Category: Current Issue


PSA Hall
of Fame
inductees
PUTNAM — The Putnam Science Academy administration team’s first PSA Athletic Hall of Fame includes:
Rundell Mauge (athlete)
Rundell Mauge was one of the pioneers of the Putnam Science Academy boys’ basketball program. Mauge stood at 7 foot, 1 inch hailing from Cedros, Trinidad, and played on the 2007-2008 PSA Team. He averaged 22.9 points, 18.5 rebounds and 8.5 blocks per game while helping lead the Mustangs to a 17-5 record. His 22.9 points per game is the 3rd best average in school history and Mauge also holds single season records in rebounds with 408, where he remains 4th all time, and a career record 187 blocks. Rundell, still a decade later, has three single game PSA records of 44 points, 26 rebounds and 15 blocks which he did twice. The 2008 PSA Grad, was 1st team all Coastal Prep League and went on to play Division 1 basketball at the University of Pacific.
Enes Ulukaya (athlete)
Enes Ulukaya found his way to Putnam Science Academy all the way from Miami, Fla.. Ulukaya was a 6-6 forward and a member of the Mustangs from 2007 through 2009. Enes, in his time at PSA, left his mark helping lead the Mustangs to 3 straight Coastal Prep League Championship games, along with PSA’s first Coastal Prep championship in 2009. Ulukaya was a 2 year captain and two- time First Team All Coastal Prep League all-star. Enes had a knack for scoring averaging double figures in all 3 seasons while at PSA which has landed him 8th all-time on the scoring list. He also was dominant on the glass ranking 2nd all-time in PSA history with 500 rebounds.
Taquan Zimmerman (athlete)
Taquan Zimmerman was a 6-1 guard who attended PSA in 2010 for his Post Grad Year. Zimmerman, who came up to the Quiet Corner from Waterbury, was a member of the 2010 team which went on to record a 17-5 record. Zimmerman was a “stat sheet stuffer” in his time at PSA averaging 26.6 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals per game. The 26.6 points per game is the best scoring average in Putnam Science Academy history while shooting an excellent 52 percent from the floor and 46 percent from 3-point range. Taquan still holds a record of nine 3 pointers made in a single game and is ranked #10 all time in assists and as well as 3 point FG’s made at PSA. He currently plays professionally in Canada.
Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith (athlete)
Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith was a major factor in helping put the Putnam Science Academy program on the national basketball map. The 6-2 guard from the Bronx, N.Y., was a member of the Mustangs 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 teams, later graduating in 2013. Smith led PSA to back to back 20+ win seasons in 2012 at 20-9 before a 22-8 run the following year and helping to win the 2013 Northeast Prep Championship. Scoochie was a dynamic play maker and holds multiple records at PSA including first all-time in steals with 205, a single season record 103 steals and a single game record seven steals in which he achieved five times. He also is second all-time in scoring with 1,010 points, second all-time in assists at 345 and 5th all-time with 18.8 points per game scoring average. After a fantastic run at PSA, Scoochie went on to an outstanding career at the University of Dayton where the Flyers won over 100 games.  He currently is playing professionally in the Cleveland Cavaliers organization.
2013-2014 Basketball Team (team)
Where would the Putnam Science Academy basketball program be without the success of the 2013-2014 team? This team was special! The 2013-2014 Mustangs ran off a 16-game winning streak with wins over: Tilton, Northfield Mount Hermon, St. Thomas Moore and South Kent to name a few of the elite prep programs in the nation. The winning streak propelled the Mustangs to a 29-5 record and they were crowned the Northeast Prep Champions. The Mustangs finally received their well-deserved notoriety accepting a first ever invite to the National Prep School Championship Tournament and reached the Elite Eight in their 1st year. Six members of the 2013-2014 PSA team went on to play Division 1 College Basketball.
Ronald Coderre (contributor)
One of if not the biggest supporters ever for the Putnam Science Academy was Ronald Coderre. Ron, who is well known in the northeastern corner, began covering the Mustangs basketball team in 2006 through 2016 for the Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger and the Norwich Bulletin newspaper. Coderre shined a light on a promising program and his coverage of the team extended out into the community bringing in new faces to see what PSA had to offer. Ron Coderre, also commander of the American Legion Post 13, would continue to cover and support the Mustang Alumni even after they moved on to play athletics in college. Along with covering the athletics offerings at Putnam Science Academy, Coderre was an integral part in fund-raisers as he started the PSA “Mustang Club” which is still to this day is PSA’s #1 fund-raiser.
Tom Espinosa (coach)
The mastermind behind the much heralded Putnam Science Academy Basketball program is Tom Espinosa. Coach Espo is the dean of Athletics and Head Men’s Basketball Coach for the Mustangs. Espinosa also coached tennis, golf and baseball at the school before settling into his real passion of basketball. The doors at PSA first opened back in 2002 and Tom has been with the school and staff ever since. With a record of 282 wins and 73 losses as of the end of the 2017-2018 season, Espo boasts an incredible 79 percent winning percentage. Tom and his team have been invited to the National Prep School Championship Tournament 5 times reaching the Elite Eight once, and making a final four appearance 3 other times before winning the National Championship in 2018. Coach Espinosa has built quite the legacy at Putnam Science Academy accounting for 4 Northeast Prep Titles, 2 Power 5 Titles and 1 Coastal Prep League Title all while coaching over 40 Division 1 players during his time at PSA.
Bryan Sailor (super fan)
The definition of a “Super Fan” is a person who has an extreme admiration for a particular person or thing. Bryan Sailor absolutely fits that definition. Sailor, who lives in Windsor, has been with the PSA program for three years (2015-2018). He has been a regular attendee at practices, scrimmages and games where the team has traveled all over New England and even down to Florida.  The courts and venues may have been different, but there was one constant, Bryan Sailor was there to support the Mustangs. His dedication and love for the program is truly genuine and he constantly maintained an outstanding relationship with not only the school and the administration but also the players and the Mustang Kids Club members. Putnam Science Academy, the last several years, has played 40+ games a season and Sailor has attended more than 90 percent of them. Bryan Sailor is what many schools wish they had and PSA is extremely fortunate to have him!

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