The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
CT Women’s Hall of Fame announces 2022 inductees
The Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Committee announces its 2022 class of inductees. The 33rd Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 27th at Cascade Banquet Facility on 480 Sherman Avenue in Hamden. Ticket information may be obtained from Tina Gonyea (203) 927-6581 or tlghoop@aol.com.
The Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame was the first organization of its kind in the country. It was created in 1987 by five professional and personal friends who strongly felt the need to honor outstanding basketball players, coaches, officials, and advocates. The Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the enhancement of women’s basketball in Connecticut — either through participation, through service, through support, or through achievement. The 2022 Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Famers exemplify the finest achievements in Connecticut.
2022 Inductees include: Nadine Domond, Bridgeport Central; Ellen Geraghty, Gilbert; Ron Hanson (high school coach), Ellington; Brian Hurlock (honorary) Farmington/ Terryville/Wolcott; Margaret Tieman (referee) Litchfield; Jaci Daigneault (college player); Queen Edwards (college).
NADINE DOMOND — HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER
Domond led Bridgeport Central to a 27-0 record in 1993-94, culminating with a four-point victory over Shelton for the Class LL title. Domond, a 5-foot-7 guard, averaged 23.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 6.4 steals per game as a senior. She scored a careerhigh 56 points in a game against Norwalk, and was honored as the Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year and a four-time allstate selection. Domond finished her career with 2,302 points, 921 rebounds, 476 assists and 472 steals.
At Iowa, Domond played in three NCAA tournaments, where the Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1996. Nadine was a second team All-Big Ten honoree in 1998. She was chosen 19th overall by the New York Liberty in the 1996 WNBA Draft and played extensively overseas in France, Poland and Israel.
RON HANSON — HIGH SCHOOL COACH
Hanson began coaching the girls’ basketball team at Ellington in 1975. Hanson installed a basketball philosophy, based on that of Dr. Tom Davis from Boston College, into his coaching style. That philosophy — “One zone offense and one man offense. One defense, press on every possession. Play 10 players.” — obviously worked well. During the 1979-1983 seasons, his teams captured the North Central Connecticut ConSchool ference four years and won the State Championship three years in a row.
Hanson was hired to be the part-time head coach at Quinnipiac College in the fall of 1983. His coaching style was perfect for the talent he found there. His offense, led by soon-to-be All-American Francine Perry, and defense — which pressed, pressed, and pressed — enabled Quinnipiac to dominate enroute to two New England Collegiate Conference regular season and conference championships. Quinnipiac advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II tournament both years he coached.
MARGARET ELIZABETH TIEMAN — REFEREE
Tieman’s extensive resume includes success at every level of athletics — as a player, coach, and official. Tieman graduated from Litchfield High School where she was the school’s first 1,000-point scorer and was selected a four-time All-Berkshire League and a two-time all-state team member. As a field hockey coach at Lewis Mills High School, Tieman led her team to two state titles and was honored as Coach of the Year by the CT High Coaches’ Association.
Tieman has worked Division I, II, and III NCAA Basketball tournament games and was selected to officiate the Division III national championship game in 2010 and 2012. She currently works for 13 Division I conferences including the SEC, ACC, and The Big Ten; having worked the Division I NCAA tournament since 2013. In 2016, she refereed the pre-Olympic tour for the 2016 United States Women’s Basketball Team, which eventually won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Tieman also met her husband, Mike Schmidt, while refereeing. They co-founded and direct The Referee Academy, which provides professional development for sports officials.
BRIAN HURLOCK — HONORARY
Hurlock recalls being the last one off the bench for his Farmington High School basketball team. From that humble beginning, he has built a significant legacy of coaching, officiating, and mentoring young basketball players.
He recently completed his 30th year running a basketball camp in Farmington, a camp which stresses “details” and learning the intricacies of the game. Hurlock has coached at several high school programs throughout the state over a 40-year period and took pride in seeing his teams improve from one year to the next. A prime example was his Terryville team which was 1-19 his first season and 12-10 the next.
Hurlock has coached five different high school girls’ basketball teams to state tournament berths. He led a Wolcott Tech team, which had lost 265 games without a victory at one point, to a Class S state tournament berth in 2012.
ELLEN M. GERAGHTY — HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER
Geraghty became the all-time leading scorer at The Gilbert School in Winsted, with 1,806 points. Geraghty, a skilled passer, also set the Gilbert record with over 600 assists as a point guard. She was a four-time All-Berkshire League and three-time all-state selection.
Geraghty led the Yellowjackets to a four-year record of 78-25 during her career. The 1995 team reached the Class M state tournament semifinals, and she was also a part of both a Berkshire League title, and a conference tournament championship in following seasons. Geraghty was a two-time captain and was inducted by Gilbert in 2007 as one of the school’s Distinguished Alumni in Athletics. In 2015, she was recognized by the Waterbury Republican-American in the Hoop Zone Hall of Fame as one of the “best players of all-time” from area high schools, and recognized on the All Time New Haven Register All State Basketball Team for 1998.
Geraghty’s successes continued at the University of Maine, where she helped the Black Bears to three 20-plus win seasons which resulted in two America East Conference titles and two NCAA tournament berths. The 2003 team was undefeated in conference play.
JACLYN DAIGNEAULT — COLLEGE PLAYER
In 2011 Daigneault led Amherst College to the Division III national championship, the first in program history. Amherst defeated five-time defending champion Washington University of St. Louis. A two-time State Farm Division III All-American, Daigneault was named 2011 Division III National Player of the Year.
Daigneault scored 1,299 points and added 654 rebounds at Amherst, averaging 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds during her senior season. Amherst recorded a 32-1 season enroute to the national championship. Daigneault graduated fourth on the program’s all-time list for points and fifth in rebounds.
A 2007 Guilford graduate, Daigneault scored 1,326 career points. As senior captain, she earned AllSouthern Connecticut Conference, New Haven Register All-Area and New Haven Register and Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association All-State honors.
Daigneault recently graduated from UMass Medical School and is currently a medical student first year pediatrics resident at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
QUEEN EDWARDS-SMITH — COLLEGE PLAYER
After an outstanding career at Hillhouse, Edwards traveled 10 miles north to Quinnipiac College. The 5-foot-5 guard completed her collegiate career with 1207 points, 594 rebounds, 476 assists, and 394 steals. She was named three-time Defensive Player of the Year by the Northeast-10 Conference and selected to the Quinnipiac Hall of Fame. She was also chosen to be part of “the MAAC Experience” — a way for the MAAC Conference to honor its all-time athletes. After graduation, Queen coached at Wilbur Cross for 11 years and was an assistant coach at Yale for four years.