2025-2026 State Champions Count
During the 2025-26 high school sports season, 67 different schools won the 137 Class and State Open titles handed out by the CIAC.
Darien finished fifth with 4 state titles: Field hockey, Girls Ice Hockey, Boys and Girls Lacrosse.
For the fourth year in a row, Greenwich stands alone with the most state titles, having won 14 CIAC team championships throughout the school year. These included Boys Cross Country and Open, Football, Boys and Girls Indoor Track, Girls Soccer, Boys and Girls Swimming and Opens, Girls Volleyball and Boys and Girls Tennis.
New Canaan had 5 championships: Girls Cross Country, Football, Boys Ice Hockey, Boys Tennis and Boys Volleyball.
In the CIAC Hammer Throw, Decathlon, Heptathlon, and Steeplechase event held June 15, Darien senior Roman Gagliardi finished third in the 2000m Steeplechase. This is a middle distance track and field event that features exactly 5 laps on a standard 400m track and requires the athletes to clear 18 fixed barriers and five water jumps.
Paul Hendrickson headed to Paris with his wife Joan and son Rob. Luckily they were there before the oppresive heat overwhelmed the EU in June. Made it back for the oppressive heat locally, however.
Darien Girls Lacrosse Finish No. 1 in the USA for Public School
Win Multiple Awards
Darien finished the 2025–26 season as the No. 1 team in the USA Lacrosse Public High School National Top 25, holding the top spot from preseason through the final poll. They closed it out with a 13–4 win over New Canaan in the CIAC Class LL championship, securing their second straight state title and the program’s 14th overall. It also marked their second perfect season in four years. At the Gametime CT High School Sports Awards on June 30 at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre, Darien earned two of the night’s biggest honors:
Team of the Year (Girls Sports) — awarded to the girls lacrosse program
Girl Athlete of the Year — given to Adriana Gromelski for her standout multi‑sport performance in field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse. She finished her senior year with 101 goals between field hockey (28 goals, 10 assists), ice hockey (35 goals, 17 assists) and lacrosse (38 goals, including three in Darien’s Class LL state championship win over New Canaan). She will play lacrosse at Yale next season.
Darien closed the school year with two marquee statewide honors and a fresh round of All‑State recognition across softball and lacrosse.
SOFTBALL: Vivian Knotts was named to the All‑State Class LL Softball Team, capping a dominant season as the Blue Wave’s ace.
LACROSSE: Wes Scallen earned Connecticut Lacrosse Player of the Year, the top individual award in the state. Darien added two more first‑team All‑State selections, and all three were also named USA Lacrosse All‑Americans, underscoring the program’s statewide and national strength.
Fast cars, fast boats...Anthony Molgano ready to rock-and-roll this summer!
Bob Ierardi in town catching up with Ed Tyler over lunch at Pappa Joe’s. Great to see classmates reconnect.
Jeff Myers hanging out with wife and daughter in Portugal, a great country!
Christy Rodgers on the Chilkoot Trail, a rugged 33 mile backpacking adventure retracing the footsteps of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush stampeders.
56th Anniversary
Friday, August 15
Richie Havens
Sweetwater
Tim Hardin
Ravi Shankar
Melanie
Arlo Guthrie
Joan Baez
Saturday, August 16
Quill
Country Joe McDonald
Keef Hartley Band
Santana
Incredible Strig Band
Canned Heat
Grateful Dead
Leslie West and Mountain
Creedence Clearwater
Janis Joplin and the Kozmic Blues Band
Sly & the Family Stone
The Who
Jefferson Airplane
Sunday-Monday August 17,18
Joe Cocker and the Grease Band
Country Joe & the Fish
Ten Years After
Johnny Winter
Blood Sweat and Tears
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Sha Na Na
Jimi Hendrix
Some folks remembering Jordy Perry Kay (right) at her Memorial at the Weed Beach Hut.
Left - Josie and Lauren with Jordy's son Andrew
Eddy, Eric Joosten, Lauren Fair and Tom Tyler
Kathy Micha Frate, Paul Hendrickson, Jeff Frate
Paul Hepp 1950-2024
Classmate Paul Frederick Hepp passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
See full obiturary in the Memorials Sections.
Love to Hear From You!
Please, leave your remarks in the 'Comment' Section
Steve Craig, Heidi Gerber Wolfey, Janet Martin Fisher, Goody Bates and pooch Sammy, and Patti Shaw Craig
Do A 60th Reunion?
Lots of classmates are talking about holding a 60th reunion of the DHS Class of 1969. Probably something on the lighter-side, a casual Friday get-together and then a restaurant dinner Saturday night.
If this sounds good, you can contact classmate Jeff Myers, someone brave enough to put his name out-there.
Jeff can be reached at myerspercussion@gmail.com . Could be fun!
We know things are rough right now. So who better than some cheerleaders to keep up our spirits to finish the fight!
Front row left to right:
Anahid Kavookjian, Josie Mullen, Joni Dobson
Back row left to right:
Sue Geiger, Sharon Denunzio, Cinny Cobb, Sue Perschino, Peggy McNeil, Sue Venarde
Sandy Young, Carol Ann Augustus
1967 DHS Cheerleading Squad
From left: Janet Meyer, Lindy Allen, Mary Lou Brameier, Jenny Hunt, Nancy Brown, Byllie Hill, Lynnie Lynch, Carol Haesche, Josie Mullen.
Go Blue Wave!
Benny Bruno, Mike Lopriore, and Dick Costello set to play some golf at Myrtle Beach
Survivor Party 2022
Tinker's Survivor Party - for those of us hanging in there. The red cross goes back to Maher/Crump team football days when players were injured.
Shown: Tinker, Robin and Jay Baker, Marisa, Nancy and Steve Verses, Skins, Deana and Dick Costello, Lynch, Patty Mazza Sturges, Christi and George Farrington
Hard to Believe
Six Years since our 50th Reunion !
Georgianna Smith Bloom, Rick Bloom, Tom Lane
Sue Venarde Mahoney, Sue Geiger, Anahid
Reunion Central
Chris Eng Leventhal, Kate Mason Gredinger, Sue Geiger Johanson
Benny Bruno, Mark Tinker, Gary Gibbs
Tim and Jamila Potts
See You Again Soon!
Folks From Hindley School
Charlie Smith and Lauren Fair
Carol Ann Augustus Summers and Bev Bonfoey
Patti Shaw Craig and Mardie Porter
Mark Paddock, Dennis Sullivan, Sue Venardi Mahoney, Janet Martin Fisher, Martyn Goossen, Kathy DelleFontane Goossen, Steve Craig
Josie Mullen and Lauren Fair
Cliff Powell, Tink, Sandy McGill
Sue Venarde Mahoney, Kathy DelleFontane Goossen, Marty Goossen, Ed Tyler
Dave Lynch, Barb and Jim Tully
Chris Eng Leventhal, Dennis Sullivan, Patti Shaw Craig, Dick Costello
Rick Weber, Chris Weber, Eric Joosten, Paul Hendrickson
Peter Johnson, Paul Dominis, Paul Buckley, Carolyn Johnson
Josie Mullen and James Tully
Bill and Annie Schade
Dick Costello and Rick Poccia
Janet Martin Fisher and Sally Armus Shutts
Charlie Smith, Bill Guptill, Kathy Strachan
Anahid
Tom Lane, Stu Traver, Jay Baker, David Miller
Bruce Frail, Eric Joosten, Vandy Van Wagener
Gary Gibbs and Chris Bischof
Friday
The Goose Restaurant at 7:00 pm.
Cash Bar, Refreshments, Free Appetizers
Saturday
Breakfast at the Sugar Bowl
A golf outing at Ridgefield CC 11:00
Main Event at Tokeneke Club
6:00-11:00
Dinner and music at the Tokeneke Club
Weed Beach Paddle Pavillion
Lunch and refreshments
Go Wave
| Pete White | Dave Terry |
| Claudia Smith Davenport | Kathy DelleFontane Goossen |
| Dennis Gavin | Pete Johnson |
| Rick Poccia | Janet Martin Fisher |
| Mark Beckwith | Anita Conway |
| Bruce Frail | Paul Dominis |
| Patty Mazza Sturges | Sue Dickman Klein |
| Sally Armus | Christy Rodgers |
| Mardi Porter | Ed Tyler |
| Bill Guptill | Mark Blackman |
| Georgiana Smith Bloom | Kate Mason Gredinger |
| Pete Franklin | Gary Gibbs |
| Tom Lane | Billy Harper |
| Anahid Kavoojian Vrana | Dave Lynch |
| Lauren Fair | Jimmy Valente |
| Tim Potts | Casey Nickerson |
| Suzanne Nikola Baldino | John van den Heuvel |
| Jim Morrison | Chris Bischof |
| Josie Mullen | Paul Buckley |
| Johnny Maul | Skip Kennedy |
| Bev Bonfoey | Barb Thorne |
| Marni Kent Hansell | Bob Mercer |
| Bob Ierardi | Eric Joosten |
| Dennis Sullivan | Tom Milek |
| Gary Swartz | Dave Miller |
| Steve Verses | Jay Baker |
| Cliff Powell | Ann Back Price |
| Steve and Patti Craig | Anne Marie McGarry |
| Vandy Van Wagener | Bill Schade |
| George Farrington | Todd and Martha Robbins |
| Rick Weber | Jane Seyferth |
| Sue Venarde Mahoney | Mark Tinker |
| Joan Dobson Glazebrook | Paul Hendrickson |
| Sandy McGill | Ted Vanech |
| Jim Tully | Stu Traver |
| Dick Costello | Mike Lopriore |
| Charlie Smith | Chris Eng Leventhal |
| Jane Genster | John Wuerthner |
| Carol Ann Augustus Summers | Anne Irvine |
| Ken Broska | Paul Hepp |
| Dave Jefferson | Sue Geiger |
| Allison Poccia | Joanne Schoepf Reisser |
| Benny Bruno | Kyle Hepp |
| Kathy Strachan | Pam Burkhardt Mele |
| Peter Scholtz |
Thank-you!!
Great shot of classmates Kenny Peliksza, Mike 'Lope' Lopriore, Dick Costello, and Ben Bruno in Jacksonville. Nobody mentioned any golf scores but all were sad to see former Jax resident Paul Hepp leave for Texas.
Hey You!
FCIAC Track championships take place Saturday, May 23 at Danbury high school track. Currently, Darien boys have a record of 4–0, tied with New Canaan in the top of the East. The Wave girls’ team is 3–1 and one behind the Rams at 4–0. Last year Greenwich HS swept the Finals.
Since 2014, Danbury (six titles), Greenwich (three), and Ridgefield High School (two) have combined to dominate the boys championship standings. For the girls, Danbury has been a powerhouse, winning four straight championships from 2016-2019, then another in 2022.
Laura Mandi
Choir
Vandy Van Wagener and Family
Anne Marie McGarry
Greetings Anahid!
Steve and Patti Craig squishing apples from their apple trees. One year they report harvesting over 20 bushels of apples. (Note: 1 bushel = 48 pounds). The Craigbo Cider Co. made 16 gallons of unadulterated apple cider, while also donating apples to a local farmer and food pantry.
Terry Cummings, Tim Maul, Cliff Powell
keep on truckin
Shot of trip out west during summer of '69 when we hitchhiked to California. Mark Tinker's dad bought us the car to roam around California and back to CT. Thought I lost this. Great memories from that trip. Those were the days! -George Wehmann
(starting bottom left): Chris Garr, Ellen Johnson, Martha Whelan, Jane Hindenlang
Sue Dickman, Kathy McIntyre, Pam Burkhart Melee, Co Koppert (Young LIfe)
Bobby Grant, Kathy Fricke, Jackie Fitzpatrick, MaryLou Sivos
Heidi Gerber
Carol Augustus Summers, Anna Lamberton, Louis Belfour, Sara Schyler
Man in hat- L. (Ron) Hubbard, the kid on far right with hood is Mardie Porter's brother, Clark Porter
The guy near top row hat and glasses: Middlesex science teacher "Booger" Bates
Right Center back row: The man in the hat and woman next to him-
Mr and Mrs Hendrickson (Paul's parents)!
