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Stonington High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

Stonington High School will induct nine graduates and one coach into the Stonington High School Athletic Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Saturday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the SHS Café-Commons.

Along with those inducted in the past, the ten inductees represent the best of Stonington High School athletics from 1916 to 2000. Their selection was based on achievement, distinction, and contributions as student-athletes or coaches, to the honor, fame, and tradition to the athletic program at Stonington High School.

Those wishing to attend the SHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony should send a check for $35 per person to: SHS Athletic Hall of Fame Committee, c/o Dr. Stephen Murphy, Stonington High School, 176 South Broad Street, Pawcatuck, CT 06379. For seating purposes, please indicate the inductees you’ll be there to honors.

The inductees, in chronological order, are as follows:

		2011 Inductees
1916	Alvin Mawson
		Alvin Mawson earned varsity letters in football and baseball at Stonington High School. As a member of the football team, he started at tackle as a sophomore, and as a junior captained the team, starting at fullback and handling the kicking duties as the team went 7-1-1 and won its first Eastern Connecticut Conference championship. He also served as co-captain as a senior. He had a 6-0 record as a pitcher for the baseball team as a sophomore, and went 9-1 as a junior, batting .388, as the Bears won their first ECC championship with a 11-3 overall record. As senior captain, he batted .386 and was 5-2 on the mound. During a game against Norwich Free Academy in his senior season, he pitched 16 innings, striking out 16 batters, though the Bears fell by a 2-1 score. After graduating from SHS, he played in local baseball leagues, then enlisted in the United States Navy, and served his country during World War I. Although a war injury prevented him from resuming his baseball career, he served as Vice President of the Westerly Twilight League, and also worked at the Adams Express Company.
1924	Anthony Pupillo
		Anthony Pupillo participated in football, basketball, track, and baseball at Stonington High School. He was Class President as a senior, and Secretary-Treasurer of the “S” Club. After graduating from SHS in 1924, He attended Green Mountain College, and later graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he was a member of the basketball team. He taught at West Broad Street School and Stonington High School, also coaching baseball and football, eventually serving as assistant principal and then principal of Stonington High School. He later became a principal, then superintendent, in Plainville. Upon retirement, he taught at Briarwood Junior College and briefly served as interim president in 1982.
1939	John Gatchek
		Jack Gatchek participated in football, baseball, and track at Stonington High School. He was co-captain of the 1938 football team, which was Eastern Connecticut Conference co-champion and also ranked fourth in the State of Connecticut. He was named All-Eastern Connecticut by The Day in 1937, and earned All-ECC honors at tackle as a junior and senior. He played varsity baseball for three seasons, contributing as a pitcher, catcher, and outfielder. He batted over .400 as a junior, and as a senior batted over .300 and served as co-captain. He also participated in track in the spring as a junior and senior, earning Connecticut Class B All-State honors in the shotput in both years; he won the shot and discus events at the 1939 UConn Relays. After graduating from SHS, he was awarded a baseball scholarship to Elon College in North Carolina. He later worked at Electric Boat, where he played both football and baseball. He was a member of the Electric Boat team that participated in the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, Kansas, in 1941. He served in the United States Army during World War II.
1961	Dennis Dwyer
		Dennis Dwyer graduated from Stonington High School in 1961, and earned letters in football, basketball, baseball and track. He played on two Eastern Connecticut Conference championship teams, the 1958-59 basketball team and the 1960 football team. As a member of the football team, he earned All-ECC First Team honors as a junior and senior. His 98-yard run from scrimmage against Plainville is the longest in school history. He was named the outstanding player for SHS in the 1959 Armistice Day and the 1960 Thanksgiving Day football games against Westerly by the Stonington Police Association. For his many accomplishments in football, he received votes as one of the best athletes in Southeastern Connecticut, competing against athletes in all sports at the high school, college and semi-professional levels for an award sponsored by The Day newspaper. As a member of the track team, he served as captain in his senior year as the Bears finished second at the ECC conference championships. He participated in the 100-, 220-, and 440-yard dashes, and the 880-yard relay races as well as the shotput. He was undefeated in the shotput as a senior, and won the event at ECC Championship Meet, earning All-ECC First Team honors. In the state relays he was part of the third-place 880-yard relay team. He received a full scholarship to Staunton Military Academy in Virginia, leading the team to the Military Conference Championship in football and track. He transferred to the University of Rhode Island and continued playing football and track, and also attended Thames Valley College. He retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel after 42 years of both active and reservist duties. He is currently employed at Electric Boat.
1974	Pete Stefanski
		Pete Stefanski participated in basketball and golf at Stonington High School and lettered in each sport during each of his three years at SHS. He served as captain in both sports during his senior year. He excelled in golf, earning All-Eastern Connecticut Conference honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior, with the Bears winning the ECC title and qualifying for the state tournament in each of those years. In 1973 SHS won the inaugural Eastern Invitational, and he was medalist for the event. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University, he lettered in golf for four years, participating in three NCAA tournaments. As a senior, he was team captain and earned All-America honors. He held or tied the course record at five area courses over the years, and won club championships at Pequot, Shennecossett, and Elmridge. An employee of Electric Boat, he was been received the O.P. Robinson Award as the Electric Boat athlete of the year, and has won the Electric Boat Athletic Club Golf Championship a record seven times. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of New Haven.
1989	Matt Deary
		Matt Deary participated in soccer, basketball, and baseball at Stonington High School. A key member of the defense, he helped SHS win two Eastern Connecticut Conference soccer championships; the Bears were co-champions in 1987 and outright champions in 1988. In his junior year, the Bears advanced to the state semi-finals, and in his senior year, in which he served as captain and earned All-ECC and All-State honors, the Bears were state finalists with a 19-1 record. He also earned All-ECC and All-State honors in baseball as a senior, playing center field and leading the Bears with a .410 batting average. He was a four-year starter in soccer at Eastern Connecticut State University, serving as captain in his junior year when ECSU were Little East Conference co-champions, and earned Honorable Mention All-Little East honors as a senior, when ECSU won the conference championship. He is a Social Work Supervisor with the State of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families.
1994	Heidi Wentz Drake
		Heidi Wentz Drake was a three-year varsity starter in field hockey, basketball, and softball at Stonington High School. She was awarded the 1994 Athletic Achievement Cup as the top female athlete in her graduating class and served as co-captain of all three sports as a senior. As a member of the field hockey team, she was a part of three Eastern Connecticut Conference championships, and twice earned All-ECC First Team honors. She was also named All-State Second Team as a senior, when she led the team in scoring. She was a starter on the 1993-1994 Connecticut Class M championship basketball team. She was a dominant pitcher for the softball team, earning both All-ECC and All-State First Team honors twice. The Bears were ECC co-champions in 1994, and won their division in 1993. She led the Bears to the Class M state final in both 1993 and 1994. She pitched at Central Connecticut State University, earning All-Mid-Atlantic Conference honors as a freshman.
2000	Alex Jensen
		Alex Jensen is Stonington High School’s all-time leading scorer in boys basketball, and also participated in football and baseball during his years at SHS. He played football as a freshman, starting at varsity quarterback in the only year that he participated in the sport, and was named the Thanksgiving Day Offensive Player of the Game. As a member of the baseball team, he earned All-Eastern Connecticut Conference second-team honors as a senior. He excelled in basketball, and was named All-ECC during each of his four seasons. He also earned Class M All-State honors twice, with Second Team honors as a junior and First Team honors as a senior. He started all 92 games that SHS played during his four years at the high school, and scored a record 2,359 points, averaging 25.6 points a game. He holds the record for career 3-point baskets with 207. He was a two-year starter at Lehigh University, where he earned Patriot League All-Rookie honors as a freshman. He later played for two seasons at the University of Vermont, and was part of a Catamount team that participated in the NCAA tournament in 2005 He is Assistant Vice President and Senior Financial Analyst for Bank of America in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Coach	Jean Kenney Daly
		Jean Kenney Daly was instrumental in moving girls athletics forward at Stonington High School and throughout Connecticut. She was the first coach for SHS girls basketball under full-court rules, and started the SHS softball program She coached until entering administration, and was the principal of Stonington High School from 1973 until 1992. While principal, she was actively involved with the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). She served on the CIAC Girls Basketball Committee for many years, and was the Class M representative on the CIAC Board of Control. She was Secretary of the CIAC Board of Control in 1980-81, and President from 1981-1985. She became a member of the CAS-CIAC Board of Directors, serving as the Class M representative, Secretary, and Vice-President, and served as CAS-CIAC President from 1987-1989. She was named Connecticut High School Principal of the Year in 1986-87. She also served on the National Federation of High School Sports Associations, the national governing body for high school athletics. She was a member of the Executive Committee in 1980-81 as a representative of Section I (New England, New York, New Jersey) schools.
	Selection Committee	Permanent Members: Stephen H. Murphy, Ph.D., Principal; Bryan Morrone, Athletic Director Members: Samuel Agnello, David Erskine, Charlie Holdredge, Wayne Lawrence, Joseph McKernan, Jennifer Norcross, Larry Theadore, Ken Wilcox

James Crowley participated in football and baseball at Pawcatuck High School, and then participated in football, basketball, and baseball as a senior in the first year of a consolidated Stonington High School. He went on to Connecticut Agricultural College (University of Connecticut), where he played football and baseball, serving as captain of the baseball team in his senior year. He served with the United States Navy during World War I.

Henry Cragan earned letters in football, basketball, baseball, and track at while at SHS. In his senior year he captained the baseball team and was a member of the Eastern Connecticut-Western Rhode Island Conference champion track team. He later played football and baseball for Rhode Island State College (University of Rhode Island). A veteran of World War II, he retired from the Army Reserves in 1960 with the rank of colonel, and had a 40-year career with American Telephone & Telegraph. He also served as a member of the Stonington Board of Finance and as president of the Stonington Community Center.

Al Jeffrey participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track at SHS. As a junior he was a member of the Connecticut Class B champion track team, and as a senior was a key performer on the football team which won the conference championship and was named Connecticut Class B champion. He earned all-conference honors in football three times and as a senior was named second team All-State. After serving with the United States Marines during World War II, he was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Georgia. During his career at Georgia he played in three New Year's Day bowl games. He later was a highly successful high school coach in Forest Park, Georgia, and Sarasota, Florida.

Bob Squadrito participated in football, basketball, and track at SHS. A member of a conference co-champion football team in his junior year, he was two-time First Team All-Conference as a running back and co-captain in his senior year. He was a member of conference and state champion track teams and earned All-State status as a junior and senior, serving as captain in his senior year. As a junior, he won the 220- and 440-yard dash races and anchored the 880-yard runner-up relay team, also placing second in the 100-yard dash, at the conference meet; as a senior he took the 100-, 220- and 440-dash races and the broad jump. He won the 440-yard dash at the Connecticut Class B meet as a junior and senior. At URI he earned three letters in football and also had an outstanding track career. He was very active in the Mystic Chamber of Commerce for many years, and was one of the initial organizers of the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival.

George Rathbun participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track at SHS. A captain of the football team, he earned All-Eastern Connecticut Conference honors in his senior year. He was a member of the 1960 Connecticut Class B champion baseball team. As a member of the track team, he earned four state meet medals, and won the long jump at the state indoor meet in 1961. He also won the discus and the long jump at the ECC meet that spring. He retired from the Mystic Post Office after a 37-year career, and has been involved with the Knights of Columbus, the Maria Assunta Society at St. Michael Church, and the Pawcatuck Little League.

Tony Tavares participated in soccer and track at SHS. A member of the school's first soccer team, he earned First Team All-ECC honors as a forward. He set numerous school and ECC records in track, and his school records in the 100- and 200-meter races still stand after nearly 40 years. He retired after a 34-year career at Electric Boat and has volunteered with the Stonington Borough Fire Department, Steamers Engine Company #1.

Michael Cavanaugh participated in football, basketball, and baseball at SHS, earning nine varsity letters and All-ECC honors in each sport. He was awarded the Tuite Cup as the top male athlete of his graduating class, was a member of the National Honor Society, and president of the "S" Club. He later earned a B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. degree from the Albany Law School of Union University.

Carol Comrie participated in basketball and softball at SHS and was awarded the Athletic Achievement Cup as the top female athlete of her graduating class. A three-year starter at point guard in basketball, she earned All-ECC honors and served as team captain as a senior. As a member of the softball team, she earned First Team All-State honors as a pitcher in her junior and senior seasons and played a key role in SHS's ECC championship in 1986. She later played soccer, basketball, and softball at Mitchell College. She is a co-founder of the Old Forge (New York) Little League and has coached soccer, basketball, and softball in youth leagues as well as at the high school varsity level at the Town of Webb (N.Y.) School.

Tyler McCabe participated in football, cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track at SHS. During his only season participating in cross-country, he won both the ECC and Class M meets, and also earned All-New England status. During the indoor season, he won four ECC titles and two Class M titles during his four years. In outdoor track, he won ECC and Class M titles each season for four years, and was a member of Class M state champion teams in 1998 and 1999. He holds school records in the 800-, 1000-, and 1600-meter races and the sprint medley in indoor track as well as the 1600-, 3000-, and 5000-meter races and the sprint medley in outdoor track. He went on to a distinguished career at Providence College, where he was captain of the cross-country team as a senior and earned All-Big East honors in all three seasons that year. He was a part of three New England cross-country champion teams and in his senior year, PC won both the Big East and New England titles.

Tom McCoy has been involved with SHS athletics for over 30 years. He has worked with the boys and girls cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams, as a head coach, assistant coach, and volunteer, and also volunteered for one season with the girls lacrosse team. He was head coach for both boys and girls cross-country from 1995-2003, and during this time the boys team was state Class SS runner-up in 2000 and Class M champion in 2001, and won the ECC championship in 2002. He was instrumental in the creation of cross-country teams at Stonington's two middle schools, and established the annual middle school race which also includes runners from Saint Michael and Pine Point Schools. The Tom McCoy Fun Runs have been part of the local running scene for 34 years, and he represented the area as an Olympic Torch Carrier in 1984. He has been an active member of Saint Michael Parish and is a past recipient of the Westerly-Pawcatuck Service to Youth Award. A veteran of the Korean War, he retired after a long career at Electric Boat. He is a graduate of Forest Hills High School, Queens, New York, and Eastern Connecticut State University.

Ricky Collins participated in football and track at Stonington High School, holding the SHS record for the 100-yard dash from 1932 to 1974. He was a halfback on two Eastern Connecticut-Western Rhode Island Conference championship teams. He excelled in track, winning the conference championships in the 100-yard and the 220-yard races three times. He was the member of two Rhode Island Interscholastic Track Meet champions, and was named the outstanding performer at the 1932 meet. He was also Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook and a member of the student council. A veteran of World War II, he was also a longtime member of the Pawcatuck Fire Department.

Tony Alfiero was the captain of the first SHS boys basketball team to reach the finals of the state tournament. He also participated in football, track, and baseball at SHS. As a senior he also served as captain for the football and baseball teams. He earned All-ECC honors in football as a senior, and in basketball earned first team All-Class B Tournament and All-Boston Garden. He was an All-Class B performer in the 100-yard dash during his senior year. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.

John Mathewson participated in football and track at SHS, earning letters in both sports for four years. Mathewson earned first team All-Eastern Connecticut Conference honors in football as a junior. As a senior, he served as team captain and was awarded All-ECC and First Team All-State Class B honors. He was also an All-ECC performer in track as a junior and as a senior. He is a former reserve officer of the Stonington Police Department.

Doug Erskine participated in football, basketball, and baseball at SHS, earning ten varsity letters. As a member of the football team, he was part of an ECC championship in 1964 and earned All-ECC honors. As a member of the baseball team, he earned four letters and was named All-ECC as a junior and senior, with SHS taking the ECC championship in 1965. He also served as captain of the basketball team and president of the S Club as a senior. He went on to play baseball at Mitchell College, where he is a member of the Mitchell College Hall of Fame, and at Springfield College, where he was a member of a team that participated in the 1970 World Series in the college division. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of Hartford.

Jean Fiore participated in tennis and track at SHS. An outstanding performer in track, she was co-captain of the undefeated 1979 team which won the ECC championship and placed third at the Class M meet. She was the ECC champion in both the 100- and 220-yard races as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and in the 4 x 100-meter relay as a junior and senior. She placed in numerous events at the Class M meet in all three years. She was long jump champion as a sophomore, and a member of the championship 4 x 100-yard relay team as a junior. As a senior, she was a member of the 4 x 100- meter relay team. She was named the SHS Female Scholar-Athlete in 1979. She competed in track at Providence College for four years, and was named PC’s Female Scholar-Athlete in 1983. She also holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University.

Gretchen Mehringer-Stalters participated in track, gymnastics, and cheerleading while at SHS. As a member of the track team, she earned All-ECC and All-Class M honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior and served as team captain as a senior. She was part of state championship teams in the 4 x 100-yard relay as a sophomore and junior and won the 100 meter hurdles as a junior, setting a state record. She currently holds school records in the 100m, 200m, 100m hurdles, and 4x100m hurdles. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree from Long Island University.

Heather Woodbury participated in tennis, basketball, softball, and track at SHS, earning All-Eastern Connecticut Conference honors in all four sports. As a member of the tennis team, she earned All-ECC honors as a junior and senior, with SHS winning the ECC title in her junior year.  She earned All-ECC honors in softball as a junior. As a senior she participated in track, with SHS co-champions of the ECC that season.  She was undefeated in the 800 meter and 1500 meters, winning the ECC championship and setting school records in both.  She was also part of the ECC champion 4 x 400 meter relay team. She was All-ECC in basketball as a junior and senior and earned All-Class M honorable mention as a junior and second team as a senior. In her three years at SHS, the basketball team never lost a regular season game and won three ECC championships as well as the 1980 Class M title. She earned the Athletic Achievement Cup as a senior. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a doctorate from the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic.

Brynna Donn participated in field hockey and track at SHS. As a member of the field hockey team, she earned First Team Class M All-State as senior, and was a member of two ECC championship teams as well as the 1985 Class M runner-up. As a member of the track team, she earned All-State status three times, winning the 100m as a sophomore and senior and winning the 300m hurdles as a senior; she still holds the SHS record in this event. She competed in track at Brown University, where she set school records in the 400 meter hurdles and the pentathlon, also earning All-Ivy League honors in the pentathlon.

Heston Sutman participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track at SHS. As a member of the football team, he played quarterback and defensive back, earning All-ECC and All-State honors and serving as captain in his senior season. He was named the Westerly Sun’s offensive player of the decade for the 1980s. He was captain of the basketball team and earned All-ECC honors in track in his senior year. He participated in football at Central Connecticut State University, serving as captain in his senior year and earning All-ECAC honors as a receiver. He  holds the school record in receptions in a single game, single season, and career. He has coached football at CCSU, SHS, and Waterford High School, and is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Old Saybrook Public Schools.

Abby Gibney, a longtime physical education and health teacher in the Stonington Public Schools, has served as a coach for numerous teams at SHS, and was the Women’s Athletic Director for five years. Gibney established the gymnastics and boys lacrosse programs at SHS, and assisted in establishing the girls' lacrosse program. She has coached both lacrosse programs as well as cross-country and indoor track as a volunteer. She also coached junior varsity girls basketball for one year, coached gymnastics for five years, and track for twenty years. She was named the CIAC Coach of the Year in Women’s Track and Field, and was nominated for National High School Coaches’ Association Girls’ Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Her teams won ECC championships in 1978, 1979, 1981, and 1982, and were Class M runners-up in 1981, 1985, 1987, and 1993.

The Stonington High School Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee consists of Sam Agnello, Dave Erskine, Charlie Holdredge, Wayne Lawrence, Joe McKernan, Bryan Morrone, Steve Murphy, Jen Norcross, Larry Theadore, Kenny Wilcox.