61 campaign, he led all players
with a 14.6 points-per-game scoring average. The Bristol, Conn.,
native broke onto the varsity team as a sophomore and began to show
his skills on the glass. He averaged 5.0 rebounds a game and
sparked the Engineers to an overtime win over Suffolk.
Rebounding was a key ingredient to the 1962-63 team and Helming
played a big role for the Crimson and Gray. The junior did his
part, averaging 5.4 boards per game as the team corralled an
average of 46.4 caroms per contest. The winter saw its share of
huge WPI victories, including a scintillating 71-66 upset of
Springfield, a team that was ranked second in New England and later
in the season knocked off powerful Holy Cross in the Worcester
Auditorium.
Helming really flourished as a senior under headcoach Charlie
McNulty. During the 1963-64 season he posted career-bests of 11.9
points and 12.2 rebounds per game. He was part of a balanced, yet
potent, offensive attack that featured fellow double figure scorers
Dave LaRue and Hall of Famers Bill Nims, Larry Penoncello.
“I had the privilege of playing basketball with Dave in
both high school (Bristol Eastern) and college,” commented
Penoncello. “Dave was well respected by his peers because he
would never be outworked by anyone in either practice or a
game.”
Arguably, Helming’s best game came in mid-February in a
91-85 home victory against Coast Guard. Helming poured in 26 points
and gobbled up a jaw-dropping 26 rebounds in the win over the
Bears. The rebounding total set the new single school record and he
became just the second person in the history of the WPI program to
register a 20-20 game.“
Dave never wanted attention directed towards him,” noted
Steve Hebert, a Harrington Award recipient. “In fact,
‘Moose’ worked hard to make others look
good.”
Helming did not limit himself to setting records on the
basketball court. A four-year participant for track and field, he
served as team captain in 1964 and set the new school record in
javelin, launching it over 186 feet.
He graduated from WPI in 1964 with a degree in civil
engineering. He returned to Tech in 1965 and obtained a master's
degree in civil engineering. During his graduate year, he served as
WPI's assistant varsity basketball coach and also coached the JV
team.
Following his years at WPI, Helming first worked at his father's
construction company and then entered the US Army where he served
nearly three years in the Corps of Engineers until his discharge as
a 1st Lieutenant in 1969. He then began a 38-year career with the
Public Service Enterprise Group in New Jersey, holding a number of
senior management positions until his retirement in 2007.
Dave and his wife, Peggy, reside in Flemington, New Jersey. They
have been active in breeding and exhibiting Newfoundlands and
Portuguese Water Dogs for approximately 40 years, along with
participating in many clubs dedicated to dog-related
activities.
