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Catalbasoglu

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Putnam resident Richard Preble, the man with the license plate RWP-13, not to be mistaken with RPC-13.  Preble is noted for his golf game which he plies at Quinnatisset Country Club each summer and his ‘Catch – 5 game’ which he hones at the Putnam Elks Club every week.

The Aqua Turf Club in Southington was the site of the annual Connecticut Sports’ Writers Alliance Gold Key dinner that honored four of the State’s most noted athletes.  Among the honorees was 1988 Killingly High School graduate Tracy Lis.  She was joined on the dais by former National Hockey League player Craig Janney of Enfield, Derby High School grad and ex-Yale running back John Pagliaro and longtime FCIAC commissioner and referee John Kuczo.

During her four years at Killingly, Lis was an offensive scoring machine, tallying 3,681 points, a Connecticut high school record for both men and women that still stands today.  Following her high school basketball career, Lis moved on to Providence College where she continued her assault on the record books.  The 1992 PC graduate racked up and impressive 2,534 points for the Lady Friars, another record that remains intact to this day.

According to an article in the Hartford Courant (Monday, April 27, 2015), Lis stole the show when it was her turn to deliver her Gold Key acceptance speech.  Midway through her acceptance, Lis paused and asked girls’ basketball player Kiah Gillespie of Capital Prep to join her at the podium.

Gillespie who earlier was honored by the writers had joked about only scoring 2,000 points during her recently concluded high school career.

“Be proud of what you do, what you did – be proud of yourself,” Lis said to Gillespie.  “Never, ever say you only scored 2,000 points.  That’s amazing.”

In her concluding remarks Lis said, “An athlete is only as great as their family, friends, their supporters and their fans.”

Lis, who later went on to a brief career in the former Women’s Basketball Association and enjoyed a barnstorming tour with the famous Harlem Magicians, remains a magnet wherever she appears.  Since 1992 when she graduated from college her record of a total of 6,215 points in eight years is astonishing.  The fact that her high school and college marks remain standing is a tribute to the quality athlete she was in her prime.

Yale Dream Becomes A Reality

As a young man Putnam Science Academy senior Hacibey Catalbasoglu grew up in the shadow of Yale University in New Haven.  The son of the owner of Pizza at the Brick Oven, Kadir Catalbasoglu, Hacibey’s dream was to go to an Ivy League school, preferably his dream school Yale University.  On March 31, Hacibey’s dream came through, but not without a little suspense.

On that fateful March day Hacibey received letters from three Ivy League schools where he had applied, Brown University, Cornell University and Yale.  He decided to open the letters in order from least favorite to the school he had always dreamt of attending, Yale University.  The results, Brown, a rejection; Cornell, same results; Yale, congratulations, welcome to the class of 2019.

“I just stood there for a second.  I didn’t say a single word.  I couldn’t believe what happened. I felt like reality ceased to exist,” said Catalbasoglu of his acceptance.

The acceptance was also Hacibey’s father’s dream for his son who had worked in his father’s pizza place, which is located in the heart of the Yale campus, since he was five years old.  From the pizza place to Yale, “to the place where Louie dwells,” Hacibey’s dream is now a reality.  

Hacibey, who was also a member of the Putnam Science Academy nationally ranked basketball team, is a serious student.  He plans on studying environmental engineering at the school made famous by “The Whiffenpoof Song.”  

During his time as a student at Putnam Science Academy Hacibey has been busy preparing for the future.  He’s worked on projects on how to efficiently extract oil from dried up oil reservoirs and how to clean industrial waste water with fruit peels.  If all of Hacibey’s aspirations are fulfilled in the next four years, it will be testimony to the fact that “if you dream it, you can do it.”   

Putnam Man Records Ace in Florida

Despite the itch to play golf in northeastern Connecticut, the weather conditions haven’t reached the ideal spot on the golf weather gauge yet.  In Florida, however golfers continue to enjoy real great golf weather.  A Putnam man recently took advantage of his extended stay in the Sunshine State, as he recorded a ‘golfer’s dream,’ the elusive hole-in-one.

Tom “Zimmer” Auclair, the former well known baseball coach at Tourtellotte Memorial High School, currently spends his winters in Avon Park, Fla., with his wife Jan.  A regular at Quinnatisset Country Club during the summer months, Auclair spends a good deal of time at River Greens Golf Course in Avon Park during the winter.

While at River Greens, Auclair aced the par three, 125-yard, 3rd hole using his trusty 9-iron.  The shot, which was clean and true off the club, was witnessed by his playing partners and fellow club members Peter March, Gil Heir and Jim Anderson, a former Pennsylvania State Amateur champion.    

While most golfers struggle and dream of getting that first hole-in-one, this is Auclair’s third career ace.  The others were recorded at Quinnatisset Country Club and Raceway Golf Club in Thompson.  Congratulations, Zim.

Tiger Golfer to Join Hall of Fame

On Saturday, June 20 Aaron Siekierski, a 2004 graduate of Tourtellotte Memorial High School,will have his plaque placed on the Athletic Hall of Fame “Wall of Honor” alongside 36 other names commemorating some of the best athletes ever to grace the courts, fields, and courses of northeastern Connecticut.  

The accolades that Siekierski accumulated while a golfer for the Tigers certainly make him a worthy entrant into the hallowed chambers of the Hall of Fame.  During his four years on the Thompson campus Siekierski was a varsity member of the golf team and an All State selection. As the team captain he led the Tigers to the 2004 State Championship in his senior year.

Prior to coming Tourtellotte, Siekierski’s golf talents were recognized at a young age as he won the prestigious Jack Kelly Open, then part of the Mountain Dew Tour, which was held at Raceway Golf Club in Thompson.  He recorded back-to-back scores of 66 in capturing the Kelly.

While in high school, Siekierski was crowned the 2003 Massachusetts Junior Amateur Champion at Duxbury Yacht Club, followed by being named the 2004 Connecticut Player of the Year.  Following his high school graduation he was a four-year member of the UConn golf team, becoming the team’s captain in his senior year.  During his time at UConn the Huskies won the 2005 Yale Spring Invitational.

Siekierski turned pro in 2009, and played professionally until 2013.  He holds course records at Connecticut National Golf Club with an eight under par 63 and at Dudley Hill Golf Club where he recorded a 10 under par 62.

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