Districts recognizes the legacy of five alumni and two coaches
The Miller Place School District recently inducted a new class into its Athletic Hall of Fame, including five alumni and two former coaches – one of whom was honored posthumously.
The Miller Place High School Jazz Band performed and volunteers handed out breakfast as guests took their seats for an intimate ceremony the morning of the District’s Homecoming Game. Following the ceremony, the inductees walked through a giant panther arch and through two rows of cheerleaders to be honored on the District’s Stadium Field.
“Each inductee has left an everlasting impression on the District on and off the field or court,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. These athletes and coaches were chosen by their peers for having such a great impact on the Miller Place Community and it’s an honor to celebrate them this way.”
Andrew Stafford, who played baseball and went to the University of Wyoming, was introduced as an ambassador of the Miller Place community for being a successful and versatile player on the field and an exceptionally kind and compassionate person off the field.
Jacy Curtiss was remembered for her time at Miller Place by shocking and impressing her coaches and peers when she won tennis matches with one arm in a sling. She played tennis and volleyball, but her main sport was badminton, qualifying for the Pan-Am Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. She went on to play tennis at Western Illinois University.
Marion Mastrangelo was a field hockey goalkeeper who was referred to as a tangible threat, not just a target in the goal. Ms. Mastrangelo, who also played volleyball and softball, was named the number one goalkeeper on Long Island in 1983 and went to play at Long Island University Post.
Ellen Moorehead played tennis, basketball and softball at Miller Place and played European handball and bowling after graduating. She went to Dowling College on a full basketball scholarship and was the first female to score 1,000 points. This is the third hall of fame in which she has been honored as she was previously inducted into Dowling’s Hall of Fame and the Long Island Bowling Association’s Hall of Fame.
Greg Gaillard was a top scorer on the Boys Basketball team under Coach Seth Lipshie and scored 237 points in his freshman year and 1,414 by the time he graduated. He led the team to 28 victories, three county play-offs and a League Championship as a junior. Mr. Lipshie recalled his lightning-fast first step as being a staple of his athletic career at Miller Place.
Football Coach Sal Passamano started in 1975, became head coach in 1979 and retired in 1995 after 68 wins. He was named the Suffolk County Coach of the Year in 1984 by the Daily News and the New York State Coach of the Year in 1988. Ron Petrie, the District’s Director of Athletics, said “Mr. Passamno received numerous nominations to the Hall of Fame because his players truly wanted to see him there because of how much he did for them.”
Liz Borsetti, or Coach B, was honored posthumously and her daughters Danielle and Cathy accepted her award on her behalf. Ms. Borsetti, who died in 2017 at 70, coached field hockey and finished her career with 330 wins and 5 loses. She also coached softball, where she finished her career with 60 titles. Her daughters said that they were overwhelmed to hear about how much their mother impacted the lives of her players because they impacted her just as much.
For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us. To read more about the great things happening in Miller Place Schools, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page.
