On February 7, the Ithaca City School District Athletics Department held an induction ceremony for the Class of 2026 Hall of Fame. It’s the first class to be inducted since 2018.
Going in alphabetical order by last name, Christopher Affolter (Class of 1989) was a standout football and lacrosse player. His senior year was undoubtedly his best in both sports as team captain. On the gridiron, he led Section IV in receptions, earned STAC Division I All-Star honors, and was named the team’s Defensive MVP. For lacrosse, he earned All-American honors and helped the Little Red win both the STAC Division I championship and the Section IV Class A title.
Jim Avery (Class of 1977) was one of the most masterful swimmers in school history. Avery earned three All-American honors, two All-State selections, and two Section IV titles. Avery either set or held four program records and two Section IV records. In his senior year, he finished runner-up at states in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. Avery passed away in 2023, so his sons Brett and Jake and his nephew Nick accepted the honor on his behalf.
Mike Biondi (Class of 1977) also excelled for football and lacrosse. For the former, he was a two-time All-STAC quarterback. For the latter, he was a two-time All-STAC midfielder and led the Little Red to a pair of sectional titles.
While Bill Bryant was not an IHS graduate, he made a tremendous impact on the community as the school’s athletic director from 1988 to 2010. Highlights from his time as AD include installing a thorough code of conduct, creating a district-wide anti-bullying and anti-harassment policy, realigned the booster club, and led major capital developments including the turf field, multipurpose room and strength and conditioning facility.
Charlie Estey (Class of 1977) excelled in two sports for the Little Red. In football, he earned First Team All-STAC honors as an offensive tackle. In lacrosse, he played a key part in the Little Red’s 1976 and 1977 sectional championships.
Thomas Schwan (Class of 1977) joins fellow inductees Biondi and Estey as football and lacrosse stars. In the fall, Schwan was a two-time First Team All-STAC and All-State Honorable Mention middle linebacker. Then in the spring, he earned First Team All-League honors and led the team in scoring once. He also started for two sectional championship teams.
Jeff Stark (Class of 1977) specialized in gymnastics at IHS. Stark won multiple sectional titles on the high bar and still rings. In his senior season, Clark earned All-Section IV All-Around Champion honors and finished runner-up at states in the high bar. Stark was also part of the swimming and diving team.
Logan Todhunter (Class of 2008) flourished in the pool. She served as team captain her senior year. She also earned a sportsmanship award and the Ithaca Journal Athlete of the Year recognition.
Rounding out the inductees is Lindy West (Class of 1999), an accomplished three-sport athlete. She played soccer in the fall, where she led the Little Red to back-to-back STAC and Section IV titles in 1995 and 1996 as their goalkeeper and earned STAC All-Conference honors her senior year. She bowled in the winter, being named Team MVP and STAC All-Conference all three seasons she competed and was once selected to the New York State All-Star Team. She played softball in the spring, where she led the team in batting average, home runs, hits and runs batted in all four years.
