Branford Sports Hall Of Fame Inducts 10

BRANFORD, CT —Ten people with extensive backgrounds in athletics are being inducted into the Branford Sports Hall of Fame Friday at the 33rd annual Branford Sports Hall of Fame Dinner at The Woodwinds.

The inductees are Richard "Dick" Aguzzi, Jackie Alessi Ceccolini, Charlie Donohue, R. Paul Hunter, Mike Kligerman, Jennifer Kohut, Terry M. Laich, Jim Pacileo, Megan Devlin Olt, and Veronica M. Ormrod.

Richard Aguzzi

Aguzzi grew up in the golden age of baseball in the 1950’s and it was also his passion. Throughout the decade he enjoyed success from little league to college as a dominant hitter and outstanding ball player. Dick distinguished himself at every level beginning as a Little League All-Star, PONY League Connecticut State Champion and continued his success as a good contact hitter with power at Branford High School as part of two Housatonic League championships in 1957 and 1958, leading the way as Housatonic League batting (.425 average) champ and home run champ. Following graduation from Branford High School in 1958, he attended Southern Connecticut State University where he continued to make a name for himself on the diamond. He joins his father, the late Alfred “Doc” Aguzzi and his brothers Robert “Tomo” Aguzzi and the late Alfred “Allie” Aguzzi.

Jackie Alessi Ceccolini

Ceccolini has made a major impact on the Branford High School girl’s lacrosse program. A 2003 graduate of Branford High School, she has held every imaginable title for the Branford Girls Lacrosse program –a player (on the first ever girls lacrosse program), captain, assistant coach, head coach and two-time state champion. She is the second girl’s lacrosse player inducted into the Branford Sports Hall of Fame (Teammate Melissa McGow, Class of 2017 was the first). In her senior year, she was named All-Southern Connecticut Conference and New Haven Register All-Area. After graduation, Ceccolini went on to play at Springfield College (Class of 2007), where she was a four-year member of the women’s lacrosse team. She moved back to Connecticut in 2008 and was named the second head coach in program history a year later. In 2017, Branford won its first state championship in program history and was named the SCC Coach of the Year and Class M State Coach of the Year. In 2018, the Hornets repeated as state champions. She coached her last game in 2019, accumulating over 100 wins as the Branford High School’s girl’s coach.

Charlie Donohue

As a competitive swimmer from ther age of 5 until he was 22, Donohue swam for Branford High School in his junior and senior season after returning from private school and compete on the track team as well. Charlie made All-Housatonic in both swimming and track his senior year and was a co-captain for both teams. He was an All-State swimmer in both 1982 and 1983. As a co-captain in the 1982-83 season, Charlie led the team to their first Class M State Swimming Championship title. When Charlie graduated, he held the school records for the 200 individual medley, 100 yard freestyle, the 100 yard breaststroke, and 400 yard free relay team. The 200 IM school record stood for 25 years. Charlie was the recipient of the Most Valuable Swimmer, Leader and Scholar Awards. After graduating from Branford, he attended Tufts University, where he swam and continued to excel in the individual medley events where he was repeatedly a New England finalist and was a co-captain his senior year.

Paul Hunter

Hunter first started coaching in Branford in 1992 for the Branford Soccer Club, primarily the Under 14 Division, then in 2000, he was named the club’s Director of Coaching. In 2009, Hunter became the head boys’ soccer coach at Branford High. The Hornets have reached the Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament seven times since, including making their one and only appearance in an SCC tournament final in 2012. Hunter’s record at Branford heading into the 2022 season was 115-90-29. The crown jewel of his Branford coaching career came in the fall of 2014, where the Hornets were named CIAC Class L State Champions. He was selected to coach in the Connecticut Senior Bowl in 2014 and was also named the New Haven Register’s Area Coach of the Year. Hunter played high school soccer at Staples in Westport, where he helped lead the Wreckers to both back-to-back FCIAC championships and Class L state championship. He was an All-FCIAC selection twice as well. He later went on to play at the University of Connecticut and was an All-American Honorable Mention pick as a junior. He was also Team MVP both years and a captain for his senior season, helping lead UConn to its second New England championship in a three-year stretch. He was also selected to play in the National Senior Bowl. Hunter was selected in the first round – No. 11 overall- by the New York Cosmos in the 1977 North American Soccer League draft. He was a part of the Cosmos NASL championship that year before going on to play for the Detroit Express. He spent the 1981 season, his final one in the NASL with the Tulsa Roughnecks. Hunter was named the Co-Rookie of the Year in 1978 and was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.

Mike Kligerman

Kligerman excelled in football, basketball, and baseball in the mid 1980’s. Mike was a three-year starter in basketball for the Hornets and was team captain his Junior and Senior years. He earned first team All Housatonic as a Senior and was selected to the Lions Club Festival All-Tournament Team in 1985. He earned a place on the New Haven Register Tap Off Club All County Team and Honorable Mention for the New Haven Register All State Team. As a defensive end in his one year of playing High School football, he earned a spot to the All-Housatonic League team as an Honorable Mention. As a starting center fielder and clean-up hitter for the varsity baseball team, Mike was named on the All-Housatonic League Honorable Mention for three years in a row and was named captain in his senior year. After graduating, Mike attended Cheshire Academy for a Post Graduate year where he received an athletic scholarship and joined the soccer team as a goalie and led the Cats to their first ever New England Prepatory School Championship. He was awarded the 1986 Athlete of the Year at Cheshire Academy’s annual sports banquet.

Jennifer Kohut

For close to 30 years, Kohut has taught and coached at Branford High School. Jen has taught Physical Education and Health and she has served as the head coach of the girls’ soccer and boys’ golf teams. Jen is one of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in the proud history of Manchester High Athletics. As an “Indian”, she earned multiple letters in field hockey, basketball, and softball. Remarkably, Jen was selected by her peers as a captain for all three teams. She earned All-CCC Conference honors as a junior and senior in each sport. Additional accolades included team M.V.P. (all three sports) and All State status in field hockey and softball. At the conclusion of her senior year, Jen was named the Female Athlete of the Year at her alma mater. In the fall of 1984, Jen matriculated to the University of Connecticut, where she lettered in field hockey and softball. Jen began her teaching career at Holy Cross School in New Britain. After four years, she was hired by the Branford Board of Education to teach Physical Education at Murphy School before transferring to Branford High School in 1997. For two seasons, Jen served as an assistant coach for the girls’ soccer team. In 1998, she took over the program. In total, Jen’s soccer teams have captured six divisional titles. In 2012, the Hornets won the prestigious SCC Conference Championship. As a result of her unpresented success, Jen has been named New Haven Register Coach of the Year and SCC Conference Coach of the Year. As the head golf coach, her teams have won three divisional championships. Similar to soccer, Jen has been recognized as the New Haven Register and SCC Conference Coach of the Year.

Terry Laich

Laich graduated from Branford High School in 1969 and excelled in football and basketball. The son to Alyce and George “Battler” Laich (who was also an inductee in the Branford Sports Hall of Fame back in 1990), Terry became a skilled quarterback and safety for the football team. As a member of the Hornets basketball team, during his junior year, Branford earned a Housatonic League championship. In his senior year, Terry and his teammates posted a 18-1 record and, again, were League Champs. Following high school, Terry entered Milford Academy and continued playing basketball. His dreams for success in the world of sports were dashed when he was diagnosed with a serious and rare health condition at the young age of 19. He never gave in to his physical health challenges but embraced a lie of adventure, making friend worldwide while keeping strong ties with his Branford friends over the years. Sadly, Terry passed away in 1999.

Jim Pacileo

Pacileo graduated in 1972 from Branford High School earning seven varsity letters (three in football and four in baseball). Over the three years as a quarterback, he set several school records: most career td passes (33), most touchdown passes in a season (14), most career passing yards (3,550), and most rushing yards in a season by a QB (692). He was honored to receive the “Stu Clancy Award” for the 1971 football season. Jim was named Defensive Player of the Year as a catcher on the baseball team in his junior year and co-captain in his senior season. At the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, he lettered in both baseball and football. He is the winningest QB in Academy history with a record of 15-3 and was selected as a captain in his senior year, leading the team to a record 0f 8-1 and ranked 5th Nationally in Division III. He set and tied several academy records: Most passing yards in a game, most completions in a game, most passing attempts in a game, and most TD passes in a game. Jim was inducted into the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

Megan Devlin Olt

Olt made her mark at Branford High School as an outstanding basketball and volleyball player, earning her local and state recognition. She achieved success and recognition on the volleyball court and by the time she finished her career at BHS, she had twice earned second team All-State and team MVP her junior and senior seasons. In both those years, she led the Hornets to the SCC Hammonasset Division crown. On the basketball court, she was named to the New Haven Tap-Off Club All-Freshman team and in her senior year, led the Hornets to the SCC Hammonasset Division, the SCC Championship Game, and the quarter finals in the state basketball tournament. She continued her volleyball career at Colby College, where she was a four-year starter for the Mules. She was named a tri-captain for Colby in 2005.

Veronica Ormrod

Ormrod led the Branford High School swim team to a Class M State Championship, where she led off the first place medley relay, placed second in the 50-yard free, placed first in the 100 yard backstroke and led off the first place 400 yard freestyle relay. At the State Open Championships, she claimed the 100- yard backstroke and set another Branford record. After graduating from Branford High School, Veronica attended Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida and helped them win the National Junior College Swimming and Diving Championship in the 100-yard backstroke and part of the 200 yard and 400 yard freestyle relay squads. After junior college, Veronica enrolled at Southern Connecticut State University, where she set a number of school records, earning All-American designation at the NCAA Division II National Championships.