Oct. 28, 2022 – The inductees into the 2022 Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame will receive their trophies at a dinner on November 10 at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle. The class of ‘22 will have a plaque on display in the first-floor gallery at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.
County Executive George Latimer said: “Westchester always has an outstanding pool of athletes to choose from, so making the final decisions can be quite challenging. All of these candidates should be proud of their accomplishments and well-deserved recognition.”
This year’s inductees are:
- Thomas Avezzano, Sr. has spent over 65 years working at Sprain Lake Golf Course in Yonkers, where he introduced countless people to golf through junior golf camps, clinics and private lessons. He created Halloween and Turkey Scrambles, which have endured for the past 15 and 25 years, respectively; and hosted Buick and Oldsmobile Scrambles for over a decade. Tom is also one of the longest-tenured pros in the Met PGA and the National PGA.
- Ric Beardsley’s lacrosse career began at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak. The high school All-American made the Syracuse University D1 team, was the USA U19 team captain and world champion, spent two years playing Major League Lacrosse and four years with National League Lacrosse. After playing professionally, Ric began coaching and lead the Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy to a NYS Championship in 2017. In 2021 he entered pro coaching with the Premiere Lacrosse League. Since 2005, he has run lacrosse camps and clinics all over the US and has become one of the top trainers in the country.
- Frank Becerra, Jr. has been photographing high school, college and professional sports for the Journal News for over 40 years. He has covered: Major League Baseball (including eight World Series); the National Football League (including three Super Bowls); the National Hockey League (including three Stanley Cup Finals); and the National Basketball Association (including numerous NBA Championships). His many awards include: The National Press Photographers Association’s Region Two Photographer of the year in 1998 and 2021.
- Ron Berlingo’s athletic career began as co-captain of the White Plains varsity football team, but a knee injury ended his football career at Springfield College in 1965. He then became an amateur boxer and was selected to represent New England in the National Golden Gloves. In 1978 Ron was involved in professional boxing as an assistant to promoter Momentum Enterprises and as a manager and trainer. Ron’s most prominent boxers were heavyweights Renaldo” Mister” Snipes, Carl “The Truth” Williams and Tony “TNT” Grano. Snipes and Williams fought for the Heavyweight Championship of the World three times. Snipes in 1981 and Williams in 1985 and 1989. Tony Grano won the NABF Heavyweight Championship in 2012. All three fought in the Westchester County Center and lived and trained in White Plains early in their careers. Snipes and Grano made their debut in the County Center. William’s 1984 main event in the County Center was for the largest purse in County Center’s history.
Westchester County Parks Commissioner Kathy O’Connor said: “These spirited and dedicated individuals inspire everyone around them to be high achievers. Their enthusiasm is contagious, which makes them true leaders in their fields.”
Since 1968, the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame has honored more than 200 outstanding professional and amateur men and women, living or deceased, who have gained prominence in their fields and who made substantial contributions to sports in Westchester County.
Nominations for the Hall of Fame committee are solicited from the public. The nominees are reviewed, and the committee selects those who best meet or exceed the Hall of Fame’s criteria.
The Sports Hall of Fame is sponsored by Westchester County Parks with support from the Westchester Parks Foundation. For tickets to the awards dinner and more information about the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame, please contact Kevin Cook at (914) 231-4564 or email .