Donna Vavrinec may be a retired high school Science teacher, but she hasn’t quite retired from the world of officiating. Her love for officiating started at a young age and her strong skills in the field have led her to the highest levels in several sports.

As a varsity field hockey athlete at Notre Dame High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Donna was given the opportunity to take special Physical Education classes, and it was there that she was taught how to officiate basketball. She was fortunate to have many positive role models and mentors who helped her improve along the way, including her parents, her Physical Education teacher Ann Deluca, and fellow basketball officials Joan Joyce, Brenda Reilly and Debbie Chin, to name a few.

In her senior year of high school, Donna took the DGWS basketball officiating test and became certified. After graduating in 1971, Donna went on to play field hockey at Plymouth State College. She worked as an official while in college. After graduating with a BS in Social Science in 1975, Vavrinec was hired as a science teacher at Norwalk High School in 1976. While at Norwalk, Vavrinec worked as an assistant basketball coach for eight years but officiating was really her true love. After attending basketball officiating camp, Donna started to move up in the profession.

Donna became involved in officiating other sports as well, refereeing field hockey, basketball and softball games. She became a member of the CBCBO/NAGWS in 1971 and continued her membership until 1996, serving as District 1 Director of the CBCBO for a period of time. She served as a State Tournament basketball official from 1981-1990 and officiated at the college level from 1989-1996, working for several different conferences at the Division I, II & III levels. She officiated the NCAA D-III Regional tournament in 1991 and the NCAA Division I Regional tournament in 1994-95 as well as Conference tournaments for the MAAC, Patriot and Northeast Conferences. She is a USA certified official and has worked at collegiate-international games and also officiated the USA selection of the Olympic team in 1996. Donna has also taught and trained new officials at high school and college basketball camps and has served as a Conference Observer for the NEC and MAAC Conferences (Division I).

As a field hockey official, Donna has been assigned to Connecticut State tournament games, has served as an assigner, and is a member of the Connecticut Field Hockey Executive Board Official in charge of training and development of officials. For her work and devotion to the sport of officiating, Donna was named “Umpire of the Year” in 2009.

Donna was inducted into the CT ASA Hall of Fame as the first fast pitch female umpire for softball and she was inducted into the CT Women’s Scholastic and Collegiate Softball Hall of Fame. She received the 2000 Pathfinder Award from CAHPERD given to an individual who has made positive contributions to women in sports. She has served as a National Observer for the NCAA Softball Umpire program and worked as a camp clinician. Vavrinec has umpired 4 Division I National Championships, 2 Division II National Championships, and 8 Division III Softball National Championships. She has officiated many Regional and Super Regional tournaments as well as Conference Championships for the Atlantic-10, Big East, ACC and Big Ten. Most recently, Donna was hired as the NCAA Softball Umpire National Coordinator.

Becky Strominger’s career as a referee spanned more than thirty years and four states. She achieved National and National Honorary ratings, and officiated New York Regional, New York State and Connecticut State championships. Predominantly a high school official, Strominger also refereed college games and served as President of the Bridgeport Board of Women Officials. She conducted rating sessions for officials.

During her career, Strominger coached high school basketball, field hockey, tennis and volleyball and had many championships to her credit. A member of the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame, she retired from teaching physical education at Darien High School.

Dave Strong began his career at Masuk High School in Monroe. He coached boys’ basketball and taught math. He began coaching girls in 1976 and his teams compiled an incredible list of accomplishments.

Strong holds the CT record for total wins in girls’ basketball (680). He was the first girls’ high school coach in the state to record 300 wins, 400 wins…600 wins. He has compiled an overall record of 680-135 in the 33 years he has coached the Masuk girls. His teams won 19 league championships, qualified for the league playoffs and the State Tournament all 33 years, have been State Champs three times, State Runners-Up four times, and State Semi-Finalists 11 times.

Seven of Strong’s teams were undefeated during the regular season and two were undefeated State Champions (‘89-’90, ‘94-’95). From 1994-1996, his teams had a 50-game winning streak (6th best in state history) and his 1993-1997 teams compiled a 93-game regular season winning streak.

Strong was recognized many times during his coaching career. Some of his basketball awards include: C.H.S.C.A Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year (1982); District 1 Coach of the Year (1984, 1988, 1996, 1999, 2002); Danbury News-Times (1988,1991), New Haven Register (1990), and CT Post Coach of the Year Girls’ Basketball (1990,2001); C.H.S.C.A. Hall of Fame Inductee (2000); New England Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2002); and National Coach of the Year (2002), and the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009. Strong also coached numerous postseason All-Star teams including the Shoot-Out, the J.C.C. Classic, and the Vincent Smeraglinolo All-Star Games.

During her 37 years in the Simsbury School system, Joan Sullivan coached basketball field hockey, softball, badminton, tennis and volleyball to impressive winning records and three State Championships. Her basketball teams compiled a 20-9 record from 1955-1957. Unfortunately, few records were kept for the earlier years.

Sullivan held a state basketball honorary rating and officiated high school and college games for three decades -- the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. She received a National Honorary rating in bas-ketball from the National Association for Girls’ and Women’s Sports. She also served as Chair of the Central Connecticut Board of Officials and, as such, was involved in training and rating of basketball officials.

“Sully” received numerous awards throughout her career. Among her honors, were Farm-ington Valley Coach of the Year (1974); Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association Field Hockey Coach of the Year (1995); Tennis Coach of the Year (1985) and was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1995, Sullivan was voted into the New Agenda: Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame.

Charlene Taylor played basketball at Beaver Falls (PA) High School, where she played point guard and averaged 15 points per game. In her senior year (1985), Taylor helped her team to a 25-1 record, and both the conference and state championship titles. Taylor was named the conference MVP, was a member of the “Terrific Twenty” (top twenty girl basketball players in Pennsylvania), received the high school’s “Carolyn Clark Girls’ Sports Award” and earned a scholarship to the University of New Haven.

Taylor had an astounding athletic career at the University of New Haven from 1985-1989. During that time, New Haven won four NECC titles, two Division II New England Regional Championships, and a National Championship enroute to a 102-22 record.

During her career, Taylor scored 1,853 points with an average of 17 points per game, and tallied 603 assists, 419 steals, and 458 rebounds. She was named UNH Female Athlete of the Year twice, Kodak All-District twice, and in 1987, she was named to the Division II All-Tournament Team. Taylor was a three-time All-NECC First Team selection, and a 1989 NCAA New England All Region Squad selection. In 1989, she was a Kodak All-American, ECAC Player of the Year, and NECC Player of the Year. In 1996, Taylor was inducted into the UNH Hall of Fame.

Taylor’s name appears at or near the top of several categories in the Charger’s record book: #1 career assists (603), #1 career steals (419), #2 career points (1,853), #2 most steals in a sea-son (134), #3 most points in a season (557), #9 most 3-pointers in a season (35), and #2 most assists in a season (175).

By the time Claire Beth Tomasiewiez graduated from Weston High School in 1975, her teams had compiled a four-year win/loss record of 69-1. In 1974 and 1975, Tomasiewicz’s Weston High teams won the C.I.A.C. Class M State Championship. She became the first high school girl in the state to score 1,000 points, and set a single game record of 52 points. She tallied 1,603 total career points at Weston.

In her junior and senior years, Tomasiewicz averaged 30 points a game and finished with a career average of 22.9 points per game. She was named to the New Haven Register All-State First Team in 1974 and 1975 and was a member of the First Connecticut Schoolgirl Shoot-Out team (1975), which defeated Massachusetts.

BJ Toolan attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. During her playing years, BJ, a standout guard, averaged 13.2 points per game and scored 1,245 career points. During her senior year (94-95), Toolan scored 546 points, averaged 21.8 points per game, and made 85 three-pointers -- all Trinity season records. That same year, she led the Bantams to a 21-4 record and the second round of the Division III NCAA Tournament. She also set career records in Free Throw Percentage (76%) and Most Three-Pointers (200).

Toolan was named the ECAC Player of the Year, NEWBA Player of the Year, and a First Team Kodak All-American in her senior year. She was also the recipient of the Trinity Club of Hartford Award, which recognizes the most outstanding senior female athlete at Trinity College.

Cheryl Towne was a true pioneer in Connecticut girls’ basketball. She played for Wamogo Regional High School (named for the towns of Warren, Morris, and Goshen) during the early 1960’s. Those were the years--long before Title IX, when there were six players on a team and only two of them could cross the “center line.”

Although exact statistics were not kept, Towne averaged 10- 15 points per game her freshman and sophomore years and she improved to 15-20 points per game in her junior and senior years. These numbers are all the more impressive when one considers how low-scoring most games were. Towne led Wamogo, one of the smallest high schools in the state, to two Berkshire League Championships. She was a League All-Star and in 1963, her senior year, she was selected the Berkshire League Female Athlete of the Year.

Towne earned her officials’ rating while in high school and would officiate the JV games, change her uniform, and then play in the varsity games.

Eleanor Turner’s coaching career began in the mid 1970’s. From 1977-1979 she was the Head Coach of the New Haven Youth Games. She assisted Head Coach Barbara Thaxton at Wilbur Cross High School until 1981. Together, they guided a Wilbur Cross team that was arguably one of the most dominant ever in Connecticut Girls’ Basketball history.

In 1982, Turner became the Head Coach at Wilbur Cross. From 1983-1985, Turner’s teams won the District League Titles. They were Co-Champs in 1987. In 1984, Cross won the Class LL State Championship and Turner was named New Haven’s Shoot-Out Coach of the Year. She coached Cross until 1990, compiling an overall won/loss record of 100-58. In 1996, Turner was honored by the New Haven Girls’ Basketball Festival with the “Outstanding Coach” Award. Also in 1984, Eleanor was Mississippi Valley State’s 1st female Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee.

Carolyn Vanacore, Mrs. ‘V’, as her students refer to her, is first and foremost, a mentor to young women. Her career path was greatly influenced by Louise Ives, a new, young, and energetic Physical Education teacher at Lyman Hall High School.

Competition at the time Vanacore was in high school was limited to round-robin playdays consisting of a few schools, and pick-up games with the boys. In college, she played club field hockey, basketball, and softball.

Vanacore attended New Haven State Teachers’ College (SCSC). After graduation, she obtained a job in the North Haven school system. She initiated sports programs at North Haven High School in field hockey, basketball, softball, and track & field.

Vanacore joined the faculty at SCSC in 1965 as an assistant professor of women’s physical education. She earned advanced degrees at Southern and in 1982 was named Director of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Safety. Vanacore continued in this position until her “retirement” in 1989. Although “retired,” she remains on staff at Southern as Professor Emeritus, supervising student teachers and spearheading development efforts for the alumni and athletic departments.

Carolyn has received numerous honors throughout her career. Among these acknowledgements are the: CAHPERD Professional Merit Award, YWCA Women in Leadership Award, Yale Visiting Faculty Fellowship, YMCA Outstanding Volunteer Service, CT Association of Athletic Directors Distinguished Service Award, Lyman Hall High School Hall of Fame, Eastern District (AAHPERD) Merit Award in Physical Education, and the National Girls and Women in Sports Pathfinder Award.

Vanacore has devoted nearly five decades to improving student opportunities and expanding women’s athletic involvement. She is the proud mentor of many high school and college basketball coaches throughout CT and beyond.

During her junior year at UConn, Lucille Vassallo received a National Basketball Officials’ Rating. For the next two decades, she refereed girls’ games at the high school and collegiate levels. She was involved in regular season games, championships, and a Class S Final.

Vassallo received the CIAC Girls’ Basketball Officiating Merit Award in 2003, and was inducted into the New Agenda Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005.

Chris Webster graduated from Terryville High School and continued her education at Southern Connecticut State College. After graduation, Chris started teaching and coaching at North Branford where she led the Thunderbirds to four State Championships during her 30 years as Head Coach. The 1976 championship was the first-ever state championship – boys or girls – for the North Branford School. That marked the beginning of an incredible career for Webster.

The Lady T-Birds advanced to the Class “M” State Championship but lost to Kolbe-Cathedral in 1977. Chris took a leave of absence the following year to complete her doctoral residency requirement at Springfield College. She later served as an assistant coach at Wesleyan University for two years before the opportunity arose in 1983 to return as the head coach of the North Branford girls.

The Thunderbirds won a second State championship in 1986 and played through a perfect 26-0 season in 1986-87, culminating in another State championship. The fourth state Championship banner was earned in 1989. The class of ’89 had an exceptional record of 95 wins and 6 losses and was part of a 53-game winning streak that lasted from March 7, 1986 until March 5, 1988. The Lady T-Birds dominated the Shoreline Conference during these years, winning the league titles in 1987 – 1989. They were a league power from 2000 – 2002 when they garnered a perfect 30 – 0 record, again winning the league titles in 2001 and 2002.

Chris has received numerous Coach of the Year Awards -- including the CHSCA Award in 1989. She was named the District 1 Regional winner of the National Coaches’ Association in both 1994 and 2003. Chris has also been recognized by the New Haven Register and the New Haven Tap-Off Club. Many of her players have received First Team All-Conference and All-State Awards and one, Holly Oslander, was named an All-American. Several have continued playing basketball at the collegiate level.

Chris has garnered more than 440 career wins during her 30 years as NBHS basketball coach. She has been able to teach and coach while also serving as the Athletic Director at North Branford for the last 16 years. Chris was inducted into the Northeast Agenda Hall of Fame in 1988.

On the state level, Chris has been the long-time chairperson for the Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association Girls’ All-Star Festival which features a double-header showcasing the top senior players in the state. She has also served for many years on the C.I.A.C Girls’ Basketball Committee.

Linda Massey played four seasons at Brien McMahon High School, graduating in 1970. She was the captain, leading rebounder and leading scorer, netting 564 points during her career. Massey’s 1968-69 team was undefeated and in 1970, McMahon lost only one game. Massey averaged 19 points per game in her senior year and was the first female in that school’s history to be named “Athlete of the Week.” Massey set school records scoring 37 points in a game against Norwalk High School and 227 points in a season (1969).

Massey went on to play four years at SCSU under Coach Louise O’Neal and participated in AIAW Championships from 1970-74.

Kara Wolters grew up in a basketball family. Her father, William Wolters, is in the Boston College Hall of Fame and played professional basketball for the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA. Her brother, Ray, played collegiate ball and her sister, Kristen, was a standout player at the University of Rhode Island.

Kara “stood” 6’3” in eighth grade. She continued to grow during her very successful career at Holliston [MA] High School where she still holds the scoring, rebounding and blocked shots record.

From 1993-97, Kara played center for the University of Connecticut. During those years, her UConn team compiled a 132-8 record (94.3%), appeared in four NCAA Tournaments, won the 1995 NCAA championship with a perfect 35-0 record, advanced to the 1996 Final Four, the 1997 and 1994 Final Eights, and won four Big East Conference Championships and four Big East Tournament titles.

Kara’s individual honors are truly impressive. She was:

• •Named by Associated Press 1997 All-America First Team and Player of the Year;
• •Runner-up for the 1997 Boost/Naismith National Player of the Year; Awarded the 1996 Victor Award as the nation's top female collegiate player.
• •Named 1997 All-America by Basketball America, United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and Kodak.
• •Named 1996 All-America first team by the USBWA, United Press International and the Associated Press.
• •Named 1997 and 1995 District I All-America by Kodak, and 1996 All-America honorable mention by Kodak.
• •Named to 1995 NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team, averaging 20.5 ppg. in the Final Four.
• •Named to 1997 and 1996 All-NCAA Midwest Regional and 1995 and 1994 All-NCAA East Regional Teams.
• •Named 1997 Big East Conference Player of the Year, 1997 and 1996 All-Big East first team, 1995 All-Big East second team and 1994 Big East All-Rookie Team.
• •Named 1996 and 1995 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Big East All-Tournament all four years.

After graduating from UConn, Kara played for the ABL New England Blizzard. In 1999, she was selected in the third round of the WNBA draft by the Houston Comets and was drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2000. She was traded in 2001 to the Sacramento Monarchs where she played until the end of her WNBA career. In her four-year WNBA career, Wolters averaged 50 % in field goal shooting, 75 % in free throw shooting, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 6.5 points per game.

Internationally, Kara was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic women's basketball team during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She ranks second among all-time USA World Championship competitors for the most blocked shots (11) and is one of only six women to receive a Gold Medal in the Olympics, an NCAA championship, and a WNBA Championship.

Wolters currently works as a color analyst for WTIC, the UCONN radio network which covers all of the University of Connecticut women's basketball games.

Karen Yarasavage was a three-sport All-Stater at Milford High School, but her greatest success was in basketball. As a member of Coach Lee Franzman’s team , she played in two con-secutive Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class M championship games and led Milford to a Cross County Conference crown.

Yarasavage went onto a stellar career at Yale University where she was a four-year letter winner. She had the best field goal percentage (.517) in 1984-1985, was the season leader in rebounding (181), team MVP and All-Ivy during the 1986-1987 season. Her career field goal per-centage (.615) is still a Yale record.

Yarasavage was team captain, the Elis’ Most Valuable Player and an All-Ivy First Team selection during the 1986-87 season. Twice she was named Ivy League player of the year.

The Karen Yarasavage Award at Yale was created in 2005-06. The recipient demonstrates the grit and determination which were Karen’s trademarks.