New Class Elected To Windsor Locks Athletic Hall Of Fame

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — Six deserving individuals will be added to the roster of all-time town greats as the Windsor Locks Athletic Hall of Fame prepares to induct the Class of 2021. This year's honorees are Brendon Copes, Valarie (Gasparino) Giaccone, Kathy Heneghan, Paul King, Tom Mandrola and Paddy O’Connor.

The induction ceremony will take place Friday, Nov. 26 at La Notte in East Windsor. Social hour is at 6 p.m., and a buffet dinner begins at 7. Adult tickets are $50 and $20 for children 5-13. Tickets may be obtained at Windsor Locks Park and Rec, or by contacting Dave Farr at dfarralbb@aol.com.

Here is a brief look at the Class of 2021.

Brendon Copes earned 11 varsity letters during his time at Windsor Locks High School. A perennial three-sport performer, he earned a starting role on the soccer team as a freshman under legendary coach Dan Sullivan and later captained the team his junior and senior seasons.

As a soccer midfielder, Copes earned All-NCCC honors his junior and senior seasons and was selected as a CIAC All-State and Honorable Mention All-New England performer after his senior season in 1998. On the basketball court, Copes was a three-year starter for Sullivan and served as captain his junior and senior seasons.

As a junior Copes notched 14 points and 10 rebounds a game while being named All-NCCC after the 1996-97 season. During his senior campaign, he tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds and again was named to the all-conference team. Before he left WLHS Copes earned three varsity letters as a member of the golf team, serving as team captain his junior year.

During the spring of 1999, Copes switched from the golf team to the tennis team and earned a silver medal finish in doubles at the NCCC tournament. After leaving Windsor Locks High, Copes played basketball for Marist College from 2001-2004.

Copes started 19 career games and helped the team to a 19-9 record and a National Invitational Tournament berth in 2002. He served as team captain during the 2003-04 season. Brendan Copes is a versatile, accomplished athlete. Whether he was kicking, shooting or hitting a ball with a club or a racket, Brendan rose to the top, comfortable in any wing of the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Val Gasparino was an exceptional all-around athlete for WLHS, Class of 1999, excelling in both Softball and Soccer. Val played varsity soccer for all 4 years. She was captain her senior year. She was voted all conference in both her junior and senior years. As good as Val was in soccer, she was even more successful in her softball career.

Val, known for her ability to get on base and her speed on the bases, played all 4 years. She batted first and played shortstop for the Raiders. Val was voted all conference for her sophomore, junior and senior years. She also made All State in her junior and senior years. She served as captain her senior year. One of Val’s memories of her senior year was when the team won the league title in 1999. The game was held on the same day as the senior prom.

After the victory, all the seniors went to the ball late, but it was well worth it! Val later attended Saint Joseph’s College for 2 years. She played both soccer and softball, scoring 23 goals, 7th in school history. She also held the single season record for goals, 12, which stands as the 10th highest in school history, and single season record in points, 12 goals 8 assists, which stands as 8th highest for the college.

Val continued to excel at Eastern CT State University where she continued playing both sports. She was an All-Conference shortstop and varsity letter winner. Val has been teaching middle school health and physical education at Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor since 2005. She is currently in her 16th year. She has coached both softball and soccer for her school.

Kathy Heneghan was 16 years old when the late Bob O’Connor hired her to work for the Windsor Locks Recreation Department, first as a leader, and then as a swim instructor and swim team coach.

But even Bob’s keen eye for talent could not have predicted the impact that Kathy would have on generations of Windsor Locks families. Over the years she has taught thousands of kids how to swim and keep fit. More than 50 years later she’s still at it; bringing her enthusiasm to teaching swimming in her backyard and coaching the Windsor Locks Water Jets.

Kathy’s passion for physical fitness began when she was a youth involved in the park department’s Presidential Physical Fitness program. It was not easy for girls of her generation to show their love of athletics.

With few organized sports for girls Kathy and others had to search for opportunities to display their talent; like playing basketball on the hard-top at Windsor Locks High School in a league organized by one of her classmates or swimming for the club team in college. Undeterred, Kathy channeled her passion in to a career as a physical education teacher after graduating from the University of Connecticut in 1970.

While teaching full time and raising her children Kathy still found time to coach recreational and travel soccer, and Little League softball. In 1993, Kathy and Mike Fusick managed the Windsor Locks Little League all-star softball team that placed third in the state tournament. During her 28 year tenure with the Windsor Locks schools Kathy also served as the coach of the girls’ varsity swim team and led the students at South Elementary School in a running program called Morning Milers.

Although Kathy retired from teaching in 2014 she has stayed involved in athletics, in particular softball and swimming. She has spent 9 years with the NCCC Board of Umpires and continues to umpire high school and Little League softball games. She also been a member of the CSOA board of swimming officials for over 30 years officiating high school swim meets. Kathy found a way to overcome the obstacles and pass on her love of sports to the youth in Windsor Locks.

The next time you see some kid splashing about in a pool or taking a run, you can be pretty sure Kathy Heneghan had something to do with it.

From an early age it was evident that Paul King was an exceptional athlete. Whether it was playing pickup games with his brother Bill and the other kids in the neighborhood, playing midget football or being selected to all-star teams in baseball and basketball, Paul was just….better than the rest.

Not surprisingly the teams he played on enjoyed success. The 1970 Little League all-star team made it to the New England Regional Finals, one game away from a trip to Williamsport. In 1971 he played on the Windsor Locks Jets midget football team that won the Charter Oak Conference Championship. The nucleus of that football team stayed together to play four years of high school football.

Again Paul stood out. In 1974 he was named all-conference as a defensive player. In 1975 Paul was unanimously named to the All-CVC football team on both offense and defense. A four year player on the high school varsity basketball team Paul was a dynamic point guard who was creative on offense and played hardnosed defense. In 1976 he was twice named as the Journal Inquirer player of the week and was voted on to the paper’s All-Area Basketball Team, one of only five area players to earn that distinction.

Rounding out his high school career, Paul played left field for four years on the Windsor Locks High baseball team; always delivering in the clutch. In the 1970s, Paul King’s name was synonymous with Windsor Locks athletics. Paul’s work ethic combined with his natural ability earned him the respect of legendary coaches Pat Scelza and Dan Sullivan; making him a member of a very exclusive fraternity.

All State and all conference in soccer and captain or co-captain of the soccer, basketball and baseball teams, Tom Mandrola was a man for all seasons during his time a Windsor Locks High School. Tom was an outstanding soccer player, instrumental in leading the soccer team to the Central Valley Conference title and the quarter finals of the State tournament his senior year.

Tom was recognized for his play on the soccer field by being named to the all-area, all conference, and all state teams.

Tom humbly downplays his talent on the basketball court but he was again a team leader; playing tough defense, crashing the boards, and setting hard screens to get others open. His selfless attitude helped the team’s star player score over 1,000 points in his career.

Baseball was Tom's favorite sport and he made the varsity team as a sophomore; making his mark on a team loaded with talented players. Tom followed up that year by being named team captain his junior and senior seasons. He played catcher and first base and was an accomplished hitter. In the last at bat of his high school career Tom hit a ball some 325 feet, into the next street and over some houses.

Because of an odd ground rule the shot was ruled a triple and not a home run but it nonetheless gave Tom a memorable ending to his high school baseball career. After graduating from WLHS Tom took his talent and leadership qualities to the University of Hartford’s Division 1 soccer team. A four year starter Tom was selected as a co-captain his junior and senior years.

He relished the opportunity to play against some of the finest athletes from the United States and beyond, including defending National Champion Indiana University during his sophomore year. At every level, in every sport, Tom Mandrola was a leader. Always putting team ahead of self, but possessing the type of talent that still shown through.

Paddy O’Connor has the distinction of being the only Windsor Locks resident to play major league baseball. Born in Kerry, Ireland in 1879 Paddy started his major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1908 and later played with the Cardinals and the Yankees.

Paddy was a right handed utility catcher for the Pirates when they won the 1909 World Series; prompting a celebration in Windsor Locks which honored him with a reception attended by over 300 people. Paddy lived in Windsor Locks throughout his major league career. In an article written in 1910, Paddy downplayed his success in baseball preferring to dote on his twins. He spoke of pushing them around town in their carriage as much as 14 miles a day. Paddy said the exercise kept him in shape for baseball.

Paddy was 28 when he reached the major leagues. He was a teammate of Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner. A rumor that the two were going to stop in Windsor Locks during a 1911 trip to Boston brought a crowd of 600 to the Windsor Locks train station, only to be disappointed when the train never stopped due to a scheduling gaffe.Paddy played major league baseball for 10 years before retiring in 1918 as a member of the Yankees.

Paddy died in Springfield Massachusetts in 1950 and not much is known about his life after baseball. Windsor Locks has produced many fine baseball players over the years; many of whom almost made it to the majors. But, over a century later Paddy O’Connor is still the only Lockstowner to play major league baseball.

Photos and information on the hall of fame class courtesy of Windsor Locks Athletic Hall of Fame

To register for free Windsor Locks-East Windsor news alerts and more, click here.