Fifth Class of Distinguished Avon Athletes Inducted into the Falcons Hall of Fame

Six athletes, two coaches, and one team were inducted intoThe Avon Falcons Athletic Hall of Fame at a ceremony held Friday, May 1^st, at the Golf Club of Avon and MC'd by WFSB Sports Director, Joe Zone.

This 2026 class spans five decades at Avon High School, reflects nine different sports, and represents accomplishments including All-Conference, All-State, All-Region awards, many team and individual championships, and a track and field record that has held for 55 years.

Many of the honorees went on to play collegiate sports and most have continued their athletic lives through coaching and adult-league play. They have brought the drive and discipline that allowed them to succeed in sports into leadership roles in Fortune 500 business, professional services, and education. Some put the team-first ethos to practice serving others in the military and in the Peace Corps.

The athletes selected and inducted into this year’s Falcons Hall of Fame were chosen from a large and highly competitive field. They are:

·Adam Blankenbicker (Class of 2002 | Soccer, Track & Field)

·Kyle Bourque (Class of 1988 | Soccer, Track & Field)

·Robert “Buddy” Harris* (Class of 1972 | Cross-Country, Track & Field)

·J.D. Kosakowski (Class of 1989 | Soccer, Tennis)

·Ed Roy (Class of 1971 | Football, Track & Field)

·Caroline Schaefer (Class of 2014 | Field Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse)

·Jack Trumbull (1968-1999 | Multi-sport Coach)

·Frank Waters (1995-2016 | Girls Basketball Coach)

·The 1984 Girls Cross-Country Team (Rose Buckanavage Rapp, Cathy Desmond Eustis, Melissa Dues-Elliott, Gail Gately Smith, Elizabeth Kirwan McClain, and Christine Pappalardo Greif*).

*The awards for the late Buddy Harris and Christine Greif were accepted by their sister and husband, respectively. In a rare and somber coincidence, both athletes were victims of a drunk driver - decades apart.

In their acceptance speeches, the inductees thanked their families and friends, and affectionately recalled coaches who were surrogate parents and teammates who became brothers and sisters. They reflected back fondly on the simple joys of growing up in Avon and the life lessons they learned through Falcon sports, toasting the teammates who made them shine and urging young athletes to savor their days playing beside their childhood friends and neighbors.

The 2026 class of Hall of Fame inductees join four prior classes of outstanding athletes honored since the organization was founded in 2022. If you would like to nominate a future inductee, go to the HOF website, www.avonfalconshalloffame.com and click on “nominations.” Go Falcons!