Meet the 2023 Hornell High School Sports Hall of Fame inductees
The Hornell High School Sports Hall of Fame will add six new members during a ceremony at halftime of the Red Raiders' home-opening varsity football game against Penn Yan/Dundee at Maple City Park on Sept. 9.
Game time is 1:30 p.m. for the contest against the Mustangs.
The 2023 Hall of Fame inductees span nearly a half century of Hornell sports greats. The new members include one athlete from the 1970s, one from the 1990s, three from the 2000s and a long-time coach and contributor.
For an athlete to be eligible for induction into the Hornell High School Sports Hall of Fame, they must have competed for at least two years in interscholastic athletics for Hornell and have been graduated a minimum of 10 years.
The Hall of Fame selects the inductees from nominations made by community members.
The 2023 Hornell High School Sports Hall of Fame Inductees are: (class year included)
Susan Hunt Cieslak (1975)
Hunt Cieslak lettered in soccer, basketball and softball in her sophomore, junior and senior years. In basketball, she was captain of the team and received the MVP award in her senior year. The softball teams had undefeated regular seasons in her junior and senior years.
During the summers between each of her high school years, she played on the Princess Softball League for girls age 14-18. They won the Princess World Series Championship titles in 1973 and 1974.
From 1972-1975, she owned a Registered Palomino Quarter Horse which she rode in competitions in both English and Western Style. In local competition, she won several ribbons in her age group.
Erin Buchanan (1993)
Buchanan earned 10 varsity letters in basketball, volleyball and softball. As a four-year starter and team captain, she led the basketball team in scoring each season. She was the first female in Hornell High School history to score 1,000 points in her career, while playing in the Sullivan Trail Conference against powerhouse schools like Corning West, Southside, Horseheads and Elmira Free Academy.
In addition to basketball, Buchanan was a three-time varsity letter winner in both volleyball and softball. She was a member of the 1993 Section V, Class BB Sectional softball team.
She went on to play college basketball for the Geneseo Knights, a Division III program that was ranked No. 1 in the country and made two appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and 1995.
Matt Stewart (2005)
Stewart earned eight varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. He was a member of three Section V championship teams, two for baseball and one for football, and two state final four teams for baseball and football.
His senior year, he helped lead the Raiders to three Livingston County Division I league championships in football, basketball and baseball, while earning the Sports Night Co-Athlete of the Year and the Hornell Evening Tribune Award for the class of 2005 Male Athlete of the Year.
As a varsity baseball three-year starter, Stewart helped the Raiders win a Section V, Class A and Class B championship, two Livingston County Division I championships, and clinch a State Final Four trip in 2003 and Western Regional trip in 2004. Stewart never lost a game as a starting pitcher in both his junior and senior years and recorded multiple seasons with an ERA around 1.30.
Zack Bacon (2013)
Bacon is among the most decorated wrestlers in the history of Hornell High School. He capped off an undefeated senior season with a state title in the 220 pound weight class in Albany, becoming just the second Red Raider to achieve that feat. Bacon also won Section V and Livingston County league titles during his stellar career on the mat.
Bacon was also instrumental in Hornell football's domination of Section V and its run of three straight state championships. He earned numerous accolades piling up rushing yards and touchdowns while making big tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
Brendan Buisch (2013)
Buisch was a member of the football, basketball and baseball teams, where he won a Section V championship in baseball, basketball and three in football, as well as two state championships in football. To the best of the Hall of Fame's records, Buisch is the only athlete in the history of HHS to win a sectional title in baseball, basketball and football.
On the hardwood, Buisch was a team captain and helped lead Hornell to its first Section V basketball title in 25 years. He was named Class B MVP, as well as being selected First Team Spectator Great 8 (along with teammates Julian Reinhart and Jimmy Dagon).
On the gridiron, Buisch led the Red Raiders with 12 receiving touchdowns while playing safety defensively his senior year. He was named the Offensive MVP of the state championship game. Buisch went on to one of the most prolific receiving careers in the history of the Alfred University football program.
More: Check out photos from the 2022 Hall of Fame Night induction ceremony
Damian DeMarco (Contributor)
DeMarco began teaching full-time at Hornell High School in 1992, and after 1996, he was named head cross country coach. He also served as boys (1996-2001) and girls (2001-2022) head outdoor track and field coach.
Both boys and girls teams had many all-stars and individual sectional champions under his guidance. The boys were Section V team champions in 1999 and 2001; the girls were Section V team champions in 2005, 2007 and 2011. While the girls head coach, athletes established school records for multiple events in 2004-2008, 2011, 2014 and 2022.
Many athletes continued their careers in Division I, II and III programs and several are now HHS Hall of Famers and successful high school coaches. DeMarco retired in July 2022 after 30 years teaching at HHS.
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Get tickets for Hornell High School Sports HOF induction dinner
The annual induction dinner will be held beginning at 5 p.m., Sept. 9 at the Hornell Golf Club, 473 Seneca Road. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Amy Mayo, secretary of the Hornell High School Sports Hall of Fame Committee, at 607-368-4764.
Tickets for the Induction dinner are $30 per person. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Sept. 1.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Hornell High School Sports HOF inducting these six new members
