VERMONT SPORTS HALL OF FAME

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Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Annouces Its 2025 Inductees

A world champion horseshoe pitcher, Olympians in summer and winter including a silver medalist in rowing, top scorers in hoops and in soccer, record-setters on the track and the gridiron, and in gymnastics, a three-sport high school star who became a major leaguer, an all-American and national champion ice hockey player, an award-winning broadcaster and a trio of legendary coaches are the 13 newest inductees of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. On January 29th, VSHOF Board of Directors announced its 12th group of inductees, its class of 2025.

The inductees are gymnastics champion Nini Wuensch Anger of St. Albans and Colchester; world and national champion horseshoe pitcher Debra Brown of Bristol; record-setting high school and collegiate soccer scorer Kyle Dezotell of Derby; high school and collegiate ice hockey standout Lou DiMasi III of Burlington; Olympic rowing medalist Carlie Geer of West Fairlee and South Burlington; U.S. National Champion and two-time Olympic ski jumper Jim Holland of Norwich; high school and collegiate football and track star Bill Looker of Rutland; Basketball sharp shooter Tony Orciari of Burke Hollow; three-sport high school star Mike Rochford of South Burlington who went on to pitch for the Boston Red Sox; and legendary coaches Connie LaRose of Bristol and Mount Abraham Union, and Frank Pecora of Northfield and Norwich University. 

Award-winning sports broadcaster Jack Healey of Rutland is this year’s Mal Boright Media Inductee and the late Leo Papineau of Swanton, St. Albans and Richford is the VSHOF Historical Inductee. Papineau was an outstanding three-sport athlete at Saint Michael’s College graduating in 1924 and went on to be a multi-sport championship coach at Richford High, St. Albans High and BFA St. Albans. 

Click HERE for bios of the 2025 Inductees!

The class will be formally inducted at the 2025 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Celebration at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on 1117 Williston Road in South Burlington on Saturday, April 26, 2025. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. with the induction ceremony following dinner.

Ticket information for the 2025 dinner is available by clicking Click HERE. Proceeds from the event go to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the designated charity of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. The past dinners and other fundraisers have raised over $37,000 to support PCAVT’s work state- wide. For more information on PCAVT, please click HERE.

 

Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2024

Champions of racetracks and Nordic trails, record-setters in football and the links, top scorers from hoops, ice hockey and soccer, an award- winning broadcaster, the hall’s first lacrosse player and three legendary high school coaches make up the 13 newest inductees of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. The class of 2024 were inducted April 24, 2024, at a sold out dinner at the Delta Marriott Hotel in South Burlington.

The 2024 inductees are football and track athlete, David Ball of Barre and Orange; golf champion Shawn Baker of Brattleboro; champion and Olympic Nordic skier Andrew Johnson of Greensboro; high school and collegiate ice hockey standout Jim Larkin of Wallingford; auto racing champion Kevin Lepage of Shelburne; women’s high school and collegiate soccer star Kristi (Lefebvre) Huizenga of Colchester; women’s lacrosse All-American Alyssa Trudel of Shoreham; basketball legend Dr. Kim Silloway of St.Johnsbury; and legendary high school coaches Gail Jette of Middlebury, Donald Maley Sr. of Burlington and Brattleboro’s Andy Natowich. Award-winning sports broadcasting veteran George Commo of Burlington is this year’s Mal Boright Media Inductee and Barry Stone of South Burlington is the 2024 David Hakins Inductee for exceptional promotion of sports, athletics and recreation in the State of Vermont. 

Click HERE for more information and bios of the 2024 inductees. Also click HERE for a free photo gallery of the event courtesy of Vermont Sports Images. 

Proceeds from the dinner will go to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the designated charity of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. Past dinners and other fundraisers have raised over $33,000 to support PCAV’s work state-wide.

 

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Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Dozen its 2023 Class

Twelve members were formally inducted at the 2023 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Celebration Presented by Myers Waste at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on Williston Road in South Burlington on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

Click HERE for a free photo gallery from the event courtesy of Paul Lamontagne of Vermont Sports Images.

The 2023 inductees are Olympic alpine skiers Suzi Chaffee of Rutland and Doug Lewis of Middlebury; three-time Olympic snowboard medalist Kelly Clark of West Dover; two-time Olympic mountain biker Lea Davison from Jericho; three-sport star and college football standout Jake Eaton of Rutland; legendary high school basketball coach David Fredrickson of Bennington; record-setting basketball players Jasmyn Huntington Fletcher of Bradford and Morgan Valley of Colchester; four-sport standout and high scoring soccer player John Koerner of Shelburne; and Bob Molinatti from Colchester, the hall’s first para-athlete. State gymnastics pioneer Thomas Dunkley of South Burlington is this year’s David Hakins Inductee for excellence in promotion of sports and athletics throughout the state and sportswriter Andy Gardiner of South Burlington is the Mal Boright Media Inductee.

Click HERE for more information on the 2023 VSHOF inductees including bios.

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Grab a copy of the book "Green Mountain Gold'!

Get something for the sports fan on your list and order a copy of 'Green Mountain Gold,' a compilation of biographies of the first eight inductions classes of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.

Learn more about the book and order your copy here >>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Watch the 2021 VSHOF Virtual Induction Celebration

The Vermont Sports Hall of Fame held its Virtual Induction Celebration presented by Myers Waste on Thursday, April 29, 2021. Click the link below to watch the ceremony.

Click here to watch the Ceremony

Produced by RETN, it was broadcast live online, available after for replay online and aired on community cable systems throughout Vermont. 

The 11 inductees will be also be honored with the next class at the next in-person dinner and celebration in 2022. All tickets purchased for the previous scheduled dates can be used at future events or if ticket holders wish to receive a refund, please e-mail us at vermontsportshall@gmail.com

Click HERE for more information on the 2020 VSHOF Inductees including bios.

In addition to the generous support of the event's title sponsor, Myers Waste of Winooski, video tribute ads from other sponsors to the eighth class of inductees are part of the event hosted by Mike McCune, sports director of WCAX TV. These tributes benefit Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the designated charity of the Hall.

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Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Saddened by the Loss of David Hakins

The Vermont Sports Hall of Fame is saddened by the loss of David Hakins, who passed away on July 23, 2013 after a five-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Dave was part of the initial launch committee of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and was the first chair of its board of directors. Also the publisher of Vermont Life, it was Dave's energy, vision, inspiration and direction that helped get this project off the ground. Click HERE for appreciations of Dave's life.

 

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The Vermont Sports Hall of Fame is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.