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The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame recently announced its inductees for the Class of 2021, and there were some local names on the list.
Eight individual athletes from Suffolk County (full list below) were selected for the honor.
Among the selections were two Amityville Memorial High School alumns: basketball star Jason Fraser and Olympian track and fielder Randy Givens.
Givens impressive track skills earned her a spot at the 1984 Olympic Games, where she was a 200-meter finalist.
Fraser won three state titles on Long Island and received the New York State Player of the Year while playing for Villanova University in 2002. He also spent time as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns from 2015-17.
“There’s no greater honor than inducting these talented and influential people,” said Chris R. Vaccaro, executive director of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. “From the pros to high school we have a diverse class of individuals who left their mark on the local and national sports landscape.”
Due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, plans for the induction ceremony are still in development for May 12 and will most likely be held virtually.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2020 induction ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic, but Vaccaro said both classes will be honored at the same time.
“The health and safety of our inductees and their friends and family is our top priority,” said Vaccaro. “We will not postpone the ceremony for another year and will likely have something virtual in the spring.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s important that we honor these deserving individuals in a timely manner, while staying safe.”
the inductees
- Karen Ferguson-Dayes: Current women’s soccer coach at the University of Louisville and former U.S. Women’s National Team player, who played at Sachem
- Jason Fraser: Amityville High and Villanova University hoops star who also coached with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA
- Randy Givens: Amityville High and Florida State University track star who is an Olympian and an NCAA champion
- Tony Guido: Rocky Point, NY native, All-American and All-Ivy lacrosse player at Yale
- Val James: Hauppauge, NY native that became the first black American in the NHL, playing for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs
- Rohan Murphy: East Islip, NY native, a decorated wrestler in high school and Penn State, record-setting American Paralympian and motivational speaker
- John Paci: Huntington, NY native who was an All-Big Ten quarterback at Indiana and played for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins
- Joe Reilly: Longwood track & field coach and one of the winningest coaches in New York State history
- Don Webster: Former Executive Director of Section XI and athletic director at Longwood and Ward Melville
