The Rhode Island Track and Field Coaches Association held an induction ceremony on September 27, 2023 honoring a the following inductees:
Left to Right: Jeff Parenteau, Dick Hathaway, Jon Barnes, Erica Horlbogen, Jen Chabot, John Blaess, Chris Richards, Vin McGinn, Chris Carter and Melissa Gambardelli (Son and Daughter of Skee Carter).
R.I.T.C.A. Hall of Fame Inductees
The following men and women have been inducted into the R.I. Track Coaches hall of fame since 1975. They have all contributed greatly to track and field in R.I. through their efforts as officials, sports writer, director of our sport, successful coach, and resource of information. Many of them are legends.
Retired Coaches
Pete Curtin- Legendary track and cross country coach at Lasalle Academy. Pete had numerous All Stater’s and State Championship Teams.
Ray Dwyer- Coach, Official, Executive Director of R.I. Injury Fund. Ray has been dedicated to Track and Field in Rhode Island for over five decades.
Bill Falk- Bill and his company M-F Athletics has been a generous supporter of Track and Field in Rhode Island for many years as well as a Nationally recognized coach and resource for the Pole Vault.
Harry Gederman- Very successful coach of track and cross country at Cumberland H.S. His teams won State and New England Titles.
Ned Haire- Long time coach and volunteer official. Ned was a fixture at high school and college track meets for many years. He officiated for the love of the sport.
Frank Halliwell- Toll Gate H.S. track and cross country coach who mentored state champions in almost every event in his career.
Charlie Gibbons- Very successful Rogers H.S. track coach, who’s teams won many league and Class titles as well as State Championships. He coached R.I.’s first seven foot high jumper.
Dave Battles- Lead Barrington H.S. ‘s cross country teams to numerous league and Class titles and had too many All Staters to count.
“Pop” Johnson- Coached Warwick Vets track and cross country teams in the sixty’s and seventy’s winning league and Class titles on a regular basis. He produced plenty of state champs.
Bob Gourley- recognized nationally for the”Gourley List” of hammer and weight throwers, Bob has brought those events to the forefront and helped many R.I. athletes to college scholarships.
Ted McLaughlin- Very successful high school coach at Hope ,who went on to Texas El Paso to win National titles.
Al Morro- The State’s most successful coach of all time. His Classical H.S. teams were virtually unbeatable over his many years of coaching. The strength of teams came from his dominate throwers.
Dan O’Grady- Long time and very successful track and cross country coach at LaSalle Academy. Dan coached numerous All State athletes and LaSalle had a dynasty under his direction
Skip O’Connor- Burrillville H.S. cross country and track coach who lead the school to the Class B State Championship in cross country. He went on to coach at Holy Cross.
Mal Williams- Athlete and coach at U.R.I.
Tom Russell- R.I. high school coach who moved on to lead URI to regional and National prominence by tapping the talents of R.I . athletes. He started the URI Interscholastic Track Invitational.
Jim McCaughey- Successful Coach, Meet Director for the R.I.I.L., volunteer official, there are few people who have done as much for track and field in R.I.
Dick Duggan- Besides being a very successful coach, Dick put R.I. Track on the map by organizing the Johnson And Wales Relays and the Knights of Columbus Relays.
Bill Poland- directed the East Providence track and cross country teams to numerous titles and had many All State Athletes.
Bill Sheehan- Pilgrim H.S. dominated the distance events under Bill’s tutelage for many years. He had countless All State Athletes in his career.
Ed Cronan- East Providence cross country and track was fortunate to have the leadership and expertise of Ed for many years. He produced many All State Athletes.
Thom Spann- Hope H.S. boy’s and girl’s track teams have dominated the sprints and relays for many years. Hope athletes have attained All State status in these events on a regular basis.
Don Kavanaugh- Don was a major part of the Lasalle dynasty lead by Pete Curtin. Don took over for Pete and continued the dynasty with multiple championships and All Staters.
Fred Reinhardt- Fred was the cross country and track coach at Bryant College. When the cross country coaches were looking for a new home for the state meet he offered Bryant’s course for our use.
Charley Sweeney- Past President of the R.I.T.C.A. , former coach at St. Ray’s, and the long time director of cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track for the Interscholastic League.
Bob and Anne Rothenberg- together they provided R.I. track and cross country athletes with the very best of regional competition with the Brown Invitational Indoor and Cross Country Meets and most recently the Ocean State Classic
Don Szrom- Lead South Kingstown H.S. to two state titles and numerous class and division titles over a long career. He produced many individual State Champions.
Richard Bennett- Chariho’s track and cross country coach for many years lead his teams to many Southern Division and Class Championships, while mentoring many All Staters.
Carlo Roberti- Under his direction East Greenwhich dominated the Southern Division during the seventies and eighties.
Norm Monks- Track and cross country coach at East Greenwhich and respected track official for many years.
John Copeland- U.R.I. ‘s head cross country and track coach offered R.I. athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level while hosting the Rhody Classic indoor and outdoor for many years.
John Signore- Past Vice President of the coaches association and outstanding coach at Barrington H.S. . His teams won many division and class titles in both indoor and outdoor track.
George Terry- coached many different R.I. teams over a career lasting over thirty years. His athletes earned many All State honors.
Bobby Doyle- World Class runner in his own right, Bobby used his wealth of knowledge to lead Woonsocket teams and athletes to state titles and All State recognition.
Paul Alianiello- started the Hendricken dynasty of state championships for cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track back in the early eighties.
Joe Adamec- Coached OLP Seminary to state championships in track and cross country and help start the OLP Invitational Cross country Meet.
Frank Sherman- Frank was an invaluable resource for coaches and an outstanding coach himself. He coached Olympic Gold Medalist Janet Moreau.
Arthur Sherman- Art is responsible for getting hundreds of coaches started as a Professor at URI with his coaching course. Art was an Olympic qualifier in the pole vault.
George Briggs- coach of boys and girls track and cross country for over thirty-five years. He coached many All State athletes for both boys and girls.
Tom Kenwood- Cumberland H.S. track and cross country coach and past president of the coaches association. His teams have won many division, class and state titles .
Bob Bayha- Bob’s teams won many Division, Class, and State Championships in his years at Cumberland H.S. He served as President of the girl’s coaches association and now co-director of girl’s indoor track.
Pat Caswell- Very successful track and cross country coach at Rogers H.S. Her teams earned many division and class titles.
Bruce Ewart- coached Smithfield girls cross country to numerous Division and Class Championships and mentored a long list of All State Athletes.
Eunice Hindley- Ponaganset H.S. cross country and track thrived under the watchful eye of Eunice for over twenty years garnering many, Division and Class Championships.
Roger Roy- Instituted Cumberland’s first cross country team in the mid seventies and proceeded tow win several state and New England championships.
Bob Caruolo- East Providence cross country and track coach who had very successful teams in the early years of girl’s sports. Many young ladies earned All state honors under his guidance.
Joan Pilson- Started the North Kingstown cross country program in the 70’s and produced many standout runners and championship teams.
Jack Lelli- very successful cross country coach at North Smithfield and Smithfield H.S. He produced many State Qualifying teams in his career leading dozens of young ladies on to All Class and All State honors.
Ann Morris- trail blazer for women’s sports in R.I. She was a very successful track coach winning state championship during her tenure. Ann served as director of girl’s track for several years.
Joyce Harvey- Long time South Kingstown track coach. Joyce’s teams have won numerous Division, Class, and State titles and she has produced countless All State athletes.
Jane Headley- Long time and successful Cumberland H.S. coach and current Co- meet Director for girl’s indoor track. Jane’s teams were among the best in the state for years.
Jay Brennan- Track and Cross country coach at Bishop Hendricken H.S. for over twenty-five years. His expertise has helped Hendricken attain over fifty state titles.
Carl Buglio- Smithfield H.S. track coach founded the Northern Division many years ago and his teams dominated the league. His specialty was the javelin.
Ted Warnock- Very successful track and cross country coach at Tolman H.S. Ted has passed away and is dearly loved by his athletes and peers.
Joe Foley- Joe’s teams won many city and league titles and he produced many All State Athletes at Tolman H.S. Joe passed away and is still remembered by his athletes and peers.
Ryan “Rock” Palmer- Rock was Coach of the Year in 2009. He was a master coach of all events and coached dozens of All State Athletes. He was also on the executive board of RITCA for several years.
Ira Brown- Woonsocket H.S. track and cross country coach whose teams captured many division and class titles. Ira also mentored numerous All State athletes.
Bill Gray- Mt. Pleasant cross country and track coach of both boys and girls. Bill was recognized as coach of the year on two occasions.
Sherry Hathaway- Has been a coach at south Kingstown H.S. and has led her team won five state Championships as well as many class and division titles.
Karen Murphy- Long time South Kingstown cross country coach whose teams have won multiple class and division titles. She has also produced many All State runners in her career.
Mike Brown- Lead Classical H.S. in capturing many class and division titles in his career. Mike passed away at a young age.
Art Carlin- Art passed away after a long career in coaching. He is best known for his expertise in the throwing events and produced All American hammer throwers Pat Egan and Paul Rao at Lincoln H.S.
John Menna- Very successful track and cross country coach at Lincoln H.S. His teams have won many team titles over the years and he has been a mainstay of the R.I.T.C.A. as its long time Sec./treasurer.
Jeff Miner- Long time Pilgrim track and cross country coach Jeff has been selected as coach of the year for his success in the past and has coached numerous All division, All Class and All State athletes.
Luke Wetstein- Has had a long coaching career with stints at Coventry, Bay View,, and North Kingstown. Developed a long list of All State athletes and won the Class Championship.
Jim Taperro- Jim coached West Warwick track for many years and fielded very competitive teams throughout his career while mentoring many All State Athletes. He also started the R.I. pentathlon.
Sheila Lagasse- Very successful track and cross country coach at Cranston West. Her teams produced many All State athletes and were always in contention for the State Championship.
Steve Croughan- Steve’s teams have won many Division and Class titles under his leadership. He instituted “Relay Under the Stars: for girls track and the East Bay Invitational for cross country.
Bob Duarte- Bob’s teams at East Providence have won two State Championships. He was recognized as the Providence Journal’s girl’s Track Coach of the year in 1996. He coached many All State athletes.
Jeff Mospaw- Jeff was the long time coach of Toll Gate. His teams were among the best for many years earning Division and Class titles. He coached many All State athletes.
Mary Ann Janiszewski- Westerly H.S. school’s very successful girls cross country coach racked up four Class B titles and eight runner up finishes and qualified for the N.E. England Championship nine times.
Mike Green- Mike played a big part in Classical H.S. winning 29 indoor and outdoor Division track titles, nineteen Class Titles, three State titles and ten runner up placements. Many All State athletes were helped by him.
John Sliney- Girls throws coach at Smithfield for many years. He was instrumental in Smithfield’s two State Championships in outdoor track.
Bob Ainsworth- The founder of what was to become the RITCA. Bob was very first coach of track and field at Barrington H.S. and also served as athletic trainer for many years.
Anne Sullivan Hird- Anne was an outstanding H.S., college and road race athlete. Competed for Bay View and later coached Bay View to excellence in track and cross country.
Joyce Bonner- Led Cumberland H.S. to many Division and Class titles in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. She also coached numerous all State athletes.
Annemarie Marino- Barrington H.S. has attained numerous Division, Class and State titles under her direction. A long list of her athletes have earned All State and All New England honors.
Peter Dion- Peter has been the long time track and cross country coach at East Greenwich H.S. where he has produced countless All State Athletes. His teams have won numerous Division, Class, State and New England titles. Pete created a premier cross country course on campus which RITCA uses for major meets.
Ted Gibbons- Ted along with his brother Charlie created a dynasty at Rogers High School. Ted coached many All State athletes in a variety of events. Rogers won Class and State titles under their guidance. Ted went on to coach at Brown and UConn with much success.
Kevin O’Neil- Keven led the North Kingstown girls to six straight team titles in cross country to go along with Division and Class titles. His teams also won New England titles. North Kingstown enjoyed great success and under his leadership many young ladies earned All State honors.
Active Coaches
Paul Tetreault- Under Paul’s direction the North Kingstown cross country program has numerous class, division and state titles with a streak of over twenty New England qualifiers as a team.
Joe Bennett- Smithfield H.S.’s cross country coach for the past twenty-five years has produced many outstanding runners who have attained All State recognition. His teams are usually among the best.
Jim Doyle- Long time President of the R.I.T.C.A. has accumulated dozens of Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track State Championships as head coach at Bishop Hendricken and St. Ray’s Academy.
Kevin Jackson- His coaching success is unmatched, but he will be most remembered for his tireless efforts to get a premiere track facility built in Providence to be enjoyed by athletes and fans alike.
Bill Haberek- Bill is a gifted coach who’s Chariho track and cross country teams were always among the best in the state. He also served as the Coaches Association’s President for many years.
Debbie Doyle- Coach of track and cross country for many years at St. Ray’s and Classical high schools. Debbi’s teams have won four state titles.
Tom Dolce- Pilgrim H.S. Track and Cross Country coach for over thirty years. He coached boys and girls in his career and has been very successful.
Bill Johnson- Long time Bishop Hendricken assistant coach who has produced numerous All State and All American hammer and weight throwers.
Kelly Martin- Kelly is one of the most successful cross country coaches of all time. Her teams have won multiple Division, Class and State championships.
Dave Federico- Dave’s team’s have garnered ten State Championships. For his accomplishments he has been selected Coach of the year five times. He has coached numerous All State Athletes.
Jim Champion- Mentored South Kingstown track and cross country teams for many years. His teams won two State titles and nearly a dozen Class championships and ten Division Championships.
Melissa Lipa- The coach of cross country and track at Mt. Pleasant H.S. had many All State athletes in her career. She also directed the last chance qualifying meet and Mt. Pleasant Invitational for many years.
Dave Wright- Led LaSalle to multiple State Championships in both Indoor and Outdoor Track. Under his direction dozens of young women went on to earn All State and All New England honors.
John Marchand- Smithfield H.S. Girls have racked up numerous Division, Class and two State titles under the guidance of John and his staff. He has a long list of All State athletes.
Sue Carlson- The long time cross country and track coach of Lincoln H.S. has mentored many All State, All Class, and All Division athletes. She has also served the RITCA in the capacity of cross country director for many years.
Ray Treacy- Ray was an All American and Olympic athlete from Providence College. He gave back to R.I. track and cross country by speaking at coaches clinics for the Association many times.
Bob Palazzo- Very successful track coach at Classical H.S. who’s teams have won dozens of Championships on both the boys and girls side. Bob has served as President of RITCA for many years now and has been instrumental in bringing indoor track to the PCTA facility in Providence.
Charlie Breagy- Has led North Kingstown H.S. to several Division, Class and State titles and has produced dozens of individual state champions. Charlie has donated thousands of dollars to track and cross country thru the Downtown 5K.
Norm Bouthillier- The RITCA indoor track program was under Norm’s direction for many years while he was coaching Toll Gate’s girl to a long winning streak and several Division titles. Needless to say he produced many All State athletes.
Bob Lyons- Bob has been the East Providence coach for many years. His athletes have earned a multitude of All State honors over the years. Bob’s teams have consistently been among the best in the state and have won two State Championships.
Ken Skelly- Ken has been the cross country coach at LaSalle for many years and has produced many All State and All New England runners. His teams have won many Division Titles as well as State and New England Championships. Ken has also served as director of indoor track.
Pat Egan- South Kingstown was a power house under Pat’s direction in both indoor and outdoor track. His teams frequently found themselves at the top of the standings in their very competitive Southern Division and Class Rankings. Pat’s athletes earned many All Division, All Class and All State honors.
Mike Katz- Long time Barrington H.S. cross country coach. His teams have won nine Class B titles, three third place finishes and one runner up placement in the State Meet. His teams qualified thirteen times for the New England championship.
Retired Officials
Junie Howe- Another dedicated official who volunteered his services to the sport for decades
Jack Sinclair- Dedicated track official who like all the others on our list volunteered his services for decades.
Ron Boemker- R.I. Track and Field Officials Guild President and former Cranston East coach. Ron boosted membership and the quality of officials through thorough training.
Ron Platt II- Ron, like most of the officials in the Hall was dedicated to the sport. He volunteered at Rhode Island H.S. meets for over thirty years.
Ron Platt III- Like his father, Ron devoted much of his free time to officiating at H.S. meets in Rhode Island and is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable officials we have.
Kevin Mulligan- Official and track coach at Shea and Lincoln High Schools. Kevin produced numerous All Stater’s and Olympian Robert Howard.
Laurie Boemker-Long time R.I. track official who is nationally recognized for her work. She has been very active in making R.I. officials as knowledgeable as they are.
John H. Davis- John was the master mind behind the present day R.I. Track and Field Officials Guild. He established the Old Timer’s guild back in the early 1950’s. He passed away over twenty years ago.
Dr. King O’Dell- Dr. O’Dell was the long time coach at Moses Brown and founder of the R.I. Timer’s Guild.
Active Officials
Keith Lawton- tireless track official loved by all especially the athletes. Keith started officiating right out of college in the early seventies and hasn’t stopped since.
Janice Tetreault- Janice coached North Kingstown for many years winning the 1987 Cross country State Championship and has been a respected track official since retiring.
Clarke Lowery- Served as a volunteer official for many years before the league started paying. Clarke also served as director of indoor track for several years.
Matt Hird- Matt has been a fixture on the Rhode Island Track seen as a coach and official for over thirty years. He has served as President of the R.I. Track and Field Officials Guild and coached at St. Xavier H.S.
Varnam Elliott- Active for over thirty years as a Cumberland H.S. assistant coach and valued track official. Helped Cumberland to multiple division titles in his tenure.
Elise Von Housen- dedicated track official who instituted and still oversees the Hy-tek program for the State.
Dave Wilbur- Dave is a long time track and cross country official who is responsible for bringing the technology to our meets that allows for almost instant results and scores. RITCA is indebted to him for his tireless efforts and training of the next generation of Hy-tek and Finishlynx officials.
Sue Wilbur- Sue like her husband Dave is a fixture at RIIL and RITCA track and cross country meets. She has served as Cross Country Director and Indoor Track Director for the girls in her career. She organizes the finish line at most major meets.
Carol Beaudette- Carol has been a coach at Bay View for many years with great success. Her athletes have earned many All Division, All Class, and All State honors. Bay View as a team has been among the best in the state during her tenure. She is also a top notch official.
Bob Newman-Well regarded track official and former Smithfield coach. Helped organize the Jr. Olympics for cross country and developed Smithfield’s first indoor track program.
Supporters
Larry Byrne- Track Historian and announcer for track meets across the North East. Most noted for his selections for the Milrose Mile for H.S. runners.
Alice Sullivan- The founder of girl’s sports in Rhode Island who advocated for equal treatment of girl’s athletics across the state.
Rick Marshall- “the Voice of Track and Field”. Rick has had a lengthy involvement with R.I. Track and field as the announcer at our State meets. He recently spear headed the Bill Falk Track and field Foundation.
Eric Falk- Thru his M-F Athletic Track and Field equipment company Eric has donated thousands of dollars to RITCA and his professional staff has provided education and support in all aspects to our coaches.
Mark Strawderman- All American Pole Vaulter at U.R.I. who has given back to his sport through coaches education instruction to R.I.’s athletes at camps and clinics.
Athletes
Janet Moreau-Stone- Janet earned an Olympic Gold Medal while a student at Sargent College in the 1952 Helsinki Games in Finland, when she competed for the U.S. in the 4×100 Relay.
Phil Kane- Thought of as one of Rhode Island’s most accomplished runners. Phil has earned All American honors on numerous occasions and has run on World Record breaking relays.
Media
Larry Gallogly- Sports Writer for the Journal and former director of track and cross country for the R.I.I.L. Larry’s love of the sport ensured recognition to thousands of athletes over the years.
Bob Leddy- Journal sports writer and track official who always made it a point to give track and cross country athletes the recognition they deserve in the articles he wrote for the Journal.
Carolyn Thornton- Long time sports writer at the Providence Journal. Carolyn gave track and cross country the coverage it deserves. Her articles put the spotlight on teams and individuals with great insight.
Steve Mazzone- Sports writer at the Pawtucket Times/Woonsocket Call for many years. Steve made his presents know at every major meet for track and cross country and provided great stories about the teams and athletes.