The third annual Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame banquet is set for May.
Tickets are currently on sale for the upcoming induction ceremony for the Avon High Athletic Hall of Fame on May 3 at the Golf Club of Avon. The Avon Booster Club and Hall of Fame Committee will be inducting eight athletes, one former coach and the 2012 Class MM state champion girls cross country team in the third class to the Hall of Fame.
Members of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 will include:
- Tyler D’Onofrio, Class of 2011
- Kevin Gormley, Class of 1990
- Janet Lachmann Balthazar, Class of 1989
- Bill Loeffler, Class of 1968
- Ian McNeill, Class of 1998
- Taryn Miller Stevens, Class of 2003
- Jim Murray, long-time girls soccer coach
- Dushawne Simpson, Class of 1991
- Kristen Weldon Letson, Class of 1999
- The 2012 Avon High girls cross country team
Tickets are now on sale, with event information, details on the newest class, and members previously inducted available on the Hall of Fame website, https://www.avonfalconshalloffame.com.
The men and women that will be honored for 2024 include:
Tyler D’Onofrio (2011): A three-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball), Tyler set school records in football for career receptions (89), yards (1,523) and touchdowns receptions (16) along with single season records for receptions (51), yards (974) and TD receptions (12). He is the all-time leader in career rebounds for Avon basketball and was a captain in all three sports as a senior.
Kevin Gormley (1990): Kevin was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball) at Avon and was a two-time All-State pitcher in baseball. He was 17-1 in his final two seasons on the mound for AHS. He was 8-1 with a 1.52 ERA as a junior and 9-0 with 0.11 ERA and 119 strikeouts as a senior. Kevin played college baseball at UConn and went onto a successful coaching career at North Kingstown, Rhode Island, leading his team to the state finals five times before his team won a pair of state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Janet Lachmann Balthazar (1989): A three-sport athlete at Avon (soccer, basketball, softball), Janet earned 12 varsity letters and was a captain of all three teams as a senior. She was a three-time All-State selection in soccer and went onto to play in college at Canisus College where she had 21 goals and 19 assists in 67 games over four seasons.
Bill Loeffler (1968): Bill was a three-sport athlete at Avon (football, basketball, baseball). He was an All-State running back for the undefeated 1967 football team (8-0), running for 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns. In baseball, he was an All-Northwest Conference shortstop on a Falcon team that won the 1968 state championship. He went on to play college football at Bowdoin College.
Ian McNeill (1998): Ian was a three-sport athlete at Avon competing in football, basketball and track and field. A two-time Pequot Conference selection, Ian ran for 3,256 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career. He was a two-time captain of the basketball team.
Taryn Miller-Stevens (2003): Taryn played soccer, basketball and golf at Avon earning All-State honors in basketball (2002, 2003) and in soccer (2002). She had 35 goals and 12 assists in 76 games in her soccer career helping the Falcons win three NCCC championships and two CIAC Class M state titles. In basketball, she scored 864 points in her career and set the school record for career assists as the Falcons won four NCCC titles. She played basketball for four years at Tufts.
Jim Murray: A math teacher at Avon, Jim found great success as the girls soccer coach, leading the Falcons to 10 state finals and five state championships. He was the state coach of the year twice (1993, 2002) and was named national coach of the year in 2010 by the National High School Coaches Association.
Dushawne Simpson (1991): Dushawne played three sports at Avon (soccer, basketball, track) and earned All-State honors in soccer and track and field. He was an All-State soccer player in 1990 and was a Class S state champion in the 200 meters (1991) and 400 meters (1990, 1991), helping Avon win the 1991 Class S title in track and field. In college, he played soccer at Southern Connecticut State and Salem State. He played professionally with the Connecticut Wolves and other teams in the United Soccer League before heading into coaching. He led the Pingree School girls team to consecutive New England titles in 2013 and 2014.
Kristen Weldon Letson (1999): Kristen participated in field hockey, swimming, track and girls lacrosse at Avon but excelled at field hockey where she was an two-time All-State selection and regional All-American as a senior in 1998. She was a starter all four years in field hockey and the Falcons reached the Class S championship game twice in her career. She played in college at New Hampshire, helping the Wildcats earn a spot in the NCAA Division I tournament as a sophomore.
2012 Avon girls cross country team: The Falcons (26-0) won the NCCC championship, a Class MM state title and were second at the State Open. They were the first AHS team to qualify to run at the New England cross country championships where they finished 14th. They also won four invitationals during the regular season (Nonnewaug, Haddad Windham, Belllringer and Going to the Sun).
Nominees were evaluated for athletic excellence, accomplishments in high school and beyond, and overall impact on Avon High athletics.
Photos from the 2023 induction dinner
Photos from the 2022 induction dinner
More than 100 nominations of distinguished Avon High School athletes, coaches, contributors, and teams have been received over the past three years and carefully reviewed by the nominating committee, which includes: Al Dadario, Susan Rietano Davey, Gerry deSimas, Tim Filon, Maria Mascoli (chair), John McLaughlin, Stephen Nyberg, 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.
