Ten members of the only West Hartford Public School basketball team ever to win a state championship attended the Conard girls basketball home opener.

Submitted by Eddie Litos

The Conard girls basketball program honored the 1978-79 state championship team before the home opener on Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, against Simsbury (a 56-37 Simsbury victory).

Ten team members were in attendance. Tracey D’Apice Cugno, a 1984 graduate and captain, was also in attendance to represent her sister Cathy, who was one of the captains in 1979 with Cathy Foto. Cathy D’Apice passed away in 1992 from breast cancer.

The alumni in attendance were honored before the game and took part in a post-game social with the current team members and their families.  The 1979 team went 24-0 that season, defeating Norwalk for the Class LL state championship, 63-55 on March 10, 1979 at Southern Connecticut State College in New Haven.

The 1978-79 Conard girls basketball team is the only public school team in town to win a basketball state championship for either boys or girls.

Nine are in the front row of the photo below. They are, from left to right: Rebecca Rahn, Kathy Cermola, Cathy Foto, Jeanette Sirine, Anne McKernan, Paula Clough Boutin, Eileen Griffith Komanecky, Patty Dalton McElligott, Pam Moffo (head coach).

Conard girls basketball 1978-79 team alumni with current team. Submitted photo