Manchester Sports Hall of Fame to Induct Seven

Presently the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame has 178 individual inductees and plan to add 7 more individuals. Through the years, MSHoF have honored 10 sport teams and over 60 service organizations, financial donors and outstanding individual volunteer efforts.

All of the inductees this year excelled in individual sports in their youth and adult lives but also gave back to the world of sport through coaching, officiating or developing safe and competitive programs for the young athletes of today. The 2013 inductees are:

Gil Boisoneau, DMD: The Boisoneau family moved to Manchester from Biddeford, Maine when Gil was 11 years old in 1952. While not playing organized football until entering Manchester High School, Gil quickly excelled on the field, earning All-League honors and the Tom McCann Award, for ’outstanding back’ in his senior year. After graduating from MHS in 1958, Boisoneau studied at the University of Hartford and received a Doctoral of Dental Medicine from the Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, all the time continuing playing club football. In 1965 he returned to Manchester to open a dental practice and also started a coaching career that spanned over 40 years within Manchester and surrounding towns. During his early coaching years, Boisoneau was a past-president and member of the Manchester Midget Football Board of Directors. In 1998 Gil was inducted into the Northern CT chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, where he has been a past-president and is currently a Board Member.

David D. Boland: born and raised in Manchester, Dave excelled on the soccer field, basketball court and baseball diamond. After playing Varsity basketball at Manchester High School and Monson Academy, Boland excelled in basketball at Central CT State University, graduating in 1960. While serving as an officer in the CT Army National Guard, Dave took his soccer and basketball skills to the officiating side of the game where he officiated over 3000 soccer games and over 6000 basketball games for the youth, high school and collegiate levels throughout CT. Dave has served as an instructor/evaluator for high school and collegiate referees and also developed the sports timing and scoring services implemented in today’s programs for the high school, collegiate and professional levels. Boland has been recognized and awarded by a multitude of State, New England and National organizations for his dedication and contribution to the game of soccer and basketball.

Robert Goehring: a native to Manchester, Bob was an exceptional athlete in track and field and on the soccer field. In his high school years, as co-captain of the 1959 Manchester High School Varsity Soccer team, he helped lead the team to an undefeated state championship season in 1958. On the track & field team, Bob broke the javelin and long jump records. After graduation in 1960, Bob attended the University of Bridgeport, where he started every game as a member of the Varsity Soccer team, including play in the 1961 Division 1A NCAA Final Four Championship. As Captain of the UB Track and Field team (1964), Bob broke the school record in the javelin throw (217’ 11”) and was winner at the prestigious Queens-Iona Relays held in NY (1961).

In his post-college years, Bob stayed active playing and pitching in the Silk City Slow Pitch Softball League for 28 years. Goehring volunteered hundreds of hours, teaching fundamentals of soccer and officiating at the high school.  He was the founder of the Pratt & Whitney Corporate Cup, a charity-driven competition that featured running teams from major corporations.

Gary Kinel: has given countless hours coaching and developing young athletes in Connecticut. A native of Manchester, Gary played sports in town, excelling in basketball and baseball. Kinel started on the 1968 East Catholic State Championship Basketball Team and was a 3 year starter on the ECHS Baseball Team and Manchester American Legion Team. Gary continued to excel on the court (4 year starter) and on the baseball diamond while studying at Eastern Connecticut State University, with a pitching record (21-3), a career batting average of .363, and a 3-time Team MVP.

After graduation from ECSU in 1972, Gary continued to play 14 years of summer Baseball in Norwich and Hartford, while coaching boys Basketball and Baseball at Griswold High School. While coaching at Griswold, he built a strong, competitive program, devoting his time and expertise to guide the Basketball team to 2 State Championships in 1978 and 1981. In 1996, Kinel took over as Athletic Director for 10 years before retirement.

Gary has been inducted into the East Catholic Hall of Fame and the Eastern CT State University Hall of Fame.

PJ (Patrick) Tierney: posthumously receiving the McCluskey Award. This award is named after one of Manchester’s finest runners, Olympian, Joe McCluskey and is given annually to an individual for their devotion to the Manchester Road Race. PJ Tierney was “The Irish Connection”, inviting and bringing the great Olympian runners from Ireland, such as John Treacy and Eamon Coghlan to make the Manchester Road Race an international running event. PJ brought a new level to the tradition of the Thanksgiving Race, making the annual race, one of the best in the country.

Mike Heffron: recipient of the Founder’s Award, an award that recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extreme dedication to Manchester sports. For 40 years of his adult life, Mike dedicated a multitude of hours, volunteering his time and coaching Manchester Little League. Mike developed many a young baseball player, coaching Town Championship teams and ‘All-Star’ teams. As a parent’s words described Mike Heffron, “You made a difference in so many lives, whether they were players, parents or bystanders in your coaching, mentoring, listening, laughing and in just enjoying the experience… you are a hero.”  In recognition of his service to sports, Manchester’s Verplanck Little League Baseball Field was renamed “Mike Heffron Field”.

Janit Romayko: The Marcy MacDonald/Title IX award will be presented to Janit. This award celebrates the passage of the 1972 Title IX Amendment and recognizes an individual who excelled in athletics or had an integral role in the development of women’s sports. Janit learned to swim at Globe Hollow as a young girl, and continued to run long distances for her own enjoyment; and when Manchester started Triathlons in the 1980’s, Janit took off. She has managed to run 46 marathons and has not missed a Manchester Road Race since 1974. She has been officiating for the CT Swimming Officials Association since 1969, servicing 33 High schools and 6 colleges in the Hartford region. Janit continues to participate in triathlons and was named the 1st Annual Spirit of the Sport Awardee of the U.S. Triathlon Association of America in 2011, for her undying spirit and participation. 

The MSHoF Committee will also honor the 1994-95 and 1995-96 MHS Wrestling teams, for their excellence, dedication and hard work by winning back to back, CT High School State “LL” Championships, with consecutive undefeated season, 41-0, total for 2 seasons, ranking the teams #1 in Connecticut. The team members are: Eric Rose (Capt. ’95), Bryan Jaworski (Capt.’95), Jarred Freeman, Thomas Yang, Eric Bovee. Dan Hughes (Capt. ’96), Glen Ringbloom (Capt.’96), Matt Peak (Capt.’96), Todd Petroff (Capt.’96), Jesse Odell, Alex Rojas, Dave Rojas, Matt Schilit, Jamie Kravontka, Kevin Watt, Matt Jaworski, Erick Wilkison, Nick Ricciardi, Mark Jaworski, Jim Albright and Manager; Elisha Bernstein.