2019 Stamford Wall of Fame inductees
Pictured are this year’s inductees into the Stamford Collegiate Wall of Fame: Vera Wilcox, wife of the late Alan Wilcox, Jodi Cupolo, Irene Wasyliw and Rose Baldinelli.
Alan Wilcox, Rose Baldinelli, Jodi Cupolo and Irene Wasyliw were this year’s inductees into the Stamford Collegiate Wall of Fame.
Below are brief profiles from the 16th annual induction ceremonies.
ALAN WILCOX
English teacher Alan Wilcox started at Stamford in 1970 and was a coach at the school from 1971 to 1990.
Lovingly referred to as Dad by several of his athletes, Wilcox had athletes competing at Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association and Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships one year after starting the tennis team in 1971.
Wilcox’s teams won several city basketball titles and he organized OFSAA events at Stamford. He took the senior girls basketball team to the first OFSAA festival tournament in London.
His coaching philosophy was: he was coaching athletes and gender did not matter; he focused on character building of each player and de-emphasized the focus of who scored or played the most; and, teamwork was the foundation of his coaching.
Wilcox made an impact on a number of players including Sherry Findlater, Lyn Poulson and Chris Critelli. He also coached basketball teams for Ridley College, Lakefield College School and in the Ontario Basketball Association.
ROSE BALDINELLI
Rose Baldinelli had a stellar athletic career at Stamford from 1982 to 1987.
In Grade 9, she was MVP of the zone finalist girls soccer team, zone 800-metre champion and also played basketball, volleyball and badminton.
That year, she was team captain of the Niagara Falls travel soccer team, Dino’s A.V, that won Ontario Cup and Eastern Canada championships and made the national finals. That team would be inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 1998.
In Grade 10, she was a member of the zone finalist soccer team, was MVP of the junior girls volleyball team and also played basketball and badminton. Her travel soccer team made it to the Ontario Cup semifinals.
In Grade 11, Baldinelli, she was the soccer MVP and a member of the basketball and zone finalist volleyball squad.
Competing in her Grade 12 year, she was a member of the soccer team that won OFSAA silver and senior basketball and volleyball teams that captured zone championships. She also competed in a national softball tournament in Alberta.
In her Grade 13 year, Baldinelli went out with a bang, winning MVP honours on a soccer team that won OFSAA bronze. She also played volleyball and basketball.
JODI CUPOLO
During her time at Stamford (1982-1987), Jodi Cupolo was an instrumental member of the Stamford girls soccer team that made three straight zone finals before breaking through with an OFSAA silver in her Grade 12 year and an OFSAA bronze in Grade 13.
The centre half and defender earned multiple MVPs and was captain in 1985-86. She was also a member of the travel soccer team that won Ontario Cup and Eastern Canada championships in 1983.
Cupolo was also a mainstay with the volleyball, basketball and badminton squads. She also competed in track and field.
IRENE WASYLIW
During her five-year career at Stamford (1982-1987), Irene Wasyliw won multiple MVP awards in track and field, badminton, volleyball, basketball and soccer.
She routinely won zone each year in the 100 and 200 metres and set a SOSSA record in the 100 metres in Grade 11. The Niagara Falls Track and Field Club member throughout high school also excelled in the 400 metres and long jump.
As a junior-age athlete, Wasyliw was selected to play up on the senior teams even though she was junior age.
During her career, she was selected to play in the Brock University all-star basketball game and was a member of the soccer team that won OFSAA silver in her Grade 12 year.
She too was a member of the travel soccer team that won Ontario Cup and Eastern Canadian championships and was inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame.
