Ollestad earns Scholar Athlete award from National Football Foundation

Avon High’s Tim Feshler, left, and Scholar Athlete Ryan Ollestad

AVON – Senior Ryan Ollestad was recently named as a Scholar Athlete by the Doc Boisoneau Northern Connecticut chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Ollestad was one of 20 high school football honors with the Scholar Athlete award for excellence in academics, character/community service, leadership and football prowess.

He is the 16th Avon High football player to receive a Scholar Athlete award from the chapter since 1968 and the first Falcon to be recognized since Harrison Gill was honored in 2015.

Ollstead, who was Avon’s leading receiver this fall with 11 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown, was also presented with the Robert F. Farrell Award – presented to a Scholar Athlete recipient in honor of Farrell, an outstanding player at Bulkeley High in Hartford and in college.

His love of football led Farrell to become a high school official, where he was a top official on the high school and collegiate level for more than 30 years. Farrell was a charter member of the Northern Connecticut chapter, served as president and was a member of the chapter’s executive committee for many years.

Previous Avon High Scholar Athletes

1968 – Dennis Daly
1971 – Craig Lister
1974 – Marc Galiette
1984 – Scott Sadowsky
1987 – Michael Jud
1997 – Scott Gunn
1998 – Ian McNeill
1999 – Jon Hierl
2002 – Brendan Roche
2003 – Daniel Jamieson
2004 – Derek Kon
2008 – Mike D’Onofrio
2012 – Colin Moore and Chris Suttmeir
2015 – Harrison Gill