Milford Hall of Fame Inducts 2026 Class, Honoring Late Danni Kemp and 2008 Law Team
The Class of 2026 includes nine individual honorees and one team, with the induction dinner scheduled for December 5 at Grassy Hill Country Club in Orange.
By Nadia Rahman ·
The Milford Sports Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2026 on November 13. The group consists of nine individual inductees and one team, all of whom will be recognized at a dinner on December 5.
The event will take place at Grassy Hill Country Club in Orange. Social activities begin at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $85 and are available by contacting Tom Blake at coachblake@optonline.net. No tickets will be sold at the entrance on the night of the event.
Among the individual honorees is Danni Kemp, a 2015 graduate of Foran High School. Kemp competed in volleyball, basketball, and softball. She died at age 19 from an inoperable brain tumor. The Danielle Kemp Memorial Softball Award, given to top performers in the CIAC softball championships, is named in her honor.
Other inductees include Rhonda Boyd (Foran, 1988), who played basketball and volleyball and helped Miami-Dade Community College win the 1989 NJCAA volleyball national championship. She also played two seasons of basketball at Syracuse. Jim Leahy (Milford, 1979) starred as a goalkeeper, played at Brandeis, and was elected to the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022.
Nick Newell (Law, 2004) earned All-State wrestling honors in Class M despite a congenital amputation of his left arm. He holds the career wins record at Western New England. Walter Shimchick, a coach for 37 years, is recognized for his work in swimming and track and field, including efforts to bring a pool to Foran.
Kathryn Doohan (Lauralton Hall, 2017) set nine school records in track and field and won the 2022 Atlantic 10 Conference long jump title at Fordham. George Pfeil (Law, 1967) played football and track and field before playing football at Boston College. Dennis P. Russell Jr. (Platt Tech, 1983) starred in baseball for the Panthers before playing at New Haven.
Jessica Bataille (Law, 1996) excelled in volleyball, basketball, and softball, and played softball at UConn. She was inducted into the Connecticut Scholastic and Collegiate Softball Hall of Fame in 2025. The 2008 Law baseball team, which won the Class L state championship as the No. 20 seed, completes the list of honorees.
