Six prepare to join Armstrong Hall of Fame
The Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame is making room for another Lamendola.
Mark Lamendola will join his older brothers Ron and Randy in the Armstrong Hall at 6 p.m. Sunday night at Laube Hall, Freeport.
Lamendola was selected for his efforts as a multi-sport athlete at Leechburg followed by a stint as a four-year football letterman at Allegheny College, Meadville.
"Now I can see my brothers stop getting on me about not being in the Hall," said Mark Lamendola with a laugh.
Not too many years ago, Leechburg was a perennial contender for the WPIAL football playoffs and the Allegheny Interscholastic Conference title. Lamendola was a key player toward the tail end of that significant era of success. The youngest Lamendola ran the wishbone offense as a quarterback for Leechburg's 1980 playoff appearance.
The Blue Devils tied eventual conference champion Jeannette and eclipsed Freeport late in the season to finish second in the conference.
"My senior year (1981), we finished third to Jeannette and Freeport in the conference, and they both played for the WPIAL title," Lamendola recalled.
At Allegheny, the Gators' first-string quarterback was injured three weeks into the 1985 season, and Lamendola was called on to run the wishbone one more time.
"I had been a defensive back and wide receiver, but they switched to the wishbone and I told the coach I could do it," Lamendola said. "That was thrill to end up being named all-conference."
Lamendola said his most gratifying sports experience was running the Chicago Marathon with a friend whose son had leukemia. He ran as a fund-raiser for the Leukemia Society.
This year's induction class will be part of the 31st annual banquet.
Among those joining Lamendola on the dais Sunday will be the Leechburg principal during that remarkable era, William T. Carroll. Carroll will receive a special citation from the Armstrong Hall for his many years as a prominent member of the WPIAL Board of Control and his administrative work. As a player, Carroll was part of the great Blue Devils backfield that won the 1953 WPIAL Class AA title against Baldwin.
Other inductees will include Jim Shriver, standout basketball player at the old Apollo High School who earned a scholarship to Westminster College and was part of the Titans' national championship team.
Also being recognized as part of a national small college title will be Dana Renee Boyer, a catcher on the California (PA.) University national title team of 1998. Boyer is a graduate of the former Shannock Valley High School.
Ron Botz of the former Parker High School in the tiny northwestern portion of Armstrong County will be inducted for his contribution as a basketball player and coach. He held the single-game scoring record at Clarion University with 46 points in one game and coached at Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School for 29 years, winning 409 games.
Race car driver David Rupp will be honored for his career that spanned 13 seasons at Lernerville Speedway and Marion Center Speedway, and Freeport athlete Christopher Blair will be inducted.
Additionally, 14 student-athletes from Armstrong County high schools will be recognized. They are: Adam Ross and Noelle Tresco from Apollo-Ridge; Nathan Dailey and Teila Nolder from Elderton; Rich Bennett and Kara Grafton from Ford City; Dennis Gearhart and Amanda Beresik from Freeport; Matt Carnahan and Kendra Simpson from Karns City; Karl Walker and Erica Scaife from Kittanning; Tony Canzano and Jen Kulick from Leechburg; and Steve Cupec and Ashley Gillis from West Shamokin. Additional Information:
Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame
What: 31st Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Laube Hall, Freeport
Inductees: Randy Lamendola, Jim Shriver, Dana Renee Boyer, Christopher Blair, Ronald Botz, David B. Rupp.
Special citation: William T. Carroll
Tickets: $10.00. Contact: Dave Ullom, Chairman at 724-543-7532 or Robert Kepics, Vice Chairman at 724-845-8560 or any Board member
