East Hampton Hall of Fame to Induct Four

The East Hampton Athletic Hall of Fame Association is pleased to announce the members of the induction class of 2011. Wayne Benoit, Brian Fleming, Daniel Furst and Timothy Johnson have earned selection as the newest members of the Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2011 Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Blackledge Country Club in Hebron.

Wayne Benoit was an outstanding cross country and track athlete at the East Hampton High School. A 1971 graduate, Benoit was a three year captain of his cross country teams and captained his track team one year.  His 1969 cross country team was undefeated and won the conference trophy for the first time in school history. Benoit is a Class S State Champion in the Indoor Track two-mile run, helping his team to a third place finish in the state.

Brian Fleming, a 1993 graduate of East Hampton High School, was a three-year varsity basketball player. Fleming was a two-year starter and captained the team his senior year. He led his team to Charter Oak Conference championships in 1991 and 1993. Fleming continued his basketball career at Roger Williams College where he was a four-year starter and team captain his senior year.  He was the 16^th player to join the 1,000 point club, finishing with 1,126 career points. He set school records in single-season free throw percentage, career three-pointers made and three-point shooting percentage. Fleming has coached girls' basketball at Glastonbury High School since 2001 and continues to give back to the East Hampton community as a basketball instructor for summer clinics.

Daniel Furst was an outstanding three sport athlete at East Hampton High School. A 1986 graduate, Furst earned 11 varsity letters in soccer, basketball and baseball. He earned All-Conference honors in soccer and baseball, and was All-State in baseball his senior year where he led his team to a Class S semifinal berth. Furst went on to play collegiate baseball at Quinnipiac College in Hamden. where he was a four-year starter, and led his team as captain both his junior and senior years. He earned many honors while at Quinnipiac including All-City, All-Region, All NE-10, and All-New England and also played two seasons for the Scranton Red Soxx of the ACBL. 

Timothy Johnson, a 1998 graduate of East Hampton High School, was an outstanding track athlete participating in the throwing events: shot put, discus and the weight and hammer throws. His senior year he was All-Conference and State Open Champion in the hammer throw. Also that year he participated in the National Indoor Track & Field Championships, placing 12^th in the weight throw and in the National Outdoor Track & Field Championships he placed 15^th in the hammer throw.  Johnson went on to have great success at the collegiate level, attending York College of Pennsylvania. He set a new school record for the hammer throw adding over 60 feet to the record over his four years. He was the undefeated CAC Conference Champion Hammer Thrower all four years and his sophomore year was named the CAC Conference Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Tim also gave back to the community by volunteer coaching the East Hampton and Wesleyan University track teams. 

The East Hampton Athletic Hall of Fame plaque is on display at the East Hampton Town Hall.

The EHAHOFA, founded in the spring of 2006, honors and acknowledges outstanding athletic accomplishment by those involved in athletics in the Town of East Hampton.

Tickets for Induction Night are available for $40 per person. The evening will consist of a social hour, dinner, and induction ceremony. If you would like to share in the celebration, please contact EHAHOFA President Michael Vasquenza at 860-267-7405 or send an email to ehahof@sbcglobal.net.