St. Anthony's grad Alan Hahn one of 24 inducted into Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame
Alan Hahn on the set of ESPN's "Get Up." Credit: ESPN Images/Ben Solomon
They packed the Flowerfield Celebrations venue in St. James on Thursday night to honor the 2026 class of inductees to the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame.
The newest class had 24 inductees with long, impressive resumes and accomplishments from the high school level through college and the pros.
“This year’s induction was a powerful reminder of what makes the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame so special,” Hall of Fame president Chris R. Vaccaro said. “The massive audience and overwhelming support in the room were a testament not only to the prestige of this institution but also to the extraordinary people who make up this year’s class and everything they represent to Suffolk County. From pioneers like runner Nina Kuscsik, who helped break barriers and redefine what was possible, to modern stars like Marcus Stroman, this class truly reflects the depth, diversity and greatness of our sports history. We really hit the mark with a group that honors the past, celebrates the present and will absolutely inspire the future.''
Among the inductees was Alan Hahn, an award-winning reporter during his career at Newsday from 1995 to 2011. He started on the high school beat before covering the Islanders and Knicks.
Hahn, a St. Anthony’s graduate, has had a successful career as a radio and TV personality for ESPN and the MSG Network. He was hired by the MSG Network in 2011 as a studio analyst for Knicks broadcasts, and that role expanded to hosting, sideline reporting and being a color analyst on Knicks game broadcasts.
“This was such an unexpected honor. I honestly thought I made it just simply seeing my byline in Newsday for the first time in 1995,” Hahn said. “I just kind of put my head down back then and worked and never looked up. I learned that work ethic and focus from so many people I met and worked with along the way. I feel like I still have so much more to do to belong among the names I’ve joined in this class and the Suffolk Hall of Fame.
“I’m very proud of where I’m from. I always say ‘Just a kid from Ronkonkoma.’ I’m very grateful for this recognition.”
Hahn was busy working for MSG Network covering the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals during Thursday night’s ceremony.
“We really missed having him, but he was working,” Vaccaro said. “I’m going to try and present him with his plaque at a Watch Party at the Garden or at ESPN radio. He deserves his moment.”
Keiron Bigby, a multi-sport standout at St. Anthony’s, participated in football, basketball, baseball and lacrosse. The Central Islip native was recognized as one of the Catholic League’s top athletes in 1983. He attended Brown University, playing basketball and football, and was a Super Bowl XXII winner with Washington.
“There were so many people responsible for the opportunities afforded me as a young athlete,” Bigby said. “One coach in particular, Tony Antonucci at St. Anthony’s, had a lot of guts to put a Black kid at quarterback in the Catholic High School Football League. I may have been the first one ever at the position.”
Bigby set or tied five NCAA Division I records, including 216 return yards after interceptions in a single game. He was a Sporting News All-American as a defensive back and earned All-Ivy League honors while helping Brown win its only league basketball championship.
The induction class also included Centereach native Jamie Ortega, arguably one of the greatest players in women’s college lacrosse while at North Carolina. Ortega was a five-time All-American, becoming the first player at UNC to accomplish that, and a four-time first-team All-American.
Ortega rewrote the UNC, Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA D-I record books from 2018-22. She finished her career with 466 points, the most in ACC history and second-most in NCAA history.
In her high school career, she became New York State’s all-time leader in points with 588, including 402 goals, and was ranked the No. 1 player in the nation by Inside Lacrosse in 2017.
Nina Kuscsik, a longtime South Huntington resident, was a pioneer in women’s distance running, competing in more than 80 marathons, and was the first woman to win the Boston Marathon (1972)
“Her life’s journey was amazing,” Vaccaro said. “She was the first woman to finish the Empire State Building Run-Up in 1979, 1980 and 1981. She was also the only woman to participate in the first NYC Marathon in 1970.’’
Kuscsik died last year after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.
Each year the Hall of Fame recognizes a fire department drill team. This year it was the North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers Drill team. The unit has represented and its community through emergency and rescue fire response for more than 60 years and has won seven state Drill Championships.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
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