Two more Sachem alumni get top athletic honor
A career of excellence for two Sachem alumni has led to induction to the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame.
Bill Kropp, who graduated from Sachem in 1977, founded the boys’ volleyball program on Smith Road in Lake Ronkonkoma in 1989. He was the head coach at Sachem North and Sachem East for a combined 27 years and retired with a record of 366-15.
His teams won five Suffolk County championships, 12 division championships and six league titles. In girls’ volleyball, over 12 years he was 222-44, won three county championships, and appeared in 10 out of 12 possible Suffolk County final fours. That’s a combined 588 and 159 record as a varsity head coach if you’re counting.
After retiring from Sachem he started the men’s volleyball program at St. Joseph’s College.
Figgiani, who graduated from Sachem in 1978, is the school district’s first running back to reach 1,000 career rushing yards. He helped lead Sachem to its first county football title in 1977 as a senior.
Football, however, is not what landed Figgiani in the hall. He is a world-renowned martial arts expert who was ranked No. 1 in the Professional Karate League at one point. His R.E.A.C.H. program through the Suffolk County Police Athletic League has made a positive impact on thousands of kids in the county over the last 20 or more years.
He was an inaugural inductee of the Sachem Hall of Honor in 2017.
Both men will be honored at a ceremony on May 16, 2019. Tickets are available online here.