Connecticut
Women's Basketball
 Hall Of Fame

Bob Meyers - Referee

Bob Meyers has been a part of CT basketball for more than 40 years. Bob played basketball and baseball at Stamford Catholic High School where he graduated seventh in the Class of 1961. Bob continued his education at Providence College where he obtained a degree in Science Education. Additional degrees were received from Fairfield University alnd Western Ct. State University.

Bob started officiating basketball to supplement his "meager" income as a science teacher. His love for basketball took on a new dimension as he gained success as a referee.  Bob began officiating high school games in Fairfield County during the 1968 season. Tournament time meant travelling around the state. During his career, Bob was tapped to officiate six Connecticut State High School Final Games. He also officiated at The Orange Bowl Festival Div. 1 Tourney in 1980, the AIAW Div. I Tourney (1980) and the Ivy League Women's Tourney Final (1982). Meyers was ranked as one of 50 "National" officials in 1979. He was honored as the 1991 Outstanding Official by the CT Collegiate Women's Basketball Board and received the 1995 CBCBD Distinguished Service Award.

Bob's fondest officiating memory occurred during the 1980 semi-finals of the Eastern AIAW Tourney.  Shortly after the game, he was informed that the game was being protested by the Cheney State Coach, Vivian Stringer.  After reviewing the video tape with the tournament officials, it was determined that his non-call near the end of the game had been correct, and that the protest was denied.  The next night, just prior to his second game with Cheney State, Coach Stringer pulled him aside and congratulated him on his performance the previous night.  He was elated!

Years of service allowed him to move up in the ranks and referee women's games at the collegiate level for a number of seasons in CT, NY, NJ, PA, MA, and RI. Meyers was also invited to officiate many national tournaments throughout the Eastern United States.  He served as the local girls' basketball rules interpreter for ten years and the CT state rules interpreter and a clinician for six years. Bob was a member of several officiated groups: IAABO # 9 (1969-75, 2003-present), CT College Women's Basketball Board (1975-93), and CBCBO (1975-2003).  As an official, Bob would suggest eliminating the alternate possession rule…believing that a great defensive play at the end of a close game can be nullified by awarding the ball to the offensive team after a tie up.   Bob retired in 2000 from teaching science at Stamford High School. He credits his wife, Margaret, for her willingness and selflessness in allowing him to pursue his officiating passion. Their sons, Jim and Steve, will present Bob's award.

High School Player – Tami "Chap" Chapman

Tami Chapman grew up in Bristol in the 60s and 70s in a neighborhood that was predominately males, playing pick-up games of any sport on evenings and weekends .  She also loved shooting hoops, having a catch and a round or two of golf with her Dad. Tami attended Bristol Eastern High School from 1972-1976  under the guidance of Coach Joann Galati, where she dominated at the forward position.  Chap's team won championships during three of her four years -- one in the Central CT Interscholastic Conference and two in the Colonial Conference.  She set a school record for points per game (34) and in 1975, became the first female in the city of Bristol to score 1000 points.

Tami received many honors during her high school career.  In 1975, she received the Scoreboard Recognition Award for Outstanding Athletic Achievement in Conference Play.  That same year she was honored by Billie Jean King with the Women's Sports Magazine Athlete of the Year Award.  Criteria for that award included outstanding contributions to team play and consistent display of good sportsmanship on and off the playing field.  During her senior year, Tami was named to both the Class AA First Team All-State and Parade Magazine's All-American Squad.   Tami's athletic skills were not limited to the basketball court.  She played varsity softball all four years and varsity volleyball during her junior and senior years. Tami was selected All League in basketball, softball and volleyball from 1973-1976.  She became the first woman to hold the position of President of the Athletic Association at Bristol East High School.

Tami continued to play basketball at Mattatuck Community College from 1977-1979, where she was selected All NJCAA in basketball, softball, and volleyball.  In 1978, she received All American recognition in softball .  While at Mattatuck, Tami averaged  20.8 pts, 11.3 rebounds, most career points 708 , field goals, 271, free throws 117 and a single game record of 34 pts and 23 rebounds.  She completed her collegiate career at East Stroudsburg State College majoring in physical education while  competing in volleyball and basketball .  Their volleyball team participated in the 1979 Women's Division III Championship.  The next year found Tami in Colorado Springs for the US Pan American Games softball tryouts at the US Olympic Training Center.

Basketball continues to play a major role in Tami Chapman's life.   In 2005 she was inducted into the Bristol CT Sports Hall of Fame.  She is currently working at the UCONN Heath Center and thoroughly enjoys watching all college basketball , especially the UCONN Women's and Men's Basketball teams. Tami has recently set new basketball goals -- centering on her two nephews, Andrew and Jonah Giblin.  She hopes to teach them the values that were instilled in her by her father, Robert Chapman, and her high school coach, Joann Galati.  The lessons learned were:   always do your best,  give 100% at all times, and respect everyone as  you would want to be respected.

HOWARD K. GURA  -  High School Coach

A little boy with an 8 foot basket over the garage…a ball that won't bounce because it is 15 degrees outside…a boy's imagination that carries him to victory at the buzzer……Priceless!  That is how Howard Gura explained his start in basketball and it continues to be why basketball is so special to him.  "A ball and a hoop – two, if you are lucky – offer the greatest exercise anyone can ever want." Howard attended Shelton High School and excelled in three sports.  He was voted to the All-Valley team in football in 1964 and 1965, All-League (Housatonic) in baseball in 1964, 1965, and 1966 and All-Valley in basketball in 1966.  (To our knowledge, he still holds the record for most shattered peach baskets!)  Howard went on to play baseball at UConn. 

Howard's coaching career was influenced and shaped by several outstanding individuals.  Eventually working with his high school coach, Joe Benanto, a  "once in a lifetime" coach, "was a lesson each day." Howard's career was also profoundly influenced by Bernice Nicolari, his teacher, colleague and coaching mentor. He considered it an honor to take over the Shelton High School Girls' Basketball program upon her Nicolari's retirement.  "Her values and strengths permeated that program long after she coached her last game." Howard Gura was named the Girls Basketball Coach at Shelton High School in 1979.  The Shelton girl's basketball program was arguably one of the very best in the state of Connecticut at the time.  Over the next eighteen years, the Shelton Gaelettes Shelton continued to be extremely competitive under Gura's leadership.

During those eighteen years, the Gaelettes won 328 games and lost 104.  Shelton qualified for the state tournament each year and never experienced a losing season in the competitive Housatonic League and later the Southern Connecticut Conference.  The Gaelettes won a total of ten titles including five straight Housatonic League titles.  In state LL tournament play, Coach Gura's team enjoyed a 42-17 record.  The Shelton Gaelettes always ventured far into the tournament -- reaching the finals in 1984, 1985 and 1994.  The 1985 team won the State Championship in an overtime game that was played before one of the largest crowds in tournament history. The 1994 team was ranked second in the state and in New England behind Central High School of Bridgeport. Howard Gura has received numerous honors from his coaching successes.  The New Haven Register, the Connecticut Post and the New Haven Tap Off Club named him Coach of the Year.  In 1993 he was honored as the Connecticut Coach of the Year and in 1994, Howard was a finalist for the National Coach of the Year Award in Girls' Basketball.  Howard serves on the CIAC Tournament Committee and the 2008 CIAC Girls Basketball Tournament was named in his honor.

No coach wins without talent and Coach Gura is quick to point out the talent that blessed his program.  He coached seven All-Staters and 17 of his players were named to All-League first teams.  Howard Gura is a Shelton High School graduate who is retiring this year after 37 years as a Shelton teacher, coach, guidance counselor and administrator.   Presently, he serves as Headmaster of the Shelton Intermediate School.  Howard and his wife Judith of 39 years, reside in Shelton.  They are blessed with two children -- Scott, his wife Rori and two grandchildren, Kaylee and Mia; and daughter Holly and her husband Justin Betz.

ROBIN MASSARI-STEELE – College Player

The basketball career of Robin Massari-Steele began in the sixth grade when her physical education teacher recommended that she try out for the team after watching her run the 50 yard dash.  Robin told her dad what the PE teacher had said.  Thus began a string of countless weekends of learning the game of basketball from her dad.     Robin attended Masuk High School (1986-1990) where she played for Coach David Strong.  During her senior year, Robin and her teammates compiled a 27-0 record enroute to winning the school's first State Championship.  She was selected the Gatorade Player of the Year and Masuk's Scholar Student-Athlete.  Robin repeated as an All State team member, an honor she first received during her junior year.

Robin continued her basketball career at Fairfield University (1990-94) where she played for Coach Dianne Nolan.  At Fairfield, she averaged 9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and compiled career marks of 1114 points, 82 assists, and 149 steals. In 1993, Robin was ranked 17^th nationally for rebounds [11.1 rpg] and 18^th nationally in 1994 with 11.2 rpg.  She was voted to the First Team All-MAAC in 1993 and 1994, MAAC All Tournament team in 1994, and All MET in 1994.  Robin set a rebound record of 17 rebounds in the Knickerbocker Arena.  Robin's fondest memory as a player occurred during her freshman year when Fairfield qualified for the NCAA Tournament.  She mentioned that the tournament atmosphere increased the game to another level and it was tremendously exciting to play in such an environment.

After graduation, Robin spent time coaching basketball.  She was the second Assistant Coach at the University of New Haven from 1994-96.  She coached the Wes Conn Fillies (ages 15 and 16) from 1998-2000 and the Pomperaug High School freshmen and junior varsity teams from 1999-2002.  Robin would like to "get back into the coaching field and teach the game of basketball by utilizing the strengths of all the players on the team."  Robin credits her dad with teaching her the game of basketball.  "He took the time to guide me in this sport from middle school to college.  He spent …every weekend helping me perfect my game and succeed to the best of my ability."  He not only taught her how to play but also gave her the fundamentals upon which she could build and continue to improve her game.  Robin is tremendously proud of the fact that her parents attended every one of her games since she first started playing.

For Robin, basketball has always been a family activity. Her father taught her the game, and her parents gave their full support all the way through college. Her sister-in-law, Tiffany, played for Quinnipiac University. Robin's husband of 11 years, Kris, played for Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport. Their son, Anthony, is continuing the tradition.  Robin is a School Counseler/LPC for Region 15 in Southbury and an adjunct professor at Southern Connecticut State University. Her advice for others playing the game is to "have a goal, set your mind to it and do the best you can to achieve it…. Always give your best."

Honorary – Meghan Pattyson-Culmo

Meghan Pattyson Culmo learned basketball from her brothers.  She played both basketball and soccer at Central Bucks East High School [located where?] where she became the all-time scoring leader [1260 points] by averaging 15 points while pulling down 10 rebounds per game. Meg is also known as the "Mother of Soccer" at Central Bucks East because of her efforts to institute spring soccer at the school.  During her two seasons playing sweeper, her team compiled a 30-2-5 record and won two league championships.  Meg continued her education and basketball career at the University of Connecticut from 1988-1992.  She played forward for a UConn team that compiled an overall record of 101-28. 

 During her freshmen year, she was part of the 1988-89 team which won their first-ever Big East Championship and was named to the All-Freshmen Team. In UConn's first-ever NCAA game, Meg scored 13 points and had 13 rebounds in 26 minutes in the loss to LaSalle. UConn retained the Big East title for two more years. The 1990-91 team defeated Providence in the Big East Championship.  That team went on to win the Big East Tournament and became the first league team to qualify for the Final Four.   Meg was named Most Outstanding Player of that 1991 Big East Tournament as she scored 20 points and posted nine rebounds and five assists in the final. She earned Big East Third team honors and was named to the All-Tourney Team. Meg graduated as the #9 all-time leading scorer at UConn with 1106 points (9.4 ppg) to accompany her 674 rebounds. 

Meg is currently an analyst on CPTV broadcasts of UConn women's basketball games.  She hosts The Geno Auriemma Show where viewers have the opportunity to e-mail questions to the coach.  Selected questions are read and answered on the air.  Meg's exchanges with Coach Auriemma, in addition to her insights and humor, have helped make the show a popular preliminary feature of game broadcasts.

SHEA RALPH – College Player

Shea Ralph seemed destined to play basketball.  Her mother was an All-American at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina and was good friends with Tennessee coach, Pat Summitt.  Shea started playing basketball at six years and immediately fell in love with the game.  By the time she was eleven years old, she was on an AAU team and was practicing basketball fundamentals every day.  Even though she was young, Shea already knew she was going to get a college scholarship for basketball.  Shea attended Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  She was named Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.  At the time of the award, she held 17 basketball records; she eventually ended her high school career with 3002 points.  The National Honor Society member was a recipient of the Dial Award, presented annually to the top male and female high-school athlete/scholar in the United States.  In 1996, Shea was named the USA Today National High School Player of the Year.  

Shea succeeded in getting a college basketball scholarship to the University of Connecticut and played for Coach Geno Auriemma.  According to the UConn Hoop Legend webpage, Shea has said, "I was just completely taken by Connecticut as soon as I talked to them on the phone.  I made a trip out to see the campus, and meet the team, and I felt so comfortable at CT, and that was it.  I knew that CT was the place for me."   During the years she played a full or partial season, the team had a record of 130-10. In Big East play, the team lost only two games in four seasons for a combined record of 66-2. UConn won the Big East Regular season Championship and the post-season Big East Tournament Championship all four years. The team went to the NCAA Tournament all four years, making at least the Sweet Sixteen each time. In her last two years, the team made the Final Four.

As a freshman, Shea won the Big East Rookie of the Year award. She holds the All-time Record 3-point shooting for a single Big East Season (.517). Her performance in the 1999 Big East Tournament earned her the Most Outstanding Performer award.  As captain of the 2000 squad, Shea was recognized as the 2000 Big East Player of the Year and voted All-Big East first team.  She was selected Most Valuable Player at the 2000 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four -- ultimately leading the Huskies to a decisive victory over Tennessee in the National Championship game.  During that same year, Shea was a Naismith Player of the Year finalist, earned first team Kodak and Associated Press All-America honors was selected as Sports Illustrated for Women Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Honda Award, presented to the top female collegiate athlete in each of the 12 collegiate sports.  Shea was also a member of the 2000 U.S. Jones Cup Gold Medal team, pacing the squad in scoring (12.0 ppg) and steals (1.75 spg). 

Shea completed her career with 1,678 points and ranked among the program's top ten career leaders in assists (456), steals (252) and field goal percentage (.579).  She was a member of five Big East Championship teams.  Shea graduated from UConn in 2001 with a degree in exercise physiology.  She was drafted in the third round by the Utah Starzz but because of injuries, was never able to play in the WNBA.  She spent five years as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburg before returning to UConn in 2008 as an assistant coach. Shea was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.

Shea has credited her mom with having the greatest influence on her career and considers winning the National Championship her fondest basketball memory. The one piece of advice Shea would give to others in the game is "if you want it bad enough, you must be willing to do the work to get it." 

Krista L. Rappahahn – High School Player

Krista L. Rappahahn did not set out to be a record-setting high school and collegiate athlete, but with lots of hard work and with a supportive family, friends and coaches, she was blessed with a fantastic career.  While participating in both gymnastics and soccer as a kid, she decided to try her hand at basketball.  It was a risk that yielded amazing results. Krista attended Norwich Free Academy where she played basketball for Coach Bill Scarlata.  She averaged 22.9 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals per game.  Krista's more than 2000 points made her NFA's all-time leading scorer for both the boys' and girls' teams.  During her four years at NFA, the team compiled a 106-2 record and won three State Championships and four ECC Championships. 

Krista received All-State and All-American honors as well as a WBCA Top 40 Honorable Mention.  She was named the 2002 Gatorade Player of the Year and attended the Nike All-American Camp.  Academically, Krista was a member of the National Honor Society, an AP scholar with distinction, and a Heisman Scholar-Athlete State Finalist. Krista's accomplishments on the court and in the classroom earned her a scholarship to Stanford University.  She played guard for Coach Tara VanDerveer while earning a BA in Human Biology.  During her career, Stanford won four Pac-10 Championships and advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 three times.  Krista's fondest memory came during the Elite 8 in 2006 when the Stanford team defeated Oklahoma to advance to the regional finals.

Krista left her mark on Stanford basketball record books.  She scored the most 3-point shots in a season with 91.  Over the course of her career, she amassed 152 3-point shots, ranking her #10 in school history.  On the conference level, Krista was #1 in 3-point percentage in 2006, as well as #1 for 3-pointers made during a game.  In 2004 she was named Second Team PAC-10 All- Academic.  The next two years, she was named First Team PAC-10 All-Academic.  During 2006 she was named ESPN Academic All-District and the Donald Kennedy Award Winner.  She was also the Women's Runner-Up at the ESPN 3-point Championship at the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Basketball enabled Krista to "see the world."  Her Stanford team traveled to Italy.  After graduation in 2006, Krista played basketball professionally in Sweden.  She was a part of the 2006-07 Swedish National Championship Team.  From 2007-2008, Krista played for Brahe Basket. Krista was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and returned to Stanford as a medical student.  During the brief moments medical students have to themselves, Krista enjoys running, photography, visiting museums, reading, biking, and helping at Hole in Wall Gang camps.  She feels fortunate for the opportunities basketball has opened up for her and for the players, mentors, coaches, and trainers with whom she has been blessed to work and learn.