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10/13/2019 12:00 AMThe Madison Athletic Hall of Fame (MAHOF) inducted 10 new members as part of its Class of 2019 during a ceremony that was held in front of 120 attendees at the Madison Beach Hotel on Sept. 12. The new inductees to MAHOF are Jan Carroll, Mike Ciotti, Sarah Enos, Becky Hall, Larry Hall, Shane Kokoruda, Ryan Nizolek, Blythe Pariseault, Brian Parri, and Stephen Parri.
The MAHOF’s board of directors and induction ceremony executive committee members include President Steve Filippone , Vice-President Larry Ciotti, Ex-Officio/Sponsorship Chair Bill Barker, Executive Director Chris Lena, Treasurer/Biographies Chair Ken Conlon, Secretary Caitlin Eichler, and Executive Committee members Craig Semple, Tom Banisch, Art Symonds (also the nomination chairperson), and Chad Lyons.
Jan Carroll (Exemplary Contributor, inducted posthumously)
Janet Carroll worked as a nurse and athletic trainer at Daniel Hand High School (DHHS) from 1975-’85. She was a kind and caring individual who was devoted to the health and wellbeing of all students within the Madison school system.
Carroll augmented her skills to include up-to-date knowledge of athletic medicine after the concept of a nurse/trainer at the high school level was inaugurated in 1974. Carroll was a graduate of the Hospital of St. Raphael School of Nursing and received her school nurse practitioner degree from UConn in 1981. She was employed by the Madison Visiting Nurse Association/Madison Public Health Association. For two years, Carroll served as an apprentice in the Department of Athletic Medicine at Yale University.
The athletic medicine program at DHHS was the first of its kind for Connecticut high schools. Carroll provided medical coverage for all of the Tigers’ home games at the varsity, JV, and freshman levels, acting as an advisor to coaches and athletes in matters concerning various health and conditioning problems, as well as physical examinations, diets, warmups, and conditioning. Carroll provided Hand’s athletes with a regimen of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation from sports injuries.
In October of 1977, Carroll became the first female in the history of the Madison Jaycees to receive its Distinguished Service Award, which was presented by then-governor Ella T. Grasso.
Mike Ciotti (Class of ‘86, Coach 2006-’17)
Michael Lawrence Ciotti is a 1986 graduate of DHHS, where he earned three varsity letters in football and also lettered in wrestling and baseball. Ciotti served as captain of the baseball team in his senior season and held the program record for home runs for 32 years. He was also the starting center on the Tigers’ state championship football squad in 1984. In his senior year, Ciotti, was selected as an All-Conference First Team and an All-State First Team center by both the Hartford Courant and New Haven Register.
Ciotti continued his career at Yale and was the starting center in his junior and senior years, helping the football team win the Ivy League championship in 1989. Ciotti was also voted an All-Ivy center as a senior and selected to play in the Epson Bowl All-Star Game. He received the Robert Gardner Leadership Award from Yale.
Ciotti coached in the Madison Youth Football program for 21 years, serving as league president for four years. Ciotti initiated the Coaches Coaching Coaches seminar in which youth coaches learned techniques and strategies from football coaches at DHHS. As the 8th-grade coach, his teams won four league championships.
For 12 years, Ciotti was the offensive and defensive line coach for Head Coach Steve Filippone with the Hand football team. He later became offensive coordinator and helped the Tigers win three state titles. In 2017, Ciotti was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association.
Ciotti is the owner of a sports construction and equipment company. He and his wife Licia live in Madison with their children: Kenny, Joey, Gina, and Ali. Ciotti joins his father Larry as a member of the MAHOF.
Sarah Enos (Class of ‘97)
Sarah Ellis Enos, a 1997 graduate of DHHS, was a 12-season athlete who competed in soccer, basketball, and track for the Tigers. Enos dedicated herself to achieving in the classroom, on the field, and throughout her community. As a role model, she demanded the most of herself and encouraged others to contribute their best. Enos was recognized by both peers and coaches as the player who worked the hardest, while being the most supportive and enthusiastic every day.
Enos played an immediate role on the Hand varsity girls’ soccer team as a freshman, using her field intelligence and play-making ability to take on significant defensive responsibilities. She received All-Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division honors in her junior and senior seasons, helping the Tigers achieve winning records and make successful runs in the State Tournament.
In basketball, Enos earned the Coaches Award as a sophomore and became the starting point guard in her junior year, winning the Hustle Award. As a senior captain, she was the Tigers’ best free throw shooter, assists leader, and Defensive Award winner, while guiding the team to the state semifinals.
Enos was also a four-year contributor in track, leading the team as a senior captain and winning the Coaches Award. Her best race was the 1,600, but she also competed in the 300 hurdles, javelin, and 4x800 relay. Enos helped the 4x800 break the school record in 1996.
Enos, who served as a senior captain for all three of her teams, was honored with the Robert Duncanson Sportsmanship Award for her leadership at DHHS.
Enos went on to play soccer at Endicott College from 1997-2000. She won the Coaches Award as a freshman, leading the team to its first Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship. Enos earned a Special Coaches Award for her role as captain, while helping the team win the Commonwealth Coast Conference title and earn its first bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Enos lives in Beverly, Massachusetts with her husband Steve and their two daughters: Rylie (9) and Taylor (7). She works part-time as a front office health care assistant. Enos is happy to share this honor with her parents, Bob and Loretta Ellis, as well as her brothers Alan and David, all of whom were loyal, positive, and supportive fans in her athletic pursuits.
Becky Hall (Class of ‘07)
Becky Lutz Hall was one of the most prolific lacrosse players in the history of DHHS. A 2007 graduate, she was a three-year starter for the Hand girls’ lacrosse team. Hall was named the Tigers’ Most Valuable Player and received the Athletic Director’s Award in her senior year. She was selected to the All-SCC First Team and the Register All-Area Team in 2006 and 2007, in addition to making the All-State First Team in both of those years and garnering All-American Honorable Mention as a senior. Hall was also an excellent field hockey player at Hand and served as a captain for the basketball team.
Hall continued her lacrosse career at Gettysburg College, where she was a captain for the 2011 team that won the Division III national title. Hall holds the school record for the most ground balls. Hall received the Eddie Plank Award as team MVP, made the All-Centennial Conference First Team in her junior and senior years, and was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Year in 2011. That year, she was selected as the NCAA Defender of the Year in Division III and named to the National Senior All-Star Team. Hall was also selected to the NCAA All-American First Team in 2010 and 2011.
Hall and her husband Matt have an 18 month-old daughter. Hall lives in Fairfield and works for the Wall Street Journal.
Larry Hall (Class of ‘68)
Lawrence “Buddy” Hall was a star athlete in both baseball and basketball at DHHS. He was a four-year varsity starter as a pitcher, first baseman, and third baseman for the Tigers. Hall pitched a perfect game against Morgan in his sophomore year, striking out 13 batters. As a senior, he led Hand as a captain and helped the team finish second in the Shoreline Conference.
Hall was also a four-year varsity player in basketball, starting for three seasons. He averaged 13 points per game as a sophomore, 15.8 points in his junior year, and 20.1 points for his senior season. Hall came within three points of the school record in scoring with 404 points, while leading the Tigers to a 19-3 record as a senior. He was the leading scorer in the Shoreline Conference that year, was named All-Shoreline in both his junior and senior seasons, and also earned a spot on the All-State Second Team.
Hall played college golf at the University of Miami for four years. He became a PGA golf professional and went on to have a career as a golf pro in New Jersey.
Hall and his wife Kathleen have two children and four grandchildren. Their daughter Kristen is a teacher with twin girls. Their son Tyler has two daughters and is a PGA professional like his dad.
Shane Kokoruda (Class of ‘91)
Shane Kokoruda is one of the greatest lacrosse players to wear the black and gold for DHHS. Kokoruda’s phenomenal skills and lacrosse IQ helped him start for the varsity team for three years and become the only player in program history to win the MVP Award in two straight seasons.
Kokoruda scored 201 points during his career at Hand. His leadership was key for the boys’ lacrosse team during its run in the early ‘90s. In his senior year, Kokoruda helped the Tigers finish with a record of 16-4.
Kokoruda earned All-Northern Division First Team accolades and All-State Honorable Mention for his superior play. He helped Hand win the Northern Division title and advance to the state semifinals. Kokoruda holds the school record for forcing opponents to turn the ball over on failed clears.
Kokoruda is the director of innovation and customer application for Eversource and also the co-owner of Hammonassett CrossFit in Madison. Kokoruda and his wife Sharon are the founders of Jacob’s Team Foundation—a philanthropic foundation that provides a vehicle for athletes to raise money for the diagnosis, treatment, and eventual cure of autism. Kokoruda has coached girls’ lacrosse for 14 years and served as president of Madison Youth Lacrosse for four years.
Kokoruda and his wife have three children: Riley, Jacob, and Karleigh. Kokoruda also gets much love and support from his father Dan, mother Noreen, and brother Brett.
Ryan Nizolek (Class of ‘06)
Ryan Nizolek was a standout for the DHHS football and boys’ lacrosse teams before graduating in 2006. Nizolek started as a freshman for the lacrosse squad, beginning a career that saw him garner three All-SCC selections, two All-State bids, and a spot on the All-America Team, while helping Hand reach the state final as a senior.
During the summer of his junior year, Nizolek was selected to attend The Blue Chip, an elite camp that featured the top 100 players in the country. In the summer of his senior year, he was chosen to play in the Under Armor All-American Game that featured the top 44 players in the nation.
Nizolek played free safety for the Hand football team for three seasons, guiding the Tigers to a record of 33-3 with three league and state titles. In 2004, Hand received the Kelly Award as the top team in Connecticut. Nizolek was a two-time All-SCC selection and made numerous All-State teams as a senior.
Nizolek went on to play lacrosse at the University of Virginia, where he was a three-year starter who played in three NCAA Final Fours and helped the Cavaliers win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in his junior season. Nizolek was named an All-American as a senior and awarded the Kass Family Scholarship in recognition of his leadership at Virginia.
After graduating with a degree in history, Nizolek was selected by the Boston Cannons in the third round of the Major League Lacrosse Draft. Nizolek played for the Cannons for four years.
Nizolek, who currently works in Dallas, will be marrying his fiancée Lauren in Nashville this November.
Blythe Pariseault (Class of ‘97)
A 1997 graduate, Blythe Wygonik Pariseault was one of the best swimmers in DHHS history and set a variety of records for the Tigers. As a freshman, Pariseault was the first member of the team to win an individual event at states and was selected as Hand’s Swimmer of the Year. Pariseault earned All-Conference, Register All-Area, and All-State honors in all four years at Hand. She swam on three relay teams that broke school records and also set a school record in the 100 breaststroke that still stands today.
Pariseault led the Tigers as a captain in her senior year. She was named an Academic All-American, received the Yale Book Award, the Art Award, and the Physical Education Award, and was elected to the National Honor Society.
Pariseault continued her career at Brown University, majoring in international relations. She earned All-Ivy First Team accolades as a sophomore and swam on a record-setting relay team. Pariseault served as a team captain in her senior year and was a member of Ivy League championship teams in 1998 and 1999. She also served as committee chair of the Student Athletic Advisory Board.
Following her undergraduate education, Pariseault attended Santa Clara Law School in California, where she was the technical editor for the Santa Clara Law Review. She worked for Edwards and Angell LLP and served as in-house legal counsel for Johnson and Wales University. After establishing a successful cookie business called Blythe Bakes, Pariseault re-entered the legal field as in-house legal counsel for the Brown University Investment Office. She is currently the chair of the friends for the women’s swimming and diving team at Brown.
Pariseault lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island with her husband John and her two children: Joe (9) and Julian (6).
Brian Parri (Class of ‘88)
Brian Parri was one of the top defenders in the state and one of the finest athletes to play soccer at DHHS. Parri started for the varsity team for four seasons and finished his career with six goals and 19 assists—a big total for a defender. In 1987, Parri served as a co-captain with his brother Stephen.
Parri was an All-Shoreline Conference, All-State, and Register All-Area First Team selection during his high school career. He also played in the Senior Bowl, was voted the Tigers’ MVP, and received the Outstanding Defensive Player Award.
Parri went on to play defender and midfielder at UConn, appearing in three NCAA tournaments and winning a Big East championship. He also lettered for the football team as a placekicker in 1993.
Parri also played one season of soccer at Colgate University, where he started all 18 games at center midfielder and scored two goals against Bucknell in a tournament game. He made the All-Tournament Team at the Red Raider Classic.
Parri began his coaching career as an assistant with the Hand boys’ soccer team, helping the squad earn a top-25 ranking in the country. He also coached his sister Rachel Parri, a 2015 MAHOF inductee.
Parri and his wife Kerrie have four daughters: Kaitlyn (16), Rory (14), Keely (12), and Finnley (9). Parri coaches his daughters in the Connecticut Rush soccer program.
Stephen Parri (Class of ‘88)
Stephen Parri was one of the most dangerous soccer players in the state at the striker’s position. A four-year varsity starter for DHHS, Parri was named the Player of the Year in the Shoreline Conference, was a two-time All-Shoreline selection, made the Courant All-State Team twice, the Register All-Area First Team, and also garnered All-New England honors. He also played in the Senior Bowl and won the Outstanding Offensive Player Award for Hand.
Parri finished his career with 29 goals and 25 assists, including the game-winning goal in Hand’s first win over Guilford. A 1988 graduate, Parri and his brother Brian served as co-captains for the Tigers in their senior seasons.
Parri attended UConn to play soccer. Unfortunately, Parri’s soccer career came to an abrupt end when he suffered a broken ankle during his first game as a member of the Huskies.