Malden High School Golden Tornado Hall of Fame hosting 36th Biennial Banquet and Induction Ceremony

Event is scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at Malden Moose Hall

Special to the Advocate

The long, rich history of Malden High School sports teams will once again be on display in November when the Golden Tornado Club hosts its 36th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony on Saturday, November 22. The proud “Wearers of the Blue and Gold” and their friends, family members and supporters will gather at the Malden Moose Hall (562 Broadway, Malden) to usher in the newest class of Hall of Fame inductees. A social reception will begin at 6:00 p.m., and a full-course dinner will be served at 7 p.m. sharp. The induction ceremony will be held immediately after dinner.

Honored on November 22 will be 13 individuals, including six former standout Tornado student-athletes; a former coach; two Distinguished Service Award selectees; and two present Malden High School coaches, as Peter Donoghue Sr. Golden Eagle Award winners. The two MHS coaches were the subjects of winning essays written by Malden High student-athletes, with the athletes receiving $1,000 scholarships provided by the Donoghue Family in honor of the late Peter Donoghue Sr.

Members of the newest Malden High Golden Tornado Hall of Fame are:

• Ronald Fales, Class of 1965, an outstanding three-sport athlete, excelled at Football, Hockey and member of the 1964 Greater Boston League Championship Baseball Team
• Robert O’Keefe Jr., Class of 1972, a standout Football two-way lineman who achieved All-Scholastic status in that sport and was also a leading contributor to the Tornado Boys Swim Team in the winter seasons
• Steven DeBenedictis, Class of 1986, a three-sport standout for some of the best Tornado teams of the 1980s: in Football as a defensive back and slot receiver, in Hockey known as the best goaltender in the GBL and in Eastern Mass.; and in Baseball as a league All-Star infielder and leadoff hitter
• Julann (Lopresti) Casaletto, Class of 1990, a multi-sport standout of the late 1980s and early 1990s who was best known as one of the top Softball players in the league and area
• Witche Exilhomme, Class of 2012, a three-sport standout and team captain in Football, Basketball and Outdoor Track who was an All-Star in Football and Track and still holds the school record in Javelin throw. He is now the fifth-year MHS football head coach.
• Coach Kevin Carpenito, a 17-year Varsity Baseball Head Coach (2000-2016) who led Malden High School to over 150 wins and 10 MIAA Division 1 State Baseball Tournament berths. Several of his former players achieved success after high school at the college level, and one was a professional player.
• The 2025 Distinguished Service Award this year is presented to two recipients, Katie Bowdridge (Class of 1993) and James “Jim” Valente, both of whom have supported and helped teams and players at Malden High attain goals and achieve more in many ways. Katie Bowdridge for many years has served on the Golden Tornado Club Board, the past five years as Treasurer, and she also supervises Senior Night honors for all the MHS Senior student-athletes along with Jeanne Marquardo.

Valente is advisor for the student yearbook the “Maldonian,” and he has spent decades promoting student-athletes, teams and coaches through his personal photography, videos and other means. He also has served as a mentor and has provided valuable advice to many MHS students through his over 30 years as an educator.

• The Golden Eagle Award goes to an MHS coach who has been inspirational to a player. This year’s recipients are Coed Gymnastic Coach Katie Bowdridge (from 2024, Isabella Oliveira). Malden High Football Coach Witche Exilhomme (2025, James Hyppolite) and Girls Volleyball Coach Dan Jurkowski (2025, Abigail Lee).

Golden Tornado players can submit essays on this topic, and a winner is selected by a committee and is awarded the $1,000 Peter Donoghue Scholarship, which was named in honor of the late Hall of Famer Peter Donoghue, who served as an inspiration to many before his passing.

This year is the 72nd Anniversary of the founding of the Golden Tornado Club.