Members of the second class of the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame were honored in May at the Golf Club of Avon. From left, Barbara Startup, Anne Lindsay, Frank Nascimbeni, Jeff Hyman, Colleen Olsen, Greg Ward, Katie Keefe and Karen Bachman.
The Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame held their second induction ceremony last May with 10 individuals and one team being recognized, the undefeated 1988 Avon High boys soccer team that won a Class M championship and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the country.
Members of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 included Karen Bachman (Class of 2003), Jeff Hyman (1982), Katie Keefe (2000), Anne Lindsay (1975), Frank Nascimbeni (1962), Colleen Olsen (2006), Greg Ward (1996) and former coaches Barbara Startup and the late Glenn McLellan.
Who should be honored next?
Applications are now open for the next class of athletes and teams to be recognized by the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame. The public is invited to make nominations. The nomination form can be found at the Hall of Fame’s website.
The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2024.
Athletes, coaches and teams not selected for this spring’s induction banquet will remain in consideration for future banquets. All nominations received last year will be reviewed and considered.
Athletes must have graduated from Avon High and can be considered for induction 10 years after their graduation, according to the Hall of Fame’s nomination guidelines. Teams can be considered 10 years after the respective season they are being nominated for. Coaches must have coached at least five years at Avon High.
There is also an opportunity to recognize men and women who are community contributors, based upon their service and dedication to the athletic programs at Avon High.
To learn more about Avon High School’s Hall of Fame and the nomination process, please visit the Hall of Fame website, or contact any of the members of the nomination committee: Maria Mascoli, Selection Committee Chair; Al Dadario; Gerry deSimas; Tim Filon; John McLaughlin; Steve Nyberg; Susan Rietano; Frank Waters and Terri Ziemnicki.
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 select the men and women to be inducted into the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame.
