Killingly head coach Rich Bowen and former Windham High coach Brian Crudden will be honored at the upcoming Gold Key banquet on October 20.
Tickets will be on sale for less than a week for the 82nd Gold Key banquet where former Windham High football and wrestling coach Brian Crudden will receive a Gold Key and Killingly High coach Rich Bowen will be honored as the coach of the year.
Tickets are available through Sept. 30 for the event that will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Aqua Turf in Southington.
Crudden, who was inducted in the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, led the Whippets to 10 Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) East Division titles, including seven in a row from 1987-93.
Windham won seven state championships (five in Class L and two in Class M) between 1983 and 1994. The Whippets were the second Connecticut team to win a New England championship in 1992 and finished second in New England in 1993.
Bowen, who started coaching at Killingly in 1985-86, and his wrestling squad had an outstanding season in 2023-24. He became the first coach in state history to earn his 700th dual meet victory during the season.
Killingly went 30-0 and won a state-leading eight tournaments this season, including their second straight Class S championship with a comfortable 212-158.5 win over conference rival Lyman Memorial/Windham Tech. Killingly also won the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship for the 11th time with a 25 ½ point win over NFA
Tickets are $75 and may be reserved by contacting CSMA president Tim Jensen at 860-394-5091 or [email protected]. Payment is accepted via checks made out to CSMA, P.O. Box 3234, Enfield, CT 06083, or by Venmo, @Tim-Jensen-67.
In addition to the honorees, a few surprise guests will be on hand.
Gold Key Award recipients for 2024 are Crudden, former Daniel Hand High School and Yale University football coach Larry Ciotti, retired Pomperaug High School field hockey coach Linda Dirga, award-winning sportscaster George Grande and Wesleyan University women’s basketball coach Kate Mullen.
U.S. Olympic bobsled designer Bob Cuneo will be presented the President’s Award, Southern Connecticut State University track and field record-breaker Jordan Davis of Wallingford will receive the Bill Lee Male Athlete of the Year award, and Boston College national champion lacrosse goalkeeper Shea Dolce of Darien has garnered the Hank O’Donnell Female Athlete of the Year award.
State championship coaches Leigh Barone of Masuk softball and Bowen will be honored with the Doc McInerney High School Coach of the Year plaques.
Other honorees will be:
- Hal Levy High School Achievement Award – Paula Fitzgerald, Westbrook High School.
- Bo Kolinsky Memorial Special Recognition Award – Rick Leddy, North Haven.
- Bob Casey Courage Award – the family of Charlie Capalbo, Fairfield.
- John Wentworth Good Sport Awards – Marc Forster, Ledyard; Mary-Jane Hussey, Windsor Locks; Bob Rafferty, Trumbull; Jim Reynolds, East Haven.
- Art McGinley Media Award – George Albano, Norwalk Hour (retired).
- Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship – Casey O’Brien, Ridgefield High School.
