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By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC sporty shoutout goes to Charlie Franklin, who’s celebrating 50 years as a member of the Putnam Lodge of Elks. Franklin, who organizes the Wednesday Night Pitch League for the members, is a former Putnam High School athlete. He’s very proud that he graduated in the Class of 1958.
In the latter part of the decade of the ‘80s Tourtellotte Memorial High School produced two cross-country teams, the likes of which they never seen since. The 1987 and 1988 X-country teams posted an incredible record of 48-1-2, with the ’87 runners going 26-1-0 and ’88 logging a 22-2 record.
The Tiger runners were coached by Connecticut State Police Officer Norman “Barney” Seney, the same “Barney” Seney, who today is a member of the Putnam Board of Selectman. Under the guidance of coach Seney, Tourtellotte runners were the envy of schools up and down eastern Connecticut.
The 1987 contingent captured the Quinebaug Valley Conference Championship and brought home second-place finishes in the Windham and Plainfield Invitational meets. They claimed the 13th overall spot in the Connecticut State Open meet. The 1988 unit finished in first place at Windham and second at Plainfield. The team placed 11th at the Sate Open, moving up two spots from the previous season.
Sam Sharkey, who was Seney’s No. 1 runner and an All State selection, finished as the top harrier in the 1988 Class “S” State meet and fifth in the State Open. Sharkey along with Lance Groh, Norman Seney III, and Art Erskine all were named to the 1988 QVC All Star Team. Other members of the 1988 team included Scott LaPointe, Bob Pasqualetti, Kevin Gontowski, Joshua Larivee, Peter Giavara, Scott Bennett, Peter Steglitz and Brian Meadnis.
Members of the 1987 team were Randy Barry, Sharkey, Erskine, LaPointe, Eugene Young, Groh, SeneyIII, Gontowski and Jamie Wallace.
Coach Seney and members of both squads will be inducted into the Tourtellotte Memorial High School Athletic hall of Fame in a ceremony at 2 p.m. June 22 at the Thompson Public School auditorium.