Kendall to induct 4 into Athletic Hall of Fame

Contributed Photos – Jason Cole, left, and Donald Williams will be two of the new inductees into the Kendall Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Kendall Athletic Hall of Fame will induct four new members including Jason Cole (Class of 1994), Renee Turpyn (Class of 2000), Donald Williams (Class of 2004) and Donald Klafehn (Class of 1959) at a banquet this coming Sunday at the White Birch.

Cole, a 3 sport athlete all throughout his high school career was a seven time Genesee Region All Star. He helped lead the Eagles to a Section V Soccer co-championship and also pitched a no-hitter against Lyndonville. Now Holley’s varsity baseball Coach, he has helped his teams to 4 G-R divisional championships along with 2 sectional championships. He is a two-time recipient of the Section V Class C Coach of the Year (2013 and 2015).

The Hall of Fame will also be inducting Renee Turpyn and Donald Klafehn.

Turpyn holds Kendall’s girls’ basketball records in scoring (1,315 points) and rebounds (973), She earned All Greater Rochester first team honors in 2000 and second team honors in 1999. A 3-time GRAA All-Star in Girls’ Basketball, she led the Eagles to a divisional championship during the 1998-1999 campaign. Outside of basketball, Renee was recognized as a softball G-R All-Star in 1999 and 2000 and also earned a spot on the Section V All-Tournament team during her junior year. She earned a full basketball scholarship at Canisius College and played until injuries sidelined her permanently. She graduated in 2004 from Canisius College.

Williams won the 145 lb. state wrestling championship in 2004. He was named Section V’s Wrestler of the Year in 2003 and finished his high school wrestling career with a record of 130 -16. He also excelled in soccer being recognized as a G-R All-Star three times and was a three-year varsity golfer who qualified his junior and senior years for the G-R Tournament. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science from SUNY Brockport and also wrestled for the college. He qualified for the Division III Wrestling Tournament during his tenure.

Klafehn was a 3-sport athlete (basketball, baseball, soccer) for Kendall and helped lead the Eagles to back-to-back the Genesee-Orleans League basketball championships between 1957-1959. He led the basketball team in scoring during his sophomore and junior years and earned the Kendall Athlete of the Year Award in 1959. After leading the basketball team to the Semi-Finals in 1959, he attended Cornell University.