LEIGH BODDEN – FOOTBALL

Inducted into the Duquesne U. Sports Hall of Fame

Consensus All American in 2001 and 2002

#2 in FCS history with 28 career interceptions

First male athlete to win gold at the Atlantic 10 track & field championships

Played 9 years in the NFL with the Browns, Lions and Patriots

Led Browns, Lions and Patriots in interceptions one season

ERIC TANGRADI – HOCKEY

Played for the Pittsburgh and Wilkes Barre/ Scranton Penguins from 2009 – 2013

From 2013 to 2020 he played for the Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils

Member of the 2009 U.S. World Junior Championship team

Named to the 2011 AHL All Star Team

Member of the 2011 AHL Calder Cup Champions

Director of hockey and head coach at Shady Side Academy

HUGH GREEN – FOOTBALL

4-Time All American at Pitt, his number 99 was retired.

Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996

Runner-up to George Rogers for the Heisman Trophy in 1980

Won the Walter Camp, Maxwell, Lombardi and 2 “Player of the Year” awards in 1980

Sporting News All-Time All American, 14th Greatest College Player of all time by ESPN

First round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, twice named All Pro

Played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers and Dolphins

ERNIE DAVIS BROWN – FOOTBALL

Played football (2 years) and basketball (4 years) at North Catholic High School

3-year starter at Syracuse University, 2-Time All Big East Selection

Had 95 tackles and 11.5 sacks while at Syracuse

Played in the Blue-Gray and College All Star games his senior year

Played for Syracuse in the Aloha (’90), Hall of Fame (’92) and Fiesta (’93) Bowls

Played in the NFL (Steelers), Canadian Football League as a nose guard and def. tackle

ANDY STYNCHULA (deceased) – FOOTBALL

Played 8 years in the NFL with the Redskins, Giants, Colts and Cowboys

Named to the Pro Bowl his first year in the NFL

Traded to the New York Giants for Sam Huff

Voted the “Best Athlete” at Latrobe High School in 1956

Played 3 years at Penn State with Dick Hoak and Richie Lucas

AL ROMANO – FOOTBALL

The only 1st Team All American nose guard in Pitt history (’76), 2nd Team in ‘75

1976 Pitt team was the National Champion

Most Valuable Lineman in the 1975 Sun Bowl

Drafted by the Houston Oilers of the NFL

Played for the Hamilton Tiger Cats and Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian League

Inducted into the Greater Syracuse and Pitt Sports Halls of Fame

RON SKOSNIK – FOOTBALL

Played football, basketball and baseball at McKees Rocks H.S.

Inducted into the Minor League Football Hall of Fame

Played football, basketball and baseball at North Carolina State U.

All ACC, Team MVP in football and “Most Popular Athlete” at N.C. State

Lead N.C. State to an ACC Title in 1963

Played quarterback in minor league football from 1966 – 1971, winning 2 championships

Head football coach at Sto-Rox H.S. for 6 years

Offensive coordinator Moon H.S. for 22 years, 1998 WPIAL Champions

CURT CALLAHAN – WRESTLING

Earned 9 Letters at Churchill H.S. in wrestling, football and track

1966 WPIAL Wrestling Champion and PIAA runner-up at 138 lbs., 21-1 record

2-Time ACC Champion at U. of Maryland, undefeated in ACC competition

Only loss his junior year was to Hall of Fame wrestler, Dan Gable

A finalist at the 1972 Olympic Trials

Assistant athletic director at U. of Maryland from 1988-2003

Inducted into the U. of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016

JODI FIGLEY RENNER – GOLF

Won 4 WPIAL Championships and 2 PIAA State titles at Hopewell H.S.

Won over 40 Junior Golf Championships

In 1987 she was Jr. Golf’s “Sportsman of the Year” & First Team All American

Attended Stanford U. where she was a 2-time All American

Finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Tournament all 4 years

Inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 2002

Inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in 2009

Inducted into the Hopewell High School’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2019

Inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame in 2021

DR. MARY MYERS – BASKETBALL

Lead Schenley H.S. in scoring and assists as a freshman

City league “Player of the Year” at Taylor Allderdice in 1980

Parade Magazine and Adidas All American

Selected to the Olympic Festival

Recruited by over 200 universities, accepted a scholarship to U. of Kansas

Lead Kansas in assists and steals, winning the Big 8 Championship in 1981

Inducted into the Pgh. All Sports HOF and Pgh. Women’s Basketball HOF

DWIGHT CLAY – BASKETBALL

Hit the winning basket, ending UCLA’s 88 game winning streak

3-Time All City and All State player at Fifth Avenue H.S.

City League Champions in 1969 / Scored 50 points vs Peabody H.S. in 1971

MVP at the Meadville Holiday and Quigley Basketball tournaments in 1971

Selected to the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic

Lead Notre Dame U. in assists 3 years in a row

2-Time “Most Improved Player” and also “Outstanding Playmaker” his senior year

Ended Marquette University’s NCAA Record 81-game home winning streak, coached by Al McGuire. (Hit the winning shot- January 13, 1973) – Nickname the “Iceman” by the South Bend Tribune

Ended UCLA’s NCAA record 88-game winning streak -Coached by John Wooden (Hit the winning shot – January 19, 1974)

ANNIE WALKOWIAK – BASKETBALL

Inducted into the Lawerence County, Cal. U. of Pa. and Ellwood City Halls of Fame

Scored 2,370 points at Ellwood City H.S., all-time leading scorer in Lawrence County

Averaged 32.2 pts., 14.1 rebounds, 3.8 steals her senior year

Named 1st team All State

Scored 1,009 pts. and career 3 point percentage leader as a 3-year starter at Cal. U. of Pa.

Named 1st Team All Conference, lead the PSAC in free throw percentage

RICHARD SACCANI – TENNIS COACH

Coached Upper St. Clair H.S. from 1968 – 1991 with a 404-43 record

Won 6 WPIAL team Titles, coached 6 PIAA individual Champions

Had 5 undefeated seasons in dual meet competition

Inducted into the Upper St. Clair and WPIAL Halls of Fame

Coached at Cal. U. of Pa., had a 50-match winning streak from 1990 – 1993

The 1991 Cal team was ranked #1 in NCAA Division II

PSAC “Coach of the Year” in 1991 and 1992

As a player, he led the 1963 Vulcans to a PSAC Championship, ranked # 4 in NAIA

DENNIS LASKEY – SOCCER COACH

Started both the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Cal. U. of Pa.

All-time winningest coach in Cal history in both sports

Teams appeared in 5 PSAC championships and 3 NCAA Tournaments

3-time PSAC “Coach of the Year”, second winningest soccer coach in PSAC history

Inducted into the Mon Valley and Cal. U. Sports Halls of Fame

Recognized as one of the “Top 18” players in Charleroi H.S. history

Was a 4-year starter at Alderson-Broaddus Col., Inducted into the AB Sports Hall of Fame

Won 2 U.S. Adult Soccer Assoc. National Championships as a player

RON FRANK – WRESTLING COACH

Head wrestling coach at Fox Chapel H. S. from 1980 – 2019

Ranks 3rd in WPIAL victories, 21st in PIAA victories

Developed the Allegheny County High School Wrestling Championships

Inducted into the Southwestern Pa. Wrestling Hall of Fame

Inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

A member of the executive committee of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic

Active member of the Pa. Wrestling Coaches Assoc. Executive Committee

ROBERT BASCHNAGEL – BASKETBALL & TENNIS COACH

Had 4 undefeated dual match seasons (50-0 record); Clarion all-time record all sports

Founding member of YMCA Committee to build the new Y-facility in Clarion

Full professor of Health & Physical Education at Clarion University for 39 years

Served as head women’s tennis coach & assistant men’s basketball coach (35+ years)

Inducted into the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted into University of Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

Tennis Team Won 4 consecutive PSAC Championships, 1986 – 1989

Coached 24 PSAC individual champions/ PSAC Women’s Tennis “Coach of the Year” in 1988 and 1989

2 of his Clarion tennis teams qualified for the NCAA Championships

DAN OLIASTRO – BASEBALL COACH

Graduate of Ellwood H.S. and Slippery Rock University.

Winningest baseball coach in WPIAL history, 734 wins

Longest tenured WPIAL coach in any sport – 57 years

His Riverside H.S. teams have won 7 WPIAL and 6 PIAA State Championships

The 2023 team was the first team in WPIAL history to win WPIAL & PIAA Titles undefeated

Received too many “Coach of the Year” honors to name them all

BOB PALKO – FOOTBALL COACH

Built West Allegheny H.S. into a powerhouse program over 24 years.

West Allegheny won 8 WPIAL Titles, 1 PIAA State Championship

His record at West Allegheny was 217 wins and 73 losses

Coached at Mt. Lebanon from 2019 – 2022

Won WPIAL and PIAA Titles (15-0) at Mt. Lebanon

Named National High School “Coach of the Year” by the NFL and many other COY honors

Presently serving as Penn State’s Director of High School Relations

MARK GORSCAK – SCOUT

Scouted for the Steelers for 28 years, 4 Super Bowl appearances, 2 titles

Received the Award for Lifetime Service to NFL scouting in 2022

Profiled by ESPN magazine as 1 of 90 “Faces of the NFL” in 2010

Inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame

Played football at Ringgold High School and Dickinson College

Coached at the high school and college levels for 16 years in Maryland, Florida, Utah

Named General Manager of Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena League in 1987

CHARLIE HUNNELL – OFFICIAL

Graduate of Waynesburg H.S. and Penn State University

Retired veteran of the U.S. Navy

Worked over 50 years as a PIAA/WPIAL football official

NCAA football official for more than 30 years

Served as NCAA Rules Interpreter for EAIFO for 30 years

Has trained/mentored over 500 high school football officials in Western PA.

Humanitarian and Philanthropist serving Western PA.

RICHARD JEWELL – ALTRUIST

Graduated from Bethel Park High School and Grove City College

Inducted into the Bethel Park H.S. Hall of Fame, WPIAL diving champion

Inducted into the Grove City Sports Hall of Fame, 2-Time Penn-Ohio Diving Champion

Received his law degree from the University of Michigan

Past President of Grove City College, 2003-2014

Senior Administrator in Applied Research at U. of Pittsburgh

JAMY PFISTER – OFFICIAL

She was a USA swimming official for 48 years, 1970-2018

Officiated at 7 USA Olympic Trials – ’92, ’96, ’00, ’04, ’08, ’12, ‘16

Chief Judge at the 1991 World Games

Developed the “Standards” for USA Swimming’s Chief Judges

Member of the USA Swimming Rules Committee, 2009-2014

Received the Pettigrew Award for “Service to USA Swimming” in 2005

Inducted into the Pennsylvania Aquatics Hall of Fame in 2014

RICK STEIGERWALD – OFFICIAL

Was Referee for over 800 professional boxing matches from 1984-2015

Was Referee for 10 World Championship bouts

Was judge & referee for over 1800 amateur bouts at the AAU and US Boxing levels

Member of the Pa. Athletic Commission since 2015

2-time Golden Gloves, Silver Gloves and Diamond Belt Champion

Received the “Outstanding Fighter” Award in 1970

ANNE MADARESZ – CURATOR

She frequently lectures and writes about the history of Pittsburgh sports

Joined the John Heinz History Center in 1992

Curated dozens of award-winning exhibitions, receiving national acclaim

The Heinz Center was named the #1 History Museum in America by USA Today

Named the “Best Museum in Pittsburgh” by Pittsburgh Magazine for 4 consecutive years

7 of her History Center Exhibitions have received national recognition with the prestigious “Award of Merit”