The 2024 Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame class was inducted on Saturday, December 14, 2024, during a ceremony at Sachem High School North.
Courtney Bertolone graduated from Sachem High School East in 2007. During her time there she was a 4 year letter winner in both Field Hockey and Lacrosse. In Field Hockey, she was a member of the All Tournament team and Rookie of the Year in 2003, All Division selection in 2004, 2x All County, All NYS State and Team Captain and Team MVP in 2005 and 2006. She was also named to Newsdays All Long Island team in 2006. She was also a member of the Empire State Games Bronze Medalist Team, as well as a National Futures Selection in 2005, and a Junior Olympian Selection in 2006.
In Lacrosse, she was an All League Selection in 2005, A 2x All County Selection in 2006 and 2007, and Team MVP in 2007. She was also named a HS All American Honorable Mention in 2007. Additionally, she was a 3x New York State School Girls National Team Member. Rounding out her High School career, she was a Gold Key 3 Sport Athlete Recipient (Shout out to Mr. McNeil for allowing her to participate in Winter Track for 4 years- she was terrible at it) and was also named the Linda Otten Outstanding Female Athlete Award winner in 2007.
She went on to play both Field Hockey and Lacrosse at Robert Morris University, where she was a 2 sport player as a freshmen, before transferring to Stony Brook University for the remainder of her career, where she was a 3 year starter on the Women’s Lacrosse Team. After graduation, Courtney went on to work in Division 1 and 2 Collegiate Women’s Lacrosse as a coach, as well as International Lacrosse working for England Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League.
She received her MBA from Iona College in 2019 and is currently working in Sports Finance with coaches and athletes across the country.
She would like to thank the Sachem Alumni Association committee for this recognition and her coaches, Tina Moon, Scott Hughes, Jen Nardone and Pete McNeil for their coaching and guidance. She would also like to thank her family- Mother Tricia, Father Al, and sister Kristyna- for their unwavering love and support over the years. From Sachem to Stony Brook and beyond- she is eternally grateful for you all. Courtney currently resides in Farmingville, NY, with her family.
Karen Bravy Grace was a four-year starter as a sweeper/stopper and a soccer co-captain in 1989. She was All-East Coast, two-time All-American, two-time All-State, and four-time All-League.
Bravy was the defensive anchor for Sachem’s Suffolk County and Long Island titles in 1987 and 1988. And helped the Flaming Arrows win a state championship in 1987.
Karen was the defensive MVP of the Suffolk County championship in 1988, the same year she helped the Long Island team win a gold medal in the 1988 Empire State Games.
A two-time Sachem co-MVP, she had 21 goals and 15 assists in her career, which is incredible considering she played defense! In a team journal from the last ‘80s, she was described as “the cornerstone of our defensive unit for four seasons, fiercely competitive, team-oriented, confident, unflappable, and dynamic; a true team leader and team player.”
She joins her sister Christine from the Class of 1989 who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 also for soccer.
Karen lives in Georgia with her husband and family. They have four children, and they just welcomed their first grandchild. She works as a teaching assistant in a local kindergarten.
Joe Buonincontri lives in Texas, owning and operating an Italian family restaurant. Joe was among the top players in the late 1970s when Sachem basketball hit a stride as a strong team in Suffolk County.
The 6-foot-7 big man was All-League and All-County and helped Sachem to a 15-5 record in 1978 under Hall of Fame coach Tim Clouser.
He went on to play at James Madison University, where in 1981-1982, he went on a historic run with the Dukes, who lost a close contest to Michael Jordan and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. He is one of five former Sachem basketball players in the NCAA tournament.
Jimmy Byrne has a unique story and is being inducted for his accomplishments in football, baseball, and as a triathlon competitor. Here’s the unique part: he only started playing football as a Sachem junior, and as a senior, he had zero receptions as a non-starter. Why does that matter? Because he went on to have a now legendary and hall-of-fame career as a receiver at C.W. Post.
As a four-year starter at Post from 1990-1993, he was a 2nd Team All-American and 1st Team Academic All-American. At his graduation, he held every receiving record at the school for at least the next 10 years. He is the first wide receiver in school history to go over 1,000 yards and still opens the record for most receiving yards in a game with 266.
He was also a two-year captain and two-year conference all-star. Jimmy was inducted into the C.W. Post Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
As a pro football player, he played for the Noris Rams in Nuremberg in the German American Football League and the Bolzano Giants in the Italian American Football League.
On the baseball diamond, he played for two years for Hall of Fame coach Bill Batewell, and as a senior, he was All-League. He also played four years of ball at Post.
As an endurance athlete, he is a multi-All-American and won the Great South Bay Sprint Triathlon, the Montauk Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon, and he Smith’s Point Triathlon.
Jimmy teaches at Samoset Middle School, where he coaches Cross-Country and Softball. He would like this induction to be dedicated to his late parents, James and Veronica Byrne, and his late Brother-in-law, Tony. In attendance were his sisters Theresa and Regina, nephews Aj and Michael, niece Danielle, and the most important person in his life, his beautiful wife Jessica.
A North Babylon grad where he was Suffolk County’s baseball MVP in 1965, Coach Dragonette played at LIU Brooklyn for three years and helped take them to the College World Series.
He taught and coached for one year at his alma mater before accepting a physical education teacher job at Sagamore in Sachem. He coached two football seasons, baseball, wrestling, and gymnastics before transferring to Sachem South. He continued to coach football and worked as the varsity baseball assistant for Bill Batewell for more than 15 years.
During that period, Sachem baseball won one county title and produced a handful of players drafted by MLB teams.
Coach Dragonette also led the Long Island squad at the Empire State Games for three years.
He has been married to Mary Ann for 53 years. They have three children: Renee McCarthy, who teaches at Pat Med; Meredith Babst, who teaches at Sachem East; and Christopher, who works in pharmaceutical sales. They also have seven grandchildren. He’s keeping busy today, working part-time at Westhampton Country Club.
Jimmy Fox wrestled for legendary coach Jack Mahoney. He became a League Champion in 1982. Jim was also All County in 1981 and 1982 and won bronze, silver, and gold medals in the Empire State Games from 1979 to 1981 in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Jim was also All New York State in freestyle and greco-roman from 1979 to 1982. In 1981, he became a Freestyle State Champion. However, his greatest high school memory is being a part of the 1981 Dual Meet State Cup Championship Team.
After high school, he attended Franklin and Marshall while, as a freshman, he lettered on the Division I wrestling team. As a sophomore, he transferred to SUNY Albany, where another legendary coach, Joe Demeo, trained him. He was a two-time collegiate All-State wrestler at Albany in 1985 and 1986. Jim was two-time All SUNYAC and was undefeated in dual meets in the 1985 – 86 season, going 17-0-2. His greatest achievement was in 1986 as a senior captain, and he became an NCAA All-American and NCAA Academic All-American.
After college, he became a high school and middle school social studies teacher. Over his 32-year career, he coached wrestling, football, cross country, tennis, and gymnastics. He started his career coaching varsity wrestling at Newark Valley High School in upstate New York from 1987 – 1990. In 1990, Jim moved back to Long Island and taught and coached in the Bellmore-Merrick School District, where he retired in 2019. He coached many Nassau County place winners, Nassau County champions, and state place winners. Jim also helped coach a two-time State Champion, one of the first female wrestlers in New York State history to achieve this.
Jim would like to thank his teammates and his opponents for helping him become the best wrestler he could. He would also like to thank all his Sachem coaches from kid wrestling, junior high, and high school. He would especially like to thank his high school coach Jack Mahoney and his college coach Joe Demeo and his mom and dad for giving him the opportunities to be successful on the mat and in life. Jim lives in Northport and has been married to Suzanne for 33 years. They have three children: Trevor, Maggie, and Lily. They also have two grandchildren, Morgan and Ruby.
A two-sport All-County football player and wrestler, he was one of Sachem’s top student-athletes during high school.
On the mat, he was a two-time Suffolk County champion, winning titles in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, he placed fifth in New York State.
For Sachem football, he was All-County on Sachem’s only undefeated team, the 9-0-1 1983 county champions. A two-year starter at defensive tackle, He was Sachem’s outstanding lineman in 1983 and Honorable Mention All-American, All-State, and All-Long Island as a senior.
Sachem Hall of Fame coach Fred Fusaro said Larry is one of the best linemen to ever play for the black and gold.
He played college football at Penn State, where the Nittany Lions won a national championship in 1986 after beating Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
Sachem Football’s 1980 Team MVP and Offensive MVP, he had a dominant senior year as a quarterback. He was All-League, All-County, All-Long Island, and All-State. In addition, Jack was an Adidas Honorable Mention All-American. As a junior he was the starting safety on the ‘79 championship team and as a senior he was the starting QB.
He was also a two-year varsity baseball player before he was accepted on a football scholarship to Rutgers, where he started two years as a quarterback and two years as a safety. Jack had more than 2,500 passing yards in his two years as a starter.
Jack had a prolific career in flag football and was QB on teams that played for national championships.
He has been a teacher and coach in Smithtown for many years. He and his wife Cynthia have three children: Dana, Jenny, and Jacque Jr.
At Sachem, Katie Mollot was on the soccer, winter track, and lacrosse teams. She started on varsity soccer as a sophomore and helped lead Sachem to three county championship games, winning one in 2001. A captain as a senior, she was All-League in 2002 and 2003.
In lacrosse, she was a four-year starter, All-County, All-Tournament, and All-American Honorable Mention. She also played on and was the Long Island captain for the Empire State Games, where she won Gold.
A graduate of Towson University, she played defense for four years for the Tigers and was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association team in 2008. A two-time captain, she played in the NCAA Tournament twice and helped the Tigers win two CAA conference titles.
As a coach, she started at Colgate in 2009, helping them to the NCAA Tournament in her first season as an assistant. In 2010 she was hired as the head coach at Farmingdale State and promptly led them to a 21-10 record, their best in school history. In 2012 she was hired as an assistant lacrosse coach at Hofstra and three years later was promoted to associate head coach and helped them to a regular season CAA title.
She owes her success to her parents, Helen and Steve, a longtime successful Long Island lacrosse coach with over 340 wins, who have always supported her on and off the field. She also owes her success to her sister Kelly and brother Michael. She has been married to her husband, Kevin, for 6 years, and they have two amazing, energetic boys, Carter and Cooper.
Mike, who graduated from Sachem in 1998, was the Division I Rookie of the Year as a junior, and team captain and an All-American as a senior. He participated in the North/South Senior Game and helped Sachem to two county championship finals.
Mollott graduated with six school lacrosse records: most career points (209) and assists (115), single-season records for points (113) and assists (70), and single-game records for points (13) and assists (11).
From Sachem, he went to the University of Maryland, where he was a four-year starter, three-time All-American, and Team Captain. He was a two-time All-ACC selection and one of 16 Tewaraarton Trophy finalists. He graduated 14th among Maryland’s all-time career point scorers.
Mike had a five-year pro career with the Rochester Rattlers, Philadelphia Barrage, and Baltimore Bayhawks.
He is married to Becky, a four-time women’s lacrosse National Champion at Maryland. His oldest child, Brady, is committed to Maryland’s Class of 2030, and his younger children, Reed and Morgan, also play lacrosse competitively.
Eddie was raised with his older brother Teo by Joseph and Anna, his foster parents; with their support and five brothers and sisters, he found purpose and wrestling.
He attended Tamarac, Seneca, and Sachem, where he won numerous tournaments, including the Spring Gardner, Bellmore Kennedy, and Sachem Holiday events. He was also a League I Champ, a two-time Suffolk County Champ, and a NY State runner-up.
A proud member of Sachem’s first New York State Cup team, he later attended SUNY Brockport, earning a teaching credential in Health and PE. At Brockport, he was on the 1982 NCAA championship team and earned All-American honors.
Ed has taught and coached in Georgia and Florida for 25 years. He resides in Florida and works as an EMT/ Paramedic first responder. He’s an avid contributor to the VA, Children’s Schriner Hospital, and Food for the Poor. He enjoys traveling and dogs and has one daughter.
He would like to thank his family, friends, past teachers, the committee, Sachem North, coaches, and teammates; he said that without their love and support, this would not have been possible.
Pat was a two-time All-American at Sachem, where he recorded 174 goals and 102 assists during his varsity career, including 52 goals and 34 assists as a senior at Sachem East under Sachem Hall of Fame coach Rick Mercurio. A two-time captain, he was a three-time Long Island Empire State Games team member and played in the National Senior Showcase. He was the Lt. Ray Enners Award honoree as the top player in Suffolk County in 2005.
At lacrosse power Syracuse, he helped the Orange to back-to-back national championships in 2008 and 2009.
Named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team as a senior, he was a team captain and started all 18 games at midfield. As a freshman in 2006, he was a USILA Honorable Mention All-American.
Karriem Pierre resides in Virginia Beach with his 17-year-old daughter. Originally from Holbrook, he excelled in both gymnastics and track and field. His athletic achievements include All-County honors and All-America status in gymnastics, and he has set school records in the hurdles and outdoor pentathlon. He also became an indoor 55-meter hurdle league champion and a high jump standout. His college career at Norfolk State University was equally distinguished, where he earned MVP Field Athlete honors and led the track and field team to multiple championships, including first-place finishes in the Middle Eastern Atlantic Conference.
Karriem later represented Trinidad and Tobago in track and field, winning three national hurdle championships and setting a long-standing record. After transitioning to coaching, he produced over 30 All-America athletes at Western Branch High School, guiding them to state and national championships. Academically, Karriem holds a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology, an MBA with a finance concentration, and completed executive studies at Yale School of Management. He is a Certified Investment Management Analyst and works as a Financial Consultant for Fidelity Investments while pursuing his Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Currently, Karriem works as a Financial Consultant for Fidelity Investments.
During her running career at Sachem East, Rachel Rowe, formerly Rachel Paul, broke 10 track and field records and was a High School All-American.
She also finished second at the High School Indoor National Championships in the 3,200 meter, third at the NY State Outdoor Championships in the 800 meter and 1,500 meter, and fifth at the U.S. Junior National Championships in the 1,500 meter.
She was also the first Sachem East cross country runner to qualify for Nike Cross Country Nationals, placing 26 out of 198 runners.
After graduating from Sachem East, Rachel ran on the NCAA Division I cross country and track and field team for Georgetown University. She helped the Hoyas to a fifth-place showing at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and earned All-BIG EAST honors.
Rachel is now a real estate attorney and resides in Hershey, PA, with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Sachem football’s defensive MVP in 1978, Frank was a three-year player during a pivotal time in program history. He was a member of Sachem’s Suffolk County championship teams in 1977 and 1978. They also won the Rutger’s Trophy as Suffolk County’s top team in ‘77.
Frank credits Sachem coach Fred Fusaro as a mentor and second father, who played an integral role in his life from high school to today.
Coach Fusaro said Frank was a dominant player who was very strong, had excellent feet and played “pissed off!” Frank was unblockable from his strength and quickness.
He left his mark in the 1978 Suffolk County championship game against East Islip and Boomer Esiason. Sachem was a 14–point underdog, and East Islip prided itself on a power run game. Frank was in the eye of that storm. Frank leveled the blocking back the first time they tried to run the sweep, took on the pulling guards, and made the tackle for a one-yard loss. They tried to run it again, same result. Sachem beat them 15-0 and they never crossed our 50-yard. line. Frank played a pivotal roll that day; he was responsible for taking away their best play.
Frank went on to play college football at C.W. Post on a scholarship and finished his football career at Stony Brook after rehabbing a back injury.
He has been happily married to his best friend since 2000 and is a proud father and grandfather. Frank has worked in arboriculture since college and has owned a local DEC spray business for the last decade.
Craig was a three-year varsity soccer letter winner, leading Sachem to its first state championship in 1997 and repeating in 1998. In both state championship-winning seasons, Craig led the team in scoring (18 goals in 1997 and 19 in 1998) and scored two goals in each state championship finals match.
Scoring 40 career goals and adding 16 assists holds the Sachem record for both total career goals and the single-season record. He was named County Tournament MVP in 1997 and Sachem Offensive Most Valuable Player in 1997 and 1998. He earned All-league honors in 1997, All-league, All-Conference, All-County, All-State, and All-East Region in 1998. Craig led the Empire State team to a gold medal in 1998, leading the team and tournament in scoring. Named to the All-County All-Academic Team in 1998 and was also awarded the Sachem Scholar Athlete Award in 1998.
After graduating from Sachem, Craig attended Columbia University, where he was a four-year letter winner and four-year starter. Columbia was nationally ranked in the top 25 in the country several times during his playing career. He scored 12 career collegiate goals during his time at Columbia, which was hampered by injuries. He was also the team’s leading scorer his sophomore year until he suffered a torn ACL, which cut his season short.
Craig graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics-Political Science. He was called to the U-23 Jamaican National team training Camp in March 2003 and played one season with the Brooklyn Knights of the Professional Development League, where he led the team in scoring.
In 2004, Craig decided to stop playing soccer competitively and pursued a career in investment banking. He is a Partner at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division, focusing on Healthcare Services and Healthcare Technology companies. Before joining Goldman Sachs, Craig spent 10 years at J.P Morgan, where he was most recently a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division.
Debbie was a longtime gymnastics coach at Sachem from 1980 through 1989. Her teams won 87 straight dual meets and three Suffolk County championships during her tenure as coach.
A physical education teacher for 33 years and department chair from 2002-2010, she is also married to Sachem alum and teacher Richard O’Brien from the Class of 1976. They have four children and six grandchildren.
Joey has dozens of Sachem track and field records from the 330-yard hurdles to the one mile, and 4×1 relay, among many others. He also ran at the NYS championships in both indoor track and cross country.
He went to Rutgers and majored in business and economics and earned his MBA from Bentley College. At Rutgers he ran varsity track and cross country and won numerous medals in the steeplechase.
After college, he continued to compete in the 400 meter hurdles in outdoor track, and the 400 and 800 in indoor track, where he won numerous medals, including a second place finish in the New England TAC Championships in the 400 meter hurdles.
As a masters athlete, he won a Gold medal in the 4 x 400 at the Masters National Championships and a gold medal in the 400 at the Caribbean National Championships. He is also a four-time silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the USATF national championships. He also broke the meet record for the 400-meter hurdles at the USATF New England Championships. The previous record stood for 25 years. He ended four seasons of track ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 6 in the world in 400 hurdles.
He wants to thank Coaches Tom Toscano and Kevin Spellman for teaching him that hard work can be rewarding and fun at the same time. He also wants to thank teammates like Pete McNeill, Scotty MacDonnell, Richy O’Brien, Mike Pafumi, and Guy Nicosia, who pushed him to improve and served as a constant reminder that no one succeeds without the help of friends. He wants to thank the Spagnoli family he has known since birth, for their love and for teaching him how to win. To coaches who always encouraged him and led by example. Seeing coaches like Fred Fusaro and Ken Friedheim training harder than high school athletes taught me that training is a lifelong commitment, and their work ethic still inspires me to this day.
He retired from Carroll County Public Schools in Maryland, where he was a finance officer. He lives with his wife Robin in Atkinson, New Hampshire, and Palm Coast, Florida.