ABC6 Sports Anchor Ian Steele Honored With Media Award as RIIAAA Holds Annual Dinner in Warwick

RIIAAA Press Release

Introducing, Talia Petit, Cranston HS West and Benjamin Borkman, North Providence HS, the 2024 NIAAA Scholar Athletes representing Rhode Island

Talia Petit, Cranston HS West is a multi-sport athlete in softball, basketball, cross-country, indoor, and outdoor track & field. Talia who is a team captain, student council representative and National Honor Society member is the daughter of Laurel and Neal Petit.

Benjamin Borkman, North Providence HS, is a multi-sport athlete in Golf, Football and Cross-Country. An All-Academic Athlete, two-time All Division quarterback, Ben led North Providence football to a 2023 Division IV Superbowl Championship. Ben who is a National Honor Society member involved in VAASA (Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse), DECA (Distribution Education Clubs of America) and TSA (Technology Society of America) is the son of Douglas Borkman and Deana Marzocchi.

James ‘Jamey’ Veletino, Westerly High School, 2024 NIAAA State Award of Merit recipient. Jamey has been a member of the RIIAAA executive committee since 2008. He proudly served as the RIIAAA president from 2015-2017. He has spent 13 years attending the MSSADA conference and has gone to 10 of the last 11 National Conferences. While attending, he has completed 24 National Leadership courses as well as seven years as a RIIAAA delegate to the NIAAA. He proudly serves on the realignment committee and most recently the transfer rule subcommittee. Jamey was the 2023 RIIAAA Athletic Director of the Year.

All this pales in comparison to the most important accomplishment. He has been able to remain married to my lovely wife, Amanda and help raise our three amazing children, Lillian, James, and Emilia while serving the community he loves.

Martin ‘Marty’ Crowley, Cumberland High School, 2024 RIIAAA Athletic Director of the Year. In 2021, Marty was named Athletic Director of Cumberland High School, where he oversees 26 athletic programs at the high school and 18 middle school programs at McCourt and North Cumberland Middle Schools. Under his guidance, the Clippers have won multiple division titles and this past year state titles in baseball, girls’ soccer, and girls’ cross country. The cross-country title this past fall was the Clippers first since 1981. In addition to his successes at CHS, Marty has coached teams that have won state titles in basketball (Burrillville 2003) and softball (Cumberland 2011). He has been selected and awarded the honor of Coach of the Year seven times, most recently in 2023.

Marty has been a member of the RIIAAA executive board for the past year. He proudly serves as its president-elect. He has attended the past two NIAAA National Conferences, completing five National Leadership courses and serving on a Blue-Ribbon Panel (2022). He also served as an RIIAAA delegate at those conventions.

Marty is supported by his wife Jill, daughter Ashton, son Ryan, and granddaughter Riley as well as his mother Gerrie and siblings Bill, Tom, and Mary Ellen, and many other family members and friends.

Edward ‘Ted’ Quigley, La Salle Academy retired, 2024 RIIAAA Hall of Fame. Ted Quigley served as the Athletic Administrator at La Salle Academy in Providence from 2000 until 2021. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Rhode Island Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association for 18 years. During that time, he held multiple positions in the RIIAAA, including President from 2008-2010. In 2010, he became the first RIIAAA President to become a voting member of the Principals Committee on Athletics. As a member of the RIIAAA, Ted served in a variety of capacities. He was a Chairman of the Membership Committee, the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, the RIIAAA Annual Golf Tournament, and was a Rhode Island delegate many times to the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s Annual Conference.

From 2011 until 2017, he was a member of the NIAAA’s Credentials Committee. He also served on numerous sports committees for the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, including Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Competition Cheerleading, Gymnastics, Golf, and Volleyball. In 2003, Ted received the NIAAA State Award of Merit for Rhode Island. He was named the Athletic Director of the Year by the RIIAAA in 2008 and was named Athletic Director of the Year in 2021 by the RIIL.

Ted currently works part-time for the RIIL as the Middle School Sports Director. He resides in Warwick with his wife, Marcia.

Anthony ‘Tony’ M. Rainone, Central Falls HS retired, 2024 RIIAAA Hall of Fame. Anthony Rainone was an outstanding catcher and outfielder on the Rhode Island College baseball team from 1970-73, serving as a team captain during his senior year.

After graduation, The Cranston, Rhode Island native went on to an accomplished football coaching career at Central Falls High School. He began as an assistant coach from 1974-78 and then took over as the head coach from 1979-97. During that time span, Rainone’s squads won two division titles and made two Super Bowl appearances. He is a member of the Rhode Island High School Football Coaches and the Providence Gridiron Club Hall of Fames. Rainone was named the Rhode Island High School Division IV

Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1997.

He received the Cronin Award, signifying him as the Rhode Island High School Football Coach of the Year in 1997. He also received the Jack Martin Sportsmanship Award in 1999 and the RIIAAA Tedeschi Award in 2006. In addition to his football coaching duties, Rainone was an assistant baseball coach at Central Falls High School for 14 seasons.

After stepping down as the Head Football Coach, Rainone served as Central Falls High School’s Athletic Director from 1997-03.

He was named Rhode Island College’s Outstanding Athletic Alumnus by the Speaker of the House and the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 2005.

Tony is a long-time member of the RI Interscholastic Injury Fund Board having served as President, Vice President, Secretary, and historian of the group. He is a firm believer that no student should need to deal with the added expense that either school or private insurance does not cover in the case of a sports’ injury.

Rainone resides in Cranston, Rhode Island. He is the proud parent of two children, Sarah, and Matt.

Jason Menard, Providence Schools, Director of Operations, 2024 RIIAAA Administrator of the Year. Jason Menard is the Senior Director of Operations at Providence Public Schools, a role he has held for the past eight years. Born and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts, Jason graduated from Durfee High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Salem State College. With twenty-four years of experience in educational settings, Jason has worked in coed educational/residential programs and traditional school settings. While running the Exeter Job Corps Academy in Exeter, Rhode Island, Jason brought them to the number one nationally ranked center for education and employment achievement.

Jason is known for his commitment to enhancing the athletic experience for students, overseeing athletic facilities, and advocating for major capital improvements that benefits student-athletes. In his current role, Jason works closely with five Athletic Directors, overseeing athletics for five host high schools and four cooperative high schools in Providence, serving over ten thousand students and more than three thousand athletes. He also responsible for the direct oversight of the districts Emergency Preparedness Protocols, Chairs the District Crisis team, Chairs the district’s Disciplinary Committee, and is responsible for the contract oversight of the food service provider.

Jason is deeply committed to community engagement and collaboration, working closely with district leadership, the Mayor of Providence, City Council Members, and a supportive Superintendent to propose and implement changes that benefit student-athletes. While serving in his role at Providence Public Schools, he is also the contact person for community involvement at places such as Providence Career and Tech Academy, Conley stadium, and all other school department fields that may support the city’s youth programs. He has also worked with several colleges inside and outside of the state to improve the exposure of high school athletes.

Under his leadership, the city/district has allocated over three million dollars for facility improvements at all five site locations, including satellite locations such as Conley Stadium. Additionally, Jason’s office runs an intramural middle school program within the city’s seven schools, further enhancing the athletic opportunities for over a thousand students. Over the past year, his office was able to secure just under two hundred and fifty thousand dollars towards new uniforms as well as equipment.

Jason has been married to his wife Amy for 18 years, and they have one child, Brayden, who is currently a sophomore at Moses Brown High School. The Menard family resides in Coventry, RI. Jason’s dedication to improving the athletic experience for students, coupled with his leadership and collaborative approach, make him a highly respected figure in the field of athletics administration and school leadership.

Lyndsey Larson, Lincoln High School Volleyball, 2024 RIIAAA Female Coach of the Year. While a student at Coventry High School, Lyndsey joined the girls’ volleyball team in 2009 as a freshman. She was a member of the school’s varsity team for three years and led the team to a Division One State Championship in her senior year as the team’s starting libero. That same year Lyndsey was named second team All Division and received the Coventry High School Sportsmanship award.

After her successful high school career, Lyndsey took her talents and hard work to Nashua, New Hampshire to attend Rivier University. She was a four-year starter on the women’s volleyball team at River and helped lead the Raiders to two GNAC championships and two NCAA tournament appearances. On top of her team accomplishments, she was also personally awarded the Distinguished Service Award and Senior Athletic Award by the University. Along with an esteemed college athletic career, Lyndsey also graduated college with a secondary math education degree.

Despite the long commute, she accepted a position as the Lincoln High School girls and boy’s assistant volleyball coach in 2018. Coaching alongside her friend and head coach Kyle Medeiros, the girls’ team finished as Division 2 runners up and the boys finished the season as the runners up in Division 3. Starting in 2019, she took over as head coach of the girl’s program.

After a disappointing 2021 season for the boys in Division 2, Lyndsey took over as head coach of the team. The coaching staff then led the 2022 Lions boys’ team to a division 3 regular season championship. The Lions finished the regular season undefeated. For the 2023 season, they were moved up to Division 2 and started the season with a 1-6 record through the first 7 games. The Lions turned things around and ended their season winning 12 of their last 13 games including upsetting the number 1 seed in the semifinals and the number two seed in the championship game, where they captured the school’s first ever state championship in boys’ volleyball. She hopes to continue sharing her love of the game with new athletes for many years to come!

Henry Cabral, Davies Technical & Career High School, 2024 RIIAAA Male Coach of the Year. Henry is currently the Head Football coach at William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School, where he has also served as a Physical Education and Health teacher since 1999.

A 1990 graduate of Bristol High School, Henry was a member of the Class B Colt football team that went to back-to-back Super Bowls under Coach Thomas Vendituoli. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Rhode Island receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education & Health.

In 2019, Henry started Davies’ first ever football program. After going winless in its first season, the program has steadily risen over the past 4 years. The team recorded their first win during the covid spring season and followed that up by making the playoffs in years 3 and 4 of the program. This past season was Davies finest, as it went undefeated in Division 4 and made the school’s first Super Bowl appearance.

Henry currently lives in Bristol, RI with his wife of 27 years, Kendra. They have 3 children together, Cassidy, Kennedy and Caden.

Ian Steele, WLNE ABC6 news reporter, 2024 RIIAAA Media award recipient. Ian started at ABC6 in August of 2017. A Massachusetts native, his first word was “touchdown” while watching a Patriots game with his dad on television, so it’s only fitting that he followed the career path of sports reporting, a passion he developed from a very young age. From Marshfield, MA, he played football for the Rams, and played in the state championship game in all four of his high school years, finally winning it his senior year at Gillette Stadium. Coming full circle, he’s now seen on the sidelines at Gillette on Sundays.

lan graduated from Emerson College, in Boston where he could always be found in the student newsroom or television studios. After working with EIV News, the Emerson Channel, and WEB (which allowed him to cover MLB Spring Training while still in school), he got the hands-on experience that still helps him in his work today.

You can often find Ian on the sideline at many local high school games only to view his report on the late evening news, WLNE-ABC 6. He follows Ken Bell and Nick Coit from ABC6 to receive the distinction as an RIIAAA Media Award recipient.

Cranston High School West Alumni Association, 2024 Sister Charlene Tedeschi-Distinguished Service Award. The Cranston High School West Alumni Association works tirelessly to make improvements to the school’s facilities. The Alumni Board consists of six officers and numerous other Cranston West Alumni. Over time they have raised $3 million to accomplish these goals.

The group’s first project was the auditorium remodeling, for which there was full school support. With a completed renovation, September 28, 2017, a new auditorium was revealed. Any funding left over from the auditorium project was carried over to the new field press box at West, which led to great partnerships with Cranston West Alumni Association many organizations.

The group’s latest completed project is the building of the new quad for studying with ramps, as well as walking paths. The Cranston West Quad revival includes three outdoor classrooms and additional enclosed seating accessible to the student for both lunch and learning. It can be used more frequently as a secure space for events like school dances and special events.

Future projects in the works includes the gymnasium rehab and a video marquee.

Cranston High School West Alumni Association is a great way to give back to the school that gave them so much. Some of the teachers and educators are now mentors. and friends.

Thomas ‘Tom’ Kenwood, Cumberland High School, 2024 RIIAAA Lifetime Achievement Award. Tom graduated from Tolman H.S. in 1969 where he competed in swim basketball, cross country, and track. He went on to Rhode Island College where he majored in Physical Education. In 1980 he earned his master’s degree in health education. He was a member of the RIAHPERD Executive Board for several years. At Cumberland H.S. he was responsible for writing the Health and Physical Education curriculum.

Tom completed forty-three years of coaching and 37 years of teaching at Cumberland H.S. in 2017 but continues to volunteer at CHS. Between gymnastics, indoor track, outdoor track, and cross country his teams have won over 600 meets and over forty division titles. His teams have also won Class A titles in track and cross country. He has coached boys’ and girls’ gymnastics in addition to track and cross country and won the State Girl’s Title in 1984 after three straight second place finishes. In 1978 his indoor track team won the State Title. Tom took over as cross-country coach for Harry Gederman in 1995 after coaching cross country at CCRI for ten years. The team has since won three Class A titles and the State Championship in 2004. In recent years his teams are on a streak of winning the cross country, indoor, and outdoor division titles for at least the past five years. He is most proud of the fact that over forty of his athletes have gone into coaching track or cross country if only for a brief time.

Tom is very active in the community. He has served on the Town’s Parks and Recreation Commission for twenty-five years and runs youth track meets in the summer for town residents. He served on the Cumberland Youth Soccer Association as a coach and board member for ten years. He also coached Little League baseball. He has organized the Cumberland-test 5k Road Race for twenty-seven years as well as serving on the steering committee. This event benefits youth athletics in town. He also organizes the Arnold Mills 4th of July Four Mile Road Race for the Arnold Mills Parade Committee and has been a part of it for forty-five years. He also helped organize the Cumberland Town Wide Learning Community’s 5 K Road Race to benefit Middle School sports as well as the Franklin Farm 5 K. He also helps with the Bobby Doyle Classic and the George Nasuti “Novan’s Pride” road races.

Tom and his wife Kathy have three adult children Chris (42), Michaela (40), and Mark (38), all of whom he has coached Mark and Michaela also served as assistant coaches for Tom and Michaela has coached soccer and track at Barrington H.S. All his family has helped on race day for many years especially his wife Kathy.

Lincoln High School, 2024 RIIAAA George Nasuti-School of the Year. Under the direction of Greg O’Connor, Athletic Administrator and Madison Flaxington, Assistant Athletic Administrator Lincoln HS supports 36 athletic programs throughout the school year.