Nanuet HS Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Five New Members

The Nanuet High School Sports Hall of Fame inducted five former Nanuet athletes at a dinner ceremony Saturday evening. Held at the Pearl River Elks Lodge on Elks Drive in Nanuet, the tenth annual event honored inductees Bob Veltidi, Dick Berich, Ray Perez, John Hassler and Peter Bonomolo.

“We set our standards very high and we just kept coming up," said Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Ed Mooney. "Every year we have prizes, we have the jazz band here, cheerleaders come in every other year, and teachers; a lot of ex-teachers come, a lot of current teachers.”

Mooney, who is a former all-county soccer and lacrosse player, also noted that a high return rate and participation of former inductees is important for the annual event.

“Nearly 40 out of the 80 current inductees have come back and that’s a great thing to see," Mooney said.

2011 inductee excelled in baseball, wrestling, football and track. Although his athletic career was ended by an injury while at SUNY Cortland, Veltidi remained an active booster of sports in Rockland County, including serving as a coach, administrator and assistant athletic director at Suffern High School.

Inductee was a standout basketball and baseball player who made All County first-team as catcher three years in a row and was on the New York Daily News All Metropolitan Area second-team during his senior year.

Inductee , class of ’69, was a starting point guard for three years and senior captain for the basketball team. He also showed similar prowess at football and baseball, for which he was voted Most Inspirational Player by his teammates.

Inductee played football and wrestled, during which he made Nanuet High history by finishing fourth in the New York State championship Tournament. Hassler also co-captained the 1967 football team and was Nanuet’s career leader in tackles and receptions through the end of that season. Hassler passed away in 1979 and was represented on Saturday by his widow, Jan Hassler.

Rounding out 2011’s inductees was , a star track, wrestling and soccer player. In addition to his many accomplishments Perez pole vaulted a school record 11 feet in 1968 as well being named Most Outstanding in the Field of Physical Education.

The night’s events also included a special award for service presented to Chairman Mooney and a formal recognition of returning inductees in attendance. The Nanuet High School Sports Hall of Fame’s board and steering committee were recognized as well.

Especially poignant was a special 50/50 raffle that was held to assist 2009 inductee John McNulty who has endured more than 120 brain surgeries. McNulty contracted bacterial meningitis as a child which resulted in a condition known as hydrocephalus. Despite that challenge, as a Nanuet student McNulty excelled in cross country and track. Both winners of the 50/50 raffle donated the money back to McNulty.

Musical entertainment for the evening was provided by the Nanuet High School Jazz Knights, which, under the direction of Walter Miller, played a selection jazz and blues standards as well as rock and roll hits such as Twist and Shout.