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January 2012

Schenectady City School District
2012 Athletic Hall of Fame Class Announced

The Schenectady City School District Athletic Hall of Fame committee is pleased to announce its induction class for 2012.  This year’s inductees will be Lou Jordan, Severino Popolizio and Joe Donato. 

The 15th annual Schenectady City School District Athletic Hall of Fame and Reunion Dinner will be held on Monday, September 10, 2012 at Proctors. 

Jordan held the Mont Pleasant High School single game, season and career scoring records when he graduated in 1955.  He later played at Cornell where he led the team in scoring during all three of his varsity seasons.  He was a first team All-Ivy League selection as a junior and won the Ivy League scoring title as a senior.  Jordan graduated as the second leading career scorer at Cornell. He also held several Cornell records when he graduated.  He still holds the record for free throws made.   

Jordan was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 42nd pick in the 1959 NBA Draft.  He attended Cornell Medical College rather than accept the offer to play professional basketball.  He became an orthopedic surgeon.  Dr. Jordan is a member of the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Popolizio lettered in three sports at Linton High School (Class of 1973). He was a star running back for the Blue Devils‘ football team.  He won the Section II wrestling championship in 1972 and 1973 and was undefeated against Section II competition each year.  Popolizio advanced to the New York State Wrestling Tournament semifinals in 1972 and to the finals in 1973.  He went on to Boston University, where he compiled a 68-4-2 dual meet record. 

He won four Greater Boston titles, three Yankee Conference championships and two New England titles. Popolizio advanced to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament quarterfinals as a junior.  He was the first wrestler to be inducted into the BU Athletic Hall of Fame.  He is also a member of the Section II Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

Donato attended Mont Pleasant High School before enlisting in the Navy during World War II.  He was a leader in the bowling industry as a bowler, mentor, league organizer, tournament director and proprietor.  He was a charter member of the Professional Bowlers Association.  He had two fourth place finishes in PBA Tournaments.  Donato also set world records for a four game match and a six game match.  He made several appearances on ABC’s Make that Spare.  He was the first bowler to make all five spares on the show.  He had over fifty appearances on TV Tournament Time, a popular Capital District bowling show.  He was the first person to bowl a 300 on the show.  Donato was the first bowler selected as the Mont Pleasant Athletic Club Athlete of the Year (1959).  He was selected 53rd on the Gazette’s 1994 list of the top 100 Capital Region sports figures of the previous 100 years.  Donato will be inducted posthumously. 

Please contact Bob Pezzano, at (518) 346-9297, for more details. 

Joe Donato

  • Attended Mont Pleasant HS; enlisted in the Navy during World War II
     

  • A leader in the bowling industry as a bowler, mentor, league organizer, tournament director & proprietor
     

  • Selected 53rd on The Gazette’s 1994 list of the top 100 Capital Region sports figures of the previous 100 years (top bowler & only male bowler on list)
     

  • Mont Pleasant Athletic Club Athlete of the Year in 1959 (first bowler selected)
     

  • Charter member of the Professional Bowlers Association
     

  • Bowled several 300 games in PBA events
     

  • Two fourth place finishes in PBA Tournaments (1959 Empire State Open & 1962 Chicago PBA Open) 
     

  • Set world records for four game match (1956) & six game match (1961)
     

  • Selected as one of the Top Ten Bowlers in the United States (1961)

  • Member of the National Bowling League (1962)
     

  • One of the top 24 bowlers in the PBA (1962)
     

  • Made several appearances on ABC’s Make that Spare; first bowler to make all five spares (4/28/62); made nine consecutive spares to win $4,200
     

  • First NYS bowler to be signed to the AMF Advisory Staff of Champions
     

  • Conducted clinics & exhibitions throughout the United States with Dick Weber & Carmen Salvino

  • Member of the Schenectady Bowling Association Hall of Fame (first class)
     

  • Appeared over 50 times on TV Tournament Time (a popular Capital District bowling show); first to bowl a 300 game on TV Tournament Time (4/10/60)

  • Originated & hosted the annual Elmer Ciccone Memorial Pro-Am, inviting 14 top touring PBA members each year

  • Creator of the “Great, Greater, Greatest Tournament” that benefited local charities
     

  • Formed the Capital District All-Star & Schenectady Major Leagues
     

  • Proprietor of Donato’s Sportsman’s Bowl (40 years); also managed Turnpike Lanes (Town & Country), Mont Pleasant Lanes, Scotia Lanes & Holiday Bowl in Santa Anna, California 

Lou Jordan

  • Played basketball at Mont Pleasant HS for SCSD Athletic Hall of Famer Ray Vacca

  • Held the MP single game, season and career scoring records when he graduated in 1955

  • Averaged 25.6 ppg as a senior (27.4 in the Class “A” League)

  • Scored 34, 35, 33 & 33 points in consecutive games as a senior
     

  • Attended Cornell, where he led the basketball team in scoring all three of his varsity seasons (16.8, 17.7 & 19.2 ppg)

  • First team All-Ivy League selection as a junior

  • Second team All-Ivy League as a senior;  Honorable Mention as a sophomore

  • Honorable Mention NABC All District Team in 1958
     

  • Won the Ivy League scoring title as a senior (Dartmouth’s Rudy LaRusso, a future NBA All-Star, finished second)
     

  • Set Cornell game records for free throws made and attempted
     

  • Also set season & career records for free throws made (still holds career record)
     

  • Team captain as a senior
     

  • During his collegiate career he scored 20 or more points in 26 games
     

  • Scored 37 points vs. Penn in 1957 (at the time, second best in Cornell history)
     

  • Graduated from Cornell as the second leading career scorer; also fifth in career assists
     

  • Member of the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame
     

  • Selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 42nd pick of the 1959 NBA Draft
     

  • Attended Cornell Medical College rather than accept the offer to play professional basketball
     

  • Became an orthopedic surgeon; during his 34-year orthopedic career he was recognized nationally and internationally as a teacher and expert in total hip and total knee replacements, writing multiple papers, giving lectures related to total joint replacement and demonstrating total knee surgical techniques in many European and Asian countries

 

Severino Popolizio 

  • Graduated from Linton HS in 1973
     

  • Lettered in three sports at Linton (football, wrestling & track)
     

  • Star running back for the Blue Devils
     

  • Won nearly 95% of his matches during his four-year varsity wrestling career
     

  • Two-time Section II wrestling champion (1972 & 1973)
     

  • Undefeated vs. Section II wrestling competition as a junior & senior
     

  • Won the prestigious DeMeo Award (outstanding wrestler in Section II)
     

  • Lost a 5-4 decision in the semifinals of the NYS Wrestling Tournament in 1972
     

  • New York State runner-up @ 132 lbs. in 1973
     

  • Four-year letterman in wrestling at Boston University
     

  • Compiled a 68-4-2 dual meet record at BU
     

  • Undefeated in dual meets (18-0) as a sophomore
     

  • Co-captain of the BU wrestling team as a junior; experienced only two takedowns all season & led BU in takedowns, points & wins
     

  • Captain of the BU wrestling team as a senior
     

  • Won four Greater Boston titles, three Yankee Conference championships & two New England titles
     

  • Three-time NCAA qualifier; an overtime loss as a freshman kept him from competing in the NCAA Tournament that year
     

  • Advanced to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament quarterfinals as a junior
     

  • Recipient of the E. Ray Speare Award (honoring the top male student-athlete at BU)
     

  •  Inducted into the BU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985 (first wrestler)
     

  • Inducted into the Section II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008

 

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