“It gives us a great sense of pride to be able to recognize the successes of this outstanding group of former Blue Devils student-athletes,”
Interim Director of Athletics Tom Pincince
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1. 1987 Wrestling Team 2. Ken DeStefanis 3. Aaron Radden 4. Jamie Crowley 5. Laura Duncan 6. Paul Wright 7. Ted Stoneburner 8. Bob Wittneben
CCSU announces 2020 Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame Class Six former student-athletes were selected on April 8 for induction into the Central Connecticut State University Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors former outstanding CCSU student-athletes for their contributions and achievements in athletics.
First Team (2003). Duncan was a four-time winner of the CCSU Clubman of the Year, which is given to the player who does the most to help her teammates off the field. In 2016 the award was renamed the Laura Duncan Award. She is the head soccer coach at the University of New Haven.
The Hall of Fame class includes Jamie Crowley (women’s swimming), Laura Duncan ’05 (women’s soccer); Aaron Radden ’13 (track and field); Ted Stoneburner ’92 (football); Bob Wittneben ’72 (football/wrestling); Paul Wright ’99 (soccer); and the 1987 wrestling team.
Radden won five individual titles at the NEC Indoor Championships and four individual titles at the NEC Outdoor Championships during his career. He placed 10th in the 200-meter at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships and was a four-time New England Indoor champion. A highly decorated sprinter, he earned All-NEC honors 14 times and was twice named NEC Indoor Championships Most Outstanding Performer and Most Valuable Performer, while also earning Most Outstanding Track Performer at the 2013 NEC Outdoor Championships. Radden set records in three events (55-meter, 60-meter, 200-meter), while setting the outdoor mark in both the 100-meter and 200-meter. He was also the 2010 NEC Indoor Outstanding Rookie and a USTFCCA All-Academic selection in 2013.
“It gives us a great sense of pride to be able to recognize the successes of this outstanding group of former Blue Devils student-athletes,” says interim Director of Athletics Tom Pincince. Crowley was a two-time NCAA championships qualifier in 2005 and 2006. She set the school record in the 50 and 100 freestyle, while also setting Northeast Conference marks in the 500 free and 100 breast. Crowley earned the 2005 NEC Championships Outstanding Swimmer and the 2006 ECAC Swimmer of the Year honors, while winning six NEC individual championships and two ECAC titles. She helped the Blue Devils win eight NEC relay championships and was the first CCSU FINA World Cup finalist and the first CCSU swimmer to score at the US Open. Duncan captained the Blue Devils to three consecutive NEC championships from 2002 to 2004. The 2003 team became the first program in any sport at CCSU to win an NCAA Tournament game, defeating Boston College, 1-0, in the first round. She would score the first goal in the second-round game against UConn. Duncan was named First Team All-NEC (2002-03), NSCAA All-Region (2003), All-New England (2003), and Soccer Buzz All-Northeast Region
Stoneburner graduated with the all-time scoring record, having scored 22 career touchdowns from 1979 to 1981. He led the Blue Devils in rushing in 1979 (624 yards) and 1981 (586 yards). His career rushing total of 1,509 yards was sixth-best in school history when he finished his playing career. A star in the CCSU backfield, he led the team in scoring with 51 points in 1981 and 44 points in 1979. Wittneben was a two-sport standout for Central, playing football and wrestling at the school from 1968 to 1972. An exemplary student-athlete, he was honored with the Frederick M. Gladstone Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding senior male athlete to recognize their
academic, athletic, and citizenship achievements. A starting linebacker in football, he captained the team to an 8-3 record as a senior. He earned All-Eastern Football Conference All-Star honors as a senior and went on to sign professionally with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He went on to coach at Southington High School where he launched the wrestling program and posted a .744 winning percentage.
Wright was a standout on the soccer field, scoring 23 goals during the 1996 season— the second-highest single-season total in program history. A two-time All-New England and All-Mid Continent Conference selection during his career, Wright tied an NCAA single-game record with eight goals and 17 points in a game against UMES in 1995. He scored 14 goals during each of his freshman and junior seasons, which are among the top 10 single-season goal totals at CCSU. His 50 points in 1996 is the third highest single-season total. Following graduation, Wright went on to play professionally in the U.S. and Spain. He was also an assistant coach for the 2007 Blue Devils squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and is the head coach at the University of Saint Joseph. The 1987 wrestling team won its first 16 matches and finished 17-1 in its first Division I season. The Blue Devils were crowned the New England champions and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA National Championship where it finished 51st out of 118 represented teams. Sal Profaci, Ryan Johnson, Jim Sloan, Mike Gibbons, and Dennis Leonard all competed at the national tournament. Co-captain Ricky Shook was the only senior on the squad, which excelled under the guidance of head coach Ken DeStefanis. FALL 2020 – 29
