The Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2017 today. In ceremonies scheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at Danielle’s Banquet Facility in New Hartford are Mike Adey, Mike Damsky, Mike Durr, Charles Engle and the 2007 NYSPHAA Class AA Baseball Champion-winning Raiders of Thomas R. Proctor High School.

The ceremonies, which include a cocktail hour and a buffet dinner, will begin at :00pm and tickets are $40.00 per person. Those wishing to purchase tickets for the event can do so through the through the mail at PO Box 4607, Utica, NY 13504 or by visiting CNY Apparel in the New Hartford Shopping Center. The deadline for tickets is May 8th.

“What an outstanding group of worthy nominees,” said Lou Parrotta, President of the Hall of Fame. “These are exceptional additions to the Hall of Fame.”

For more information, please email the Hall of Fame at GUSHOF@mail.com.

Mike Adey

Entering the Hall of Fame in the Coach or Manager category, Adey is the all-time winningest coach in Boys Section III Basketball with a 566-200 record. He led the New York Mills Marauders to two Class D New York State Championship titles, one each in 2011 and 2014, and won 343 of the 417 games he coached there. His teams also secured 12 Center State Conference Division Titles, 9 Section III Class D Titles (seven consecutively from 2009-2015) and 5 Regional Titles. He began his career at Rome Catholic High School where he won 8 League Titles and 2 Section III Class C Championships en route to a 176-93 record. He also coached at New Hartford High School leading that school to 2 Tri-Valley League Titles and 47 wins against 32 losses. Adey was the Utica Observer Dispatch’s All-Mohawk Valley Basketball Team Coach of the Year five times. He is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.

Mike Damsky

Entering the Hall of Fame in the Pre-Modern Athlete, Modern Athlete and Sports Executive, Sports Official, or Sports Administrator categories, Damsky was a founding member of the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. An accomplished basketball player since 1949 when he began his high school career at Utica Free Academy, Damsky still laces up his sneakers to participate in Senior Games in the 80+ category. He has been a part of dozens of title-winning semi-professional teams spanning from his first appearance with a team out of Columbus, Ohio in 1955 where he scored 11 points overall to several teams in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in the MUNY, Tri-Hospital, and Senior Leagues. He played with such local luminaries as Dick Miller, Bill Deck, Allen Gilberti, Dick Frye and Nonnie Pensero. In 1983, he took his basketball prowess to another level earning several titles, medals and much acclaim as a member of the Utica Olympics that played in many New York State and National Senior League Games. Damsky was also an accomplished member of the Utica Free Academy Swim Team, the Senior Rowing (Crew) teams that competed for over a decade, and competitively played tennis in local tournaments throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Mike Durr

Entering the Hall of Fame in the Coach or Manager category, Durr, a member of the Notre Dame High School Brother More, CFX Hall of Fame, was a standout high school hoopster who parlayed his skills on the court to the sideline. After a collegiate career that included a stint with the Utica College Pioneers led by NBS Hall of Famer Larry Costello, Durr began coaching at St. Peter’s Elementary School in 1982. After two seasons, he moved on to become the assistant Coach under GUSHOF Hall of Famer Joe White at Notre Dame High School, a position he held for seven seasons. During his time as an assistant, the Jugglers won three Tri-Valley League Championships and Section III Class C and Regional title winners in 1992. From 1992-1994, Durr led the varsity basketball team at Poland Central School. In 1994, Durr returned to Notre Dame and for the next 21 seasons led his teams to over 300 victories, several Tri-Valley League Championships, the NYSPHAA Class C State Finals in both 1998-99 and 1999-2000, the Section III Class B-2 Championships in 2001-02 and 2002-03, and the Section III Class A Championship in 2005-06.

Charles Engle

Entering the Hall of Fame in the Coach or Manager Category, Engle has been coaching soccer at Mount Markham Central School since 1968. At the close of the 2016 season, he has amassed a record of 645-214-44 making him the winningest coach in New York State in Boys’ Soccer. With his nearly 650 wins, Engle currently ranks in the top 15 of the winningest high school boys soccer coaches in the country. He has had 42 winning seasons out of 48, has a .739 winning percentage and has led his teams to five undefeated seasons in his career. Engle’s teams have secured 19 League Championships, 13 Sectional Championships (including 4 in a row from 1984-1987), and six trips to the NYSPHAA State Tournament where his team was a finalist in 1986. Engle also voluntarily served as the Section III Boys’ Soccer Chairperson for 25 years, from 1990-2015. Engle is a member of the NYS High School Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame.

2007 Thomas R. Proctor High School Baseball Team

Entering the Hall of Fame in the Team Category is the 2007 NYSPHAA Class AA State Champion Thomas R. Proctor Baseball Team. Led by GUSHOFer Dave Guido, the Raiders went 23-5, secured the Section III and Regional Championships on their way to the NYS title. Proctor High competed in the state’s highest athletic classification and was the school’s first NYSPHAA title. The team was led by Jason Simone, the Class-AA Player of the Year, First Team All-State, OHSL Colonial First Team All-Star and All-Mohawk Valley Player of the Year. Other All-Mohawk Valley All-Stars included members A.J. Bates, Mike Mason, Joe Berry and Sean Redmond, while Bates and Mason were also First Team OHSL Colonial National All-Stars. Head Coach Guido was the 2007 New York State Coach of the Year and the NABC National High School Coach of the Year.