Submitted by Brittonkill Central Schools
We are proud to announce our final inductee to the Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Wayne Bonesteel is arguably the greatest middle-distance runner that Tamarac Track and Field has ever seen. In winning the 440-yard dash in his first race as a freshman, he began a 4-year legacy as one of the best in the WASAREN League. His combination of speed and endurance made him successful in both the 440 and 880-yard runs. As a sophomore, he broke the school record in the 880-yard run and then knocked it down to 2:04.1 the following year.
In 1978 he was also part of the mile relay team (with seniors Dave Bieg, Don Trudeau and John Burton) that lowered the school record to 3:44.9. Wayne often ran the 440 and 880 in the same meet. This was a grueling dual combination, as there is only one event in between, but he won both on more than one occasion. He also competed in the 100-yd dash, 220-yd dash, mile run, 440 relay, 880 relay and 2-mile relay. He finished in the top 3 in the Class C-CC sectionals during his sophomore (440-yd dash), junior (880-yd run) and senior (400M) years, earning him a spot at the state runoffs for section 2 in those three years. He was also named co-MVP of the Tamarac track team as a junior (sharing the award with his brother Jeff, 100-yd dash/220-yd dash) and co-MVP as a senior. In his junior year, Wayne placed 2nd in the 880-yd run at the Granville Invitational and followed that up with a first-place finish at 400M as a senior.
As a senior he qualified for and competed in the prestigious William F. Eddy, Jr. Memorial Track Meet in Schenectady. The Eddy Meet is one of the most competitive events on the East Coast, attracting the top-level athletes from New York State. Competing against runners from around the state, including New York City (Boys High, Brooklyn Tech, Jefferson and Lincoln), Wayne rose to the occasion, winning his heat in the 400M with a new school record time of 51.3 sec. In 1980, New York State changed to the metric system and all races were switched to meters, thus memorializing all of the records before 1980. Wayne established new school records at the metric distances for 100M, 200M, 400M and 800M (2:03.8). He also set the school record for most points in a season and most points in a career. Wayne was also a member of the first Tamarac Cross Country Team in the fall of 1978. As a junior, he led that team as co-Captain and was named MVP, highlighted by a top 5 finish at Lansingburgh. He also played JV basketball and varsity football earning varsity letters in three sports while at Tamarac.
After graduating with honors from Tamarac, Wayne went on to Hudson Valley Community College and ran indoor and outdoor track for legendary HVCC coach Tom Rogan, where he competed in the 400M, 4x100M and 4X400M events. He continued his academic career at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He has had a successful career as a professional engineer designing and constructing roads, bridges and buildings. Wayne lives in Pittstown with his wife Stephanie (THS Class of ’85) and has two daughters, Lindsay (THS ’11) and Kiersten (THS ’14). Congratulations Wayne! #bengalproud #tamarachalloffame