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Fred Vollmar

Fred Vollmar

by | Feb 17, 2023

Fred Vollmar graduated from Bennett in 1954. Prior to his stellar athletic career at Bennett, he displayed his potential as an all around athlete, by winning championships as a member of School # 63 athletic teams. When he matriculated to Bennett, he soon established himself as a consistent performer on the gridiron, hardwood, and baseball diamond. Fred lettered in all three of the major sports during his Tiger’s career. Vollmar played on two championship teams at Bennett, and came within a whisker of winning a third. In 1952, he helped the Tigers capture the football Harvard Cup, with a pulsating 7-6 win over Hutchinson on Thanksgiving Day at All-High Stadium. With a huge crowd cheering wildly, he showed remarkable poise, grit, and determination while quarterbacking Bennett to victory. Coach Fred Braun was the beneficiary of Vollmar’s talents in the two other sports he coached, namely, basketball and baseball. In 1954, “Fritz” Vollmar’s senior year, Bennett won its first Yale Cup since 1944. Vollmar made key steals in a closely contested 70-67 win at rival Kensington, sparking Bennett to clinch the Cup. To cap a remarkable career, the diminutive 5’8″ scrapper helped lead Bennett to the championship final in baseball, where they were edged out by Riverside, 9-8, for the Cornell Cup.Vollmar was named first team All-High, designating him as the premier catcher in Cornell Cup competition for 1954. It was only fitting that Vollmar became a United States Marine upon his graduation from his beloved Bennett. He showed early on that he had the guts and guile to become one of the few and the proud. Fred was also inducted into the “Harvard Cup” Hall Of Fame . Fred Vollmar is currently retired and lives in Amherst.

Vince Cechini

Vince Cechini

by | Feb 17, 2023

Vince Cechini was an all around athlete who starred in three sports at Bennett in the early 50’s, earning letters in football, basketball, and track. His main sport was football, a sport in which the powerful running back literally bowled over opposing linemen. He was the All-High fullback in both his junior and senior seasons in the Buffalo Evening News and Courier Express- an incredible accomplishment. Cechini was co-captain of the 1952 Harvard Cup champion Tigers.

He lettered three years in track where he was a high jumper. He also played varsity basketball during his junior and senior seasons. The 1 953 basketball team was the Yale Cup champion.

After graduation he attended Syracuse University on a football scholarship. Unfortunately, his college career was cut short by a knee injury. Vince is a retired Wall Street vice president and now lives in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Anthony “Tony” Cipolla

Anthony “Tony” Cipolla

by | Feb 17, 2023

Tony Cipolla started his high school athletic career at Technical H.S. At the start of his junior year he transferred to his neighborhood school, Bennett. Tony continued his athletic career at Bennett playing varsity basketball and baseball for the Tigers. As a sophomore, Tony was third team All-High in basketball at Technical. In his two varsity years at Bennett, Tony was “Honorable Mention” as a guard, and first team All-High in his senior year. Tony’s 14 ppg scoring average helped lead Bennett to the “Yale Cup” in 1953.

Tony also excelled in varsity baseball during years 2,3 and 4, leading the Tigers to play in the “Cornell Cup” championship game at Offerman stadium in 1954, a close, hard fought loss for the Tiger nine. Cipolla’s baseball skills were good enough to land him a full scholarship to Michigan State University. Tony played two years of baseball and basketball at MSU, and finished with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1959.

Tony Cipolla is now retired after a 34 year career working for “Allied Signal Corporation”. His long career in management took him to many states across our country. Tony and his wife Patricia now live in retirement in Naples, FL. The Cipolla’s have two children. Daughter Lisa (Hazelton) is in med school, and son Tony Jr. has recently finished with the U.S. military service.