by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Maurice Maloney, ‘48, competed in his first track competition in the spring of his sophomore year. He won his second race–the half-mile– helping him earn his first Bennett letter. As a junior, age 15, Maurice led Bennett to a Columbia Cup Championship in cross country. He finished second overall in the race–7 seconds faster than the previous course record. His senior year, Maurice ran the mile only once in competition–winning the race at 4:36 and breaking the Bennett record. At the Buffalo All High track meet, he was declared second in the half-mile in a dramatic and disputed finish.
While at Bennett, Maurice also raced with the Buffalo YMCA Track Club. The “Y” team–made up of high school kids–competed in the NAUU CC Championship in Detroit. Racing against 15 colleges, Maurice finished 7th overall, and helped lead the “Y” team to a second place finish behind Michigan State–besting 14 other colleges. He also became Canadian Junior Champion of the half-mile, winning the race 3 tenths of a second off the all-time Canadian record.
Maurice received a scholarship to Michigan State. At MSU, he was Captain and high point man of the Freshman Cross Country and Track Teams, and the only sophomore to make the Cross Country Varsity Team. Competing with 40 colleges at the IC4A CC Championships in New York City, he was the first sophomore to finish the race. His team won the 1949 NCAA Championship. In track, he was a member of MSU’s undefeated 4-mile relay team.
A serious knee injury at the end of his sophomore year ended his running career.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Kristin played three varsity sports, volleyball, basketball and softball during her three year tenure at Bennett H.S. Interestingly enough, Kristin’s coach for all three sports was her dad Steve Poliachik, a long time coach of girls sports at Bennett H.S. Coach Poliachik got to see first hand, his daughter achieve first team All-High status in each of two sports in both her junior and senior years. In volleyball, Kristin was regarded as an excellent server, once serving 14 consecutive points in a key league match against Hutch Tech. In her best sport, softball, Kristin was second team All-High as a sophomore, and first team All-High as a junior and senior. Kristin was a catcher / first baseman on some very competitive Tiger softball teams. After her senior season, Kristin was selected to participate in the “super Senior All-Star softball game”. Kristin’s high water mark was a lofty .350 season batting average. Her efforts led to a softball scholarship offer from Edinboro State College in PA. Among Kristin’s awards at graduation was recognition from the “West Side Businessmen’s Association” as a top scholar-athlete.
Kristin transferred to Canisius College after two years, and became a teacher. This school year will be her 18th year as a teacher at her Alma Mater, Bennett H.S. Kristin joins her sister Kim as a member of our Bennett Sports Hall of Fame.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Joe Monte was an All-High 1st team selection in 1973 & 1974. The third of three Monte brothers to play at Bennett, (Mike & Rick in late 1960’s/early 1970’s) Joe compiled a career pitching record of 14-2. Pitching in the sectional finals in 1973, Joe gave up one earned run in the Tiger’s 2-1 loss to Tonawanda, a team that had 3 players chosen in the 1973 amateur baseball draft. Going 5-0 in 1974, Joe led the Tigers to an undefeated Cornell Cup championship. In his two All-High seasons, Joe struck out 86 batters in 69 innings and posted a remarkable earned run average of 0.50. In addition to his dominant pitching, Joe contributed a .425 batting average and truly earned the ultimate praise of coach Jerry Berkman in calling Joe “the best picther I ever had at Bennett.” Joe has since retired after 20 years of service at the NFTA and now resides in Cheektowaga with his wife Michelle, and daughters Elaina and Elyse.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Arthur was a varsity Cross Country and Track athlete while at Bennett. His efforts and achievements in track elevated him to this Hall Of Fame level. A versatile performer, Arthur excelled in the high jump, high hurdles, long jump and triple jump, achieving first team All-High in the high jump in both his junior and senior seasons. The Tigers won the “Scalp & Blade” track championship all three years Arthur was on the track squad. In his specialty event, the high jump, Arthur literally rose to the top setting a school, city and Section VI record with a leap of 6’ 10 3/4 “ in winning the New York State track championship. That winning height represents an incredible full 13 inches above his own actual height, unheard of in this event.
After high school, McClinton enrolled in the United States Marine Corps. His track and high jump career continued to flourish while in service, when he set the Marine Corp track record with a leap of 7’ 3/4”. This super effort qualified Arthur for the U.S. Olympic team trials.
Today Arthur McClinton resides in Buffalo and works as a barber at Bono Hair Studio on E. Delavan Ave. Arthur and his late wife have two children, Uniqua, aged 18, and Kevin aged 17.
