ITHACA, N.Y. — Nine of Ithaca City School District’s sports greats will join the district’s athletics “Hall of Fame” in a ceremony on Feb. 7. The school district is restarting the tradition after an eight year hiatus.
The new hall-of-famers make up a broad swath of “Little Red” athletics history, with former student athletes representing graduating classes from 1977 to 2008.
During their time at Ithaca High School (IHS), athletes competed in a range of sports including gymnastics, lacrosse, football, bowling and swimming. In addition to the eight former student athletes, the district will also honor a former athletic director and longtime coach.
“The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 represents excellence, integrity, and lasting impact,” district athletic director Kari Burke said in a statement. “We’re proud to celebrate individuals whose contributions continue to inspire our community and set the standard for generations to come.”
Five of the new inductees made their mark at the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) in the late 1970s, with the class of 1977 particularly well represented. A biography of one athlete provided by the district describes the period as a defining era for high school athletics in Ithaca.
Lacrosse and football teammates Mike Biondi, Charlie Estey and Thomas Schwan served together as co-captains of both sports teams in the late 1970s. After IHS, the trio also would go on to play both sports at Ithaca College.
Biographies for the three athletes describe their continued support and mentorship of other athletes well after high school. Schwan, for instance, still serves as a play-by-play commentator for college lacrosse games.
Former gymnastics captain Jeff Stark was also a part of this defining era. He was the second ranked high-bar gymnast in New York State in 1977 and in college, set several records that still stand. He also competed in swimming and diving events and would later become a long-time judge for USA Gymnastics.
Swimmer Jim Avery, who graduated in 1977, set multiple local records in the sport. His record for the 50 yard freestyle went unbroken for nearly four decades. After competing in college, he later became a coach and mentor to later generations of IHS swimmers.
Nearly all of the new honorees have accomplishments in multiple sports, like 1989 graduate Christopher Affolter, who excelled in both football and lacrosse. Affolter’s two daughters would later become talented lacrosse players in their own right.
Lindy West served as team captain in soccer, bowling and softball before graduating from IHS in 1997. She continued as a student athlete at Ithaca College and later returned to ICSD to coach several different sports.
The youngest of the nine new inductees is swimmer and 2008 IHS graduate Logan Todhunter. She continued to compete in college and beyond, including in the 2012 Olympic trials. She now works as a physician in Rochester.
The district will also honor former coach and athletic director Bill Bryant. Prior to his work at ICSD, he was a wide receiver for Ithaca College’s football team and would go on to sign as a free agent for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the team now known as the Washington Commanders.
The ceremony will take place Feb. 7 at 1:25 p.m. at Ithaca High School’s Bliss Gym and is open to the public. The event will be bookended by basketball games in which a new generation of student athletes could have their own shot at building on Ithaca’s athletic legacy.
This article appeared first at The Ithaca Voice.