Archive: Sports

The Lansing Athletic Hall Of Fame held it's tenth annual induction in front of a huge crowd in the Lansing High School gym Saturday.  The Hall Of Fame honors past Lansing athletes who excelled in more than one varsity sport and graduated at least ten years before being inducted.  It also recognizes teams that achieved championship status in league, sectional, regional, or state competition at least ten years before the time they are inducted.  This year Kevin Kessler (1996), Amy Childers (1993), and Dennis "Bubby" Eade (1993) were honored along with the 1976-1977 Men's Basketball Team.


"I'm glad to be here , especially with these two other people who I started my younger career with Dennis," Kessler said just before the ceremony Saturday evening.  "It's exciting.  It's an honor to be back in Lansing and see all the other alumni in the Hall Of Fame and to be a part of it all."

The induction was held between the junior varsity and varsity boys basketball games.  Inductees and their families arrived early for a reception at which some of them saw old classmates for the first time in years.  Assistant Coach Ed Dinan, Larry Moore, Wayne French, Mike Rosetti, Mike Caliel, Bob Hoaglin Jr., Rick Angerer, and Dick Wagner represented the '76-'77 Mens Basketball team.

1976-1977 Men's Basketball Team Back Row (Left to right): Assistant Coach Ed Dinan, Larry Moore, Wayne French, Mike Rosetti, Mike Caliel Front Row Bob Hoaglin Jr., Rick Angerer, Dick Wagner

Childers now lives in Liverpool, NY, working as a physical therapist.  Kessler went on to play football and competed in track and field at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Married with three children, he lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he is the Director of Information technology at Shumway Capitol.  Eade played football at New Mexico Military Academy, where a shoulder injury ended his football career.  He graduated from Brokport State, and is a vice/narcotics detective in Ocean City, Maryland.  After capturing one of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives, Eade was featured on 'America's Most Wanted.'

"I keep in touch with quite a few of the people I am seeing today," Eade said.  "There are some people I haven't seen in a long time, and it's fantastic.  People like Mr. Rankin, who was our principal when we went to Lansing High School, and some other faces I haven't seen in a long, long time.  I think that's the best part about it."

This was the first time they saw the Hall Of Fame as well.  It is located in a hallway behind the high school gymnasium that leads to the wrestling room.  A wall is decked with plaques representing all the members, individuals and teams alike.  This year's plaques were already mounted on the wall so that inductees could see how and where they would be commemorated.

Kessler, Eade, and Childers say that Lansing's current successes in sports are part of a tradition that goes way back.  "One of the newspaper reporters then was quoted as saying, 'It's only news when Lansing lost,'  Eade recalled.  "For years and years and years and years they've had a wonderful thing going here at Lansing.  I know we were on successful teams, regardless of whether it was track or football or swimming, or whatever it might have been.  It seems like that tradition is continuing.  They're winning state championships.  It's crazy, but it makes you proud."


Anyone can nominate a former Lansing athlete by turning a nomination form into one of the committee members.  They in turn research the nominee's achievements and finally vote on who will be inducted each year.  The committe consists of Sharon Bowman, Gary Christopher, Steve Colt, Chuck Crandall, Ron Eastman, Jack French, Matt Hollister, Maureen Muggeo, Karen Parkes, Bill Rankin, Ed Redmond, Geoff Wright, and is chaired by Marty Christopher.

After Christopher welcomed the crowd, Geoff Wright read the long list of each nominee's accomplishments.  He took the crowd back in time, telling each story so compellingly that you felt you were there, especially as he followed the basketball team's rise to glory.  At the conclusion of each tribute Christopher presented the inductees with a plaque, a duplicate of the one that was hung on the wall except that the recipient's copy often has a color picture while the Hall Of Fame version is in black and white.

The three individual inductees fondly remembered their coaches, and had trouble picking one that stood out of a group they considered to be outstanding overall.  "The coaches in general here have been excellent," Kessler said.  "Dennis and I had pretty much the same coaches.  There's a commitment from the coaches here.  They're still here today.  Look at Ed Redmond, still coaching football and baseball.  That's a commitment to the athletes."

That sentiment extended to their fellow teammates.  "I couldn't have picked two better people to go into the Hall Of Fame with," Eade said.  "We spent so much time in athletics together.  Amy and I graduated together and spent a lot of time on the track together, and a lot of bus trips.  Kevin was a freshman when we were seniors.  We had the opportunity to watch some of the things he did and see some of the records he broke."

"It's been a long time since I've been back here," Childers said.  "It's a lot of old memories.  A lot of familiar faces."

"It's a fantastic thing they have done with this Hall Of Fame," Eade added.  "It's nice to be back."

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	Kevin Kessler Graduated 1996 During a 4-year varsity football career, and as an All-State running back in his junior & senior years, Kevin became the most prolific yardage producer in Lansing football history. He accumulated 3,784 yards during his career, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He had blazing speed with an ability to elude tacklers, making him nearly impossible to bring down. He amassed 55 career touchdowns, of which 27 came during an amazing junior campaign, when he lead the 9 & 1 Bobcats to a Divisional Title. As a sophomore the team compiled another 9-win season with a tie, with the only loss coming in the NY State Semi-Finals. Kevin was also outstanding on defense, accumulating over 200 tackles from his outside linebacker position, 84 coming during his terrific junior season. He lead the Bobcats to 25 wins during his 3 years as starting tailback, with only 4 losses and a tie. His phenomenal speed made him a natural in the track and field arena, where he earned varsity letters for 4 years. Not only did Kevin dominate all of the individual and multi-school meets in the 200 & 400 meter runs and hurdle events, but joined teammates to bring home titles in numerous relays. His brilliant performances not only brought him All-IAC accolades, they earned him All New York State honors three times, as well.

 

	Dennis "Bubby" Eade Graduated 1993 An outstanding 3 sport athlete, Dennis collected 10 varsity letters during his high school career. He earned 3 letters in football, playing wide receiver as a sophomore, and tailback as a junior & senior, when those teams combined for a 16 & 3 record.  He rushed for over 1,800 yards those two seasons as an integral part of teams ranked high in the state. He played offense, defense, special teams, and was team captain as a senior. He also participated in the "Ernie Davis Exceptional Senior Game". As a 3-year varsity wrestler he was dominant, finishing among the top 3 in Class D Sectional Championships each year. He was captain as a junior & senior, leading the senior squad to a 10 & 1 record. His greatest achievements however may very well have been in the track & field arena, where he accumulated 4 varsity letters, being named Most Valuable Runner 3 times. He set school records for the 400m, 4 x 400m, and 4 x 100m at the time, going undefeated in 1993 while receiving the "Officials Association Outstanding Performance Award" and the "Coaches & Officials Most Valuable Runner Award". A high light to his career was becoming the first Lansing track athlete to medal at the NYS Federation Track & Field Meet in 1993, and his selection as the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete for 1993.

 

	Amy Childers Graduated 1993 Amy was a spectacular 3 sport letter winner, earning 12 Varsity letters, of which 5 were in swimming as a member of the record setting girls team from 1988 thru 1992. The team won the IAC & Section IV Class C Championships from each year, finishing undefeated in 1991, and ranked in the nation. Amy was a 4 year IAC All-Star and team Co-Captain as a junior & senior.  While in the 9th grade she was a member of the Sectional Championship 400 freestyle relay team. As a junior Amy was named Academic All-American (NISCA), and she was twice named a member of the NYSPHSAA Scholar/Athlete Team. In her senior year she was a member of the 1st place Section IV 200 medley relay & free style relay teams. Amy was also a 3-year basketball standout. As a sophomore she played a major role during the Lady Cats 1st Sectional Title. As a junior & senior she was a key part of teams that won both IAC Division & Small School Championships, and was named both years IAC All-Star. Her athletic prowess continued in the spring where she earned 4 varsity track letters and MVP honors 3 times. She was the school record holder for the 400 & 100-meter hurdles and the 400 meter & 800 meter relays. Amy was the first female track star from Lansing to attend state competition, representing the Bobcats for 3 consecutive years. Amy will be remembered not only for her outstanding athletic achievements, but also as an outstanding scholar, graduating Salutatorian of her class.

 

	Lansing High School 1976-1977 Men's Basketball Team In 1976-77, a basketball team coached by Hall of Fame Coach Fred Caliel, began the season as a group of young players, that became in every sense of the word, a "Team". Losing one early season game by 2 pts to Marathon, who they later beat three times, the Bobcats roared to a 23 - 1 final record. They won Championships in the Northeast IAC Division, the IAC, Section IV, and Regional Playoffs. A strong scoring and rebounding squad that averaged 74 points per game, outscoring opponents by nearly 24 points per game. They were led in scoring by Hall of Fame member Tim Kick, who averaged 22.6 points per game, the highest average in school history through 2006, and in rebounding by Larry Moore, who averaged nearly 13 rebounds per game. Kick and Moore, both seniors, were named IAC Northeast All-Stars, and Kick was selected 2nd Team All-State as well. The all senior starting five of Moore, Kick, Dick Wagner, Mike Caliel and Bob Hoaglin, was complimented by fiery 6th man, sophomore Mike Rosetti, and juniors Rick Angerer, Wayne French, JJ Solomon, Jeff Colt, as well as senior Jeff "Stoney" Erickson. As Coach Caliel summed it up, when asked what made this group of young men so special, he said, "They're a bunch of winners, in every sense of the word. They set their goals, and lived up to them."

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