12th Class of Honorees Enshrined in William Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame
Mastic Beach, NY - February 18, 2019 - The William Floyd School District along with the William Floyd Alumni Association recently inducted its 12th class of Hall of Fame recipients, which included four former standout student-athletes, a world champion professional boxer, a league champion varsity baseball team and the local youth baseball league, Tri Hamlet Sports Club. Inductees were enshrined at a ceremony attended by more than 100 people. Following the ceremony, the honorees toured the building to see many of the new facilities and programs and visited the Rita Rech Museum of William Floyd School District History.
The outstanding individual athletes enshrined into the William Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame include Joseph Passaro (Class of 1978), a three-sport athlete (football, baseball and basketball) earning various accolades in each sport including the 1978 “Outstanding Male Athlete” award for William Floyd, Ginine (Lucarello) Duda (Class of 2002), a dominant track and field and cross country athlete who won the Suffolk County “A” Cross Country Championship in 1999 among other achievements and set numerous William Floyd records during her time as a Colonial athlete, Steve Murphy (Class of 2009), a two-sport athlete (football and lacrosse) and a two-time All-Long Island First Team lacrosse player who was ranked No. 26 as a recruit by Inside Lacrosse Magazine, among many other accolades in lacrosse. He also earned several top honors as a member of the football team such as All-State (First Team), All-Long Island (First Team) and the Boomer Esiason Award given annually to the best quarterback in Suffolk County. Also inducted was Courtney Murphy (Class of 2013), a standout lacrosse player who amassed 252 goals and 55 assists during her time as a Colonial was enshrined. She earned All-County (three times), All-Long Island (twice) and is a two-time Under Armour All-American as well as an All-American for Inside Lacrosse magazine. She also earned All-County honors in two other sports – basketball and field hockey. Steven and Courtney Murphy became the first sibling tandem inducted.
Also gaining induction were the 1976 league champion varsity baseball team coached by Mike Ferrigno, which finished with a 17-1 record and made it all the way to the top four in the Suffolk County baseball tournament.
The Tri Hamlet Sports Club also garnered induction for their tremendous work in the community with the youth interested in playing baseball. Since 2013, they have provided children the opportunity to play baseball in a fun and safe environment. Last year they had approximately 170 members. They have been instrumental in restoring Legion Field into a majestic place to play baseball.
Earning the honorary award is professional boxer Joe Smith Jr., Class of 2007, who did not compete in athletics for William Floyd, but has distinguished himself in the world of boxing by attaining the status of WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion. Smith is currently ranked in the top 10 in boxing’s light heavyweight division, and has participated in main events that were televised on NBC and HBO. He is scheduled to fight Dmitry Bivol for the WBA Light Heavyweight title on Saturday, March 9.
After this year’s ceremony, the William Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame includes 72 individual athletes, six coaches, four honorary recipients, four community recipients, 12 team award recipients and one recipient in the category “Floyd Fanatic.” Plaques for the 12th class of inductees will join the previous 11 classes and be memorialized and affixed to the Hall of Fame wall outside the John Pidgeon Gymnasium to serve as an inspiration for all current and future generations of student-athletes.