5 Super Athletes With Ties To South Windsor

Sports have a way of teaching invaluable life lessons — building character, fostering teamwork and strengthening the bonds within a community. In the South Windsor area, these values have shaped some truly remarkable athletes from different eras, whose accomplishments continue to inspire.

Patch is celebrating five standout athletes whose achievements have left a lasting mark on our community. This list is just a snapshot, with countless other athletes helping shape the rich sports culture in our area.

1. Deborah Dillon Lightfoot (Wheelchair Basketball & Track and Field)

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After becoming quadriplegic at age 14, Deborah Dillon Lightfoot went on to become an accomplished wheelchair athlete after graduating from South Windsor High School in 1974. She competed for the United States at the 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto, the 1977 Stoke Mandeville Games and the 1978 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. Lightfoot was also a founding member of the Bay Area Meteorites women's wheelchair basketball team and was inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. The South Windsor High School Hall of Fame posthumously inducted her in 2015.

2. Maura Danahy Schreier (Track and Field)

Maura Danahy Schreier earned All-State recognition in three sports at South Windsor High School and was a four-time All-New England selection in cross country. At Connecticut College, she became an All-American in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, including a third-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the 2002 NCAA Championships. She was named Connecticut Athlete of the Year by the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance in 2002 and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon that same year. The South Windsor High School Hall of Fame inducted her in 2019.

3. Tom Roy (Basketball)

Tom Roy left South Windsor High School in 1971 holding the New England high school scoring record with 2,501 points and having won two consecutive state championships. The 6-foot-9 center was a three-time All-State selection and an All-American before playing four seasons at the University of Maryland. Roy was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the third round of the 1975 NBA Draft and later played professionally in France and Italy.

4. Chris Clark (Hockey)

Chris Clark went from South Windsor to a 607-game NHL career with the Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets. He recorded 214 points and 700 penalty minutes in the NHL and served as captain of the Capitals from 2006 to 2009. Clark also helped Calgary reach the 2004 Stanley Cup Final before moving into hockey operations, where he currently serves as assistant general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets and general manager of the Cleveland Monsters.

5. Jon DiSalvatore (Hockey)

Jon DiSalvatore moved to South Windsor with his family in 1985 and became a standout hockey player at South Windsor High School before pursuing junior hockey. His junior career included back-to-back championships and Team USA representation, eventually earning him a scholarship to Providence College and a spot in the NHL after being drafted by the San Jose Sharks. DiSalvatore went on to play 13 professional seasons across the NHL, AHL and Germany, finishing with more than 800 games and nearly 600 career points. The South Windsor High School Hall of Fame notes that he currently ranks second among American-born players in AHL games played.

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