Madison Athletic Hall of Fame

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2016 Inductees

(scroll all the way down for photos, sponsors and video)

Bob Abbott

Frank Barron

Tracy (Behrman) Linson

Matt Corsaut

Erin Fiondella Anderson

Click here to download the booklet

Bob Abbott	Frank Barron	Tracy (Behrman) Linson	Matt Corsaut	Erin Fiondella Anderson	Kristen Frost


Steve Redes	Dave Thompson	Fran Sadek	Joe Trapani	Gabrielle Worzella	Tom Zaccagnino

Photos by Chad Lyons

(Click here to download the photos)

Bob Abbott

In the long and storied history of Daniel Hand Athletics, there have been a handful of families that have made a significant impact on the sports programs at Daniel Hand. Long-time observers are familiar with these families. One such family is the Abbotts. The Abbott brothers, Billy (football and track co-captain), Bobby (football and track co-captain), Jeffery (cross country and track co-captains), and Chris (football and track) were a one-family track team. Rumor has it, their father was the fastest. From this family, the Madison Athletics Hall of Fame is inducting Robert Abbott-also known as "Bobby A." One of the best all-around track athletes from Daniel Hand-ever.

In track, there are some events that require both athletic ability and mental toughness. Bobby's signature event, the 400 meter run, was one of these. "It's one lap around the track -too long to sprint, but too short to pace oneself," explained Coach Larry Hally. "Most runners go as fast as they can, for as long as they can, which is about 300 meters. After that it's a real struggle to finish the last 100 meters. It's at the 300-meter point when mental toughness needs to kick in. You're out of gas, you're running on empty... and you have 100 meters to go. It's right there, at the top of the turn where Bobby A was at his best. When everyone else was trying to figure out how to run the last 100 meters -Bobby would come up with a kick, a burst of speed, put on the after burners." Hally went on to explain, "After the race, opposing coaches would turn to the Hand coaches and say, 'Where did you get that kid?' That's mental toughness and Bobby A. had it in spades. During a meet when it was time to run the 400, everyone would stop what they were doing and just watch-no one wanted to miss the 'Bobby Abbott show', and no one was ever disappointed. Bobby was a coach's dream."

In his junior year, Bobby qualified to run both the 400 and the 800 in the Class M State Championship meet. It was a hard double because it has only a few events between the two races. "It might have been too hard for some kids but that day Bobby A won the 400 and came in second in the 800-helping a strong Hand team finish third in Class M," said Hally. A two-time Harstan's Athlete of the Week, Bobby was the Shoreline champion three times in the 400 meter (with two meet records) in '78, '79 and '80. In addition to winning the 400 in '80, he won the Javelin and was second in the 110-meter-high hurdles. In the three years he ran the 400, he never lost a dual meet.

As a senior, Bobby finished third in the State Decathlon meet winning two events, the 400 and the 1500 meter races. His 6,105 points was the school record that stood for over 35 years. (As a point of comparison, this year's Decathlon winner from East Haven (2016) had 5915 points.) Bobby also played football. His coach, Larry Ciotti, remembers him most for his toughness and leadership, qualities that that helped continue the success of the Hand football program. Bob played running back along with Hand HOF member Kevin Murphy. He scored on a 75 yard run in his senior season against East Haven. At the time, it was one of the longest runs in Hand history. He ran for 110 yards on nine carries against Old Saybrook and had two touchdowns. He also played safety where his size, speed and toughness were a huge asset. Wide receivers weren't fast enough to get behind him and he was good at coming up to stop the run. He also kicked extra points.

Bob married his high school sweetheart, Kim Barker, a good athlete in her own rite. They have been married for 33 years and currently live in Dahlonega, Georgia. They are extremely proud of their two children: Daughter Teagan, a graduate of the American Military University, currently residing in Beaufort, SC with her husband Jeff (Grant), a Marine Staff Sergeant; Son Robert Jr, a former Marine and a 2016 graduate of Georgia Southern University. Additionally, they take great pride and joy in spending as much time as possible with their beautiful granddaughter Georgia May (Grant).

Bob enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served on active duty for 25 years. He held multiple positions including infantryman, aviation electronics technician and meteorologist. He reached the rank of Gunnery Sergeant in December 1998.

Some of his personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. Additionally, Bob received the Iraq Campaign Medal (2), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2) and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

Commissioned a Warrant Officer in Jan 2001, Bob served as a Meteorological and Oceanographic Officer, Expeditionary Airfield Operations Company Commander and an Assistant Airfield Operations Officer until his retirement in August of 2009. He has a BS in Business Management from Park University, Parkville, MO, and an MBA from Touro University, New York, NY.

Since Bob's retirement from the Marine Corps, he has worked as a Senior Staff Officer and Project Manager/Quality Assurance Specialist for the United States Treasury Department in Atlanta GA.

Frank Barron

Frank Barron graduated from East Haven High School in 1968 where he was the starting center on Housatonic League championship squads for legendary Connecticut High School football, basketball, golf, baseball, and track coach, Frank Crisafi. He graduated with a B.A. in English from Defiance College Ohio, in 1973. He played football before injury and starred in lacrosse as an attackman and defenseman there. He received his M.A. in Corporate and Political Communications from Fairfield University in 1987.

He began his career teaching English and Journalism along with coaching football and lacrosse for the Defiance Public Schools and Defiance College in 1973. He returned to Connecticut to accept a teaching and coaching position at Daniel Hand High School in 1980. He taught, coached, and advised the student newspaper at Daniel Hand for 33 years before retiring from teaching in 2013. At Daniel Hand, he coached freshman football with Jim Flanagan. He started as a volunteer and then became a full time assistant over his career from 1980-2003. As a Hand football assistant line coach, Frank helped Coach Flanagan develop hundreds of football players who would go on to the Varsity level and become state champions. Additionally, Frank was both the JV and Head Boy's Lacrosse Coach from 1981-1999 before moving over to Branford High School in 2000. There he helped start the Varsity Boy's Lacrosse program as an Assistant Coach and initiated the founding of the Branford Youth Lacrosse program. That same year, he got the opportunity to coach his son and hundreds of other boys from 5th Grade through 12th Grade.

As a lacrosse coach, Frank has over 350 victories. He led Hand to a Northern Division Championship in 1991, and to the state CIAC Division 1 semi-finals in 1991 and 1992. Under Frank's direction as Head Coach (1991-1999), Hand appeared and won games in the state tournament 1991-1993 and 1996-1999. He helped guide the Branford Hornets to an SCC Title in 2002, a State Championship in 2003, an undefeated regular season (16-0) in 2005, a semi-finalist in 2006, and a 2007 state final versus Darien in Class M. Frank's work as a position coach and Offensive Coordinator propelled the Hornets to the state tournaments from 2008- 2016. Frank was honored nationally when he was selected in 2000 to be the East Team Head Coach in the National US Lacrosse Senior All Star Lacrosse Games. His team won the championship beating the North Team in round-robin play.

With a coaching career of 44 years already under his belt, Frank Barron is now in his 17th year as the Assistant Lacrosse Coach at Branford HS. Named Connecticut HS Lacrosse Coach of the Year, Assistant Lacrosse Coach of the Year, and CT Chapter US Lacrosse Man of the Year during various times of his career, Coach Barron has coached numerous All League, All State, and All America players.

Off the field, Frank has represented Connecticut high school lacrosse as the state's US Lacrosse Area Representative since 1996, and also has continued to serve as chairperson of the Connecticut Lacrosse Coaches Association All America/All State Committee. He has served on the CIAC Boy's Lacrosse Committee from 1998-2009, and continues as an adviser.

Frank has been a popular lacrosse clinician who has spoken during his years as coach at the US Lacrosse National Convention, the Connecticut Chapter of US Lacrosse high school and youth clinics and conventions, as well, as coaching at summer camps throughout the northeast. Selected by the Wesleyan University Men's Lacrosse Coaching staff in2009, Frank continues as Head Coach of the Connecticut Cardinals High School Club Lacrosse Team in Middletown during the summer and fall. Frank has coached thousands of Boys and Girls over the years and was inducted into the CT Chapter US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2013, he was also honored by the CT High School Lacrosse Coaches Association with a tribute that features all the traits Frank embodies by example as a paragon of sportsmanship, a man who mentors all players and coaches on and off the field, and a teacher who continues to focus on student-athlete scholastic achievement-The Frank Barron Lifetime Achievement Award. (Coach Howard Benedict of New Canaan HS received the Frank Barron Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. His 555 wins is the most by any CT high school lacrosse coach. He coached at NCHS 1973-2008.)

A resident of Branford, Frank has been married to Becky for 44 years, and has one son, Greg, who is a 2011 Bucknell University Phi Beta Kappa graduate, a 2016 graduate of the UConn School of Medicine in Farmington, and now a Resident M.D. in the Hartford area Hospitals- John Dempsey-Farmington; and Hartford Hospital and St. Francis Hospital both in Hartford.

Tracy (Behrman) Linson

Tracy Behrman Linson, Class of 1980, was one of the most outstanding tennis players in the history of Daniel Hand High School. In addition to excelling for four years on the girls' tennis team, Tracy was the first female athlete at Hand, and possibly in the state, to compete on a boys' tennis team, doing so in her junior and senior years. She rounded out her athletic performance by playing on the DHHS softball team as a freshman and sophomore.

Tracy was a vital part of the girls' tennis team, playing varsity for four years and serving as Co-Captain for her last two seasons. She was the Class M State Singles Champion in her junior and senior years while also winning the Shoreline League Singles Championships during those years. In addition, Tracy led the girls to Shoreline and State team championships at that time. Not only did she play at the #1 singles position for her junior and senior seasons, but Tracy also was undefeated in her sophomore, junior and senior years. As a junior, Tracy compiled a record of 20-0 while never losing a set. As a senior, her record was 22-0 including Shoreline and State tournament play. That year she was ranked number 18 in the Girls 18 and under division of competitive tennis in New England. According to her Hand tennis coach Vicki Crompton, "Tracy not only had exceptional tennis skills but also displayed character and leadership both on and off the court. She was a role model for other athletes, even when she was a freshman, and guided them to do their best. She never wavered in her effort and resolution to help the team succeed." When Tracy was a DHHS athlete, the girls' tennis team competed during the fall. This schedule provided her with the opportunity to play on the boys' tennis team in the spring of her junior and senior years as the #4 singles player. Her coach for the Hand boys' team, Tom Dolan, recognized that "Tracy's calm demeanor and steady play helped her to fit in well." In an important win over Guilford as a junior, "Tracy demonstrated her usual finesse and power," according to The Shoreline Times. That year the boys' tennis team achieved its first undefeated season record in school history.

Tracy always could be counted on to be respectful of others and to work hard. She was reliable and dedicated. These qualities were also evident when she played softball for her freshman and sophomore years. Coach Willie Roze remembered that Tracy was "versatile and a good team player" at all times.

Tracy won the Madison Lions Club Good Citizen Award (The Shoreline Times, May 28, 1980) which was given to selected Hand staff or students on the basis of service to school and community, character, dependability, dedication and participation. Also in recognition of her achievements in and contributions to DHHS girls' tennis, Tracy was twice chosen as the Harstan's Athlete of the Week (November 21, 1978 and November 20, 1979), an honor usually bestowed on an athlete only once during high school.

Tracy attended the University of Connecticut on a partial tennis scholarship from 1980-1983 where she played either #1 or #2 singles. She moved to Arizona in 1984 and went back to school, completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Arizona. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree and became a registered nurse.

Tracy lives with her husband Dwayne and four grown children in Tucson, AZ. She works as a registered nurse at Tucson Medical Center. Tracy would like to thank her mom, her late father, and her step mom for their support in life and tennis.

Matt Corsaut

From 1984 until his graduation in 1987, Matt Corsaut dominated the shoreline baseball universe. A diminutive freshman, he was described by Shore Line Sports Editor Hal Levy, as "barely strong enough to brush his teeth." He was 10-1 as a JV pitcher and was called up to join the varsity in the postseason and actually pitched in a playoff game that season. They started calling him the Junk Ball Wizard thanks to his combination of off speed and breaking balls.

In his sophomore season he batted fifth in a senior laden lineup and was the number two starter for a team that made it to the Shoreline Championship in 1985. Varsity baseball Coach Steve Filippone lost little time recognizing what he had as a player and leader in Matt. "Matt is a tremendous baseball player; he would be the best person on the field at any position including catcher if I let him play them. Not only is he a great player but he leads by example every day."

He became the ace of the Hand lineup in his junior season. It was a spot he would hold until the end of his career. Although not the biggest guy on the team, he had become much stronger and, as a result, he now had an impressive fastball to add to his array of off-speed pitches. When Matt wasn't mowing them down, he was gobbling up ground balls as the Tigers starting shortstop. He led the team that season in batting with a .361 average and a .475 on base percentage.

His senior season started off with a bang when Hand traveled to Hamden to face the number one team in the state. Earlier in the week, Matt had been injured in an automobile accident and it was doubtful that he would even play. Somehow Matt convinced the school nurse and Filippone to let him play and the rest is history. Filippone remembered, "He single handedly, on one leg, throttled the high powered offense of Hamden holding them to three hits and no runs in a complete game performance. From the third inning on he allowed only two baserunners. Future NBA star Scott Burrell (catcher) struck out twice and was walked intentionally after which Corsaut notched a strikeout to end an inning." As if his defensive exploits that day were not enough, he also smacked two enormous home runs (one landing on the Merritt parkway). It sparked the Tigers offense accounting for all four RBI in the 4-0 victory. After the game both Filippone and Levy believed that it was one of the best performances they had ever witnessed by a Hand baseball player. Later that year he outdueled future big leaguer Jeff Bagwell (a senior at Xavier), to notch Hand's first victory against them in over a decade. Bagwell was 1-4 against Matt and struck out twice. By the end of his senior year, he had set the school record for homeruns in a season with six. He also batted .400 and had a .650 slugging percentage. In addition, he was 6-3 as a pitcher with a 1.39 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .189 batting average, with 60 strikeouts and only ten walks. In five of his six wins, he allowed three or fewer hits.

He was rewarded by being named the starting pitcher in the 1987 State Coaches Association High school All Star Classic. He pitched three near perfect innings facing only ten batters walking one and striking out three. Another major leaguer was close by that day. His catcher was 20-year major leaguer and now Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus. Hal Levy picked his pitching performance in back to back years as the best in the Shoreline.

Matt also played soccer and ran like the wind for the Tigers in the mid field for two years before deciding to concentrate on baseball. He succeeded on every stolen base attempt over his four years at Hand. He had the surest glove in the league in his senior season committing only two errors over a 22 game season and was voted to the All Shoreline team as both a pitcher and a shortstop. He was also named to the All Area team by the new Haven Register and was Hand's first player to gain All State recognition from the CHSCA. He was the school's all-time leader in at-bats, stolen bases, innings pitched, ERA, wins and strikeouts when his Hand career ended.

Matt headed to the West Coast after graduation playing for Sacramento City College. The team won the California College State Championship that year and gave him a chance to play with several future major leaguers. Matt also has a passion for golf and played for a short time as a professional on the PGA's Mini Tours in the 1990s.

Currently Matt lives outside Sacramento in a small town called Rancho Murieta where he is a practicing attorney and owner of a real estate company. He has a 14-year- old son named Blake and a six-year- old daughter named Brook. He continues to play adult league baseball and was recently named MVP of his league when his team won the West Coast Vintage Baseball Championship. He was the starting and winning pitcher in back-to-back playoff games including the championship. He also has the distinction of hitting a homerun out of a minor league park playing with a vintage baseball and bat. Two years ago he batted an eye-popping .750 to set the highest mark in vintage league history. He loves golf and plays to a handicap any of us would be proud of.

Erin Fiondella Anderson

Erin Fiondella Anderson, Class of 1998 was a three-sport and multi-varsity letter recipient in lacrosse, field hockey and gymnastics at Daniel Hand High School. Introduced to sports at an early age, she developed into an outstanding and gifted athlete in high school.

Erin was a tri-captain for the lacrosse team her senior year and was First Team All-Conference in the SCC and Player of the Year in both her junior and senior years. She was also First Team All-State and named a First Team All-American by the U.S. Women's Lacrosse Association.

A prolific scorer, Erin had many hat-tricks on the lacrosse field with sometimes four to five goals per game. It was not unusual for Erin to accumulate eleven to twelve goals scored in a four-game week. While she had a total of 73 goals and 23 assists in her high school career, she was far more than a successful goal scorer. She was tenacious in her ability to intercept an opponent's pass or check the ball from their stick. Said Assistant Coach Joe Tenczar: "Erin had the finesse and dedication of a Becca Pite, the powerful strength and enthusiastic drive of a Kendra Mesa, the lighting speed and tenacity of a Molly Brady, the athleticism and friendliness of a Betsey Burke and the goal scoring and selfless leadership skills of the talented Megan Bushnell, just to mention a few!" Tenczar continued, "She had an incredible ability to unify her team as one cohesive group of athletes and always placed her teammates front and center."

Longtime head coach Pat McCahill felt that much of the team's success was due in part to Erin's high level of energy. As a team player, she contributed to her team's two consecutive SCC Championship wins. Erin's teammates benefitted from her patience, humility, humor and strong leadership skills. Tenczar said, "She fostered a great team spirit with her charisma and warm sincere hugs. Her speed and determination to excel as a player could always be seen on the field both during practice sessions as well as in every game she played in. She was always focused, aggressive, iron-tough and dedicated to making her team play better and be successful. She was a clutch player when the heat was on."

It wasn't just lacrosse. Field hockey coach Gina Wygonik said, "Erin was very coachable, had excellent leadership skills and was a great role model. She was a team player who would play any position for the good of the team." Sue Leckey, current field hockey coach who was Erin's JV coach at the time, added, "She was the ultimate teammate doing whatever it took to contribute to what the team was trying to accomplish. She displayed 100 percent effort in practice and games and was exceptionally coachable. Although her greater "individual achievements" may have been in lacrosse, her impact to the field hockey team is also worthy of Hall of Fame recognition."

In addition to winning DHHS Athletic Award, she received the DHHS Principal's Citizenship Award and as well as making honor roll student nearly every semester. She held a lead part in the school musical, and participated in Show Choir attending National Competitions where DHHS won "Best in Show."

Erin attended the University of Connecticut majoring in science and receiving a BS Degree in Biology. She participated in Lacrosse, club Rugby, flag football and even club Ice Hockey at UConn. She has coached in the Women's Madison Youth Lacrosse program, played on the Delaware Valley Women's Lacrosse Team, been a triathlete, ran in a half marathon, plays golf and in 2016, was an assistant Lacrosse coach with the Madison Tiger Cubs organization.

Her fondest of memories include playing sports in Madison and being part of the community. She described it: "The kids, coaching staff, families and school administration made Madison athletics extraordinary. My teammates and I had good clean fun on and off the field and, almost 20 years later, I still hold the memories and friendships that were forged on the field and in the gym close to my heart. My parents were always supportive of my sports addiction. They proudly encouraged me to take part in any sport I wanted to, and I participated in many. The love of family and our exceptionally experience growing up is what drew us back to this amazing community to raise our own kids. Thank you to everyone who touched my life as an athlete, student and as a person." Erin presently lives in Madison with her husband Dan Anderson (Class of 1998) and their two children five-year-old Adriana and two-and-a-half year-old Winston. Erin has been working as a professional healthcare representative at Pfizer Inc. since 2004.

Kristen Frost

The most successful swim coach in Connecticut history is arguably Cheshire's long time Hall of Famer, Ed Aston. That is why his comment to Craig Semple, Hand Director of Athletics, speaks volumes about the talent of Kristen Frost. Semple explained, "Ed told me that Kristen, during her High School days, was the finest swimmer in the history of Connecticut high school swimming that he has had the privilege of knowing and competing against."

Hand head coach Jennifer Amasino said, "Kristen is by far the best swimmer I've ever coached. She was unbelievable time-wise. Her records and times speak for themselves and you don't have to know a lot about swimming to see it. She was number one in the nation as a ten-year-old in the 200 freestyle."

Amasino continued, "Kristen was born with a gift that a lot of people don't have but she never took it for granted and she knew putting in the work was super important and she wasn't afraid of that. She's also one of the most humble athletes I've ever coached."

Kristen was undefeated at Daniel Hand from 2002 through 2005. She was a 15 time All American, four time National High School Swimmer of the Year, nine-time State Open champion and All-State 15 times. During her senior year, she recorded State Open and Class M records in both the 200 and 500-yard freestyle, records that still stand today. Kristen was awarded Most Outstanding Swimmer at State Opens, Class M States and Southern Connecticut Conferences all four years. She was named the New Haven Register Athlete of the Year, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association and Coca-Cola Player of the Year in 2005 and received the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award as a High School Athlete.

The two most memorable moments from her high school career involve her team. She anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay to a second place finish during her freshman year, allowing her sister Patti (the State Open Diving Champion that year) to be named All-State in both swimming and diving. The second and equally memorable moment was during her senior year at State Opens when she anchored the 400-yard freestyle relay to a first place finish to beat the favorites, Cheshire and Greenwich. It was the first time a Hand relay had ever won an open title, falling just a few tenths short of an Open record. That feat has never been duplicated.

"She was very much a team player," said Amasino who went on to tell a story about her dedication to the team. When she was a freshman, a senior reported to Amasino that she had seen Frost vomiting on the day of a big meet. Frost said nothing and went about her day. "I called her down and said she needed to go home and rest. She didn't understand how I knew she wasn't feeling well. She wanted to compete because 'My teammates need me.' She was willing to put her physical wellbeing aside... she was that type of kid."

High school was just the beginning. Visit the pool area at Southern Connecticut State University and look up at the banners and you'll see five records, including three NCAA records that still stand. Amasino noted, "At one point, she had almost all the records. Some have been broken in the years since but several still stand." The banner at SCSU still lists Frost as the record holder for the 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle. The 500, 100 and 1650 are also NCAA Records. Kristen currently resides in Venice, CA. She is the Marketing Director of a tech startup and a coach at Crossfit Santa Monica. Post swimming career, Kristen found a passion for Crossfit and Hiking.

Steve Redes

Steve Redes' gymnastics career began in an unusual fashion; he wanted to be like Spider-Man. As a student of martial arts, acrobatics came easily to him. He would swing on trees, jump from one fence to another and then flip and roll as he landed. So when he saw some girls doing round off back handsprings at recess one day he thought, "I can do that." Even though his first attempts were not very successful, he was determined to master that skill. He now saw it as a challenge! With time, he was able to teach himself that trick and more. As luck would have it, Steve's high school, Baldwin High School in Long Island, had a very strong men's gymnastics team that trained elite level gymnasts. Steve joined the team and was hooked. Since there were no private gymnastics clubs at that time, his coach encouraged him to improve his athletic ability by joining other teams in the off season. Steve wrestled in winter and ran track in spring.

He competed on the men's gymnastics team at Southern Connecticut State University where he was coached by Abie Grossfeld, a two time Olympian and five-time Olympic Coach. After competing on the men's team, Steve became the assistant coach of the women's gymnastics team for four years where he met his wife, Christine Claud Redes. The two quickly became a powerful coaching team along the Connecticut shoreline.

Steve coached gymnastics at The Morgan School for seven years before beginning his coaching career at Daniel Hand High School in 1992. Within one year, the team exceeded expectations and became the first team in school history to score over 140 points in winning the Class S State Gymnastics Championships. This was only the beginning for Steve's teams as winning became the norm for the Hand Gymnastics team. Before retiring from coaching high school in 2004 to open his own gymnastics facility, Steve coached six state championship teams, including four straight from 1997-2000. His teams won the SCC Championships every year since its first year in 1995. Steve's athletes also had individual success winning individual event and all-around titles at the league, state, and regional level. In addition to the titles won, he also had numerous gymnasts selected for All-State, All-Area, All-SCC and the CT National Team.

Steve's successes were honored by his peers with his selection to the CIAC Gymnastics Coach of the Year multiple times during his tenure at Daniel Hand High School as well as the Gatorade CIAC Coach of the Year. However, it is important to note, that with all these championships and honors behind Steve was his assistant coach and wife, Christine. They were known throughout the state as an incredible husband and wife coaching team. Steve was able to train gymnasts to be strong and powerful and then Christine would add the finesse and grace to each gymnast. Steve's coaching strengths focused on vaulting, bars, and tumbling on floor whereas Christine would choreograph routines and coach balance beam. Their teams may have won numerous championships, however, their gymnasts remember him not only for his coaching ability but, more importantly, for his love for the sport and his athletes.

"Steve's successful record as a coach speaks for itself, but he was able to create an environment in the gym where we worked extremely hard but also had a lot of fun. He fostered a family atmosphere and we were all close friends as well as teammates," said former Hand gymnast and current Hand head coach Kelly (Conlon) Smith '02. "Since I've come on as coach, I've tried to recreate many of the coaching techniques from Steve and especially the connections he had with his athletes and his life lessons taught through gymnastics. He taught us more than how to flip and how to win. High school gymnastics is one of my fondest memories and Steve is a big part of that. Having such a positive experience and such a positive role model in Steve, certainly inspired me to return to Hand as a teacher and coach."

Steve resides in Clinton, CT with his wife of thirty years Christine Redes. He has been teaching Heath Ed at The Morgan School for the last 33 years. Steve and Christine own and run TNT gymnastics, the sport that brought them together and to this honor. They have two grown children: Daughter Kelli who resides in Norway and teaches English and Son Tyler, a professional snow boarder who lives everywhere there are mountains with snow. When he isn't teaching or coaching, Steve is riding his motorcycle, in the garage building, cooking, gardening, or spending time with his family.

Dave Thompson

David Thompson is one of the most prolific athletes in Hand High School history. As a high school All-American quarterback, he was one of the few that lettered for four years in football. As a starting quarterback, his record was 31 wins and two losses, winning two state championships, one runner-up championship, and three conference titles. As a three-time All-State player, as well as an All-American and the 1984 Connecticut Player of the Year for all sports, he was the most recruited player in the history of sports at Hand. Every major college in the nation recruited him including Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Penn State, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Boston College. Madison was visited by many famous head coaches of that time trying to lure Dave to their college. Dave chose to continue his football career at Boston College where he became a starter at outside linebacker and on special teams.

It was apparent that Dave's future was destined for success when, as a nine-year-old, he won the National Pass, Punt and Kick contest at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas. As the national winner, David's name was placed in the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. As an 11 year-old, David advanced to the national semifinals versus 28 others in Houston's Astrodome. He finished second by a very small margin. High school football has changed dramatically in recent years with the advent of the spread offense and David's passing records have fallen (career passing touchdowns stood from 1984-2016). He also held records for most passing yards (career and season), most completions in a season, most average passing yards per game in a season, best punting average, passing yards in a game (tied) and longest puntreturn (tied).

In the 1984 state championship game against Wilton in The Yale Bowl, there was less than a minute to go when David stepped up. His Hall of Fame Head Coach, Larry Ciotti, described what happened next: "We called time out and gathered the coaches. The score was tied so I said to the coaches, 'Let's prepare for overtime.' David was there in the huddle with the coaches and his response was, 'There will be no overtime!' He went out on the next play and threw a (50-yard) post pattern to Tim Nye for a touchdown. It was an absolute strike. Tim made a great catch and we won the state championship."

Ciotti continued, "David was a high level leader and those leadership qualities were contagious. He was a highly skilled kid from the time he was eight-years old. Kids gravitated to him because they knew they were going to win around David Thompson. It just perpetuated itself when he was in high school... they believed in him in that championship game."

As a baseball player at Hand, he had many offers for college scholarships and "caught the eye of major league scouts" (Shore Line Times April 2, 1985). Often known as "Slugger Thompson," in game stories, he was the starting centerfielder named All-State for three years and pitched in relief on occasion. He hit .435 his senior year and had 103 career hits (Hand record in '85). He also had 20 RBI, 21 runs scored and was 14-14 in on stolen base attempts. He was named to the New England region All-USA Team that toured Europe in the summer '85.

Shore Line Times Sports Editor, Hal Levy, saw more than 40 games in 1985 and said, "Thompson had the best combination of hitting for average and power of any hitter he saw this season, "(SLT, June, 1985). His leadership qualities and athletic skills brought many accolades to Hand High School and to the state of Connecticut. Many of his attributes stood out on the fields of play, but the one that surpassed them all was his determination to have his team excel at all times.

Dave lives in Cohasset, MA with his wife Cindy, Recently married, they had dated at Boston College over 20 years ago. He works in Real Estate on the South Shore of Boston. He is also a professional caddy. He has two children, daughter Riley who will be playing soccer in the fall as a freshman in college and was a 4 year Varsity player in Soccer and Basketball at The Morgan School and son Cooper, who will be a senior baseball pitcher and will follow his passion to college next year. Dave has loved watching Riley and Cooper excel in their sports over the years. When he isn't in the office or on the golf course, Dave has a passion for landscaping, gardening, and cooking at home.

Fran Sadek

If you're wondering what exactly "Exemplary Contribution" means to the Madison Athletic Hall of Fame, look no further than Fran Sadek. Beginning immediately after moving to Madison in 1967 and continuing for over 45 years, her contributions to Hand athletics were tireless. The founder of Hand football and CT Hall of Fame coach Larry Ciotti said, "Frances and her husband (John) were tremendous community supporters of Hand Athletics. They believed in athletics and what it could do for children. They were at every game." Ciotti continued, "They were financial boosters and did an awful lot for football. She even made Tiger Paw cards and posters throughout the season."

While she actually attended Hand's first football game in 1971 against Mount Everett of Sheffield MA, support actually began in 1968 following her neighbor's sons Scott and Bill Ferguson in basketball and track (Scott was a 2014 MAHOF inductee in Basketball and Track). She continued supporting basketball program through the mid-eighties.

From that first football game in 1971, she was a loyal supporter attending almost every game from 1971-2014. She was recognized by the Football Booster Club in 2010 with a plague that read, "Loyal Fan for 40 Years! Thank you for your continued devotion to the DHHS Football Program. Congratulations Frances Sadek."

It didn't end there. She enjoyed playing and watching tennis matches so she supported and assisted girls' tennis coach, Vicki Crompton from 1979-1987. She was also a faithful fan of boys' tennis too. Boys' coach Tom Dolan said, "Fran Sadek donated her time for more than ten years to the Boys' tennis program. She functioned as an assistant coach as well as a driver to away matches and also as a counselor to many of the players. She attended all the matches, both home and away and gave unstintingly to the program."

Dolan went on to say, "At the tennis banquet, the Seniors received an individual poem written by Fran. Fran contributed to the program for more than twelve years in more ways than anyone could imagine. The program would not have been as successful over the years without her contributions in so many areas. Former players still comment about these presentations."

Fran grew up in Methuen, MA and pursued her degree in education at Bridgewater Teachers College (now Bridgewater State University). She graduated in 1955 and spent 50 years in Education. In 1969, Fran began 45 years of volunteering two days a week in the Madison School System. She moved from the middle school to the high school in 1978 primarily as a tutor assisting geometry, algebra and English. She often worked with student athletes and attended their sports activities. In 2004, Fran was presented The Delta Kappa Gama Society International Alpha Kappa State Outstanding Service Award in recognition to her dedication to the children and youth of Connecticut.

Fran and her husband John have two sons, John and James, and six grandsons.

Joe Trapani

Joe Trapani, Daniel Hand Class of 2006, a three-year varsity letter winner, was one of the best basketball players in the school's history and one of the best in the State in his junior and senior years. Joe grew from a modest six-foot freshman to over 6'7" by the time he graduated. He was an excellent shooter, particularly beyond the three-point arc. As a twelve year-old, he won his age group for the CT Hot Shots Shooting Championship in 2001.

During Joe's sophomore year, he came off the bench to average over 12 points per game and almost eight rebounds per game. He had high scoring games against West Haven during the regular season with 25 points and against Hartford Public in the first round win of the state tournament with 23 points.

Joe was a starter in his junior year opening the season scoring 45 against Stratford and 38 against Xavier. Later that season, he scored 38 points against Shelton hitting 76 percent (16-21) from the field with ten rebounds and seven blocked shots. Joe finished his junior season averaging 23 points a game. His hit 51 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line. He also averaged 14 rebounds and 2.5 block shots per game. He was the New Haven Register's All-Area Boys' Basketball MVP in 2005. He was also named to the New Haven Register and Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State teams.

The 2004-2005 season was one of the most successful teams for Hand basketball. The team reached the semifinals of the State Tournament before falling in overtime to an undefeated New London team. Season highlights included beating Hillhouse 68-65 for a share of the SCC Hammonasset Division title. Joe scored 24 points, 20 in the second half, and finished with 18 rebounds. The team outrebounded Hillhouse 50-29 that night.

"Joe Trapani is easily one of the top players in New Haven County over the past two decades and one of the best players to ever come out of the Southern Connecticut Conference. A two-time Register Area MVP and two-time Register All-State selection, Joe Trapani will also be forever associated with being the last team from the SCC Hammonasset Division to beat Hillhouse, "said H.S. Sports Editor, Joe Morelli of the New Haven Register.

Joe surpassed 1000 points early in his senior year. He averaged 25.5 points per game with 14 rebounds and three block shots per game. The team advanced to the SCC Championship game for the first time in the school's history. Senior highlights include a 33 point performance against Xavier, and 35 points against West Haven in the SCC tourney. He also scored 17 first quarter points in another 35-point game against Pomperaug.

Joe won the New Haven Register Area Boys' Basketball MVP for the second time in 2006, the first to be named MVP for two consecutive years. He was also named to the New Haven Register and Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State team for a second time. "I had the privilege and honor of coaching what was, and will probably always be, the best and most successful basketball player to attend Daniel Hand High School. Joe was self-motivated and driven to improve individually, while still focusing on the team's goals and making his teams successful," said Jeff Beeman, his coach at Hand.

Director of Athletics at Hand, Craig Semple said, "In the years, Joe played here at Hand. He (was) the best player to put on a Hand uniform. Many will agree he may be the best basketball player in Hand history." Joe was recruited by several schools including Boston College, Davidson, West Virginia, Providence College, U Penn, Vermont, and Holly Cross. He ultimately decided to attend the University of Vermont where his father, Charlie, graduated ('78) and also played basketball. Joe had a good year as a freshman at Vermont highlighted by games against Boston College and Michigan State, both televised on ESPN. Joe decided to transfer to Boston College after that first year at Vermont fulfilling a childhood dream of playing in the ACC. Joe started all three years at BC and achieved All-ACC Team honors both his junior and senior years. "Joe has been the most successful basketball player to graduate from DHHS. His ability to be successful at the University of Vermont and Boston College are without parallel. His level of professional play has exceeded all others." said William A. Barker, Head Basketball Coach DHHS (emeritus).

Joe was invited to tryout with three NBA teams (Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and the Utah Jazz) after graduation. The Celtics asked him to play for their D-League team, the Maine Red Claws, but Joe turned his sights to Europe where he has been playing professionally for the last five seasons. Joe has played in the first divisions of Italy, Germany, Belgium, and two years in France. After returning from Italy in the spring of his first professional season, Joe played six games with the Maine Red Claws to help them finish their season out in Portland ME. Patrick (Pat) Duquette, Associate Head Coach BC Eagles remembers him well, "Joe was one of the most talented players to come through BC during the 13 years I was there. A versatile, skilled and athletic forward who loved to compete every day. He was always working hard in the off season and on his own to improve his individual skills, yet was also a great team player and teammate. Off the court, he always valued the education he was getting at BC and handled himself with maturity and class. I am not at all surprised to see him have so much success as a professional player in Europe."

"I remember Joe as a smart, solid player who clearly made the right decision in wanting to move up to a higher level of nightly competition. He would have been an asset to any BC team ever. - Robert (Bob) Ryan, Boston Globe and ESPN.

Gabrielle Worzella

Gabrielle "Gabe" Worzella, DHHS Class of 2003, was a three sport athlete at Hand. She was captain of the Ice Hockey and Track teams in her senior year and was MVP for both those teams. She played four years on the soccer team, ice hockey team and track and field team. Gabe earned MVP on the track team for being a key part of many events and set a school record in the 100 Meter Hurdles. She consistently finished in the top three positions in her events at states. Her contributions on the soccer field and the track were significant but it was on the ice that Gabe was truly outstanding and made her mark at Hand and in the state.

She led the Tigers in points three of her four years despite playing defense. She is the all-time assist leader and also has the record for most goals in a season. These statistics were despite being shadowed, double and triple teamed often. She was unanimous choice for first team allleague. A truly unselfish player, Gabe sought to make all the players around her better. Girls' ice hockey was a new sport at Hand and Gabe had a big part in the early success and growth of the sport. "It was like having another coach on the ice. She would be helping and instructing her teammates even in the middle of intense competition," said her coach, Rick Gedney. He went on to say, "She could have played at a much higher level but was all-team here to help build the program. Indeed, Gabe was offered a full ride at a prep school for hockey but chose to stay at Hand. She had found a home at this school and she was drawn to seek out and help others, a trait that would eventually set her future course later in life."

Gabe starting playing hockey at age nine in Maine after three years of pleading with her father to let her play like her brother. (CJ Worzella, a defensive standout on the Hand boys' team). Finally joining the Maine Selects, she improved so fast that she signed on with a Maine boys team for the next few years. She returned to an elite girls' team in Augusta, Maine up until her family moved to Madison in September of 1999.

In additional to the Hand team, she played on elite travel teams in Connecticut including a year on the CT Polar Bears and three years with the CT Southern Stars. Her Stars team played for the USA Hockey AA National Championship in 2001-2002 losing a heartbreaker in a double overtime shootout. The national exposure and high level of play would not only help Gabe get to the next level but also brought that passion back to her Hand schoolmates. She was not only the best player at Hand, she was one of the top high school players in the state all four years.

Girls' Ice Hockey was a new sport when Gabe was coming up and did not have wide acceptance at first. Gabe's determination showed on the ice and elsewhere. She was one of the student athletes who attended the Board of Ed meetings wearing her hockey jersey to get ice hockey to varsity status. That goal was realized while she was a student at Hand. Gabe credits her parents, Brad and Merriam, with her positive work attitude. "My parents are hardworking, honest and determined people and that has served me well," she said.

Schools recruiting Gabe for Ice Hockey included Vermont and Holy Cross. Gabe chose NCAA D1 University of Vermont where she played in every game all four years at every position except goaltender. The leadership and hard work she showed at Hand continued at the college level and she was named Assistant Captain at UVM. Also, Gabe was a National Strength and Conditioning All American in 2005.

Upon Graduation from UVM and while working at a Lab at Yale, hockey came calling again. Her assistant coach from UVM contacted her about openings in the Women's Professional League in Russia. She headed over with a teammate from UVM and two girls from Minnesota. After a month of tryouts and travel, the team needed a forward and Gabe played defense, so she packed it in and headed back to Burlington VT. While working at a hospital in Burlington, she confirmed her desire to pursue medicine as a career. She took her MCATs and returned to Madison in 2008. She worked as a personal trainer, applied to med schools and went back at Hand to become assistant coach for the girls' hockey team. Said Gedney;"It was personally very satisfying, but more importantly for the girls she is a natural coach and a heck of role model."

She started med school at Western University in California in the spring of 2009 and went on to finish her rotations at UCONN graduating in 2013 as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. She is currently a resident at Middlesex Hospital where she will finish in June 2017 and be boarded with her specialty in Family Medicine. Gabe is looking to establish her practice in New England and hopes to return to the sport of Ice Hockey in the future as a coach.

Gabe's favorite quote is by Wayne Gretzky, "Don't skate to where the puck is - skate to where the puck is going." It's an inspiration not only for her hockey career, but also for her medical career and life.

Tom Zaccagnino

With an athletic career that began in Madison as a Madison Youth Lacrosse defenseman, Tom Zaccagnino remains today as one of the greatest lacrosse player to ever wear the Black and Gold for the Daniel Hand High School Tigers. During his freshman season in 1989, Tom's impact and presence on the field was tremendous as he immediately become a great feeder and goal scorer for the Tigers coached by US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Coach Jeff Gull. Early on, Tom's role was to create offense and distribute the ball and this allowed him to become an important play-maker in boosting his upperclassmen teammates' performance to aid the Tigers' 8-8 season which featured a first round appearance in the state title playoffs, and to become the Brian Nee Memorial Freshman Player of the Year.

As a sophomore Tom moved his progress upward and even took face offs on the midfield while he continued to score goals at a torrid pace. The Tigers marched through the season posting a 13-6 record and qualified to play in the Northern Division Championship where Hand fell to Cheshire 7-6 in an overtime game. Tom lead the team with three goals and three assists. With Zaccagnino continuing his scoring skill, the Tigers knocked out South Windsor 8-4 in the first round before being falling to the eventual state champion, Wilton, in the quarterfinals of the state championship playoffs.

During his junior year in 1991, Tom and his teammates devastated opponents during the regular season as part of a juggernaut offense and lock down defense installed by Hand's newly hired head coach Frank Barron (Barron is now a US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Member and Connecticut Lifetime Achievement Award winning Lacrosse Head Coach) The Tigers had a 16-4 record that season. With Tom and some of the greatest all time collection of Tiger players assembled in the program's 15-year history, a record setting 314 team goals were scored that year as Tom's numbers jumped to 179 goals scored with 162 assists added on from the '90 season. Tom's contribution was a key factor in the team's successful campaign. They took the Northern Division Championship over Cheshire before bowing out in the state semi?final game to eventual state champ Wilton. Tom was honored by the state coaches as a first team All Northern Division and First Team All-State Attackman and at the season's end and was named one of the Tiger captains for 1992.

Tom's scoring and ability to assist took on new meaning for his senior year. The Tigers netted a 14-6 record while Tom and his mates continued to sting 360 of 190 assisted team goals into the back of the net. Tom excelled with his triple threat abilities by playing on the attack and on the midfield scoring 87 goals and adding 58 assists for the season. He took face off draws too, and when called upon even picked up a long defensive pole and played defense. His ability to score early and often were marked by a number of games where he averaged six to eight goals and sometimes an additional four to six assists. In the 1992 quarter-final state playoff game-a 13-12 victory against Fairfield Prep at Fairfield-he scored 8 goals, had 5 assists, and was involved in every scoring play for Hand. In the following game, the state semi-final against the eventual champion Wilton HS, Tom knocked in 4 goals and 6 assists and was involved in 10 of the 11 goals that Hand scored that day. During the 1992 season, Wilton had held all teams to under 5 goals. No team had come close to taking on the Warriors until Hand placed Wilton on its heels with those 11 goals. Tom had the savvy ability to find his teammates for scoring opportunities and to find a way to keep the game close during all four quarters.

In 40 years of Hand Boy's Lacrosse, Tom Zaccagnino remains the number one career scorer and assist leader with a phenomenal 206 goals and 125 assists for a total of 331 points. No one has broken his record to date. "I think what made Tom a great player was that as a youth player he played long stick defense and when he became an offensive player in high school he understood how to screen the goalie by using his defender's body as a moving screen. With the goalie's vision blocked by the defender, Tom could shoot the ball around the defensive player guarding him and catch the goalie out of position almost all of the time. Certainly his versatility was something we employed during the time he played when he was double and sometimes tripled teamed by the close defense," said Coach Frank Barron.

"Because I was in charge of coordinating the offense during Tom's four-year career when he was doubled, we would move him to the face off position where his hand quickness and first step foot speed was unbeatable on the draws that he won. Now as a midfielder with the ball in his stick he was competing against an opponent who could not keep up with his skill...and more goals would be scored or fed to other players. Surrounded by many great lacrosse players during his four years, early on Tom deferred to the older players on the team. He was humble yet had that burning desire to excel and be the best. When junior and senior year arrived, frankly, Tom was unstoppable and he helped us to having some truly great seasons", said former Hand Head and Hall of Fame Coach Barron, now in his 44th year of coaching as an assistant at Branford HS.

"Tom was an outstanding youth player who I enjoyed working for many years at the Tiger Summer Lacrosse Camps and I knew when he arrived at Hand he would be unstoppable surrounded by the other great players we had on our teams from 1989-1992. Most of all, Tom came from a great family and he had a work ethic instilled by his parents Joe and Sue. Most importantly, he had a great attitude about being coached and because I taught him in the classroom I knew he could take criticism and be coached to raise his game and play at a higher level. When those demands came-he achieved great excellence because at his core he was a hard worker, humble, and took none of his skills lightly. He worked at his game all the time every day even in his backyard after practice and that is what allowed him to excel. It was such a pleasure to be his English teacher at Hand and he excelled in the classroom, too-so friendly, a warm and generous young man-he was champion in all aspects of his life. I knew that he would go on to become a tremendous leader in whatever career he would choose and be the type of man who would make his family proud," Barron noted.

Married and a dad, Tom's life revolves around his wonderful wife Kristie and four beautiful children while he owns and operates a private equity real estate investment firm in Boston. Tom has just begun to reconnect with lacrosse as a youth league coach and is thoroughly enjoying the experience teaching and watching his kids and their friends learn the game he loves.