(Information and photos from a provided press release/Information/photos collected by Ed Henry)
LE ROY -The Le Roy Oatka Knights Sports Hall of Fame inducted its seventh class of athletes on Friday July 12, 2024 at Le Roy Jr. Sr. H.S. Auditorium as a kickoff event for the annual Le Roy Oatka Festival this weekend, July 13th-14th.
Link to Oatka Festival information:
LeRoy Oatka Festival | LeRoy, NY
Video of the 2024 Induction Ceremony-Welcome and closing-Reid Whiting, Introduction of Honorees-Jim Rudgers.
William V. Campbell Award-Jackson Fix- Class of 2024
The inductees are:
John Thorne (LHS 1962),
LeRoy Varsity Baseball team (1964)
Jake Alexander (1967)
Roger Smith (1967)
Tom “Mark” Burrell (1971),
Tom Fernaays (1972)
Gail Elmore (1974)-Karen Brown (1975)
Marty Mills (1997)
Matt Riggi (2000)
John Thorne – LHS class of 1962 – The Oatkan Knights varsity football team played in the rugged CWC
(Central Western Conference) football conference from 1955-1964 which was comprised of larger
Monroe County area gridiron talent. John quarterbacked the Knights to a 4-4 record in his junior season
in 1960 and the larger schools took notice of his gridiron abilities. A 2-6 record followed in 1961, yet the
1961 Democrat & Chronicle All-Central-Western Conference first team selection at QB was awarded to
John, based upon a vote by all the opposing coaches in the league. The league coaches were very
impressed with John’s hard running, excellent tackling, and ability to throw against very tough
opposition. John was outstanding on the LeRoy High track team leading the team in scoring as a
sophomore in 1960 as he excelled in the high jump, 220-yd dash, and as a member of the 880-yard
relay.
In 1961, he and three LeRoy teammates won the America Region Relays at Brighton HS in the one-
mile medley with a time 3:50.7 against stellar opposition. John played basketball for three years,
including a stint as a starting forward on LeRoy coach George Rudman’s talented 1961 squad. John
excelled off the field of play at LHS as he was a Regents scholar who won honors as a Model Congress
member, winner of the Larkin Speaking Award, named as the National Honor Society president, chosen
as a winner of the DAR Good Citizenship Award, all the while singing in choirs and plays. He was also
active in three school bands, while editing the Oatkan yearbook and the Red & Black school newspaper.
John graduated #10 in his class and set a wondrous high standard for all LeRoy student-athletes in the
1960’s.
1964 LeRoy Varsity Baseball – The Knights entered the 1964 baseball season with hope. Hope that the
4-9 record in the dismal 1963 season was a thing of the past. Southpaw Don Higgins was the winning
pitcher of all of LeRoy’s four wins in 1963. His ERA for 1963 was an incredible .932. Bob Humphrey and
Gary Batchellor were also strong pitchers returning for the 1964 season. There was great hope that
hitting would come around along with improved fielding and less errors. The 1964 team opened with
three losses in the first five games. Game 6, a 4-1 win over previously unbeaten Rush-Henrietta, was the
turning point in this remarkable season as the team went 10-1 over the next 11 games, outscoring the
opposition 102 runs to 29. The most nerve-wracking game was the Section 5 semifinal against Waterloo.
The Indians had runners on first and second base because of two LeRoy errors in the first inning. The
third Waterloo batter drilled a line drive at second baseman Bob Humphrey who caught the ball,
stepped on second base, and then riffled the ball to first baseman Mike Miller for the triple play. LeRoy
trailed 2-0 going into the final 7 th inning. Mike Miller led off with a single, which was followed by another single by Higgins. The Knights would score 4 runs to take a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th.
Higgins did not flinch on the mound and retired the side, and the Knights were headed to the Section 5 Class A final to face Wayne Central in the championship game at Geneseo State. The Knights, powered
by excellent hitting by Zip Pangrazio and Dick Woodworth, along with Higgins’ command on the mound,
went on to post a 10-4 win earning a third Section 5 baseball title for coach Ray Jay (1957 and 1959 /
1966 would be his 4 th in 10 years). Mike Miller, Ron Paganin, and Bruce Platek were the top 3 hitters on
the team, all batting over 350.
Team members: Don Higgins, Bob Humphrey, Mike Miller, Ron Paganin, Harry VanAlst, Richard
Woodworth, John Pangrazio, Walter Williams, Bruce Platek, Barry Panepento, Henry Chimeno, Bob
Orlando, Gary Batchellor, Barry Scott, Davie Palotti, Kent Ladd (manager), and Coach Ray Jay.
1964 Team members at the Induction Ceremony-Pictured left to right- Ron Paganin, Gary Batchellor, Barry Panepento, Bruce Platek, Bob Humphrey, Richard Woodworth, Dave Palotti, Mike Miller, and Don Higgins.
Jake Alexander – LHS class of 1967 – Jake was a kind, considerate, well-liked, and easygoing 1967 alum
of LeRoy High. He was also an outstanding and talented athlete who was quick, strong, smart, and
gifted. One of those gifts was that he was naturally ambidextrous, able to use his right and left hands
equally well. As a 12-year-old he was by far the best baseball player in the LeRoy Little League system.
He was an outstanding pitcher, hitter, and fielder. In his LL days, pitchers were only allowed to pitch 6
innings per week, so as not to overwork and stress their arms. As legend has it, Jake pitched a game
right-handed, and the game was won by him and his team with ease. The coach of the team that was to
play Jake’s team next was happy to not have to face Jake on the mound. When the next game was to be
played Jake took to the mound, bringing about quite a commotion from the opposing team’s coach that
Jake had pitched earlier in the week and was not eligible to pitch again so soon. Jake’s coach said you
are right, but he is not pitching right-handed today, he’s going to throw left-handed, therefore he is not
overworking his right arm! Another opponent vanquished. During the LL season Jake hurt his left elbow
sliding into a base, making fielding difficult. That proved not to be the case in one contest. Playing
centerfield, he fielded a well struck ball with his gloved right hand for the out, then dropped his glove
and threw a strike with the now ungloved right hand to the catcher at home to nab the base runner who
tagged up from third base! Hitting home runs from the right or left, Jake amassed a home run total that
lasted for over 20 years. Jake was short as a 12-year-old, which was not a disadvantage. The Batavia LL
all-stars came to play the LeRoy all-stars in LeRoy and when Jake got up to hit the Batavia coach called in
his fielders feeling that this smaller player was at best going to bunt for the LeRoy team. Not long into
the count, Jake swatted a homer over right field that landed on North Street! He demonstrated his
ambidextrous gift in his first varsity basketball game when he was just a freshman. He received the ball
about 18 feet from the basket and went up right-handed for his first varsity shot. Feeling defensive
pressure on his 5’8” frame, he moved the ball to his left hand at the top of his shot for the bucket! He
played varsity hoops as a freshman and sophomore but turned to football and baseball in his junior year
at LHS. Jake played on the 6-1 varsity football team coached by coach Ray Jamalkowski in the fall of 1965.
Jake’s brother Wade accepts his brother’s plaque from Reid Whiting
The story has it that Jamalkowski wanted to insert a halfback option play into the LeRoy offense.
Jake was placed at left-side halfback and was a very fast runner. Jamal put the ball in Jake’s hands in
practice whereby the QB would toss the ball to Jake and rolling to the right Jake was to draw the
defense in and then throw the ball to the right end. Coach J loved what he saw and wondered aloud if such a play could be possible with a right halfback rolling to the left. Jake told Jamalkowski, “I can do that!’” and little did Jamalkowski realize that Jake was going to run left from the right-side halfback position and throw a tight spiral to the left end with his left arm thanks to his ambidextrous gift! Bottom line was that Jake could be placed anywhere on the field for any position, even place kicker, which he did as well. In the spring of 1966, Jake helped the LeRoy varsity baseball team win Section 5 Class A as a strong hitting relief pitcher, fielder, and catcher. In the tournament semifinals against Trumansburg,
Jake blasted two singles, a double, and a homerun as the 13-4 win provided the confidence needed to drive the Knights to an 8-2 win over Penn Yan in the championship contest in the season finale.
Roger Smith – LHS class of 1967 – Roger Smith was an outstanding basketball player; many say one of
the very best players to ever play at LeRoy High.
Successful varsity basketball coach George Rudman took over the LeRoy basketball program in 1962,
when Roger was just a 7th grader. While building his program Rudman was smart enough to check out
the very young players in the LeRoy Saturday Recreation program in the grade school to see what
players possessed that “it” factor regarding must-have basketball skills such as dribbling, shooting,
defense, and court awareness. Coach Rudman garnered the attention of Roger and other standouts and
encouraged these players to work hard year-round and play as much as possible. Rudman touted the
1,000 Club to Roger in which you would shoot endless left- and right-handed layups which would lead to
great touch on left and right bank shots, jump shots, and foul shots. The goal was to shoot 1,000 of
these types of shots without missing one. The young players of the day caught on that shooting
hundreds of daily shots were more of the realistic goal than the prescribed 1,000! Roger’s father set up
a basket at the family homestead where Roger and fellow teammates would hone these skills for hours.
It certainly paid dividends as Roger started on the LeRoy JV hoops squad as a freshman and moved up to
varsity as a sophomore for a 3-year stay! Before playing his first year of basketball on a talented 11-3 JV
team on which he was one of the top scorers and rebounders, he played JV football as a gifted
linebacker on defense and end on offense on a team that went 5-2 in the fall of 1963. Midway through
his sophomore JV football season he badly injured his left knee which ended his gridiron career, by
choice. The injury hampered his sophomore playing time on the 10-8 varsity basketball team. Roger
recovered well and honed his game full time in the off-season at ‘The Courts’ on Summit Street where
one really develops the skills necessary to become a star. Roger was 6’1 with long arms and able to play
inside and shoot from anywhere outside. In his 1965-66 junior season he shined. In the LeRoy Christmas
Tournament, he scored 20 points and 23 points to defeat Avon and Warsaw, respectively. The varsity
went 15-4 for the season under coach Ray Jamalkowski and Roger averaged 22 points per game, winning
first team All-Genesee County accolades.
Roger’s son Travis accepts the plaque in his father’s name from Reid Whiting
His senior season was more of the same as he was the 3rd leading scorer in the league, averaging 19.1 points per game, as the team, with coach Tuffy Longhini at the helm, went 14-4. The highlights for his senior basketball season at LHS were defeating Batavia High twice and defeating an 11-0 Oakfield squad 67-51 to avenge a game one 63-53 loss to Oakfield.
Roger once again collected All-Genesee County honors in his outstanding final high school season. For the record, Roger was an all-star baseball player as well. In the summer of 1964, his plethora of home runs
down the stretch in the LeRoy-Caledonia Babe Ruth League playoffs sealed the championship banner for
his Cardinals team over the Giants. As a sophomore in 1965, he decided to play JV baseball for fun and
posted a .402 batting average.
Tom “Mark” Burrell – LHS class of 1971 – Tom Burrell’s running career, which began in the late 1960’s
was spectacular, to say the least. Tom first arrived on the harrier scene in the spring of 1968 when he
became a member of the varsity track team coached by Don Santini, who led the squad to an 11-1
record that season. From the beginning, Tom loved the challenge of long-distance running. In the fall of
1968, Tom joined the LeRoy cross-country team headed by coach Larry Reed. Tom placed first in his first
C-C meet against Geneseo. A week later he participated in a 4-team meet that included large schools
Batavia, Rush-Henrietta, and Hilton. He placed 13 th out of 55, which bolstered his confidence mightily. In
the Section 5 championship meet in early November ‘68, Tom finished in 5 th place out of a field of 110
runners! The high finish earned Tom the coveted Section 5 Shield for Cross-Country, making him just
the second runner in LeRoy history to receive this honor. In the spring of 1969 Tom sliced 22 seconds off
the school record in the 2-mile with a 10:30 finish.
Tom’s sister Ann accepts Tom’s plaque from Reid Whiting
Tom had an outstanding junior season in the fall of 1969 under new coach Bill Tripp. Tom finished first in 6 of the 8 regular season meets, won the Alfred- Almond Invitational, placed second in the Section 5 state qualifying meet, and placed 15th out of 150 runners at the New York State Championships. His senior C-C season in the fall of 1970 brought more success. Tom led the LeRoy C-C team to 15th place among 33 schools at the prestigious McQuaid Invitational. The LeRoy squad finished 2nd out of 7 in the Counties, with Tom placing 3rd individually.
November of 1970 saw the team place 8 th out of 21 schools in Section 5 Class B Championships. Tom
finished 4 th and teammate Steve Reamer finished 8 th to qualify and send both runners to the New York
State Championships.
Tom Fernaays – LHS class of 1972 – Tom Fernaays has a resume’ of exceptional leadership of positive
LeRoy youth development via sports that is unmatched in quality and quantity over an incredible 7
decades. The later 1960’s saw Tom taking on the role of ‘manager’ for five different sports at LeRoy
High, those being football, track, wrestling, baseball, and basketball. The influences of coaches such as
Don Santini, Ray Jay, and Tuffy Longhini were not wasted on Tom as he experienced firsthand how
sports could bring about camaraderie, success, discipline, confidence, and the vital skills to cope with
setbacks when they arose. After graduating in 1972, Tom teamed with Coach Jay at the summer high
school playground which offered village youths a variety of sports, with softball leagues being king. In
the fall of ’73 Tom coached a Pee Wee youth football team to an undefeated 6-0 team, each win by
shutout. He was instrumental in forming a Senior Little League composed of 6 teams from LeRoy and 2
from Pavilion in 1975. Tom was a driving force in organizing the fund drive to pay for new equipment
and uniforms for the league. No sport went unnoticed with Tom. In 1990 he paired up with fellow
LeRoyan, Bill Fox, to coach soccer in an Under-8 youth soccer league. Tom has continually given of his
time and talents when organized and effective volunteering is needed. This credo comes as no surprise
as the Fernaays family, comprised of his parents and siblings, are known for their “giving” gene and
getting things done in LeRoy when betterment is required. LeRoy Hall of Fame football coach Brian
Moran sums up the impact of Tom’s efforts in aiding the Oatkan Knights football program. Brian stated,
“people do not realize that when you show up to Hartwood Park and everything is taken care of, you
only have to concentrate on the actual game as Tom understands the game and is one step ahead of you
getting everything in place for our team to succeed; it was and still is an incredible help to our program.”
When the Friday night foe arrives at Hartwood Park, Tom is there with the cart to help pick up and set
up the visitors’ equipment. People do not see the goodness behind the scenes. He has purchased
equipment and clothing for players who may not be to afford such. At practice, he works with kickers on
a separate field. He scouts the opponent’s kicking skills during pregame so that a LeRoy edge may be
had during the game. The Ball Boys and Water Crew know their roles in the contest because of him. Tom
takes the lead on loading and off-loading all the team’s equipment when the van hits the road for away
games. Everything is organized when the players and coaches arrive at the away games. The only LeRoy
vs Cal-Mum football game Tom has missed from the time he was a manager, player, or fan was when he
was on his honeymoon! It is with great honor that Tom is inducted into the LeRoy Sports Hall of Fame,
joining Don “Papa” Pangrazio, as supreme contributors to LeRoy sports!
Gail Elmore Blair – LHS class of 1974 and Karen Brown Zinni – LHS class of 1975 – “It takes a village to
raise a child,” is a proverb that means an entire community of people must provide for and interact
positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment.
Two outstanding former LeRoy High athletes that benefited from this notion are Gail Elmore Blair and
Karen Brown Zinni. Each possessed great innate athletic skills and leadership qualities from the word
“go” as they simply “wanted to play” and by trying every sport under the sun they were destined to be
where they are today, in the LeRoy Sports Hall of Fame. The LeRoy Recreation program was so
instrumental in offering so many athletic and interactive opportunities for the youth of LeRoy to grow
from.
Karen, a 2-time Presidential Award winner, and the quick, strong, and determined Gail bonded
through sports and were fixtures at “The Courts” on Summit St playing tennis and basketball while also finding time to play a ton of softball behind the LeRoy High School, led by LHS coach Ray Jay. Gail and
Karen petitioned to play in the LeRoy Little League but were turned down. Within a year or two of that
vanquished request they were playing spectacularly in the summer softball league at Hartwood Park
with females 10+ years their senior and many of them married! Gail and Karen were both 4-sport
athletes at LHS in the early 1970’s, lettering in soccer, volleyball, basketball, and tennis. Gail and Karen
developed their tennis skills playing in the Batavia YMCA tennis league in the summer where Gail
(singles) and Karen (doubles) excelled among the 49 total LeRoy players in this developmental league. In
the spring of 1971, freshman Gail became the first female ever to play on the LeRoy tennis team,
winning doubles matches with her male teammates. Karen joined the tennis program a year later in
1972 as did Marcia McKeon.
Gail, Karen, and Marcia were excellent on the courts and helped lift the LeRoy program to its finest season in its 8-year history in 1974 when the team went 7-3. The government passing of Title 9 legislation in the summer of 1972 launched the welcomed creation of increased female interscholastic competition in lieu of intramural only athletic contests. December of 1972 was the start-up of a short 6-game hoops schedule at LeRoy High in which Gail was the leading scorer and Karen demonstrated excellent passing, rebounding, and outside shooting. The very talented team went 4-2.
The 1973-74 volleyball was led by new coach Jo Eaton who brought enthusiasm and an incredible work ethic to the team. The team went 8-6, finishing 4 th in the league. Both Gail and Karen are cited in the Oatkan yearbook for their skill and accuracy needed to freeze opponents! Gail, captain of
the squad, surprised opponents with her ability to spike with solid power at 5’3” tall! The 1974 LeRoy
girls’ varsity basketball team dominated their opposition, outscoring them by a 335-160 margin! The
team played the school’s first ever evening girls’ basketball game in week 4 against Caledonia and were
led to a 42-39 win as Karen and Gail led the team with 13 and 9 points, respectively. The team finished
second in the LCAA with a 7-1 record, the lone loss a 37-35 nail-biter to a strong Geneseo squad. At the
1974 athletic awards banquet senior Gail was honored as the Female Athlete of the Year, a richly
deserved honor. September of 1974 was the start-up of Karen’s senior year with 4 more LHS teams to
excel for. Two weeks into the school year Karen was badly injured in a car accident in which she was a
passenger. She fractured two vertebra and her collarbone and sustained internal injuries and more. She
recovered over her entire senior school year in a plaster cast, followed by a brace.
At the girls’ athletic banquet in 1975 Karen received a special award to acknowledge her outstanding athletic prowess and outstanding character. Post graduation, Karen recovered well and played sports once again, this time at GCC where she took part in field hockey, basketball, and fast-pitch softball.
Nowadays, Karen and Gail enjoy the simpler days of playing golf together. After graduation Gail worked at Eastman Kodak Elmgrove for 8 years. In 1981, her EK-Elmgrove Industrial League Slow-Pitch Softball Team qualified for the Eastern States Industrial Slow-Pitch Tourney in Pennsylvania. True to form, Gail’s Kodak team won the tourney and Gail was named MVP of the tournament!
It is easy to see that Gail and Karen are a talented tandem of Title 9 trailblazers that became templates for success on how to be a winner on and off the field of play. Congrats on your well-earned inductions into the LeRoy Sports Hall of Fame.
Marty Mills – LHS class of 1997 – 2024 marked the 71 st year that golf has been played at LeRoy High. 71
is a good number, as it represented even par for many years at LeRoy CC (now is 72). The one golfer in
school history who posted the most telling numbers in an illustrious 5-year varsity career for the Knights
is ’97 alum Marty Mills. Marty, son of long-time LeRoy CC golf pro, Eddie Mills, started playing golf at age
8, when he was allowed to play several holes on the LeRoy CC layout whenever the course was not busy.
At the tender age of 11, Marty captured the 1990 Rochester District Golf Association Pee Wee Division (7–11-year-olds) with a 46-45=91 in a field of 14 young golfers. Marty won the title with an 11-stroke
advantage after the second 9 holes. Besides being his first time playing in an RDGA event, it was also his
first time playing on the Locus Hill CC course!
The spring of 1993 marked Marty’s first year on the LeRoy High varsity golf team – as an 8th grader! The Knights went 19-1, capturing the Livingston County Athletic Association (LCAA) title as 14-year-old Marty averaged 39.7 strokes per 9-hole round. The ’93 LCAA sectional qualifier was played at LeRoy CC and Marty shot a 3-over 74 (37 on the front 9) to win his first ever varsity playoff event, which qualified him to play in the Section 5 qualifier. Marty shot an 8-over 80 on soggy Brook-Lea CC, placing him among the top 9 golfers in Section 5 (Great Rochester area), earning him a spot in the NY State Championships at Cornell University as an 8th grader!
Marty’s dad Ed accepts his plaque from Reid Whiting.
In August of 1993, Marty and LeRoy teammate Tim Kennedy made golf history, winning the Boys (Marty) and Juniors (Tim) divisions at the NY State Golf Association Championships, the first time two golfers from the same club swept these prestigious match play titles! 1994 the LHS golf team went 15-5 and Marty posted a 38.9 9- hole average. Marty, now in 9 th grade, again qualified for the NY State Golf Championships after shooting a 9-over 81 and surviving a tense 4-hole playoff at Wayne Hills CC in the state qualifier. Marty looked forward to the return trip to play on the Cornell University links. As an 8th grader, Marty shot 29-over at the States, last among Section 5 golfers.
Marty, now playing with more confidence and experience, fired a two-round total of 78-79=157 to tie for top spot among Section 5 golfers and earning him a Top 20 NY overall placement! The next two seasons, 1995 (10th grader) and 1996 (11th grader), the LeRoy golf team posted a 2-year record of 36-5-1, as Marty qualifies for Sectional play with 40.6 and 38.2 9-hole averages, respectively. Marty completed his LeRoy High golf career in the spring of 1997 in spectacular form as the team went 20-2 and Marty posts a career best 37.9 9-hole average. Better yet, Marty returns to the NY State Championships at Cornell for a third time. Marty posted an 80-76=156 two round total in his final high school tourney that placed him 12th overall in NY and second among his fellow Section 5 state golfers.
Congratulations to Marty as he joins his father Ed as a superb and rightful inductee into the LeRoy Sports Hall of Fame!
Matt Riggi – LHS class of 2000 – Playing a sport in your senior high school days, you pushed to achieve
goals as an individual to bolster the success of the team proper. Along the way, there are rewards such
as trophies to commemorate your individual or team success. Success on the County level is good but
achieving success in post regular-season Sectional competition and earning a Section 5 patch was the
desired prize for many. If you were a one, two, or three sport athlete, multiple patches could very well
be earned. LeRoy’s Matt Riggi garnered five Section 5 patches in his final four years at LeRoy High and he
did so with success in four, yes four, different sports. In 1997, freshman Matt, weighing between
125/130 lbs, wrestled on Coach Bob Gately’s Section 5 Class C Championship wrestling team that
vanquished 19 other teams for the team title earning Matt his first Sectional patch. As a sophomore,
Matt continually developed the techniques and attitude to become an outstanding grappler which led to
an LCAA runner-up finish at 145 lbs as a junior and the LCAA crown at 171 lbs as a senior. The following
week Matt earned a runner-up finish in the Section 5 Class C tournament at 160 lbs in a 20-team field.
Matt’s family accepts his plaque from Reid Whiting
Wrestling served Matt well as an outstanding 2-year starter for Brian Moran’s 1998 and 1999 Section 5
Class C football champions. He was a natural on defense in both years, but also displayed skills on
offense on the ’99 team as he snagged 9 receptions for 206 yards, an average of 23 yards/catch,
including a 49-yard catch and run, 3 TDs, and 3 PATs. Two more patches via the gridiron success. As a
sophomore in 1998 he was pulled up from the JV baseball team to the varsity for the Oatkan Knights’
playoff run which resulted in the Section 5 Class CC baseball championship after a 16-3 rout over Letchworth in the finals.
Matt played baseball again in 1999, and now, with 4 patches in tow, he looked for another challenge, going out for track in the spring of his senior year. Instead of picking one or two events to compete in, Matt figured five was a better number, so he honed his skills in the five events of the pentathlon: 110-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, and the 1500-meter run. Sure enough, Matt ended his high school career on top of the podium with the 2000 Section 5 Class CCC Pentathlon championship and a fifth Section 5 patch!
Le Roy Sports Hall of Fame-Board of Directors
Reid Whiting/President
Quentin Call
Brian Moran
Steve Samis
Ed Henry
Jamie Clark
Dan Horgan
Ron Rossi
Jeff Strollo