Former Mercy High School Coach Elected to State Coaches Hall of Fame

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A former Mercy High School coach is one of 10 individuals who will be honored at the 40th annual Hall of Fame induction dinner of the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, according to an announcement from the CHSCA.

Barbara Hedden has been the girls track and field coach at Cheshire since 1992, and previously was girls cross country coach at Mercy High School in Middletown from 1982-92.

Hedden has a 220-51 dual-meet record in track and has coached two state runner-up teams (1995 and 1999). Her teams have also won four league/division championships: Housatonic 1992 and 1993, and Southern Connecticut Conference 1995 and 1999, and four league tournament championships (1992, 1993, 1995, 1999).

She was selected the CHSCA Coach of the Year for girls outdoor track and field in 2011 and the CHSCA Coach of the Year for girls cross country in 1993-94. Hedden also has been active in Special Olympics and was the Coach of the Year in 2012.

Hedden designed and wrote the rulebook for the program of CIAC Unified Sports Track and Field and received a Friends of Unified Sports award in 2005 from Michael's Jewelers.

Other honorees are:

• Elaine Biercevicz Piazza - Lyman Memorial, Sacred Heart Academy
• Robert Mastroni - Bunnell
• Howie Hewitt - Maloney
• Rich Langer - Haddam-Killingworth
• Martin deLivron - Avon
• Edward Faulkner - Brien McMahon, Bassick
• Ricky Shook - Danbury
• Maj. Stephen Reich (dec.) - Shepaug Valley
• Rich Coppola - Fox 61

Tickets for the dinner are $46 and available in advance by contacting the CHSCA office at P.O. Box 632, Southington, CT 06487, or by calling 860-628-4122 or e-mailing John Fontana at jfontana01@snet.net. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Photo credit: CHSCA