Some of the first members of the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame. From left: Victor Krasij , Kelly McCollum Sheetz , Madison Kennedy, Bonnie Tyler, Bob Summers, Marty deLivron, Jason Fox, Lindsay Horbatuck and Kia McNeill. More photos from the banquet.
AVON, May 18, 2022 – They could have talked for hours with the stories and the memories flowing freely. Some came from far away – Chicago, Washington, D.C., Charleston, South Carolina — and some simply drove across town.
The Avon High Booster Club’s long-awaited and highly anticipated first Hall of Fame banquet was held on Wednesday night at the Golf Club of Avon with ten individuals and one team as part of the first class of the Avon High Athletic High Hall of Fame.
They might have played different sports and played in different eras but one thing was consistent – their love for their life in Avon, growing up in this town with their friends and family, their time at the high school and the coaches and teammates that made those moments special.
“Life is full of decisions. We make good decisions. We make bad decisions. But, I made a great decision when I decided to coach in Avon,” long-time field hockey coach and physical education teacher Bonnie Tyler said.
“I am so proud to be from Avon, Connecticut,” said swimmer Madison Kennedy, who has been part of three U.S. teams at the world championships. “They say, where is that? (I say) it’s very small. It’s quaint. It’s the best place to grow up.”
Former coaches Martin deLivron (baseball, boys soccer) and Tyler (field hockey, basketball), and former athletic director Bob Summers were honored along with athletes Jason Fox (Class of 1991), Lindsay Horbatuck (2009), Madison Kennedy (2005), Victor Krasij (2001), Kia McNeill (2004), Richard (Dick) Migli (1970) and Kelly McCollum Sheetz (1991).
The 1968 Avon High baseball team that won a Class C state championship was also inducted. ESPN sportscaster Karl Ravech, who has lived in Avon for many years, was the master of ceremonies. He conducted a brief interview with each inductee before they shared a brief speech.
Bonnie Tyler receives her award at the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony at The Golf Club of Avon. More photos from the banquet.
Fox said his love of soccer began here in Avon, tagging along with his brother for pickup games on Andrea Lane. He praised deLivron, his high school coach here in Avon. An All-American soccer player at Avon, Fox played on Falcon soccer teams that went to the state finals four times and won three championships.
“So many amazing memories,” Fox said. “We won a lot. Perhaps, that is why it was so fun
We had a lot of great players,” he said. “Here is what I learned great players win games and we won a lot of them. Great players win a lot of games, but great teams win championships. We were a great team due to one person and that is coach deLvron. He was such a positive role model for us young guns in the day and he made us better students, better athletes and better people. We really thank you for that.”
Krasij was an All-American soccer player at Avon, scoring 37 goals and dishing out 57 assists. He helped the Falcons win the Class M state title in 2000.
“Soccer was a way to be more social,” he said. “My networks and friendships were developed through soccer and I have maintained those relationships to this day. I was known as the playmaker. I enjoyed sneaking the ball through to those guys.”
McNeill was a two-time All-American soccer player at Avon, helping the Falcons win three state championships.
“I find it nearly impossible to find the words to quantify the gratitude I have for this town, the community, the school system, the friends, the coaches, the teachers, my family,” she said. “This is the community that has literally given me my foundation and values for life. A lot of what I observed absorbed and learned and tried to emulate to this day came from to the people in this room.”
McCollum Sheetz played three sports in Avon, earning 12 letters. She began playing field hockey in middle school because at that time, there was no middle school soccer team. She played field hockey at Northwestern University and eventually coached the Wildcats.
McCollum-Sheetz talked about the lessons she learned through sports that she strives to carry through her life – rising to adversity and challenges, being part of something that is greater than yourself and taking advantage of opportunities.
Some members of Avon High’s 1968 baseball team that won the Class C state championship at the Hall of Fame induction dinner with dinner host Karl Ravech of ESPN, far right. More photos from the banquet.
Tyler grew up in Maine and came to Avon as a young teacher. She didn’t intend to stay but is glad she did. She established the field hockey program in Avon, re-energized the girls basketball program and provided intramural opportunities for many students during her 33-year career here.
“They said you can’t go home again but I know you can because I am home tonight in the town that I was fortunate enough to teach and coach in for 33 years,” Tyler said. She praised her students and players for helping her grow throughout her career. “Each and every one of them was unique and they challenged me to the best that I could be,” she said.
Many members from the 1968 Avon High baseball team attended the banquet. Their head coach – Dick Kelliher – wasn’t much older than the players he coached. He was in his second season in Avon after graduating from the University of Maine, where he played baseball on a Black Bear team that went to the College World Series in 1964.
Kelliher believed in a tight-knit team. Kelliher and his wife would invite the players to their home in Canton before games to strengthen the bonds between teammates. “They would come over before games and bring drinks, potato chips and so forth,” he said. “They did it one time before the tournament and won (the game) and they continued each and every game after that.”
Kelliher didn’t stay in Avon for his entire career but this team was special. “In all of my coaching years in baseball, football and basketball, these young men were the most coachable and most enjoyable I have ever had the pleasure to coach or be associated with,” he said. “Gentlemen, you were the best and you proved it.”
Summers, who is 93, was the oldest inductee at the event. He began the Avon High athletic program when the school opened in September, 1958. He hired Tyler, deLivron and many of the other coaches in the room. He retired from Avon in 1995.
Ravech asked Summers what his favorite sport was but Summers didn’t give away any secrets. “When you are the athletic director, you need to be involved in all sports and treat them equally,” he said.
Ravech asked about the secret of a long life. “Proper diet and exercise. That helps,” Summers said as the crowd giggled seeing that Ravech was looking for few more details that he wasn’t going to get.
And when the microphone squealed with feedback during his remarks, Summer asked, “Am I doing something wrong?”
Ravech replied, “No, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re 93. You’re killing it.”
A quick summary about each inductee.
Martin DeLivron: DeLivron was the boys soccer and baseball coach for many years at Avon. He was the varsity coach for 22 years, winning 330 matches and leading Avon to six state championships and 11 appearances in the finals. He was the varsity baseball coach for 36 years, winning 483 games and leading the Falcons to eight league championships in the Northwest Conference (3) and the North Central Connecticut Conference (5).
Jason Fox (Class of 1991): Jason was an All-American soccer player, who helped lead the Falcons to four state championship games, winning three. A two-time All-New England player, he scored 57 goals at AHS and went on to play at Notre Dame.
Lindsay Horbatuck (2009): An All-State player in basketball and lacrosse, Horbatuck helped lead the Avon High girls basketball team to their first state championship in 2009 where she was named MVP of the Class M state tournament. A two-time All-State player in basketball, she played collegiately at Bucknell and played professionally in Bulgaria and Australia.
Madison Kennedy (2005): She earned All-American honors five times swimming in high school before going on to swim in college at Rutgers and California-Berkley, qualifying to swim in four U.S. Olympic Trials events and swimming on three U.S. world championship teams, winning seven medals, including four gold medals.
Victor Krasij (2001): He played soccer for four years at Avon, scoring 37 goals and dishing out 57 assists. Krasji helped the Falcons win the 2000 Class M championship with Krasij earning All-New England and Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year honors.
Kia McNeill (2004): She played four years of soccer at Avon, helping the Falcons to win three straight Class M championships (2001-04). A two-time All-American selection, McNeill was named the national Gatorade Player of the Year in 2004. She played collegiately at Boston College, earning third team All-American honors as a senior. She played professionally for six years, winning a Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) title with Philadelphia in 2011. McNeill has been the head coach at Brown for the last six seasons, leading the Bruins to Ivy League titles and NCAA Div. I tournament berths in 2019 and 2022.
Richard (Dick) Migli (1970): Migli earned 12 varsity letters playing football, basketball and baseball for the Falcons. He was on the 1967 Falcon football team that was undefeated and the 1968 baseball team that won a Northwest Conference and state championship.
Kelly McCollum Sheetz (1991): She played field hockey, basketball and softball at Avon, earning 12 varsity letters. Sheetz was an All-State field hockey player in 1990, leading Avon to the Class S championship game. She went onto play field hockey at Northwestern in Chicago, helping her team each the NCAA Final Four in 1994 and later coached the Wildcats for five seasons (2004-08).
Robert Summers: One of Avon High’s first employees in 1957, Summers was an assistant football, basketball and baseball coach during his career with Avon (1957-95) but he is best remembered as the school’s long-time athletic director for 37 years. He began the Athletic Department at Avon High.
Bonnie Tyler: She started the field hockey program in 1968 and coached the Falcons for 17 years, leading Avon to a pair of state championships in in 1983 and 1984 along with three league championships. She also coached the girls basketball team for several seasons.
1968 varsity baseball team: Second-year coach Dick Kelliher led the Falcons to their first Northwest Conference title and a Class C state championship – the second baseball state title in school history. The Falcons went 16-3 and beat two-time defending state champion Cromwell, 3-1, in the state title game at Muzzy Field in Bristol.
Editor’s note: Collinsville Press editor and publisher Gerry deSimas, Jr., who has been covering scholastic sports in the area for more than 40 years, is one of the nine people on the nominating committee that selected the men and women to be inducted into the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame.
