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Date: 11/3/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – After a three-year sabbatical during the coronavirus pandemic, the East Longmeadow High School Athletic Hall of Fame (HOF) is back inducting 10 new individuals and two championship teams this year. Inductees are Nancy Steitz (1970), Barbara Morace (1989), Alex MacLeod (2007, Danyelle Thorpe (2007), Evan Foley (2008), Jess Schnepp Leeming (2009), Janise Everett (2010), Krista Ferrentino (2010), Dan Martin (2010), Kyle Humphries (2011), the 1982 boys soccer team and the 2000 golf team.
Secretary Ned Obernesser stated, “It’s pretty thrilling. We’ve been thinking about this for all that time. We want to recognize their achievements and hopefully prolong the memory of those events for people.”
The induction banquet will take place on Nov. 19 at the Twin Hills Country Club on 700 Wolf Swamp Rd. in Longmeadow. Cocktails and conversation at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m., ceremony to follow. Hall of Famer Ashley Pelzek Ferguson, 2012, will be the guest speaker. She played basketball, volleyball, softball and ran cross-country. Ferguson was a three-time Western Mass selection, a 1,000-point scorer in basketball, and was an All-American honorable mention. She went on to Annapolis and became a Top-Gun fighter pilot.
“I’m really excited,” Ferguson said. “I can’t think of anything that’s more of an honor than getting to speak at my old high school’s Hall of Fame. It’s one thing to be inducted, but another thing to be asked to come back and speak at it. I owe so many things in my life to what I learned and experienced at East Longmeadow High School, and I hope to give back in as many ways as I can.”
The East Longmeadow High School Athletic Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in the commonwealth that honors former athletes, coaches, contributors and teams for their outstanding abilities and contributions to the proud tradition of athletics in the town. In total, they’ve inducted 113 people in 20 different sports. 69 male athletes, 44 female athletes, nine coaches, six contributors and two recognized for sports not offered at ELHS, figure skating and bowling. They conduct fundraisers to support the HOF and the financial support for the summer sport programs. A permanent exhibit at East Longmeadow High School will be maintained to publicly display a record of the accomplishments of those honored.
Chuck Redington was the founding president and creator of the idea to establish the Hall of Fame. He was very active in the community when he came to town in 1969. He was the founding president of the East Longmeadow Soccer Association, and both his son and daughter were involved in sports at East Longmeadow High School. Now, he is a retired professor residing in Florida. “I had a friend who was inducted into the Chicopee Hall of Fame,” Redington responded. “What struck me at that time was wow there are other communities that have a Hall of Fame, and we don’t have one.”
He went on to say, “I called my friend Pat Bean. We chatted and decided to list the names of some people we thought we could count on to help us get started. One of those names was Ned Obernesser. The other one was Steve Buzzelle and Bob Mazzariello who took over as president after I left.” Redington had to get the school board to approve the establishment of the HOF and Principal Richard Freccero was helpful in accompanying him to that meeting. The East Longmeadow High School Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in the fall of 2009 and the first induction ceremony took place in 2010.”
2022 inductees
Nancy Steitz was a three-sport athlete, participating in softball, basketball, and field hockey. She was selected as an “Outstanding Player” in all three activities by her East Longmeadow High School Athletic Hall of Fame coaches Jakie Upshaw and Janet Kerr. Steitz held a .650 batting average, was one of the leading scorers in field hockey with five postseason goals, sharing the honor with Karen Gardell and Pat Farrell and was the leading scorer in basketball with 30 points per game.
Barbara Morace was a golfer in her freshman year, a league champion, a Division II Western Massachusetts champion, a second place state champion, an individual second place finisher at states and a two time All Western Massachusetts selection.
Alex MacLeod was a three-sport athlete, participating in football, indoor and outdoor track. In track, he was a five-time Western Mass champion, two-time Western Massachusetts runner up champion, was fourth and seventh in states and third in New England. MacLeod held nine school records in track, 4x400 indoor and outdoor, 4x100m, sprint medley, 4x200 relays, 110 and 60m shuttle hurdle relays, and the 55m and 60m hurdles.
Danyelle Thorpe participated in soccer, track, and indoor track. She was a three-time selection to All Western Massachusetts, a two-time Western Massachusetts champion in the shot put and a Western Massachusetts champion in the discus. She was a two-time All Scholastic selection and was selected as the Coaches’ State individual champion.
Evan Foley participated in hockey and golf. In hockey, Foley was a finalist for the Bessone Award for his prolific scoring, had 105 career goals and was selected as Western Massachusetts honorable mention. He was also selected to the All Western Massachusetts second team in two consecutive years in golf.
Jessie Schnepp Leeming was a three-sport athlete, participating in volleyball, basketball, and track. She was the first Western Massachusetts champion in East Longmeadow High School history. Leeming broke the school record in the javelin throw and was the winner of the Frank Dutille Award during her sophomore year. “I feel honored and grateful,” Lemming happily said. “I cherish my times at ELHS and in East Longmeadow and to be honored in this way is something I never dreamt of when I was on the court or the track. I am truly honored.”
Janise Everett was in soccer, basketball and both indoor and outdoor track. She was a selection to the All-Western Massachusetts first team and was a Western Massachusetts champion in the triple jump and holds both the school and Western Massachusetts record.
Krista Ferrentino participated in soccer and basketball. She was a Massachusetts Super 7 selection and won the Brian Piccolo Award during her senior year when she became a three-time team MVP. Ferrentino scored 1,393 points in her basketball career, was a two-time Western Massachusetts champion and a state finalist.
Dan Martin was a star basketball player. He was an All Western Massachusetts selection and an All Western Massachusetts champion. Martin averaged 17.9 points per game and was selected as a state top athlete.
Kyle Humphries was a three-sport athlete, participating in football, wrestling and lacrosse. He was a four-year varsity wrestler and three-time football and lacrosse selection to the Mass Live first team. Humphries was selected to All Western Massachusetts, was a two-time Division I wrestling finalist and a Western Massachusetts champion.
The class of 1982 Boys’ Soccer Team was composed of all seniors and obtained a third seed in the Western Massachusetts tournament. In the opening round they earned an 5-2 victory over Classical High School. Then in the second round took on home team West Springfield, defeating them 2-1 with an overtime penalty shot by striker Doug Wilk. They went on to the Western Massachusetts finals by beating Ludlow 3-2.
The class of 2000 Spartans Golf Team posted a record of 17-3, including a crucial final match victory over South Hadley for their second straight Valley Wheel title.
“I hope these inductees enjoy the moment,” said Ferguson. “East Longmeadow has a heartfelt sports following. They have the chance to go back and spend time with people they either played sports with or from other generations. It’s a pretty unique opportunity that not a lot of people get so just enjoy it, take advantage of it.”