Nine elected to 2023 class of Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame

[OrangeXtreme]

Here are the newest members:

• Jamie Archer, lacrosse. The ex-Nottingham high school standout was a two-time All-American at Syracuse University and led the Orange to two national titles. He is now the head coach at Jamesville-DeWitt and has guided the program to four state titles.
• Tom Blackford, high school basketball coach. He’s coached at Hamilton for 27 seasons after 14 seasons at Fayetteville-Manlius. His 607 career wins are a Section III best, and he’s also won 15 league titles, six sectional tournaments, six regional crowns and two state championships. He’s coached 29 All-State selections, eight 1,000-point scorers and two New York State Players of the Year.
• Scott Cassidy, former Liverpool and Le Moyne pitching star and now the Dolphins head coach. A three-year starter for the Dolphins, he chalked up 14 wins, pitched 18 complete games, carried a career ERA of 3.44 and struck out 153. At the time of his graduation in 1998, his 18 complete games were the most from the Division-I era and his 29 career starts ranked him second all-time in school history. His professional career as a relief pitcher included stints with the Blue Jays, the Red Sox and Padres. He logged 121.2 innings in his Major League Baseball career with 109 strikeouts, an 8-9 record and an ERA of 4.88.
• Bob Casullo, former assistant football coach at Syracuse University. He coached at all levels including high school (Henninger and Baldwinsville), college (Georgia Tech and Michigan State besides Syracuse) and the NFL (Raiders, Jets, Seahawks and Buccaneers).
• Irene Contos, softball, basketball. She scored 46 points in one game while she attended the Porter School, a Syracuse City record for more than 30 years. A dominant pitcher, she was invited to try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League but declined the offer. She did, however, continue to play in recreation leagues in Syracuse until the age of 92.
• Carolyn Davis Hassan, lacrosse. At Skaneateles, she was a four-time all-CNY/all-league selection and Player of the Year as a senior. Her 274 career assists established a state record (since surpassed), and she had a season-high total of 82. She went on to become an All-American at Duke, where she finished her career ranked second in school history in goals (193) and third all-time in points (247).
• Ronnie Legette, Sr, basketball. The former Nottingham three-sport star was a three-time All-City selection and scored 1,264 points at Nottingham and, as a senior, led the Bulldogs to a 26-1 record and to the 1982 New York State Class B title. He eventually went on to play at West Virginia State, where he averaged 22.2 points, 10.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in his two varsity seasons with the Yellow Jackets and took his club as a senior co-captain to a 31-4 record and the 1987 NAIA national championship game.
• Andy Melnyk, bowling. A three-time winner of the Herald/Post-Standard Masters, earning the title in three different decades (1987, 1995 and 2007). He competed in 44 ABC and USBC national tournaments, averaging 199.57 over 396 games (ranks top 60 nationally all-time). He has rolled 40 perfect games and recorded 15 series of more than 800.
• Sidney Oglesby, Syracuse University gymnast. He was an NCAA national champion in the vault and twice earned All-American honors. His achievements at that time were groundbreaking because he was the first and only African-American in NCAA history to earn both All-American honors and win a national championship.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangePA]

Here are the newest members:

• Jamie Archer, lacrosse. The ex-Nottingham high school standout was a two-time All-American at Syracuse University and led the Orange to two national titles. He is now the head coach at Jamesville-DeWitt and has guided the program to four state titles.
• Tom Blackford, high school basketball coach. He’s coached at Hamilton for 27 seasons after 14 seasons at Fayetteville-Manlius. His 607 career wins are a Section III best, and he’s also won 15 league titles, six sectional tournaments, six regional crowns and two state championships. He’s coached 29 All-State selections, eight 1,000-point scorers and two New York State Players of the Year.
• Scott Cassidy, former Liverpool and Le Moyne pitching star and now the Dolphins head coach. A three-year starter for the Dolphins, he chalked up 14 wins, pitched 18 complete games, carried a career ERA of 3.44 and struck out 153. At the time of his graduation in 1998, his 18 complete games were the most from the Division-I era and his 29 career starts ranked him second all-time in school history. His professional career as a relief pitcher included stints with the Blue Jays, the Red Sox and Padres. He logged 121.2 innings in his Major League Baseball career with 109 strikeouts, an 8-9 record and an ERA of 4.88.
• Bob Casullo, former assistant football coach at Syracuse University. He coached at all levels including high school (Henninger and Baldwinsville), college (Georgia Tech and Michigan State besides Syracuse) and the NFL (Raiders, Jets, Seahawks and Buccaneers).
• Irene Contos, softball, basketball. She scored 46 points in one game while she attended the Porter School, a Syracuse City record for more than 30 years. A dominant pitcher, she was invited to try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League but declined the offer. She did, however, continue to play in recreation leagues in Syracuse until the age of 92.
• Carolyn Davis Hassan, lacrosse. At Skaneateles, she was a four-time all-CNY/all-league selection and Player of the Year as a senior. Her 274 career assists established a state record (since surpassed), and she had a season-high total of 82. She went on to become an All-American at Duke, where she finished her career ranked second in school history in goals (193) and third all-time in points (247).
• Ronnie Legette, Sr, basketball. The former Nottingham three-sport star was a three-time All-City selection and scored 1,264 points at Nottingham and, as a senior, led the Bulldogs to a 26-1 record and to the 1982 New York State Class B title. He eventually went on to play at West Virginia State, where he averaged 22.2 points, 10.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in his two varsity seasons with the Yellow Jackets and took his club as a senior co-captain to a 31-4 record and the 1987 NAIA national championship game.
• Andy Melnyk, bowling. A three-time winner of the Herald/Post-Standard Masters, earning the title in three different decades (1987, 1995 and 2007). He competed in 44 ABC and USBC national tournaments, averaging 199.57 over 396 games (ranks top 60 nationally all-time). He has rolled 40 perfect games and recorded 15 series of more than 800.
• Sidney Oglesby, Syracuse University gymnast. He was an NCAA national champion in the vault and twice earned All-American honors. His achievements at that time were groundbreaking because he was the first and only African-American in NCAA history to earn both All-American honors and win a national championship.

Congratulations Bob Casullo!