Fitch names nine individuals, one team to Athletic Hall of Fame

Groton — The Fitch High School Athletic Hall of Fame will honor nine individuals and one team at its induction ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 9, at St. Mary Mother Redeemer’s banquet hall, including former baseball coach Ed Harvey, who had the baseball field at Fitch named in his honor, and the late Katy Stoddard, a three-sport athlete for the Falcons who was The Day’s All-Area Athlete of the Year in two different sports.

“Every class of inductees adds a new chapter to the proud history of Falcon athletics,” Fitch athletic director Marc Romano said. “The Class of 2025 leaves a legacy that will inspire future generations of Fitch athletes.”

Inductees are as follows:

• Michael Anderson (Class of 1961) — Anderson participated in cross country, basketball and track and field. A point guard for the basketball team, he averaged 20 points per game over his career. He captained the team as a senior and was named All-Eastern Connecticut Conference and honorable mention all-state.

• David Piela (Class of 1984) — Piela played football and baseball while at Fitch. He was an outstanding kicker for the football team but was most accomplished in baseball. The captain of the team his senior year, he was named to the All-Area and all-state teams and set career hitting marks for doubles, triples, home runs and bases on balls.

• Anthony Turgeon (Class of 2009) — Turgeon lettered three years in soccer and four years in baseball and was captain of the baseball team. A .366 hitter, he stole 40 bases and scored 58 runs. Turgeon was named All-ECC and All-Area as a junior and senior and was named to the Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association all-state team in both those seasons.

• Katy Stoddard (Class of 1999) — One of the greatest all-around female athletes to ever attend Fitch, Stoddard played tennis, basketball and softball. She was The Day’s All-Area Player of the Year in tennis and softball and earned all-state honors in both sports. As a senior, Stoddard was ECC and state singles champion during fall tennis, finishing 22-1, and in the spring she batted .456 with 34 runs scored, leading the softball team to a 22-3 mark and a berth in the Class L state championship game. She served as captain in all three sports.

• Brandy LeClair (Class of 2011) — LeClair captained Fitch’s cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams as a senior and was named to the All-ECC, All-Area and all-state teams in each sport. She holds the school records for cross country and in the 5,000 meters for indoor track. LeClair won the ECC cross country championship in 2010 in 19 minutes, 44 seconds and finished third in the Class L state meet.

• Sydnee Spruill (Class of 2016) — Spruill holds the school’s high jump record at 5 feet, 5 inches and was the ECC and Class MM champion in that event in outdoor track as a senior, earning selection to The Day’s All-Area team in indoor and outdoor track.

• Caroline Taber (Class of 2016) — Taber was a three-time Class L all-state pitcher, a two-time Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year and a regional All-American, earning The Day’s All-Area Player of the Year honors for three straight seasons. Prior to the state tournament her senior year, Taber was 15-0 with a 0.22 earned run average, 175 strikeouts and three walks in 94 innings. She also batted .436 with 15 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. Fitch lost only twice during Taber’s tenure as starting pitcher, reaching three straight Class L title games, two of them championships. Taber later played softball at Princeton.

• Taylor Wolfgang (Class of 2017) — Wolfgang holds Fitch softball’s career hit record with 160. She was named All-ECC, All-Area and Class L all-state for three seasons and was the The Day’s All-Area Player of the Year as a senior. Wolfgang played for two state championship teams, earning MVP honors in the 2014 title game.

• Ed Harvey (baseball coach) — Harvey served as head baseball coach at Fitch for 28 years, retiring in 2007 with three state championships, eight league championships and more than 400 career wins. Harvey is a member of the Fitch Class of 1969, playing football, basketball and baseball.

• 1998 boys’ cross country team — This undefeated team won the ECC, Class L, State Open and New England championships. The top four runners earned all-state honors as seniors: Axel Bergeson, Grant Gruetzmacher, Joe Shaw and Steve Taylor. Taylor was also All-New England. Rounding out the top seven on the championship team were Josh Seals, Aaron Kerwin and Keith McCoy.

The induction ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Ticket information is available by contacting Romano at mromano@groton.k12.ct.us

Source: https://theday.com/news/791007/fitch-names-nine-individuals-one-team-to-athletic-hall-of-fame/