Watervliet Athletics Hall of Fame 2008 Inductees

The Watervliet High School Sports Hall of Fame annually recognizes those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the WCSD athletic program and in some cases, at a higher level, through their participation as athletes, coaches or administrators.

The following athletes have been selected for induction for 2008, the inaugural year of the Hall of Fame! They will be honored during half-time at the Homecoming Football Game on Saturday, October 4th and the following day at a Gala Induction Ceremony and Dinner. Click here for information about how to purchase tickets to the Induction Ceremony.

Congratulations to the following athletes. Please click on the name to read a brief biography:

• Crystal Carroll ’93

• Ed Chambers ’54

• Lou Cioffi ’48

• Tony Curro ’76

• Kathy Towne-DeGuire ‘82

• Dom Denio ’38

• John DiBiase ’72

• Yordan Huban ’91

• Frank LaBelle ’85

• Kevin Legault ’89

• Jim Manning ’92

• George Mardigan ’61

• Nancy Poulin ’81

• Dan Reinfurt ’69

• Greg Sedefian ’73

• Tim Sherwin ’77

• Dave Torncello ’44

• Harry Tucker ’29

• Dave Walko ’64

• John Walko ‘60

 

Crystal Carroll ’93
Four-year letter winner in soccer and basketball; Colonial Council Player of the Year; All-Area Team; 1000-point scorer at University of Massachusetts; played professional basketball in Spain.

Ed Chambers ’54
Three-sport letterman, voted Outstanding Soccer Player of the Year in Tri-City League for 2 consecutive years; selected for Troy Record All-Star Team in 1952 and 1953.

Lou Cioffi ’48
Four-sport athlete; captain of soccer, basketball, and baseball teams; set scoring record in basketball in 1948; All-City honors in basketball and baseball; selected as one of the top 5 basketball players in Upstate New York in 1948; played semi-pro basketball and baseball; attended Siena College.

Tony Curro ’76
Played football, basketball, and baseball; All-City and All-Area honors in football; All-City honors for baseball; coached baseball 12 years at Watervliet with a 234-78 record; won 8 Colonial Council Championships; 6 Section II Championships; 3 Regional Championships, and 2 State Championships in 1985 and 1991.

Kathy Towne-DeGuire ‘82
Multi-sport athlete; 2 year MVP in volleyball and captain her senior year; soccer Defensive Player of the Year her junior year and captain and MVP her senior year; Colonial Council All-Star in basketball for 2 years, and captain and MVP her senior year; Female Athlete of the Year in 1982 and 1983.

Dom Denio ’38
Four-sport athlete with all-conference recognition at Watervliet; played football and basketball at St. Bonaventure University; captain of football team his junior and senior years; selected as football All American his senior year. Highly respected educator and coach at Linton High School in Schenectady and LaSalle Institute in Troy. Mr. Denio was also considered one of the best football referees in Section II.

John DiBiase ’72
Played soccer and basketball; Colonial Council MVP in basketball, Colonial Council Player of the Year; All-City and All-Metro honors; set school record of 53 points in one game; 4-year letterman at New Mexico State University; selected as freshman player of the year in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Yordan Huban ’91
Three-sport athlete; All Area in all three sports; All State in football and basketball; member of three state championship teams in 1991—football, basketball, and baseball; Colonial Council Basketball Player of the Year; Times-Union Player of the Year; MVP of NYS basketball tournament; 4-year letterman in baseball at George Washington University.

Frank LaBelle ’85
Played football, basketball, and baseball; All-City quarterback; Male Athlete of the Year in 1985; pitcher on 1985 State Championship Baseball Team with a 28-2 record; played football at Hudson Valley Community College.

Kevin Legault ’89
Played football, basketball, and baseball; 1st Team All-Conference in football and baseball; played baseball at Seton Hall University and selected to the freshman Big East All-Star Team; drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and traded to the Minnesota Twins where he played 5 years in their AAA organization.

Jim Manning ’92
Played football, wrestling, and track; member of the 1991 State Championship Football Team; during his junior and senior years his football team was 22-0; NYS Class C Football Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991; selected to the USA Today All-American Team; reached his career total of 3591 rushing yards and scored 362 points at Watervliet; attended RPI and was an All-Conference receiver.

George Mardigan ’61
Played soccer, basketball, and track at Watervliet; received All-Star honors; attended Hudson Valley Community College and the University of Albany and played soccer, basketball, and tennis; received All-Star honors in soccer and basketball; member of the Hudson Valley Hall of Fame; coached basketball at Watervliet for 29 years, winning 546 games and won 78% of all games he coached; won 8 consecutive Colonial Council titles, 12 in total; won 14 Section II titles; 5 Regional Titles; 1 State Championship and 1 Federation Championship; inducted into the NYS Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007.

Nancy Poulin ’81
Four-sport athlete at Watervliet; Athlete of the Year in 1981; selected to the Colonial Council All-Star Basketball Team for 3 consecutive years; 4-year basketball starter at Elmira College; Elmira College Player of the Year in 1982-83; also played soccer for 4 years at Elmira College. Currently a Lieutenant with the New York State Police stationed in Wilton.

Dan Reinfurt ’69
Played football at Watervliet; 1st Team All Conference player and captain his senior year; attended SUNY Farmingdale and Cortland State; played rugby at Cortland State and later with the Albany Knickerbockers; Head Varsity Football Coach at Watervliet from 1980-1996 with a 116-38-3 record; his teams won 3 State Championships in 1990, 1991, and 1996; had a 36-game winning streak from October 1989 to November 1993 which is the longest winning streak in Section II history; his football jersey was retired in 1997.

Greg Sedefian ’73
Three-sport athlete; described as “one of the best soccer players in Watervliet High School history”; scored 46 goals in the 1972 season, 38 goals in 1971, and 106 career goals; mentioned in Sports Illustrated as a high school All-American; played soccer at Hudson Valley Community College.

Tim Sherwin ’77
Played football, basketball, and track at Watervliet; All-Area tight end; Offensive Player of the Year as a senior; played at Boston College; inducted into Boston College Hall of Fame; drafted by Baltimore Colts where he played tight end and then was traded to the New York Giants; he had a total of 8 years in the NFL.

Dave Torncello ’44
Played soccer, basketball, and baseball; played 4 years on varsity basketball team and captain as a junior and senior; All-City 1st Team for 3 years; played basketball and baseball at Siena College, captain of basketball team his senior year; inducted into Siena Hall of Fame.

Harry Tucker ’29
Great contributor to the athletic programs in the Watervliet School District; the Watervliet Grade School Tournament and the Watervliet High School Gym are both named in his honor; a legendary icon in the Watervliet community.

Dave Walko ’64
Three sport athlete; 1st Team All-City and All-League in basketball and football; played basketball at Boston University; member of a Boston-based over-40 basketball team representing the United States in international competition earning 7 gold medals between 1994-2004.

John Walko ‘60
Three-sport athlete; All-City in basketball and football; All-Area in basketball; played basketball at Colgate University; played many years in semi-pro basketball leagues.