Krzanowski to receive Good Sport Award at Gold Key banquet

Canton’s Stan Krzanowski and his wife, Diane, meet with the catcher who caught the ceremonial first pitch at the field dedication in his honor in May.

For more than 80 years, the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance has been presenting Gold Key awards to some of the legendary giants in the Connecticut sports landscape for their significant contribution to sports and/or for having achieved excellence on the field of athletics as a player, coach or administrator.

Regarded as the highest sports award in the state, the Gold Key has been presented to more than 200 men and women including Hall of Fame baseball manager Connie Mack (1940), boxer Willie Pep (1961), Walt Dropo (1975), President George H.W. Bush (1991), NHL legend Gordie Howe (1992), Hall of Fame basketball coaches Geno Auriemma (2001) and Jim Calhoun (2003) and U.S. women’s soccer star Kristine Lilly (2012).

But the Alliance, a group of men and women who work in the media industry, also honors other state residents at their annual Gold Key awards banquet, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. at the AquaTurf Restaurant in Southington.

One of the awards is the John Wentworth Good Sports award, presented to individuals who unselfishly devote their time and energy to the promotion of athletics in their communities.

Canton’s Stan Krzanowski will be one of four Good Sport Award winners at the banquet this year. Also being honored are Steve Callahan, a driving force behind South Windsor Challenger baseball; Charlie Flanagan, general manager of North Haven American Legion Post 76 baseball, and Bob Norris, a youth baseball, basketball and soccer coach and official for more than 60 years in Windsor Locks.

Krzanowski, 81, has spent the last 46 years volunteering his time and expertise in Canton with the Canton Little League organization.

Krzanowski has done a bit of everything with Canton Little League. He has been coach, manager, player agent, a member of the Board of Directors and the league president from 2000-13. He started the billboard initiative in 1988 for local businesses to support Little League.

In the past decade, he has shepherded the construction of dugouts and upgrades to baseball and softball fields across the town. He went before the town boards to get the necessary approvals. He lined up quality contractors to build the dugouts.

“He is an unstoppable force of nature,” said Greg Brisco, a former Little League coach and member of the Canton Little League Board. “He is just for everything good you want with baseball or softball. He has been behind it and he has been able to come up with the money. He has been this force of nature for good.”

A new Little League softball field in town was named in his honor last spring.

Tickets are $75, and are available by contacting CSMA president Tim Jensen of Patch Media Corp. at 860-394-5091 or [email protected].

Banquet proceeds support the Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship, a $3,000 annual award named in memory of the noted high school sports editor of the Hartford Courant and past CSMA president, who passed away in 2003 at age 49.

Gold Key recipients for 2023 are Laurie LaRusso, Darien High School volleyball coach whose teams have won 24 state titles; Gary Makowicki, longtime Norwich Free Academy coach and athletic director with 13 state titles; Jan Merrill-Morin, a 1976 Olympian and former world record holder in three running events; Babby Nuhn, North Branford High School field hockey coach for 50 years with six state crowns; and Terry Tata, a Major League Baseball umpire for 27 years who worked three World Series.

Other award winners are:

• President’s Award – Dr. Leslie Wrixon, Glastonbury, only high school runner to win Manchester Road Race
• Hal Levy High School Achievement Award – Robert “Jiggs” Cecchini, retired Suffield High School coach and administrator
• Bob Casey Courage Award – Ann and Paul Dagle, East Lyme, advocates for suicide prevention among student-athletes
• Bo Kolinsky Special Recognition Award – Rand Pecknold, national champion Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey coach
• Art McGinley Media Award – Vickie Fulkerson, New London Day sportswriter for over 30 years
• Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship – Baylee Krulewitz, Hall High School
• Hank O’Donnell Female Athlete of the Year – Chloe Humphrey, Darien High, lacrosse
• Bill Lee Male Athlete of the Year – Joshua Mooney, Stonington High, decathlon
• Doc McInerney Coach of the Year – Loren Luddy, Woodland Regional softball and Mark Brookes, Haddam-Killingworth baseball