Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame announces 2015 inductees
The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame recently announced its 2015 inductees, who will be formally honored at a ceremony May 8 in Hauppauge.
The hall of fame, located in Patchogue, has inducted numerous locals over the years, from Greenport basketball player and coach Al Edwards, to former Southold coach Richard Osmer and former Riverhead sportswriter Bob Burns.
A total of 10 people will be inducted in this year’s class. They are:
Gary Lee Brown, football: A former NFL offensive lineman who attended Brentwood High School and Georgia Tech.
Harold Cooley, bowling coach: The girls bowling coach at East Islip High School since 1985. He’s the first inductee for bowling.
Ken Friedheim, gymnastics coach: He was the boys varsity gymnastics coach at Sachem High School for 37 years, beginning in 1969.
Rob Grable, baseball: A three-sport athlete at Connetquot High School in the late 1980s. He went to play baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies.
John Gregorek, track & field: A two-time USA Olympian in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the 1980 and 1984 Games.
Bob Herzog, journalist: A Commack High School and Syracuse University graduate, he is currently a senior sportswriter at Newsday as well as adjunct professor at Stony Brook University.
Richard Mercurio, lacrosse coach: He totaled 316 wins as lacrosse coach at Sachem High School from 1985 to 2005.
Rob Pannell, lacrosse: A standout lacrosse player at Smithtown High School and Cornell University, he was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 Major League Lacrosse Draft.
Carol Rose, lacrosse coach: The varsity lacrosse coach at Northport High School for the past 25 years, she’s compiled 351 wins.
Walter Williams, athletic director: The former athletic director at Babylon High School from 1939 to 1960.
2015 Special Recognition Award: Central Islip Fire Department “Hoboes” Drill Team — The “Hoboes” captured seven tournament victories in the 2014 season, including the Suffolk County and New York State Championships.
