Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame will hold its 2025 induction ceremony Oct. 7 at the Crest Hollow County Club. For more information and tickets, go to www.sectionviii.org. Here’s a list of local honorees.
Ray Adams (Long Beach)
For the past 28 seasons, the Long Beach wrestling program has achieved remarkable success under the direction of Baldwin alum Adams. During that span, the team has a dual meet record of 328-110-1, winning the New York State Dual-Meet championship in 2016 and 2017. Adams has led Long Beach to an incredible 16 Conference titles and five Nassau County crowns.
Adams’ dedication to developing athletes at a very high level is palpable by the 168 All-County wrestlers he has coached. Of those, 11 went on to become state champions, 48 became Nassau County champions, and 42 were All-State wrestlers. Adams’ impact on wrestling goes beyond wins and championships. A member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2022), has been greatly recognized for his contributions, earning him Nassau County Coach of the Year three times.
Steve Costello (MacArthur)
Gina, Vicky and Rosie DiMartino (Massapequa)
It is a genuine honor to have one member of a family become a high school soccer star.
So what is there to say about a family that produces not one, not two, not three, but an astounding four All-Long Island players. That’s what made the DiMartino sisters so special. Each was a star in her own right. Each led teams to championships. Each earned multiple individual honors. Gina, Vicky and Rosie DiMartino followed elder sister Christina into soccer stardom. Each proved to be winners while leading Massapequa to Nassau and New York State crowns.
Gina was a sensation at Massapequa. She led the Chiefs to two state soccer titles. She set the school scoring record. She won the Mike Clarke Award as the best player in the county. She was a two-time All-Long Island selection and has been inducted into the Long Island Soccer Players Hall of Fame. Victoria (Vicky) was an All-Long Island first-team selection as a junior in 2005 and led Massapequa to the county, regional and state titles as a senior. She was chosen for the United States Under-17 World Cup team in New Zealand.
Ronald Gustafson (Wantagh)
A common theme runs throughout the career of “Gus” Gustafson when competed as a member of Wantagh High School’s cross-country and track & field teams: Unprecedented success. As “leader of the pack”, Gustafson’s running career was impeccable. In cross country, he led the Warriors to two Nassau County Class B team championships and he was a three-time individual champion from 1962-64. Wantagh would win the New York State cross country team title in 1962 and he would win the NYS individual championship in 1963 and 1964. In track, Gustafson was a three-time Nassau County champion in the 3200-meter race.
William ‘Bill’ Hedgecock (Wantagh & Lynbrook)
Hedgecock was a fixture in Nassau County track & field and cross country for 41 years. His former players describe Coach Hedge as more than a coach – he’s a legend, a mentor, and someone who left a lasting impact on everyone lucky enough to know him. He exhibited an extensive knowledge of both sports at Lynbrook and Wantagh. His career began at Lynbrook for 11 years from 1969-80.
In 1981, Hedgecock moved over to Wantagh, where he was the head coach in cross country and spring track for the next three decades. During his tenure, Bill’s teams amassed a staggering 1,207 wins (819 in XC and 388 in track) with only 102 losses. He led his teams to 50 undefeated seasons, two New York State cross country championships at Wantagh (boys in 1986, girls in 1992) and 37 Nassau titles between the two schools.
Quint Kessenich (Lynbrook)
Aside from being an extraordinary three-sport star at Lynbrook, Kessenich, a 1986 graduate, was also a bit of an introvert. All of which is ironic since he is now a vocal ESPN broadcaster for lacrosse, wrestling, football and other sports. Kessenich was an outstanding athlete in high school. He starred as a soccer player and was a two-time Nassau wrestling champion for the Owls. However, it was on the lacrosse field that he was truly extraordinary.
Kessenich was considered to be the top high school lacrosse goaltender in the country as a junior and senior, and twice was named All-American. He starred at the collegiate level at Johns Hopkins, becoming a rare four-time All-American for the Blue Jays. He also was twice the recipient of the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Award, given to the best goaltender in collegiate lacrosse.
