Beloved Enfield Hall Of Fame Wrestling Coach Ben Aleks Dies At 76 - Enfield, CT - A half-century of dedication to student-athletes in Enfield and western Mass. earned him a spot in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
UpdatedWed, May 5, 2021 at 1:30 pm ET
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Longtime Springfield College wrestling coach Doug Parker. (Springfield College)
SPRINGFIELD, MA Doug Parker, a World War II U.S. Army veteran who coached wrestling at Springfield College for 35 years and was the father of longtime Enfield High School wrestling coach Kirk Parker, died April 24. He was 95.
From 1955 to 1990, Parker compiled a career record of 518-169-11, a .750 winning percentage. His teams never had a losing season, and he was named New England Coach of the Year three times. Springfield won 21 New England titles and produced 24 All-Americans, including 1984 Olympic gold medalist Jeff Blatnick.
Parker was a member of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 1999, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum awarded him the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award in recognition of his years of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in young people through the sport of wrestling.
UpdatedMon, Mar 8, 2021 at 4:59 pm ET
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The 79th Gold Key Dinner, originally slated for April 2020, has been rescheduled for mid-October 2021, the fourth postponement of the event. (Gerry deSimas Jr./Collinsville Press/Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance)
SOUTHINGTON, CT The Gold Key Dinner, a yearly extravaganza honoring great Connecticut athletes, coaches and sports personalities since 1940, has been re-scheduled for a fourth time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 79th Dinner, put on by the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance (CSWA), was originally slated for April 2020, but will now take place Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Gold Key recipients are:
Drew Black, head coach at Wesleyan University
Mike Cunningham, head coach at Xavier High School in Middletown
Dr. Erich Doubek, longtime tournament organizer, historian and supporter of the New Milford Wrestling Association
Sarah Jadach, chair of the Connecticut chapter of USA Wrestling
Frank Kapral, wrestling coach at Coast Guard Academy, an official and author
(posthumous honoree)
Bryan McCarty, head coach at Platt High School in Meriden
The Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will hold an induction dinner on April 30, 2022 at Foxwoods Resort Casino to honor these men and women for their contributions to the sport of wrestling and their communities.
UpdatedWed, Dec 23, 2020 at 7:52 am ET
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Local wrestling icon Ben Aleks will be honored as a member of the Class of 2022 by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. (Candace Aleks)
ENFIELD, CT For the third time this year, retired Fermi High School wrestling coach Ben Aleks received notification Tuesday that he had been selected to receive recognition for his contributions to the sport. The accolades have grown dramatically in scope, from local to statewide to national, with the latest honor being the highest an individual can achieve: election to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
Aleks, 73, received a letter at his Somers home from Lee Roy Smith, executive director of the Oklahoma-based hall of fame, informing him he has been chosen for the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. The letter acknowledges that your life has been significant and you are leaving behind a legacy that others admire. You have a special place in the heritage of the sport and y