Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame sets new date for induction
Aug. 11—The Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame Committee and the Class of 2020 have displayed both patience and persistence throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization's chairman, Bruce Haselrig, announced Wednesday that after two previous attempts to honor the inductees had been postponed, the Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame has set a new date for the induction ceremony.
The Class of 2020 will be honored on Oct. 16 at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center. Six inductees will be in the spotlight. The Hall also will recognize the Martella's Pharmacy 2018 AAABA Tournament championship baseball team as well as the Northern Cambria High School girls volleyball state championship teams in 2018 and 2019.
"The committee felt it is imperative that the Class of 2020 experiences a first-class event like those that have been provided to the past 142 honorees over 20 banquets dating to 1965," Haselrig said during a media gathering on Wednesday afternoon at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial. "That's why we followed all the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts throughout the pandemic. And, we will continue to follow guidelines and recommendations to keep our inductees and their families and supporters safe."
The Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020 includes:
* Andrew Hawkins, a Johnstown native and Bishop McCort Catholic High School graduate who played six seasons in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, won a pair of Grey Cup championships in the Canadian Football League. Hawkins also stood out at the University of Toledo.
* Don Bailey, the 45-year coach of the Forest Hills High School football program who posted a 375-120-8 record, piled up 10 district titles, five appearances in the state semifinal round and one state runner-up finish in 1994. In 2017, Bailey received the Lifetime Contribution to Football Award during the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Central Pennsylvania's 20th annual banquet.
* Melissa Myers, a Northern Cambria High School volleyball and track and field standout who earned All-American honors in both sports at NCAA Division III Juniata College, coached six seasons at Division II California (Pa.) University and nine seasons at NCAA Division I Illinois State.
* Ed Sherlock is a Windber native who served as athletic director at Pitt-Johnstown from 1970 to 2001. During Sherlock's tenure, Pitt-Johnstown gained admission to NCAA Division II, the UPJ Sports Center was built and the wrestling, women's basketball and men's basketball programs all attained national prominence. Sherlock played basketball at UPJ and ran track at University of Pittsburgh.
* Brad Stramanak is a Westmont Hilltop graduate who overcame multiple knee surgeries to have a successful football career at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1990 through 1993. Stramanak had 16 career touchdowns as a running back and averaged 3.8 yards a carry at Navy. He was the first Navy player to score a touchdown against Army during both a freshman game and a varsity game in the same season.
* Jess Zinobile was the leader on four NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament teams at St. Francis University from 1996 to 2000. At the time of her graduation, Zinobile held St. Francis and Northeast Conference records for scoring (2,338 points) and rebounds (1,295). She is a member of both the St. Francis University and Northeast Conference halls of fame. She played professional basketball in Spain.
The banquet originally was scheduled in July 2020, but the global pandemic led to a second date in July 2021. That event also was postponed in the spring and eventually rescheduled.
For ticket information, call 814 255-2809.
