Eight Bristol sports legends to be inducted into the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 17 — Part 3

Posted By: Jack Krampitz November 11, 2023

On Friday, Nov.17, the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting the following individuals into their Class of 2023: Mark Dunn, Frank Owsianko Jr., Chris Michalowski, Rob Nicoletti, Chuck Nolan, Sara Paradis, Carol Langlois Panigutti, and Tim Washington Jr..

Yesterday, you met Chris Michalowski and Rob Nicoletti. Today you will be introduced to Chuck Nolan and Sara Paradis.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. at The Doubletree by Hilton Bristol. Tickets for the evening can be purchased at the Hall of Fame website, BSHOF.org. Sunday is the final day tickets will be sold on the BSHOF website.

Chuck Nolan

Chuck Nolan starred in both football and baseball at Bristol Central, and he helped lead the Rams to their first ever state football championship appearance in 1979.

Nolan was a starting fullback for three years as the Rams won three Colonial Conference championships. He was a two-time All-Conference player as a fullback and linebacker, and he earned second team All-State honors in his senior year, while serving as team captain.

He was the starting catcher and played in the outfield for both Bristol Central and the Bristol American Legion baseball teams, where he also served as captain.

Nolan earned varsity letters in both baseball and football at the University of Pennsylvania. He was the starting fullback on two Ivy League Championship teams, was the team’s leading scorer in his senior year, and was named Team Most Valuable Player.

Sara Paradis

A 2003 Bristol Central graduate, Sara Paradis was a four-year participant in soccer, basketball, and outdoor track. She won twelve varsity letters and was an all-Conference pick eight times in her career. She helped lead her teams to a total of eight CCC South conference championships during her time at Bristol Central.

In outdoor track Paradis set a school standard in the 100-meters that stood for ten years. She holds the school record for career assists in basketball and is the second highest all-time leading scorer for the school soccer team.

She went on to play basketball at ECSU and was the starting point guard as a freshman. When injured, she served as a volunteer student coach for her sophomore and junior years.  When cleared to play again, she regained her starting point guard position and was a tri-captain during her senior year. She earned All-LEC Defensive Team honors in 2007.

Paradis has coached JV softball and varsity volleyball and basketball while teaching in the Waterbury school system.  In 2022, Sara was honored as Teacher of the Year at Waterbury Career Academy.

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