Donna O'Connell

Donna O'Connell

Recognized as an All-State athlete in two sports, O’Connell Skettini figured in several of RHS’s all-time girls sports achievements. A two-time All-NNJIL, All-County and All-State selection in softball, she pitched coach Debbie Paul’s Maroons to a undefeated (29-0 state championship in 1983 and a school and state record of 43 straight victories. The three-year varsity performer was selected All-State in 1983 and 1984 and was voted to The Record’s All-Century Team in 1999.


Her sister, Debbie O’Connell, who was the catcher on those team, was inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. O’Connell Skettini bowled for the Maroons from 1981 to 1984 and received first team All-County and All-State honors all four seasons for coach Art Rispoli’s pinspillers, coming from Ben Franklin Junior High her freshman year. She did this while playing varsity basketball in 1983 and 1984 for coach Dick Bennett. O’Connell Skettini continued her superb softball pitching at Trenton State College with an overall record in college of 73-9 from 1985 to 1988. The 1985 team as second in the Division 3 Nationals, losing to Eastern Connecticut State, 1-0. She pitched Trenton State to the national championship in 1987, hurling two of the four games in the championship series and defeating Eastern Connecticut twice.


She was honored as a Division 3 All-American in 1987 and was picked on the All-New Jersey Conference All-Star team in 1987 and 1988. Donna and her husband Craig have three children and she continues to compete in Women’s International Bowling Congress tournaments individually.

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