by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Kristy Zimmerman Swigart was All High in soccer in 1994 and1995 (her junior and senior years) at Bennett. She was also an outstanding bowler and reached the finals of the state championships in the Queens tournament in New York City. She was salutatorian of her senior class, was voted the most unique student in her senior class and received a full collegiate scholarship to the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Since 2005 Kristy has been working for Associated Builders and Contractors. She is the Education Coordinator in New York state for setting up craft training classes.
Kristy has been married to her husband Cliff for seven years. She has a 17 year old daughter Sydney who is a McKinley High graduate and a five year old daughter Ellie who is in the Olmsted Gifted & Talented program. Being a very busy lady she loves spending time with her family camping and going to local parks.
In 20l5 she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. After six months of chemotherapy she was cancer free. She said, “I was blessed to have had such great support from my family and friends. In my spare time I also like playing trivia having cookouts, and going to festivals.
She related that she wanted to get Sydney involved in sports. However, Sydney wasn’t interested and is a very creative and artsy person.
Kristy hopes to get Ellie involved in sports. She feels that Ellie will enjoy the competition and the long lasting many friendships she will make.
‘I feel so honored to receive the prestigious Hall of Fame award from Bennett High School,” Kristy said. I would personally like to thank each member of the Bennett High SchoolHall of Fame for considering me for this wonderful award that I will always treasure.”
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
The Syracuse twins, Jack and Richard were the prime movers in getting varsity soccer brought to Bennett H.S. In 1987. Soccer was played as a “club sport” in the Buffalo high schools, but not yet at Bennett. When the skilled soccer playing brothers were asked by a friend to play with him at Lafayette H.S., another team in the league (Hutch Tech ) protested that the players should only be allowed to play for Bennett, which of course did not have a team. The brothers took the issue to the Buffalo Board of Education. The Board then decided that if the boys could get a commitment from 30 other players at Bennett, they could enter a team in the league. Jack and Richard prevailed, got their 30 plus signatures on a petition, and soccer was born at Bennett H.S. Bennett joined the club soccer league, with the boys father as volunteer coach. In 1988, soccer became a regular interschool varsity sport in the City of Buffalo. Bennett was represented with the late Wally Thompson as head coach.
The brothers soccer prowess soon came to the fore. Both Richard with 23 goals and Jack with 16 goals finished 1 – 2 in the league in scoring. Both were named first team All-High and All-WNY selections in soccer after the 1987 and 1988 soccer seasons.
After high school, the brothers attended Ohio Northern University where they played soccer for one year, after which they returned home to tend to the family business. Today they are the proprietors of Gecko’s Bar and Grille, 1462 Hertel Ave. Jack and his wife Rachel have a son, Santonio, aged 4. Richard and his wife Diana have three children, Talia 9, Ariana 7, and Enzo aged 3.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
The Syracuse twins, Jack and Richard were the prime movers in getting varsity soccer brought to Bennett H.S. In 1987. Soccer was played as a “club sport” in the Buffalo high schools, but not yet at Bennett. When the skilled soccer playing brothers were asked by a friend to play with him at Lafayette H.S., another team in the league (Hutch Tech ) protested that the players should only be allowed to play for Bennett, which of course did not have a team. The brothers took the issue to the Buffalo Board of Education. The Board then decided that if the boys could get a commitment from 30 other players at Bennett, they could enter a team in the league. Jack and Richard prevailed, got their 30 plus signatures on a petition, and soccer was born at Bennett H.S. Bennett joined the club soccer league, with the boys father as volunteer coach. In 1988, soccer became a regular interschool varsity sport in the City of Buffalo. Bennett was represented with the late Wally Thompson as head coach.
The brothers soccer prowess soon came to the fore. Both Richard with 23 goals and Jack with 16 goals finished 1 – 2 in the league in scoring. Both were named first team All-High and All-WNY selections in soccer after the 1987 and 1988 soccer seasons.
After high school, the brothers attended Ohio Northern University where they played soccer for one year, after which they returned home to tend to the family business. Today they are the proprietors of Gecko’s Bar and Grille, 1462 Hertel Ave. Jack and his wife Rachel have a son, Santonio, aged 4. Richard and his wife Diana have three children, Talia 9, Ariana 7, and Enzo aged 3.
