The 2021 Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame class was inducted on Saturday, December 18, 2021 during a ceremony at Sachem High School North.
Read more about the inductees …
A three-sport athlete, John Aebly was a dedicated student-athlete in football, wrestling and lacrosse. He has also been a longtime Sachem wrestling coach in the modern era. In wrestling he was a four-year varsity member and a 1992 Suffolk County champion. He was an Empire State Games Freestyle Gold medalist and a three-time all-league selection. At SUNY Brockport John was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American and two-time All-New York State selection. As an assistant varsity wrestling coach at Sachem he was part of 173 team victories. John is a physical education teacher at Sachem North and lives in Babylon with his wife Jennifer and son Sean. He is also an Ocean Lifeguard at Gilgo Beach in the Town of Babylon.
Kim Baverstock was a four-year member of Sachem varsity soccer program. She was a prolific goal scorer who captained and led her team to numerous championships including Suffolk County, Long Island and New York State in her senior year. She was two time all league, two time all county, a northeast region selection in her junior year and a recipient of the most prestigious of awards in her senior year… an All-American. During the team’s run to the state championship, Kim was also named New York State Player of the year as well as the MVP of the state championship game. By the end of her senior year, Kim also held the Sachem North scoring record along with past great and Sachem Hall of Famer Christine Bravy. Upon graduating from high school, Kim played for the perennial powerhouse and top five ranked D1, UCONN Huskies. A dream she had since watching her idol and Sachem legend and Hall of Famer Karen Ferguson star there as well. Kim had an immediate impact for UCONN as a freshman; starting and playing in all games. She made the Big East All Tournament team and helped her team compete in the Final Four where UCONN lost in the semis to eventual champion, UNC. As a sophomore, she continued to contribute as a starter and was named All Big East. During her junior year, Kim’s mother fell ill and she transferred home to be closer to her family. Not being able to stay away from the game she played at Adelphi and anchored them to two NYCAC championships. Kim earned All conference, All-Northeast Region and All-American honors. Since that time, Kim has been teaching kindergarten for the past twenty one years in the Middle Country School District. She still resides in Sachem and helps coach her daughter’s nationally ranked soccer team.
Anne Marie Brady Donnelly was one of Sachem’s premier cross country and distance runners in the 1980s. She held several team records. In total, she ran 12 varsity seasons and credits Guy Nicosia, Rich O’Brien, John Horst and Kevin Spelman with her success. She remains on the list of outstanding all-time runners on the Sunken Meadow iconic 5K course and remains one of Sachem’s fastest runners on the renowned Van Cortlandt 2.5-mile course. She went on to run nearly one minute faster at the NYS 5K Cross Country Championship finishing 14th with a time of 18:18, thanks in part to Coach O’Brien’s grueling workouts at Bald Hill. On the track, her primary events were the 1,500-meter race and anchoring the 4×800 meter relay, but occasionally she ran multiple events, including the 3,000 meters. In the winter of her senior year, her relay team broke the school record and was ranked fifth in the United States. She qualified to run the 1500-meter race at the NYS Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse finishing 5th in 4 minutes 36 seconds, her personal best while at Sachem. In the outdoor track & field season, the 4×800 relay team set a new school record and placed 2nd in the Suffolk County Championship 1500-meter race which qualified for the NYS Outdoor Track & Field Championship. She received a full scholarship to run cross country and track and field at Holy Cross. She later became an elementary teacher in the city and Rockville Centre Schools. She is the product of unselfish and hardworking immigrant parents – Tommy and Kathleen – thanks to the example they set for Anne Marie, and her brother Tom and sister Trish. This is the same example Anne Marie and her husband Paul set for their children Sean and Cee-Lee.
Mike Buttleman was the first All-American in Sachem lacrosse history. The two-sport athlete played football and lacrosse and helped his teams reach the pinnacle of their seasons, winning championships on both fields. In lacrosse he captained Sachem’s first New York State championship team in 1979. He was All-League, All-County and one of the top players in the country on the top team in the state. His efforts helped put Sachem lacrosse on the map. In football he was a quarterback and captain of Sachem’s 1978 Suffolk County championship team that beat Boomer Esiason and East Islip. He was All-League and Sachem’s Offensive Player of the Year. One year earlier he was a junior on Sachem’s 1977 Suffolk County championship team that also won the Rutgers Trophy as the top team in the county. His 267 career pass attempts are still the second most ever by a Sachem quarterback. He credits coaches Fred Fusaro, Bill Batewell and Blaney McAnaney for his development as a young man and coach. He continued his career at Towson University where he was a rare two-sport college athlete, playing D2 football and D1 lacrosse. He later coached at Calvert Hall High School and Towson Catholic in Maryland. In 2004 he started the Palm Beach Gardens Youth Lacrosse Program in Florida and coached Palm Beach Storm Lax and the Florida National Lacrosse Team. His players have gone on to play at North Carolina, Maryland, Air Force and many other programs across the country. Professionally, Mike is a financial advisor and owner of Buttelman & Associates Financial Services and has lived in Palm Beach Gardens since 1989 with his wife Aida and their children Michael and Aliett.
Shawn Cassidy was a three-year varsity soccer player at Sachem and was a captain as a junior and senior. His journey began with the Sachem Chiefs of the Sachem Youth Soccer League. As a senior he was Team MVP and led Sachem in scoring and, according to Hall of Fame coach Frank Schmidt, is one of the best two-way players that has ever worn a Sachem jersey. His leading goal tallies include 4 head goals, 3 game-winning overtime goals and 3 playoff goals. He was a force that led Sachem to its first county final appearance in 14 years. Coach Schmidt also said Shawn epitomized what the captain armband stands for, inspiring teammates, passion, intensity and a will to win. His positive attitude led Sachem to 15 victories. Shawn was All-League and a member of the Long Island Empire Games team that won a Silver Medal.
After high school he played on scholarship at Hofstra University where he was once again a team captain and an All-Conference First Team Selection. He led Hofstra to a 1985 East Coast Conference Championship. Shawn, of course, scored the game winning and only goal against Delaware in what is the longest game in the history of Division I soccer. The 8 overtime thriller lasted 169 minutes, 49 seconds. In 1985 he also represented Hofstra with the Metro NY College Select Team, playing in Germany.
After college he played professionally in the Northeast Professional Soccer League, winning a league championship against the Brooklyn Italians. He was rated as one of the top four defenders in the Northeast that year.
Shawn has been a banking executive for 30 years and lives in Cold Spring Harbor with his wife and four kids.
Tim Clouser coached Sachem basketball from 1968 to 1978 and built the program up during one of its most dominant periods. Big games, big scoring, consistent playoff appearances and a flurry of NCAA recruits now define the Clouser coaching era. His 116 wins, 10 seasons and 8 playoff appearances all rank second in program coaching history to Sachem Hall of Famer Steve Rich, who took over the program from Clouser and continued the same success for the next 20 years. Coach Clouser was the 1977 Suffolk County Coach of the Year. His 1974-75 team won a League Title, and all of his teams were ranked among the best in Suffolk thanks to a generational group of talent that included NBA big man Jeff Ruland, Division I basketball talent Mark Graebe and a handful of other highly recruited players. Jeff and Mark are also both Sachem Hall of Famers. Other players like the Fabian brothers, Tom Evans, Joe Buon-a-country and many others helped guide Sachem to battles with 1970s powers North Babylon and Southampton. Coach’s 1977 team average of 67.4 points per game is the third highest scoring team in Sachem history. Sachem’s 93 points against Central Islip in 1970 are the most the Flaming Arrows have scored in a single game – that record is 51 years old if you’re counting. The son of a coach and English teacher, Tim went to SUNY Geneseo and majored in English, and when a coaching and English teaching job opened at Sachem in 1967, he was hired. He followed his dream of coaching basketball at different levels and left Sachem in 1979 to coach at C.W. Post with Suffolk legend Stan Kellner. He later coached at Wheeling College in the early 1980s and found himself everywhere from Lawrence Woodmere to Southold to Friends Academy to the Finger Lakes region. Today, he lives in Huntington Station with his wife Andrea.
Matt Ferber is one of Sachem’s best modern two-sport athletes and was the first big time football and wrestling talent to graduate from Sachem East. In football, during his senior season, Ferber rushed for 1,363 yards and 13 TDs in six games. As middle linebacker, he racked up 55 tackles, 22 assists, 15 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks to earn the Suffolk Division 1 MVP, All-Long Island and runner-up for the Hansen Award. He represented Sachem at the Governor’s Bowl at West Point, the all-star game between New York and New Jersey. Ferber’s career stats on offense include 1,996 total yards, 22 touchdowns and an average of 7.38 yards per carry. On defense, he totaled 129 tackles and 6.5 sacks. During the last game of his high school football career, Ferber rushed for 290 yards against Lindenhurst, which remains a record at East, in addition to the 6th highest single game rushing total in Sachem history. In wrestling, Matt was a three-time league champ, two-time county champ, two-time state finalist and undefeated 215 pound state champ in 2006. His biggest accomplishment was winning the state title in front of family and friends at Nassau Coliseum in a Suffolk vs Nassau face off against Uniondale’s Eric Burnett. His proudest athletic achievement was winning the county finals his junior year as an underdog against West Babylon’s Jovan Belcher at Stony Brook University. Belcher went on to play in the NFL. Matt was the fourth Sachem wrestler to join the Century Club with 105 career wins. After high school, Matt attended Lafayette College and played D-1 football as a running back where they achieved a Patriot League Championship. He studied Economics and Business as he followed in his father’s footsteps to pursue a career in business. Over the past 10 years, Matt has climbed the corporate ladder and is currently a Director at a Fortune 500 corporation, with a professional career closely following suit to his athletic accomplishments. Matt currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with his girlfriend Bridget, and their miniature poodle, Fergie. He credits this induction to his mom Jody and his late father, Matt, the community, his fearless coaches and teammates who helped establish a legacy for future generations as the inaugural class of student athletes at Sachem High School East.
Jerry Figgiani is the first Sachem alumnus to gain induction to both the Sachem Hall of Fame and the Sachem Hall of Honor. He is also an inductee of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. His athletic ability has extended far beyond Sachem and he has served as a positive influence in the martial arts world for decades. But it was his skills as a running back at Sachem in the late 1970s that first put Fig on the map. He is Sachem’s first running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, a feat that was timely in 1977 as he led a stacked depth chart to Sachem’s first football championship and a Rutgers Trophy as the top team in Suffolk County. His 1,888 career yards still rank in the top 12 in Sachem history, and he will forever be the Offensive MVP of Sachem’s first championship team. Beyond football, Jerry has built a reputation as one of the premier martial arts instructors in the world. He won a U.S. Karate Championship in 1995 and built his own dojo, East Coast Black Belt Academy, into a jewel of both technical instruction and motivation for the thousands of people he has guided over the last 40 years. His mental martial arts programs with the Suffolk Police Athletic League have touched the lives of tens of thousands of students as well. On an international level, he has trained in Okinawa and led technical workshops in various countries. He is part motivational speaker, part physically dominant at his craft and always willing to tell people that he proudly credits his development to Sachem and the lessons he learned in these halls and on those fields.
Stan Gatland was a team captain, high school All-American on multiple events, including the All Around. More importantly, he, along with Jorge Sanchez and Tom Zambrotta, both Sachem Hall of Famers, were the core of Sachem’s first county championship team in the early 80’s and the building blocks of many more to come. His career started in the Sachem community program under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Ken Friedheim in 1975. He was a successful gymnast at Seneca, one of the earliest undefeated teams led by Coach Wayne Padula, also a Sachem Hall of Famer. Stan was a senior Co-Captain, four-year varsity scholar-athlete and high school All-American on rings. He was an alternate on rings at the New York State Gymnastic Championship in 1982. Stan helped lead the team to Conference A, League I Dual Meet and Sachem’s first Suffolk County Gymnastics Championship that started the school’s gymnastic dynasty in 1982. He was awarded the hardest working and most valuable gymnast during the 1982-83 boy’s gymnastic season. The 1983 graduate went on to compete as a four event specialist (floor, still rings, vault, and parallel bars) and was a four-year varsity letterman for the University of Massachusetts,an NCAA Division I Men’s Gymnastics Team. The senior co-captain was a still ring medalist at the Farmingdale Invitational, New England Championships, East Coast Athletic Conference Championships and averaged 9.40 his senior year. He graduated in January 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Stan continued to be involved with gymnastics after graduation and was an assistant coach at UMass in 1988 and coached the Sagamore boy’s team to an undefeated season in 1989. He returned to UMass in 1991 to pursue a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and was the men’s assistant coach during the 1993 season. Stan currently lives in Downingtown, Pennsylvania with his wife Millie and children Matthew and Jillian. He works for Saint-Gobain Corporation, a global building material and system solution provider, as the Manager of Building Science and Comfort. Stan attributes his personal athletic and professional success to his lifelong friend and mentor Coach Ken Friedheim, who could not be here today, but wanted me to relay a message that he considers him the most unselfish and team oriented gymnast that he ever coached!
Dawn Hggins is one of the best high jumpers in the history of Suffolk County track and field, and the best Sachem has ever had. Her mark of 5-feet, 9-inches is Sachem’s oldest and longest held track and field record. It was one of the highest jumps in the country in 1985 and would be the best in New York currently in today’s competition by three inches. Dawn was a three-sport athlete in soccer, winter track and spring track. She was a conference and league champion in both winter and spring as a senior. She also qualified for Counties in the indoor 4×200 Relay and High Jump as a junior and senior and placed in the state meet for each. In 1984 and 1985 Dawn was named to the Suffolk County Girls Track all Star Team, was a Suffolk County Outstanding Senior Athlete and Suffolk County Gold Key Award winner in 1985. She accepted a track and field Scholarship offer from Penn State where she competed as a Division 1 Heptathlete and Pentathlete and qualified for ECACs each year. Dawn currently lives in Setauket with her husband Paul, their son Nicholas and triplets Kathryn, Isabella, and Olivia. While very involved in her children’s lives, community and school activities, she also manages the Smithtown Branch of Coldwell Banker American Homes and is an Associate Real Estate Broker. Dawn assists with several Community Outreach Programs. She served as a board member with Rotary Club International and is active with the Chamber of Commerce. Dawn was named Three Village/Brookhaven Chamber Member of the Year in 2010 for her dedication to the 3Village Holiday Parade. During free time, she and her family volunteer for Save a Pet Rescue, Oliver’s Orphan Oasis Pet Rescue, Trina and Friends K-9 Rescue and assist with Community T&R Programs for Feral Cats and Kittens.
Carl Kielbasa played football at Levittown Division High and Rutgers University before serving our country in the military during Vietnam. He began teaching physical education and coaching at Sachem in 1968 and spent 29 years as an educator. He coached football, basketball, and wrestling at Samoset and was a varsity football coach from 1976 to 1981, one of the most successful stretches in program history, which resulted in three straight Suffolk County championships in 77, 78, 79 and a Rutgers Trophy in 1977. In 1981 he transitioned to coaching football at Seneca so he could watch his own sons shine in their varsity football careers. He coached football at the junior high level for the next 18 years until his retirement. He was responsible for building a generation of Sachem football players that were dominant in the 1980s and 1990s. During this span he continued to coach wrestling at Samoset, and was a dedicated coach in the Sachem Kid Wrestling Program. Hall of Fame coach Fred Fusaro said he was an outstanding line coach and master motivator. He was loyal, fun loving, and a coach who loved nurturing the young student-athletes of the Sachem community.
Al Labozetta was the third Sachem alum to be drafted by a Major League team when the Detroit Tigers selected him in the 5th round of 1984 MLB Draft. During that period Sachem Hall of Famer Neal Heaton was drafted in 1981 by the Indians and Sachem Hall of Famer Larry Huggins was selected by the Reds in the 28th round in 1983. If you’re wondering, there have been nine players in Sachem history drafted by major league teams, eight who played for Hall of Fame coach Bill Batewell. The 6-foot-3 left handed pitcher helped Sachem win its first Suffolk County baseball championship in 1979. At NYIT he was named Bears’ Outstanding Player in 1984. He still ranks fourth all-time in wins with 20, fifth with a 2.54 career ERA, and third with six career complete games pitched. Al played for the Tigers’ organization from 1984 through 1987 and made it as high as Double A in 1985 and 1986. He signed with the Reds in ‘87 for his final season of pro ball. Al has worked as a manager for State Farm Insurance in Florida for 34 years and lives in the Sunshine State with his wife Deanne, and sons Brett and Brad.
Peter Maeillo is one of the best lineman to ever play Sachem football. He was honored with the program’s second Zellner Award in 1990, an honor bestowed upon the top linemen in Suffolk County each year. Peter was also All-League, All-County and All-Long Island that season. After Sachem it was off to play at Georgia Tech, where Pete was a three-year letterman for the Yellow Jackets. He is one of two former Sachem alums to play in the ACC, including his former teammate Brian Bravy, who also played at Georgia Tech. During his time at Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets played in the 1991 Aloha Bowl, beating Stanford, and in the Kickoff Classic against Penn State. He had the opportunity to play for legendary head coaches Bobby Ross and Suffolk County’s own George O’Leary, not to mention Fred Fusaro, the greatest of them all. Today, he lives in Atlanta with his wife and children and is the owner and operator of All Services Painting.
Dawn McMeekin-Bekker was a two-sport varsity athlete in soccer and volleyball. She was the backbone of Sachem’s 1988 undefeated New York State soccer championship team and was MVP, Regional All-American, All-County and All-League in arguably the greatest season of girls soccer in Sachem history. A three-year varsity soccer player at goalie, as a junior she was also named Sachem’s Best Defensive Player. She made 300 career saves and recorded a program record 22 shutouts in net. Dawn was a four-year starter at Division II Southampton College where she was named All-Northeast Region, two-time Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year and helped them win an ECAC Championship in 1990. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and dog and works as a special education teacher.
Debbie Meyer-Mills was a Sachem swimmer in the late 70’s and early 80’s and really helped put Sachem swimming on the map along with fellow Hall of Famer Laura Conlon. She was a four-year All-American during her varsity career and led Sachem to Suffolk County championships from 1977 through 1981. During that era she was a three-time Section XI MVP in 1977, 1979 and 1980. Among the many Sachem records she held was the 500 meter freestyle, which stood for at least 20 years. She was a runner-up in the 500-free and 200 individual medley at the 1980 New York State championships and medaled in all state championship relays from 1978 through 1981. From 1978 through 1981 she was a Suffolk County title and record holder in the 100 Breaststroke, 500 Free, 50 Free, 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley relay, 200 individual medley relay and 400 free relay. Debbie also medaled at the 1980 AAU Junior Nationals, had an incredible run at the New York State Long Course in 1980 including a first place finish in the 400 free relay. At the Empire State Games, she set records in the 400 meter individual medley relay and 200 meter individual medley, plus gold in the 200 meter backstroke and finished in the top three in the 500 Free, 100 Back, 200 free, 100 Breast and 400 free relay. At the University of Maryland she broke all Terrapin records in the backstroke and was Most Outstanding Swimmer and her college’s MVP for three years. In 1981 she qualified for the NCAA Tournament in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke and finished in the top two in all other events that season. Following college she was an assistant coach for various teams and is now retired from swimming.
In the early days of Sachem East football, Tim Miller was one of the top linemen who helped build a new culture for the program. He was a two-year starter on the offensive and defensive lines and was a captain in 2005 as a senior. An all-division and all-county selection, he was chosen to play in the Suffolk County All-Star Football Game to play against Nassau County. It was his academic success that really put Tim above his competitors. He won the Labue Award as the top scholar-athlete in Suffolk County recognized for poise, character and a strong academic foundation that allowed for immense skill in the classroom and on the field. Uniquely, the award is named in honor of former Sachem football player James Labue. Tim was also the National Football Foundation Top Scholar Athlete in Suffolk County, a National Football Foundation Golden Eleven team member, recipient of the Michael Mignone Most Outstanding Lineman at Sachem East, and was inducted into the Great American Rivalry Series Hall of Fame in 2012. At Johns Hopkins University, Tim was a four-year starter at right guard on the offensive line. He was All Centennial Conference Second Team in 2008, All Centennial Conference First Team in 2009 and was a captain in 2009 when he helped lead the Blue Jays to a Centennial Conference Championship and reach the NCAA Division III Elite 8 quarterfinals. To cap off his college career he was named as the Blue Jays Unlimited Athlete of the Year in 2010, an honor given to the Johns Hopkins varsity athlete who most exemplifies the spirit of Blue Jays Unlimited by demonstrating team spirit and leadership, promoting team unity and morale, and enhancing the athletic experience of his teammates. He was also honored with the Robert H. Scott Award in 2010, presented to the senior who has demonstrated excellence in athletics, scholarship and extracurricular participation at Johns Hopkins. Finally, he was an Allstate and American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team Member in 2009. He lives in Orlando with his wife and two boys. Tim completed medical school at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, completed his residency at Atlantic Health Medical Center in New Jersey and completed his fellowship in lower extremity deformity and reconstruction surgery in Cleveland. He and his wife are both podiatrists who have opened their own practice in Orlando. Anyone visiting Disney World and needs foot and ankle care, give them a call!
Don Molloy was captain of Sachem’s 1979 New York State championship lacrosse team. His 80 points in ‘79 are still a single-season Sachem lacrosse record more than 40 years later. He was also named MVP of the New York State championship tournament. Following his career at Sachem he played college lacrosse at Hobart where he was part of four straight NCAA championships from 1980 through 1983. Don assumed a leadership position once again as a senior captain on the 83 championship team. He still lives locally and has worked for All-State Financial Services since 1987. His lacrosse genes are strong as his son Dylan, who played at St. Anthony’s, won the Tewaaraton Trophy as the top lacrosse player in the country at Brown University, where he finished his career ranked fourth all-time in goals in college lacrosse history.
Chris Nentwich was a two-sport athlete in football and lacrosse and a former Sachem coach. In football he was a two-year starter, All-League, Co-Captain and helped Sachem win a league title and make an appearance in the 1989 county final. In lacrosse Chris was a three-year varsity starter. He was All-League in 89 and 90. As a senior he was team MVP, All-County, All-American and led all Suffolk County midfielders with 43 goals and 39 assists. Chris is honored to have played for Hall of Fame coaches Fred Fusaro, Rick Mercurio, Tony Petillo and Bill Batewell. He went on to star in lacrosse at UMass where he was a four-year starter, team MVP, captain, First Team All New England and helped the Minutemen to two NCAA Tournaments and four straight seasons ranked in the top 25 in Division I. By 1994 he was ranked as one of the top defensive midfielders in the country. For the last 27 years he has coached football and lacrosse at Sachem, Rocky Point, Miller Place and Riverhead. He has coached 11 high school All-Americans, two Suffolk County championship football and lacrosse teams, respectively, and was named Suffolk County Division I Lacrosse Coach of the Year. Chris is currently the history department chair at Rocky Point High School, the varsity football assistant at Miller Place and varsity lacrosse assistant at Riverhead. He lives with his wife Jane and son Nathan in Aquebogue.
Simply put, no one has done for Sachem what Mike Schimmoler did as the head athletic groundsman for almost 30 years. From 1981 through 2008, Mike worked behind-the-scenes to create a beautiful environment for student-athletes, coaches and teams, both Sachem and opponents, on all fields and outdoor athletic locations. Remember, this was a time before turf. Mike managed the grass, painting of lines, placement of benches, score tables, irrigation systems, organization behind the arrival of opposing team buses and chaperoning them to and from locker rooms. It was first class all the time with Mike. He did this for all four secondary buildings at the time. We miss him and we’re proud to present this honor to his wife Kathy, who also worked for many years in the Sachem athletic office.
Jeremiah Schlie is still Sachem’s all-time leading basketball scorer. His 1,191 career points are ahead of NBA big man Jeff Ruland and a number of other Division I standouts from the 1970s and 1980s. Jerry was a driving force on Sachem’s only Suffolk County boys basketball championship team in 1995. As a senior he was All-Conference, All-County, All-Long Island. He still ranks third in total field goal attempts, fourth in free throw percentage, second in free throws made, seventh in single game total points scored, and his 22.8 points per game average is the third highest in Sachem history. From Sachem he went on to play at the University of Miami from 1997 to 2002 during one of the most successful times in Miami hoops history. They were 104-49 during his time and made five straight postseason appearances, including four NCAA tournament berths, won the BIG EAST regular-season title in 1999-00, and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championships for the first time in school-history in 2000. Jerry was a captain and academic all-star as a senior. He is recently married, now living in Kennebunk, Maine and working as an insurance underwriter.
With a career Sachem wrestling record of 99-5-2, Billy Starke is one of the greatest grapplers this community and school has ever known. In 1982 he was a New York State and Suffolk County champion, an All-American and Suffolk County’s Wrestler of the Year. Billy was a three-time Section XI champion, three-time Sprig Garner Tournament champion, went undefeated in dual meets from 7th through 12th grade, was a 5X East Coast Greco Champ, 2x Greco Roman Jr. National Champ and held the record for most East Coast Greco medals from 1979 through 1995. Additionally he was a 3x freestyle state champ and 3x Greco state champ. He coached Sachem junior high wrestling in 1985 and 1986 and was a Section XI wrestling official from 1987 through 1993. Billy competed in the Empire State Games for 22 straight years and won 30 medals, 27 gold! He also carried the torch during the start of the games in 1985. In 1983 and 1984 he placed in the top four at the Freestyle Open Nationals in Las Vegas. Most recently, he was a runner-up in a virtual poll in 2021 by New York Wrestling News for the top ranked 119-120-123 wrestlers. There were 432 nominated and Billy was chosen as second all-time. Today he is a retired electrician of 24 years, resides in central New Jersey with his wife Jeri and two children Taylor and Zach.
The most outstanding female athlete from her senior class, Becky Thorn was a leader and stand out in soccer, lacrosse and winter track. In soccer she was a three year varsity starter and by her senior campaign in 2001 she was a captain, all-county, All-Long Island and led Sachem to a county title. In lacrosse she was a four-year starter, senior captain, a three-time all-county selection and two-time All-Long Island selection. She also had more than 250 points, 191 goals and 83 assists in her career. In winter track she was also a captain. At Hofstra she was yet again a total team player and leader for the women’s lacrosse team where she she was a five-year team member, 2003 rookie of the year, 2007 CAA Most Outstanding Player, a senior captain, three-time All-CAA, two-time All-American, and helped the Pride win the 2007 CAA championship. She is still third all-time in career goals, 7th in points, 8th in ground balls, 10th in caused turnovers and 5th in draw controls in program history. As a coach, Becky has been a director of the Long Island Yellow Jackets lacrosse program for 13 years and has been the head varsity lacrosse coach at Eastport South Manor for 11 seasons. At ESM she has won eight Suffolk County championships, two New York State champions and has been named Suffolk County Coach of the Year twice. She was also Long Island Coach of the Year in 2015, as well as tri-state coach of the year that same season. She has been the varsity soccer coach at ESM for seven seasons and was named Suffolk County Soccer Coach of the Year in 2018. Becky currently teaches physical education and health at Eastport South Manor Jr/Sr High School and resides in Bayport.
Chris R. Vaccaro is the only person to serve Sachem as a historian, statistician, alumni liaison and storyteller. He is also a hall of fame builder who resurrected the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 after 13 years of dormancy. He has inducted more than 100 deserving individuals to the Hall and has devoted countless energy and time to preserving Sachem tradition and history. The president and founder of the Sachem Alumni Association, his career as a journalist started as a freshman at Sachem High School. He eventually became the Editor-in-Chief and Sports Editor of the Sachem Harbinger newspaper and Sports Director of 91.9 FM-WSHR. He was an editor at the New York Daily News and Aol and was Editor-in-Chief of The Topps Company, where he worked with some of the biggest names and brands in sports. At the time of induction he was VP of Altice USA News, where he oversees digital platforms for their news division. Vaccaro is also the director of graduate journalism and an assistant adjunct professor at Hofstra University, his alma mater. He is the author of six books, including a historical perspective on Sachem Football. He is a board trustee of the Italian American Baseball Foundation and is the Executive Director of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame. He has covered some of the biggest sporting events in the world, including the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, ESPN, Associated Press and so much more. Vaccaro is an Emmy Award and Murrow Award winner.
Nichole Vickers was one of the most talented track and field athletes from Sachem in the 1990s. She is also one of a handful to run at the Division I level in college. A highlight of her career was a triple crown win at Counties, winning the long jump – triple jump – high jump, to help Sachem win a team title in 1995. Nichole was an outstanding long sprinter as well. Sachem Hall of Fame coach Alex Young said her triple win at Counties in 1995 was the greatest one-meet performance given by any athlete he ever coached. Her selection as a Suffolk County MVP was one of the easiest selections ever made by the Coaches Association. An All-County athlete in cross-country, winter track and spring track in 1993 and 1994, she was named Sachem’s Outstanding track and field athlete for both winter and spring in 1994. Nichole was also named Newsday Spotlight Athlete in 1993 and a Long Island Academic Athlete in 1993. From Sachem it was off to run for the Georgetown Hoyas where she still remains in the top 10 for high jump and triple jump and helped them win a Big East Track and Field Championship. She graduated from Georgetown’s College of Arts and Science in 1998 and later from Dowling College with a master’s in education. She taught and coached track and field in Bay Shore for six years before moving to Dallas in 2006 to raise her three children Kurt, Kora and Kris.
No one has worked, attended and taken part in more Sachem athletic events than Mike Wulforst. He is in a league of his own as Sachem’s longest tenured athletic trainer where he has cared for the health and safety of tens of thousands of student-athletes since 1995. Mike is also one of the most well respected athletic trainers on Long Island and his work is recognized by countless athletes at the high school, college and professional ranks. A U.S. Army Veteran and former combat engineer, Mike attended college at SUNY Brockport where he studied physical education with a concentration in sports medicine. He has worked with Long Island Sports & Rehab, serviced athletes at Excel Physical Therapy, St. Charles Sports Medicine and most recently Orlin & Cohen Sports Medicine. From 1995 to 2000 he was the head athletic trainer of the Long Island Empire State Games Lacrosse Team, from 2000 to 2019 he was a staff assistant athletic trainer for Boomer Esiason’s Empire Challenge All-Star Football Game and since 2019 he has been a trainer with the Premier Lacrosse League and New York Riptide of the National Lacrosse League. He has worked with pro athletes in the NFL, MLB, NHL, PLL, NLL and professional boxing. He has witnessed countless championships, been a part of almost every major Sachem sports moment for nearly 30 years and is part of Sachem athletic history as a key player in providing a safe environment for all student-athletes who wear the red, black and gold. Mike lives in East Islip with his wife Charlene and kids Brenndan, Anna, Patrick, Eva Rae.