By Michael Letendre
The Bristol Sports Hall of Fame recently unveiled its Class of 2023, another star-studded group of athletes and contributors that helped to shape Bristol’s sports scene over the years.
Bristol Sports Hall of Fame Vice President and Induction Co-Chairman Bob Kalat recently made the announcement of the newest induction class.
Here are the eight individuals who will be honored this coming November:
*Mark Dunn
*Frank Owsianko, Jr.
*Chris Michalowski
*Rob Nicoletti
*Chuck Nolan
*Sara Paradis
*Carol Langlais Panigutti
*Tim Washington, Jr.
“These eight individuals continue to represent the best and brightest that Bristol has to offer with their contribution to sports in Bristol in different ways,” said Kalat.
The 2023 induction ceremony takes place on Friday, November 17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Bristol.
Starting in September, the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame website (bshof.org) will have more information about this annual event according to induction co-chairman Hank Lodge.
The 2022 BSHOF Induction Class
Last year’s induction ceremony was a loaded class which included Bristol Eastern’s first baseball coach (Clem J .Roy) and Bristol’s all-time rushing leader in scholastic football (Reinaldo Soto).
The class also had a member of the 1988 Class M boys basketball state championship team (Pete Wininger), and a dual champion from Bristol Eastern’s volleyball and girls basketball squads from 1991 (Tracy Pomerenke Regan).
The grouping had a player from the 1984 McCabe-Waters Little League Eastern Regional championship team (Chris Strahowsk) that went to the World Series and two individuals who were critical to the growth of baseball in the town (Leon and Gussie Breen).
And don’t forget an honorable mention National High School Track All-American athlete (Mario Marrero) and the city record holder in career victories in softball from Bristol Central (Kim Corbin Varasconi).
However, the class of 2023 is just as impressive as the group from 2022.
Bristol Sport’s Hall of Fame History and Mission
According to the BSHOF website, “Bristol has long enjoyed a rich history in sports. It’s founding fathers ensured that sports would always be an integral part of Bristol’s way of life by donating land for parks and foundations to support them.”
“Since the 1800’s, Bristol’s industries have supported athletic competition and have sponsored many sports teams. As a result, Bristol has been endowed with a rich sports history that has become part of the fabric of our everyday lives. These Industrial leagues, Bristol school leagues, little leagues, church leagues and private clubs are in some way part of our everyday lives. In 1997, John Fortunato and Bob Montgomery formed the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) to honor Bristol’s rich sports history. With John Smith as Executive Director, a Board of Directors was formed, and a vision statement was created. That vision statement affirmed its mission.”
“Since 1997, a number of people who represented the best in Bristol’s sports history have been inducted into the BSHOF. The plaques honoring these individuals were on display at the Dennis N. Malone Aquatic Center on Mix Street in Bristol. Unfortunately, we ran out of space, and they are only on display on our website. The BSHOF is very proud of our partnership in the community. We hope that those who help make all this possible-our advertisers, our membership, the inductees, but especially the citizens of Bristol-are also proud. Without their support, none of this would be possible.”
