On Saturday, October 17, five members of the Class of 2026 plus two special award-winners were honored during the 32nd Eastern Connecticut State University Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame ceremonies at the Fine Arts Instructional Center.
Melvin F. CASTILLO-FERREIRA
Baseball (2007-10)
(Presenter: Walter Diaz, former Vice President of Student Affairs)

Melvin Castillo-Ferreira was a two-time ABCA Division III All-America left-side infielder who started on four NCAA tournament qualifiers and still ranks among the all-time top three in nine major career categories. The Danbury native   appeared in all possible 191 games (starting all but one), at one point reaching safely in 63 straight games. With the middle-of-the-order right-handed hitter, Eastern won two Little East Conference regular-season and two LEC tournament titles and compiled an overall record of 140-50-1, 46-10 in the LEC regular season. In 2007, he became the program's first freshman position player to reap All-America distinction in 37 years when he batted .355 with 14 home runs, 36 extra-base hits and 58 RBI as Eastern clinched a perfect (14-0) LEC regular season. Castillo-Ferreira was also a three-time ABCA All-New England Region selection, four-time All-ECAC and All-LEC All-Star and the LEC Rookie-of-the-Year in 2007. 
 
 Christian M. D'AMBROSIO
Coach (2000-2021)
 (Presenters: Sons Carson and Cooper '16 D'Ambrosio)

By any metric, Christian D'Ambrosio is the preeminent head coach in the 40-year history of the women's soccer program. A Coventry native, D'Ambrosio coached the first 22 years of the 21^st century before stepping down after having coached and won roughly 60 percent of the program's total matches. He is the program's coaching leader in years coached, matches coached, wins, winning percentage, wins per season, post-season tournament appearances, Little East Conference regular-season titles won or shared and LEC playoff championships. D'Ambrosio's teams were ranked in the USC Division III national Top 25 a total of 15 times and in the USC New England regional poll 80 times. D'Ambrosio was a three-time LEC Coach-of-the-Year and one-time USC Regional Coach-of-the-Year. D'Ambrosio's teams were an astonishing 115-29-8 in Little East Conference regular-season play, with only two of his teams finishing under .500 in the LEC regular season.
 
Max W. FANTL
Soccer / Lacrosse (2006-10)
(Presenter: Greg DeVito, head men's soccer coach)

Max Fantl helped power two programs to a total of seven Little East Conference regular-season and playoff titles and into four post-season tournaments. In soccer, the West Hartford native was a three-time all-region  and four-time All-Little East Conference selection, ECAC New England Player-of-the-Year, two-time LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year and 2006 LEC Rookie-of-the-Year who helped the Warriors to two LEC regular-season and two LEC playoff titles and into three post-season tournaments. In soccer, Fantl never missed a match in his career and currently ranks third all-time in points and goals. The lacrosse midfielder helped the Warriors to two unbeaten LEC regular-season titles, one LEC playoff championship and a 24-2 LEC regular-season record and was named to the All-LEC team as a junior. As a senior, he was a USC Scholar All-America and CoSIDA All-District selection, and was voted as both the department's Male Athlete-of-the-Year and as recipient of the Geissler Senior Male SportsPerson-of-the-Year Award for integrity, leadership, sportsmanship, and spirit.
 
Alexandra R. (KALLGREN) REVANE
Field Hockey (2014-17)
 (Presenter: Christine Hutchison, head field hockey coach)

Alex (Kallgren) Revane is one of only three four-time All-Little East Conference selections in the field hockey program's 29-year history and becomes the second field hockey player overall to gain Alumni Hall of Fame honors and the first inductee based exclusively upon her field hockey exploits. Nine years after playing her final match, the Dudley, MA native remains the all-time leader in points and game-winning goals, shares the all-time lead in goals  and is second in assists. Kallgren was chosen three times to the LEC second team and once to the third team and is one of only three players in program history named to the NFHCA North-South Senior All-Star Game. In her career, she appeared in all 72 possible matches (starting all but three) and contributed at least one point in more than half of those matches. Through 2025, Kallgren is the only player in program history with as many as two of the Top 10 scoring seasons.
 
 Adrianna MIHALEK
Volleyball (2013-16)
 (Presenter: Megan Droesch, head women's volleyball coach)

Adrianna Mihalek was the program's first four-time All-Little East Conference selection who remains the program's all-time leader in kills and attack attempts. The 5-foot-8 inch Woodbury native led the Warriors in kills every season, was second in digs in each of her final three years, and is one of only four players in program history with as many as 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. In addition to her top rankings in kills and attack attempts, Mihalek rates in the all-time Top 10 in three additional career categories, among them second in points. As a senior, Mihalek was named to the New England Senior All-Star Game. That year, she was also named to the LEC Academic Honor Roll for the maximum third time and as an Eastern Outstanding (3.50+ GPA) Scholar-Athlete for the maximum second time and was honored with the department's prestigious  Bonnie Edmondson Senior Female SportsPerson-of-the-Year Award, which recognizes integrity, leadership, sportsmanship, and spirit.
 
   
David H.NICHOLSON
Track & Field (2002-06)
Eastern Alumni Hall of Fame 2021
 
David Nicholson becomes second representative of the Eastern men's track & field program to gain induction into the Little East Conference Hall of Fame, now in its 13^th year. The 2021 Alumni Hall of Famer was a 27-time Little East Conference and New England Alliance champion indoors and outdoors in the 400 and 200 meters and as the anchor on two relays. In the indoor 400 as a senior, the Windsor native became the program's first male to earn NCAA Division III All-America honors in a running event. In all, he earned All-New England honors a total of 38 times indoors and outdoors at 200 and 400 meters and with two relays at the Division III, Open and ECAC championships. As a senior, he captured the New England Division III 400 meter championship both indoors and outdoors.  With Nicholson, the Eastern men won four straight LEC outdoor championships and never finished lower than second indoors, winning the title in his senior season. Nicholson is now in his fifth year as Eastern's head men's and women's track & field coach.

 
   
Stephen E. MORNEAULT
Athletics Volunteer Photographer
 
When it comes to taking photographs, 2026 Michael A. Atkind '75 Exceptional Service Award recipient Stephen Morneault is, by his own admission, 'a little over the top'. A native of Millinocket, ME, Morneault has been taking photographs of Eastern's athletic teams on a voluntary basis since moving to nearby Coventry seven years ago with Susan, his wife of 50 years, in order to be closer to his only child, Bethany, her husband, John, and two young grandchildren. Since beginning his "retirement" job as Eastern's game-day and special events photographer, Morneault has created and maintained a web site where all of his photographs are categorized by sport, year, date and opponent. With few exceptions, Morneault has, since the fall of 2019, photographed all of Eastern's games that are contested on campus.  Morneault willingly imparts his knowledge of photography by offering tips – positioning for best shooting angles, proper exposure and shutter speed settings, among them -- to Eastern's wide-ranging staff of student photographers throughout the course of an event.