CHENANGO COUNTY – On March 3, the Section IV Athletic Council will host their annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The ceremony will take place between the first and second scheduled game for the finals held at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. 17 athletes and four coaches from Section IV will be honored as this years inductees.
Of the 21, six hail from Chenango County Schools. Bradley Belden, Renee Kemmerer (Ferrara), John Paul “J.P.” O’Connor, Cheri Peck (Hess) and Brandon Sleezer will be honored as the five athletes while New Berlin’s long-time coach Frank Johnson is one of four coaches to be inducted this season. All six athletes have their careers profiled below:
Bradley Belden, Edmeston Central School
Brad was a very competitive athlete in three varsity sports at Edmeston Central School. He really hated to lose but took it in stride. As you will see, between soccer and baseball he was on the winning end most of the time.
This was due to his leadership.
Brad was a large part of two NYSPHSAA Championship teams, one in his junior year for soccer and the other was in his senior year for baseball. Belden also lettered in basketball two years and averaged 14.6 points his senior year. During his junior and senior years of soccer, the team record was 40-4-2.
During his three years of baseball, the Panthers record was 68-5 and 50-1 during his junior and senior years.
Brad was a three time Tri-Valley All-Star first team member in soccer. In 2003, he was The Daily Star Co-Player of the Year. Belden recorded 53 goals and 27 assists in his last two seasons of his soccer career.
Belden was a Tri-Valley All-Star first team selection in his sophomore and senior years in baseball. He received a nod for The Daily Star First Team in his senior year in baseball.
Belden collected who Edmeston Scholar Awards in his junior and senior years and was a big part of Edmeston winning the title in baseball, coming on in relief in the Championship game to get the win.
During three years of baseball he had 90 stolen bases, 102 RBI’s, batted .389 and had an on base percentage of .557.
Brad was a joy to work with and was a gentleman on and off the field. He is more than worthy of this selection to the Section IV Hall of Fame.
Renee Kemmerer (Ferrara), Afton Central School
Renee was a three sport standout at Afton Central School participating in field hockey, basketball and softball.
She was selected as a first team all-state player in field hockey and softball multiple times and earned second team All-State honors in basketball. Renee was also honored locally as the Daily Star Player of the Year three separate times; twice as a softball player in 2003 and 2004, and once as a basketball player in 2004.
In 2004, Renee was also selected to the All Metro Team for basketball. During the 2004 basketball season, Renee averaged 20.2 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game. In the same season, she scored the 1,700th point of her career while helping her team to the state semifinals.
Renee holds Afton scoring records in field hockey and basketball while playing for eight Section IV and four NYSPHSAA championship teams.
After high school, she continued her field hockey career at Division-I Lock Haven University.
Renee feels she was honored to play for some great coaches and alongside some great teammates. She wants to thank all the coaches, players and her parents with whom she built countless memories.
John Paul “J.P.” O’Connor, Oxford Academy
J.P. is one of only seven individuals in New York history to win four state championships and was a five-time Section IV champion. He completed his high school career with a 238-12 record and was named to the All-America first team. O’Connor was a member of the Amateur Wrestling News Dream Team as well as the recipient of the 2006 Dave Schultz Athletic Excellence Award.
While continuing his wrestling career in college, J.P. competed at the Division-I level at Harvard University. O’Connor became the school’s third National Champion in 2010 when he claimed the 157-pound title.
O’Connor finished his senior campaign with a perfect 35-0 record and he is the only Crimson grappler to ever complete an undefeated season.
O’Connor graduated with a collegiate career record of 132-16 and is one of only two wrestlers in Harvard history to earn All-America status three times. J.P. became the first Harvard freshman to do so in 2007.
O’Connor is also the only two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year in Crimson annals and was a two-time team captain. His other accolades include being a four-time All-Ivy League selection, being named the 2007 EIWA and Ivy League Rookie of the Year and taking home the 2010 William J. Bingham Award as Harvard’s outstanding male athlete.
Brandon Sleezer, Edmeston Central School
Brandon was a three sport athlete at Edmeston Central School. He was on the 2003 NYSPHSAA Champion soccer team and was an outstanding defensive back.
Sleezer played basketball his senior year and was a great defensive and rebound player.
But were Sleezer truly excelled was as three year starter in baseball as he was a big part of the NYSPHSAA Championship team in 2005.
Brandon was very competitive during his career at ECS. He was especially competitive on the mound with a record of l8 wins and l loss during his junior and senior years. His three year stats were a 21-2 record with 221 strikeouts in 144 innings.
Sleezer’s batting stats included a batting average of .402 with 86 RBI’s and an on-base percentage of .516. The Panthers team record of 68-5 during his junior year and 50-1 in his final season.
Brandon was a second team selection for The Daily Star All-Star teams his junior year and received a first team nod the following year. Sleezer also received All-State second team honors for his senior year in baseball.
He also received the Scholar Athlete Award in soccer, 2003 and baseball in 2005 at Edmeston.
You do not find many pitchers that want the ball in pressure situations, but Brandon did. He pitched seven innings in the NYSPHSAA semifinal game that the Panthers won in 10 innings.
