Branford Sports Hall To Honor 9, Plus 2 Teams

From the City of Branford: The 30th annual Branford Sports Hall of Fame dinner will be held on Friday November 17 at WoodWinds Restaurant 29 Schoolground Road, Branford. Nine outstanding individuals and two championship teams will be honored. Tickets are $50 and are available at the Branford Parks and Recreation Department at 203-315-2355

The 2017 inductees are:

Gary 'Jeep' Ciarleglio: A 1984 Branford graduate who played football, baseball and basketball. In his football career he rushed for 1700 yards along with another 800 more in receiving yards. He played at the University of Rochester leading the team to their only NCAA post season appearance in 1987. He was inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

George T. Dummar Jr: Raised in Milford he was a standout baseball player at Jonathon Law and later at Sacred Heart University before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. He coached baseball at Branford from 2004 thru 2012 winning seven division championships as well as Class L state titles in 2006 and 2009. He passed away in 2014.

Kevin McDonough: A native of New Haven he graduated from Notre Dame and later Providence College. A guidance counselor at Branford Kevin has been an assistant baseball coach starting in 1973 for former coach Jack Corning and later for coach George Dummar, mentoring pitchers and catchers. He was a member of the State Championship staff in 2006 & 2009.

Melissa McGow Klauder: A 2013 Branford grad she is regarded as one of the finest field hockey players in Hornet history scoring 200 goals and earning All SCC, All Area, All State and All American honors. As a four year starter her teams had a combined record of 65-5-6. She later played at Providence College and lead the team in both goals and assists three times.

Sally Murphy-Noel: a 1992 graduate of Branford she helped lead the Hornets girls swim team to two state championships and was named to the All State team all four years. The 1992 Championship team dominated the State Open outscoring every high school in the state. She later set records in backstroke and relays at the University of Delaware.

Savas Synodi: A 1975 graduate of New London High School where he played football and wrestled. He attended CCSU where he wrestled for all four years. In 1988 he joined the faculty at Branford and became Co-Athletic Director with Jake Palluzzi in 1992. During their tenure the Hornets won state titles in 10 team sports while adding seven additional sports programs.

Ryan Thompson: A four year letterman and captain in swimming and golf he helped lead the Hornets to the 2000-2001 Class M State Swim Championship. The 2004 Branford grad also won the individual state title in the 100 yard breaststroke, a school record that still stands today. He was named to the 2004 All Area and All State teams. He later swam at UConn for the Huskies.

Richard Tott: A deadly and classic jump shot earned him All Housatonic honors in basketball. He averaged 18 points per game for the Hornets and also ran cross country. After graduating from SCSU and serving in the U.S. Army he became a math teacher at Branford Intermediate School and helped coach the boys and girls basketball teams.

Michael R. Tracy: A 1993 graduate of Branford he earned letters in football, baseball and track and served as captain in all three sports. Known as an intensive football player he earned All Area, All Housatonic and All State honors. He later played for four years at SCSU graduating in 1996. As a member of the BHS faculty he has been a member of the coaching staff including three years as head coach.

1990 and 1991 State Championship Field Hockey Teams: The 1990 team finished with a 17-2 record scoring 73 goals while allowing only 7 with 14 shutouts. They had 5 All State players on the club. The 1991 team finished with a 16-0-3 record scoring 78 goals while allowing only 7. They had four All State players. Both teams were part of a field hockey dynasty for coach Cathy McGuirk that won six state titles over an 8 year stretch.

Photos courtesy of the town of Branford