Rescheduled Gold Key Dinner Set for May 17

Connecticut Sports Media Alliance
8 minutes ago
2 min read

The 83rd Gold Key dinner, presented by the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance (CSMA), will be held on Sunday, May 17, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of Southington.

Originally scheduled for last October, the annual dinner was postponed after the death of Alliance President Tim Jensen in September at the age of 59.

Tickets sold for the original banquet date will be honored in May. Tickets are $80 and may be reserved by contacting Alliance member John Holt by email at JohnDHolt@yahoo.com or by phone at 508-740-4738.

Twenty-two men and women ranging in age from 18 to 96 will be honored for their contributions to the state’s sporting landscape at the dinner.

Dating back to 1940, when the original class of honorees included baseball Hall of Fame member Connie Mack and golfing legend Bobby Jones, the Gold Key Award remains one of the highest athletic honors in Connecticut.

Among the variety of notable standouts who have a Gold Key award are Willie Pep, Gordie Howe, Geno Auriemma, Joan Joyce, Dwight Freeney, Bill Rodgers, Kristine Lilly, Joe Cronin, Lindy Remigino and President George H. W. Bush.

The 2025 Gold Key recipients who will be honored are:

Rachele Fico, star softball pitcher at Masuk High School in Monroe and Louisiana State University
Nick Giaquinto, Stratford, UConn football standout and 1983 Super Bowl champion with Washington
James Jones, longtime Yale University men's basketball coach
Dave Wallace, Waterbury native and pitching coach of the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox
Kara Wolters, one of just 12 women to win a NCAA and WNBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Other honorees will be:

President's Award: Peter King, Enfield High School graduate who was the lead NFL writer for Sports Illustrated for nearly 30 years
Doc McInerney High School Coaches of the Year: Anne Burrows, Bloomfield girls track and field; John Reiser, Manchester boys basketball
Hank O'Donnell Female Athlete of the Year: Brooke Strauss, Glastonbury High School cross country/track and field, indoor mile national champion, UConn commit
Bill Lee Male Athlete of the Year: Magnus Manley, Ridgefield High School cross country/track and field, high school All-American, Yale commit
Hal Levy High School Achievement Award: Fred Williams, Northwestern Regional High School girls basketball coach with state record 745 wins
Bob Barton Excellence In Media Award: Wayne Norman, WILI sportscaster for more than half a century
Bob Casey Courage Award: Matt Buckler, longtime sports journalist and auto racing announcer
John Wentworth Good Sports: Rick Evangelisti and Bill Neller (Litchfield Hills Road Race); Ray DaCosta (CT Northstars youth basketball founder), Skip Falcone (West Haven Twilight Baseball League), Alex Palluzzi (Branford Parks and Recreation, Hall of Fame) and Bruce Wilhelm (Enfield and regional youth soccer administrator)
Bo Kolinsky Special Recognition Award: Dolores Sawchuk, Colchester, champion of Bacon Academy athletics for nearly 80 years
Bo Kolinsky Memorial Sports Media Scholarship: Kyle Clark, Rockville High School. We will also honor our 2026 scholarship winner at the dinner. Applications for this year’s award close on March 13.