Hall of Fame
Spanfelner has a title that no other athlete can ever claim, that of being the first captain of the men’s soccer program that began in 1955. He was the team’s goalkeeper for the very first season and his student teaching assignment kept him from playing his senior year, but the team voted him as an honorary captain.
Spanfelner was a three-sport standout with his other two sports being basketball and baseball. As a forward for the basketball team he was a two-year starter and reached double figures in scoring 25 times during his sophomore and junior seasons. During the spring he was mowing down opponents to where he completed an 18-1 career record with three straight undefeated seasons from 1955-57.
Spanfelner spent 20 years as a teacher and coach at Proctor High School in Utica, N.Y. until his retirement in 1991. In 1966 his basketball team won the Section 3, Class A championship.
