Two more legendary Sachem coaches will be inducted to the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame.
Gymnastics coach Ken Friedheim and lacrosse coach Rick Mercurio will join more than a dozen other Sachem coaches and athletes in the prestigious hall. They’ll be inducted at a formal ceremony in May.
Friedheim, who retired from teaching and coaching at Sachem as the all-time winningest coach in New York State history, compiled 324 career victories from 1969-2005. Last year he was named to the USA Gymnastics’ “Master of Sport” list.
“I am happy for the opportunity to thank all the gymnasts, assistant coaches, and supporters that made my 37 years of coaching possible,” he said. “It was the combined effort of all of the above that made the program at Sachem a success. This honor also gives me the opportunity to advocate for some of the outstanding athletes that were Suffolk County gymnasts.”
Mercurio, who also retired in 2005, compiled 316 career victories. Like Friedheim, he too led Sachem to numerous championships. He has been very involved with the Federation of International Lacrosse in recent years, traveling the world as an ambassador to the sport.
After arriving home from a trip at MacArthur Airport, Mercurio saw the Suffolk Hall of Fame placards on the wall at the airport. He was immediately overwhelmed knowing he would be joining those individuals.
“I felt truly humbled in realizing that I am to be recognized for accomplishments within the realm of sport alongside those men and women of such athletic stature and prowess,” he said. “I share this honor with the entire Sachem community. This recognition is the result of the collective achievements of all the administrators, teachers, coaching staff, parents and especially all the great players I have had the opportunity to have coached.”
Sachem has been on a hot streak as of late with hall of fame inductees. This marks the third straight year of two or more inductees, and eight total with ties to Sachem in the last three years.
Longtime Sachem resident Bob Herzog will also be inducted to the hall as a media member. Herzog, whose children both attended Sachem, has been a sportswriter for Newsday since the 1970s. In recent years, he has covered high school sports, including many Sachem games and competitions.
Complete list of Sachem inductees of Suffolk HOF
- John “Jumbo” Elliott (football player), 1993
- Joe Cipp Jr. (football coach), 1996
- David S. Rothenberg (administrator), 1996
- Neal Heaton (baseball player), 1997
- Diane Nelson (equestrian), 2000
- Fred Fusaro (football coach), 2003
- Jack Mahoney (wrestling coach), 2004
- Bill Batewell (baseball coach), 2010
- Risa Zander (basketball coach), 2013
- Jeff Ruland (basketball player), 2013
- Nicole Kaczmarski (basketball player), 2013
- Tom Sabatelle (administrator/athlete), 2014
- Doug Shanahan (lacrosse player), 2014
- Nick Schroeder (interim administrator), 2014
- Ken Freidheim (gymnastics coach), 2015
- Rick Mercurio (lacrosse coach), 2015
Complete list of 2015 Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
- Gary Lee Brown, former NFL player from Brentwood
- Harold Cooley, Bowling coach from East Islip
- Ken Friedheim, Gymnastics coach from Sachem
- Rob Grable, pro baseball player from Connetquot
- John Gregorek, Olympic runner from Northport
- Bob Herzog, Newsday sportswriter from Commack
- Richard Mercurio, Lacrosse coach from Sachem
- Rob Pannell, Lacrosse player from Smithtown
- Carol Rose, Lacrosse coach from Northport
- Walter Williams, Athletic Director from Babylon
- 2015 Special Recognition Award: Central Islip Fire Dept. Drill Team
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro