Middletown Sports Hall Of Fame To Induct 13 New Members

Press release from the Middlesex County Chamber:

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The Middletown Sports Hall of Fame will fete former athletes, coaches, a special volunteer and a longtime sports editor among its new 13-member class on April 23 at the Elks Crystal Ballroom.

Those elected to the Class of 2023, the 29th group to be honored by the hall since its launch in 1994, in alphabetical order:

Tony Bostick: A two-sport star at Woodrow Wilson High School in the 1970s, Bostick rushed for a then-record 1,324 yards in a season for the Wildcats in 1976 and went on to play for American International College.

Ashley Etheridge: Etheridge was an All-State basketball player in each of her four years at Mercy, leading the Tigers in scoring and rebounding. She scored 1,400 points and went on to strong career at Providence College, where she was a regular in the rotation for three seasons.

Tony Franco: Franco was an all-conference pitcher at Xavier in the mid-1980s and went on to play for four years at the University of Hartford. His 30-year coaching career has come full circle as he enters his 10th season on Xavier’s coaching staff.

David Gallitto: Gallitto was a four-year football letterman at Woodrow Wilson and defensive captain. As a student leader, he initiated a petition for Wilson to start a golf program, which attained varsity status his senior year in 1975. Gallitto also led the charge in organizing and launching the Prof Gallitto Youth Basketball League for boys and girls in the city. He is the current president of the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame.

Jeff Gould: Gould was a baseball and football standout at Woodrow Wilson in the 1970s. He pitched and played the outfield for the Wildcats, hit .400 twice and was an all-conference selection all four years. Gould went on to have two outstanding seasons at Middlesex Community College and was one of three state players to participate in the All New England regional tournament.

John Greco: A familiar face on the Middletown athletics scene, Greco is known for his volunteerism and generosity. The 1951 Woodrow Wilson graduate was a longtime volunteer assistant in the city’s Little League, Ahern Whalen and high school baseball programs. Each year, the MHS Booster Club awards a sports scholarship in his name. For decades, Greco volunteered working at MHS’ outdoor concession stand, which was later named “Greco’s Grill at the Dragons Den” in his honor. Greco received a Good Sport Award from the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance in 2016.

John Hastings: A standout runner at Greenwich High School, Hastings continued in both cross country and indoor/outdoor track at Wesleyan University from 1967-71. He specialized in the mile and 800 meters. Hastings has been involved as a coach over the years at Wesleyan and Mercy High School and is still active as a coach in Durham.

Whitney Holder: Holder was a track and field star at Middletown High and became a Big East long jump champion at UConn. At MHS, she was an All-State performer in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and on the 4x100 relay team. Holder won state titles in the 200 and long jump and stills holds MHS records in the 200 and long jump.

Megan Nelson Keane: Nelson Keane was an All-State performer in soccer and softball at Middletown High. At Amherst College, she was a four-year starter on the softball team, primarily as a catcher. Nelson Keane was a four-year All-NESCAC pick and had a stellar senior season, batting .389 with 14 doubles, two home runs, 19 runs scored and 17 RBIs.

Lorenzo T. Marshall Jr.: Marshall was an all-around athlete at Middletown High from 1997-2001, but his greatest success came on the football field. He was an all-conference running back in his junior and senior seasons and had a four-year career at Division II Bentley College, where he averaged 5.3 yards per carry, second all-time on the career list. After graduation, he had a long semi-pro career in Boston.

Jeff Otterbein: Otterbein, who grew up in Portland and graduated from Xavier in 1972, spent 27 years as sports editor of the Hartford Courant. As the department grew under his leadership in the 1980s and ‘90s, the Courant was considered one of the top sports sections in the nation, winning the Triple Crown for four consecutive years. Otterbein also was a strong advocate for coverage of women’s basketball and girls high school sports.

Shawn Smith: Smith was a three-year starter for the Vinal Tech/Coginchaug co-op and was the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher (1,172 in 2001, with nine touchdowns). He rushed for 245 yards in a game against Rocky Hill and capped his season with an All-Nutmeg League selection. Smith walked on at Holy Cross, where he played for two seasons.

John Waz (posthumously): Waz captained the undefeated 1948 Woodrow Wilson High football team that won the Class B state championship. After becoming the first Wilson athlete named to the New Haven Register Al-State Team, Waz joined the United States Army and served in the Korean War as a Sergeant First Class. He died in 1988.

The teams to be inducted in April were previously announced: the state champion Middletown High track and field teams of 1998, 1999 and 2000, and the Jack’s Lunch Speed Girls basketball squads between 1933 and 1937.

The ceremony on April 23 begins with a noon social hour, inductions at 1 p.m. and a meal to follow. Ticket information will be available soon.

This press release was produced by the Middlesex County Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.