East Lyme — There will be nine new members inducted into the East Lyme Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Dec. 5 at Flanders Fish Market.
Inductees are Kelli Bartlett (Class of 1992, field hockey, basketball, softball), Thorr Bjorn (1986, football), Elizabeth Buckley (2006, basketball, volleyball), Steve Curry (1997, soccer), Kevin Jensen (1995, cross country, track), Chris Kelley (1997, wrestling), Roger Nadeau (contributor), Kyle Reagan (1988, basketball, baseball) and Jack Stabach (girls’ and boys’ swimming coach).
• Bartlett earned 12 varsity letters in her three sports and served as captain for all three as a senior. As a member of the softball team, Bartlett hit .485 and earned All-ECC and all-state honors. She went on to play field hockey and softball at Yale, where she was a three-time All-Ivy League pick in both sports and earned the Nellie Elliot Award as the top female student-athlete for the Class of 1996. Bartlett is a member of the Connecticut Scholastic and Collegiate Softball Hall of Fame.
• Bjorn captained the 1985 football team which finished 10-1, being selected all-state honorable mention. He received a scholarship to play at UMass, earning three varsity letters. Bjorn is presently the athletic director at the University of Rhode Island, where he was named the Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year (FCS) in 2016 and was chairman of the Atlantic 10 Conference Director of Athletics Council from 2019-2021.
• Buckley was a two-time all-state selection in basketball and graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,186 points. She was an All-ECC and all-state selection and a nominee as a McDonald’s All-American in 2016, going on to play at the College of Saint Rose. She was a three-year starter in college, a team captain and tied the NE-10 record with eight 3-point field goals in a game.
• Curry was a four-year starter in soccer and two-time captain, leading the Vikings to ECC titles in 1996 and 1997. In 1997, Curry was selected to play in the Senior Bowl and was a first team All-New England selection, going on to play collegiately at Keene State. At Keene, he was a member of four Little East Conference championship teams and his teams advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament three times. He was a second team All-Little East pick in 2002 and a first team honoree in 2003.
• Jensen excelled in the 800 meters on the track, winning the ECC title in 1994 and 1995, the Class M state title in 1994, State Open championship in 1995 and New England championship in 1995. He is a graduate of UConn, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 2000 and his Ph.D. in 2010. He also competed in track and cross country for the Huskies, earning All-America honors in indoor track. He was selected as the UConn Club Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete.
• Kelley’s career record in wrestling was 151-12, including a 43-1 mark in 1997. He is a four-time ECC champion, two-time state champion — he was selected as the Class L Outstanding Wrestler in 1997 — and a two-time New England champion. In 1997, he was also named as a USA Wrestling Honorable Mention All-American. He was wrestling coach at St. Anne’s Belfield in Virginia from 1999-2001 and currently volunteers his time coaching youth wrestling, football and basketball in California.
• Nadeau has been an integral part of youth sports in East Lyme for more than 50 years. He has been active with Little League Baseball as a manager, district administrator, tournament director and umpire, awarded the District 10 Lifetime Achievement Award and the East Lyme Little League Service Award. Nadeau has been a member of the East Lyme High School football “chain gang” for more than 25 years and was inducted into the school’s Football Hall of Fame.
• Reagan was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball, receiving All-ECC honors from 1985-88 and was a second team all-state honoree in 1988, leading the Vikings to ECC titles in 1987 and 1988. He was an All-ECC pick three times and all-state selection twice in baseball, as East Lyme won three ECC titles and the 1988 state championship. He was chosen in the 18th round of the MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. Reagan is a member of the East Lyme High Baseball Hall of Fame and the Niantic American Legion Hall of Fame.
• Stabach has been the coach of the East Lyme girls’ swim team since its inception, with the Vikings winning 20 straight ECC titles through the 2019 season. His teams have twice been the Class M state runners-up and Stabach was selected as the Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association Swimming Coach of the Year in 2007. He coached the East Lyme boys’ team from 2000-2014 and earned the state coach of the year in that sport, as well, in 2011. The boys were the Class M state runners-up in 2013.
To reserve tickets for the banquet, contact Dave Putnam at the East Lyme Parks & Recreation Department at (860) 739-5828. Tickets are $45 per person and include a buffet dinner and social hour.
