New London Hall to induct six

The New London Athletic Hall of Fame will honor six new inductees on Saturday, March 6 - Jim Butler, Al Dittman, Sharelle Green, Jim O'Neill, Ralph Roggero and Juan Roman.

The event will be held at Filomena's Restaurant in Waterford at 7 p.m. There is a $20 donation. Contact Mike Buscetto at (860) 444-2299.

Butler was a member of three state championship cross country teams at St. Bernard and ran cross country and track at Rutgers. He has run the Boston Marathon 20 times and has coached cross country and track at Connecticut College for 23 years. His 2002 team was the first to qualify for the NCAA Div. III national championship. Butler was the 2002 New England Div. III Coach of the Year and the 2004 New England Small College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Dittman was a member of the 1960 New London Little League team and was an All-Eastern Connecticut Conference selection in football, basketball and baseball in 1964 and 1965 at St. Bernard. He later attended Mitchell College and the University of New Haven. Dittman was the New London City League basketball president for two years and coached New London Babe Ruth for three years. He was also a rec league, high school and junior college referee for 13 years and officiated Division II and III women's basketball for seven years.

Green, a 2005 New London High graduate, hold several school records in track. She was a three-time Class S indoor champion in the 300 meters and won the 2005 State Open. Green was the 2003 New England outdoor champion in the 400, winning that event in 2005 at both Class S and State Open meets. She is currently enrolled in the nursing program at Three Rivers Community College and works as a rehabilitation nurse assistant at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital.

O'Neill was an educator, administrator and coach for 37 years in both the New London and Waterford school systems. He led the New London American Legion team to 14 Zone championships, three state titles and two trips to the American Legion World Series. O'Neill taught for 30 years in the New London school system and was New London High's athletic director for seven years.

Ralph Roggero was the men's basketball coach at UConn-Avery Point in 1981 and 1982 and coached Mitchell in 1983. He moved on to New London High and coached the Whalers to the Class M championship in 1989, 1990 and 1994.

Roman was a standout football player at New London High and is currently the defensive coordinator for the Whalers.

Men's swimming

• Freshman Nick Poehler placed second in the 500 freestyle as Coast Guard Academy took seven of the top 10 spots in the event during Day 1 of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference championships. The Bears are in second place with 287 points, trailing MIT (303).

Poehler finished in 4:38.08 and was joined by teammates Alex Brown (third, 4:41.86), Kevin Smith (fourth, 4:44.32), Tanner Armstrong (sixth, 4:47.77), Nick Cosenza (eighth, 4:51.15), Bryan Andrews (ninth, 4:45.72) and Theodore Borny (10th, 4:45.87). In addition, the 200 freestyle relay team of Brian McGuiness, Johnson Knox, Brian Bonomi and Dan Beshoar placed second in 1:24.07, as did the 400 freestyle relay team of Timmy Berry, Matt Odom, Dan Alley and Knox in 3:27.40. Knox was also third in the 50 freestyle (21.19).

Boys' swimming

• East Lyme's Billy Dumais won the 500 freestyle and teamed with Andy Chen, Kyle Burke and Adam Opsahl to win the 400 free relay in a tri-meet against Norwich Free Academy and Wethersfield. East Lyme (13-4, 11-1 ECC) beat NFA, 122-63, and lost to the Eagles, 111-70.