The traditions, talents, legacies, and accomplishments of the Notre Dame athletic department date back to when the Brothers of Holy Cross opened the front doors of the school in the fall of 1946.
From when Nick Pietrosante ‘55 wore the green and gold before heading to South Bend, Indiana and the University of Notre Dame and later the NFL to this past school year when the hockey team played in its school record 18th state championship game, the proud tradition of Notre Dame athletics takes a back seat to no one in the state of Connecticut.
If the walls of Alumni Hall could talk, they would tell the exploits of 38 state championships, and in recent times 37 Southern Connecticut Conference division titles, and 15 Southern Connecticut Conference championships not to mention a plethora of District league and ACC (All Catholic Conference) crowns prior to joining the SCC in 1994. This, of course, is in addition to the 341 All-State athletes, who proudly achieved this status representing Notre Dame in their sport of choice.
Now, for the first time, the Notre Dame Athletic Department will begin an annual tradition and honor its own with the launch of the Notre Dame Athletic Hall of Fame with the inaugural class set to be feted on Saturday, Oct. 5 in an afternoon ceremony at the school.
“This was one of my main objectives when I took over as athletic director,” said Jason Shea. “I will put up our tradition up against any school in Connecticut. It’s important to me that we remember and honor so many great athletes and teams that have paved the way for our current program and helped set our school apart.”
The inaugural class will feature nine individuals – five legendary athletes, four standout coaches- and two teams, both of whom helped put Notre Dame athletics on the proverbial map. Each inductee will receive a ring as a symbol of their induction. In addition to the nine-person slate, several coaches and athletes will be honored posthumously.
The criteria for induction into the Notre Dame Athletics Hall of Fame is the following: All-State selection or the equivalents and graduated at least 15 years ago.
The inaugural class includes a “Who’s Who of Notre Dame Athletics.” To read a brief biographical information on each inductee, please visit gogreenknights.com.
Athletes: Joe Tonelli ’62; Greg Lawler ’65; Ray Ciarleglio ’59; Jim Davins ’82; Tarek Saleh ’93.
Coaches:Jim Guercia, Tom Marcucci ’66, Gary Palladino, Bill Parkinson.
Teams: The 1954 and 1962 state championship football teams
In Memoriam: John Janenda, Richard Lawler, Sr., Nick Pietrosante ’55, Ed Schreck ’63, Ray Tellier.
The induction ceremony will be the culmination of a weekend full of activities. This includes a home football game against Amity on Friday, Oct. 4. The festivities will also include the school’s annual alumni football, soccer, and lacrosse games on Saturday, Oct. 5. A picnic lunch will begin at Noon in Alumni Hall followed by the official induction ceremony at 1:30 p.m. in the Maureen and George Collins ‘58 Auditorium.
Please visit http://www.notredamehs.com/HallofFame2019 for more information and to register for the event. The cost is $65 per person. Please see below for a complete schedule of events with times and locations.