Coast Guard adds six to its Athletic Hall of Fame
New London — The Coast Guard Academy will add six new members to its Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 7, 2021 at the Hall of Fame Banquet held in the Otto Graham Hall of Athletic Excellence in Billard Hall as part of Homecoming Weekend.
The Class of 2008 has a pair of athletes that will be inducted in All-American swimmer Bobby Brown and Al Sowers, who led the men's basketball team to the Elite 8 in 2008.
They will be joined by football standout and former East Lyme star Al Thompson (1998), a member of both Coast Guard NCAA football teams, All-American track star Dr. Jackie James-Lyttle ('00) and baseball player Chuck Arena ('07), the Bears' all-time hit leader with 169.
Women's basketball's all-time leading scorer and rebounder Melissa Martinelli ('10), who was selected in 2019, but could not make the ceremony, will also be inducted in 2021.
"It is an honor and privilege to announce the addition of these six extremely talented individuals to the Coast Guard Academy Athletic Hall of Fame," said Dr. Dan Rose, Director of Athletics. "This is a remarkable slate of inductees from top to bottom and their athletic accomplishments resonate on a national level. Congratulations HOF class of 2020, we look forward to honoring your commitment to athletic excellence!"
Class of 2008 represented
Brown, a seven time All-American and fourtime honorable mention All-American, is the most decorated CGA male swimmer. He was a 14-time New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Champion winning eight individual and six relay championships. He was the NEWMAC Swimmer of the Year in 2005 and 2008. Brown held NEWMAC Championship and Open records in the 200, 500, 1,000 and still holds the record in 1,650 freestyle.
He held every Coast Guard freestyle record from the 100 to 1,650 yards when he graduated and was part of four school record relay teams. He was part of three NEWMAC Championship teams ('06, '07, 08). Brown was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2008.
Sowers was the captain of both of both the 2007 and 2008 NEWMAC Champion and NCAA tournament basketball teams. He was a threetime All-NEWMAC selection earning first team honors as a senior and also being named to the All-Northeast region team during his senior season. The 2008 team won a school record 24 games and advanced to the Elite 8.
He started all 109 games in his career and is third all-time with 1,518 points and is the CGA all-time leader with 266 3-pointers and 400 assists. He is second at the Academy with 170 steals and is in the top ten in nine different sta
tistical categories.
James-Lyttle was a two-time All-American on the track earning the honor during the indoor season in 1999 in the 100 meters before placing second in the 55 meters during the 2000 indoor season. She hold the school record in the 100 meters outdoors (12.22) and previously held CGA records in the 55, 100 and 200 meters.
She was a school record holder on two relays when she graduate and was the 2000 New England 100 meter champion and won the ECAC Award for Scholarship and Athletic Prowess.
Arena, a three-time All-NEWMAC selection, twice as a member of the first team, is the Bears' all-time hit leader with 169 and also holds the single season school record with 54 hits. His .353 career average is fifth best in program history. He holds the school record with a 33-game hitting streak and he was the NEWMAC batting champion in 2006 when he hit .429, second best single season average at CGA.
He is second at CGA in RBI's (95), fourth in home runs (11) and seventh in doubles with 31. Arena was a 2006 ECAC New England third team selection and was the 2004 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.
Thompson was a member of both Freedom Football Conference and NCAA tournament teams in both 1996 and 1997 and was team captain in 1997. The 1996 team was 8-3 while the 1997 team won a school record nine games and finished 9-2. He was a first team All-FFC wide receiver and kick returner in '96 and '97 and was a second team selection as a punt returner in 1995.
He held four record when he graduated with most TD receptions in a game (3), season (9) and career (24) while also holding the longest kickoff return (94 yards). His 24 career receiving touchdowns is still a record. Thompson had 98 receptions for 1,717 yards in his career. He also ran track for three years and earned All-New England honors as a sprinter and he was part of All-NE relay teams during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Martinelli is the Bears' all-time leader with 1,853 points and 906 rebounds. She holds the school record for career field goal percentage (.507) and points per game (17.5). She was a threetime All-NEWMAC first team selection, one of only two players in program history to earn first team honors for three straight seasons. She was also named the 2006-'07 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.
She led the Bears to the only championship in program history when the team won the 2008 ECAC Championship by registering a school record 25 wins to finish 25-5.