Hall of Fame
Kara (Buehler) Newtown was a standout defender for the Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team, helping lead Plattsburgh State to an NCAA Division III National Championship in 2007-08.
A key piece of a dominant defensive unit, she helped the Cardinals post 14 shutouts during the 2007-08 campaign. The Skaneateles, N.Y., native was a two-time First-Team All-ECAC West selection and earned AHCA Second-Team All-America honors in 2009-10 before being named an AHCA First-Team All-American in 2010-11.
In addition to those honors, she was also recognized as the Plattsburgh State Female Athlete of the Year in 2010-11 and was a SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete. Newtown finished her career with 53 points on nine goals and 44 assists.
Date of Induction into the Cardinal Sports Hall of Fame:
September 25, 2026
Where are they now:
Kara is currently entering her 12th year of being a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Salmon River CSD. In her classroom, students study American history starting with Native Americans and go through the Civil War. They do a lot of research & projects that engage students in their learning experience. She currently resides in North Lawrence, N.Y. She just welcomed her fourth child, Callahan, who is now six months old, this past February. He joined a squad of two sisters, Bennett, six years old, Reece, four years old but turns five on September 25, and a brother, Daxson, two years old. “As you can imagine, there is little quiet in the house, and there is always something going on! The three oldest kids are on skates and see the arena as a home away from home,” said Kara.
When asked about her greatest professional and personal accomplishments, Kara had this to say: “In my professional life, my greatest accomplishments are having my own classroom as well as the respect of my colleagues. Although I do not have an administrator role, I am still seen as a leader. Of course, my children are my top personal achievement. I am blessed to be able to be their guide for their lives. However, over the past year I have realized that success isn’t always measured by having fancy things but rather by the people in your life that show up without hesitation during all times. With that being said, another personal accomplishment of mine is finding friendships that have lasted for decades, many of which were forged here at Plattsburgh.”
Favorite Plattsburgh State Sports Moment:
“Of course, my ultimate favorite Plattsburgh State sports moment was winning the National Championship in 2008. Coming in as a freshman to the reigning National Championship team was nerve wracking and the expectation was that we would continue the win streak to claim another championship. All the hard work and dedication paid off and the celebration was absolutely memorable. The song ‘Sweet Caroline’ will always give me flashbacks to that final buzzer and being able to hoist that trophy up. Although not comparable to winning a National Championship, the fact I didn’t score much was comical to my teammates, so the few times I did score were pretty memorable.”
