February Dates In The Sports History Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

HARTFORD-TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — This monthly series on Patch sites in Hartford and Tolland counties recalls historic dates, events and milestones which occurred in the region during that month.

Here is the February timeline, arranged by calendar date rather than chronologically by year:

Feb. 3, 1991 - The prestigious Gold Key Dinner, organized by the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance, was hosted at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of Southington for the first time. With the exception of 1996, the event has taken place there ever since, with the renamed Connecticut Sports Media Alliance conducting its 82nd ceremony last October.

Feb. 4, 1970 - Winthrop "Ding" Palmer Jr., an ice hockey player with the silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in 1932 and a 1973 inductee into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, died in the Warehouse Point section of East Windsor. He was 63.

Feb. 6, 1971 - Larry Lichstein of Windsor Locks became the first bowler from New England to win on the PBA Tour, capturing the Ebonite Open in San Jose, Cal. The event, televised on ABC Sports, made history as the first and only PBA tournament in which all 16 match play qualifiers threw left-handed.

Feb. 12, 1959 - Eventual World Boxing Organization cruiserweight champion Tyrone Booze was born in Hartford.

Feb. 18, 1908 - World featherweight boxing champion Bat Battalino was born Christopher Battaglia in Hartford. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.

Feb. 18, 1980 - Dwight Freeney, one of the top defensive linemen in National Football League history, was born in Hartford. He excelled at Bloomfield High School and Syracuse University before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, with whom he won Super Bowl XLI. He played in seven Pro Bowls, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023, and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Feb. 22, 1989 - For the first time, girls' indoor track is sanctioned as a CIAC sport, and in the inaugural state meet, Weaver High School of Hartford won the Class L title over Staples by a 100-79 count at the Coxe Cage on the campus of Yale University in New Haven.

Feb. 27, 1971 - The CIAC instituted state championship meets in boys swimming, and E.O. Smith of Storrs captured the Class M title at the Central Connecticut State College pool by outpointing Wilby, 145-132.5.

Feb. 28, 1999 - Trinity College won the first of what became 13 straight Potter Trophies as the top collegiate squash team in the nation.