Housatonic honors former Mountaineers

FALLS VILLAGE — Ten athletes were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in a ceremony Sunday, Oct. 13.

The members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are:

Tim Hawley ‘71 (cross country, track); Julia Neilson ‘98 (soccer, basketball, softball); Joseph B. Nilsen ‘54 (football, track); Tina Paruta ‘87 (cross country, indoor and outdoor track); Brad Paulsen ‘79 (soccer, track); Paul Prindle ‘60 (football, track); Robert Ullram ‘66 (football, ice hockey, baseball); Maggie Yahn Umana ‘09 (soccer, basketball, track); Willy Yahn ‘14 (soccer, baseball); Denise Bergenty ‘73 (field hockey, basketball, softball).

Hawley recalled being an unathletic youth, wearing orthopedic shoes everywhere except gym class.

Thanks to encouragement from HVRHS coaches and classmates, he was able to become a championship athlete in high school and college.

“Housatonic has meant, for me, opportunity, support, scholarship and history.”

Paruta credited longtime track coach David Lindsay for keeping her on her toes. “He was like a motivational poster.”

Warren Prindle, accepting the award for his cousin Paul, said Paul became the strongest student at HVRHS by growing up on a farm. Athletics were “far less arduous than throwing bales of hay or shoveling manure.”

Yahn joked that the real reason he was chosen for the Hall of Fame was because he served as ball boy for his sister’s soccer team.

Yahn, who starred in baseball at HVRHS and the University of Connecticut and played six seasons in the minor leagues for the Baltimore Orioles organization, acknowledged he “came up a little short” on his goal of reaching the major leagues.

But, he added, “I wanted to be a part of great teams with great friends.

“I have absolutely no regrets on my athletic journey.”