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The team, along with nine former Bobcats who played for other district teams, will be inducted during a May 28 ceremony and dinner at Brynwood Country Club in Armonk.
Athletic Director Michael Gulino said the Hall of Fame would provide a way to both recognize the district’s top athletes and motivate current Bobcats, giving rise to the slogan "Honoring the Past ... Inspiring the Future.”
“The Byram Hills community has a lot of pride in the athletic program at the schools,” Gulino said. “The Hall of Fame will link the past, present and the future of the athletic program.”
Gulino said the district was grateful to the Bobcat Boosters for their support and sponsorship of the Hall of Fame.
According to Gulino, the idea has been floated in recent years, fueled in part by graduates who drop by the school and often start reminiscing about past achievements.
During the last school year, the district formed a committee chaired by Gulino and teacher and soccer coach Matt Allen. The committee, aided by research performed by Byram Hills alumnus James Boyle, set out to identify teams and athletes worthy of becoming the first inductees.
The 2007 boys' soccer team won the Class A state championship. The committee, which also included former coaches and athletes, also chose nine individuals: Pam Crikelair Garrity, class of 1997; Michelle Suozzi Verzello, class of 1995; Nancy Fay-Peter, class of 1981; Barbara Liebowitz-Bettigole, class of 1974; Abigail Gutstein, class of 1992; Matt Muller, class of 1989; Marty Durkin, class of 1982; Kevin O'Callaghan, class of 1978 and Greg Simonds, class of 2002.
“The nine Bobcat athletes elected to the first Hall Of Fame Class represent four decades of athletic success,” Boyle said.
The group includes athletes who were awarded All-American, All-State and All-County honors in multiple sports.
The Hall of Fame will be in the high school atrium, which students walk through daily on their way to the locker rooms and athletic fields.
Future inductees, who will be chosen by soliciting nominees from the community, are expected to not only include athletes, but also coaches and others who have made strong contributions to the athletic program.
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