For Immediate Release

Vermont Principals’ Association Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2016

MONTPELIER -- The Vermont Principals' Association announced today that 14 student-athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and a contributor have been selected for the VPA Hall of Fame class of 2016.

The Hall of Fame was organized in 2001 to recognize and preserve the heritage of Vermont high school interscholastic activities, including sports. Members of the Hall have distinguished themselves through service, contributions and achievement in programs or activities sponsored by the VPA. They also must exemplify the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and character.

The VPA Selection Committee reviews dozens of nominations that are submitted from a variety of sources following a public request for proposed inductees each year.

A change this year to the VPA Hall of Fame by-laws allows for current coaches/activity advisors, school administrators, media members, officials and contributors to be considered after 20 years’ experience.Student Athletes/Fine Arts participants are eligible after reaching age 25.

The Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2016 will be held Friday May 13 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel Plaza and Conference Center in Montpelier. The induction begins with a 5 p.m. reception, followed by a 6 p.m. banquet and the 6:45 p.m. ceremony. Banquet tickets are $45 and a sellout is expected. Please contact DelinaBenway at the VPA(802/ 229-0547) for reservations and information. Information and forms are also available on the VPA website at Cash, check, and credit cards are accepted. The following will be honored:

Administration

Marty McDonough, Mount St. Joseph Academy

McDonough has served his alma mater in Rutland for 46 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director, while also having a positive impact on Vermont interscholastic sports. He has taught math, accounting, computer courses and sciences and won several teaching awards. McDonough coached baseball for 24 years and basketball for 23 years. He became only the second AD in school history in 1993. He has served on various committees for the State Athletic Directors and the VPA. Always putting students first, McDonough helped shaped the culture at MSJ, one of two Catholic High Schools in the state.

Robert Stevens, Milton and Mount Mansfield Union High Schools and Vermont Principals’ Association

Stevens, who lives in Hyde Park, served as high school principal for Milton High for several years before moving to Mount Mansfield Union in Jericho in 1983. During his time at both high schools Stevens was active within the Vermont Principals’ Association on various committees, including basketball, soccer and hockey. He helped create a network for Chittenden County area principals. Stevens, a Peoples Academy graduate, was a hands-on principal, who also supported the Fine Arts. He was named the VPA’s Executive Director following the May 2006 death of Ray Pellegrini.

Coach/Activity Advisor

Dave “Bear” Bremner, Hinesburg and Champlain Valley Union High Schools Bremner was a longtime teacher-coach at Hinesburg High School and its successor Champlain Valley Union High School.Bremner posted a 185-27-5 record in boys soccer over 16 years, including two state titles at Hinesburg and three at CVU. His teams were runners-up three times, including twice for the CVU Crusaders. Between 1962 and 1965 his teams were 56-1 and won four straight state championships.Bremner coached the golf team, which won five state tournaments and were runners-up three times. He also coached basketball and baseball at Hinesburg High and the girls basketball team at CVU for one year. He served as the athletic director at CVU, which named its gymnasium for the legend.Bremner died in November 1996.

Patricia Candon, Otter Valley Union High School

Condon served as a physical education teacher for over 30 years at Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon and coached the varsity softball team since 1986. She picked up her 300thvarsity softball win on May 30, 2013 and now has 323 victories. The Otters have won three state crowns and at least a dozen Marble Valley League titles. Her fellow softball coaches voted Candon the MVL Coach of the Year at least seven times. Condon, an Otter Valley grad, also has been one of the top award-winning field hockey umpires starting in 1976. Condon also has donated her time frequently to promote interscholastic sports when her teams are not playing.

Leland “Buddy” Hayford, Wilmington and Twin Valley High Schools

A long-time teacher, coach, and advocate of youth, Hayford’s teams have delivered success on the field and the court. In over 30 years as the boys soccer coach at Wilmington High, now Twin Valley, Hayford has won about 70 percent of the games.Boys soccer have captured seven state crowns and were runners-up three times. He has coached girls basketball for over 25 years and his teams have won two-thirds of their games. The girls hoop teams have taken two state titles and were runners-up four times.Hayford has received numerous Coach of the Year awards and is an inductee into the Lyndon State College Hall of Fame. The Wilmington High grad also has served as the athletic director at the two schools.

Harry Ladue, Windsor High School

Ladue has served for 33 years as the boys varsity basketball coach at Windsor High – his alma mater. His players have won over 406 games, four state titles and have been to the Final Four 11 years. Ladue is a great teacher about the game and about skills for life. Many of his former players have gone on to share their love of the game. Ladue has been inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame and the Vermont Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Windsor High School Athletic Wall of Fame.Ladue is respected by coaches, officials and the media throughout Vermont. The former WHS alum was a three-sport standout and serves as the town’s recreation director.

William O’Neil, Essex High School

O’Neil is literally a coach for all seasons. The high school English teacher has directed three varsity sports:girls soccer, boys hockey and girls softball. His dedication has helped to guide, teach and work with all students at all levels for 50 years. O’Neil is known as a model of ethics, integrity and professionalism in coaching, one nominator noted. The girls soccer team is 395-162-30 since he took over in 1979. They went to the Final Four 14 times with six titles and seven runners-up. Essex boys hockey since 1973 has over 600 wins with 25 Final Fours, including 14 state crowns and two runners-up. Softball (1979 and 1992-2012) captured 261 wins in 22 seasons with 4 state titles during 10 Final Four appearances. O’Neil, who played soccer and hockey at Norwich University, has won numerous coaching awards and been honored twice nationally.

Student-Athlete

Ryan Hingston, Windsor High School

Hingston, a 2002 graduate, is one of the finest athletes to graduate from Windsor High School, where he was an all-star player in football, basketball and baseball. He was voted to represent Vermont in three so-called Twin State Senior All-Star games, including the annual Shrine Maple Sugar Football Game, where he scored a touchdown. The Burlington Free Press named the 1,029-point career scorer to its all-state basketball team. He batted over .400 as a standout catcher for Windsor, where he is honored on the school’s athletic Wall of Fame. While still in high school, Hingston volunteered his time coaching and refereeing youth programs.

Scott Moore, Essex and Rice Memorial High Schools

Moore, formerly known as Lauren Krywanczyk, was a three-sport standout athlete at Essex in soccer, basketball and track and transferred as a junior to Rice Memorial, before graduating in 2002. The National Merit semifinalist also was won top scholar-athlete awards from the Vermont State Athletic Director Association, the Ethan Allen Club in Burlington and from Rice before going to Yale University. Other honors include four-time Burlington Free Press all-state basketball player, four-time state champion in the javelin, two-time all-state player in soccer, a McDonald’s All-American nominee in basketball and a 1,038-point career scorer.

Corey Mullen-Rusin, Wilmington and Twin Valley Union High Schools

Rusin, a 2005 graduate, is one of the best basketball players in Vermont high school history, but also was known as a standout soccer player. Her awards include selection as a two-time Burlington Free Press “Miss Basketball,” and two-time Player of the Year by both Gatorade and the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association before going on to play at Division I Boston College. The 1,791-point career scorer was well known for her drive and desire for success in the classroom as well as the basketball court, where her teams went 81-9 in four years. For soccer, Rusin still holds several school records, including for both career goals (82) and career total points (192).

Fred Waryas Jr., Bellows Falls Union High School

Waryas, a 1986 graduate at Bellows Falls, was a football and track standout and also played basketball. He was a two-time Vermont Decathlon champion and finished third as a sophomore.Waryas won two state titles in the pole vault and was runner-up once. He won the New England pole vault title as a sophomore and senior.Waryas also captured the 300-meter hurdles twice and the 400-meter crown once.Waryas helped lead the Terriers to two state football titles (with a 19-1 combined record) and was voted to represent Vermont in the Shrine Maple Sugar Game.

Official

Edgar Clodfelter, Official – Basketball

Clodfelter, who lives in Adamant, has been one of the highest ranked basketball officials for about 35 years. He is known for being prepared and serving as the consummate professional.Clodfelter is a familiar face in stripes going deep into the annual high school basketball tournaments at both the Patrick Gym and the Barre Auditorium. Clodfelter has been active in trying to recruit new officials and has volunteered to teach classes for over 20 years. He has the ability to reach everybody from age 18 to 60-plus in the 20-hour class. Clodfelter has worked on cooperative committees with the VPA on various issues, including rating referees and establishing 3-person officiating crews.

Eric Evans, Official - soccer and lacrosse

Evans, who lives in Putney, served as a soccer official for over 20 years and is a longtime lacrosse official. He is one of the top officials in both sports and worked numerous post-season tournaments. Evans has served as an instructor for U.S. lacrosse and as the rules interpreter for Vermont Lacrosse Officials Association. He has contributed articles about officiating to several publications. Evans served as president of the Vermont Soccer Officials Association. He has refereed International lacrosse as well as NCAA Division 1 & 2 National Championships

Contributor Denise Alosa, trainer, South Burlington High School Alosa has been the certified athletic trainer at South Burlington for over 25 years and has served on numerous school, league, state, New England and national committees.Alosa has worked to educate, promote and advocate for High School Sports Athletic Medicine. Her work has been published in national journals. Alosa has served on several VPA committees, including the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. She is often the first person to arrive before a game or practice and normally among the last to leave.

For information on the nomination criteria and process, please consult the VPA website or contact Bob Hingston, Hall of Fame Chairperson