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The Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame will welcome 12 new members when it holds its 41st annual induction ceremony June 8 at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The event begins at 3 p.m. with a cocktail hour, followed by dinner at 4 and the induction ceremony. Tickets are $70 foradults and $25 for children, ages 12 and under. Children two and under are free. Tickets and program advertisements are available only through the organization’swebsite at www.luzernecountysportshalloffame.com.
Steve Brezna, a three-sport standout at Hanover Township, was a punter on Joe Paterno’s first Penn State football team in 1966. He was part of teams that won two bowl games and went undefeated in 1968 and 1969. He would later coach Hanover High School in multiple sports.
Dave Shimshock led a talented Coughlin football team. He led the state in total yards and touchdowns in his senior year as he earned Big 33, all-state and All-American honors. He went on to play at the College of the Holy Cross, where he started as a running back and strong safety over his four-year career.
John Simonitis loomed large on the field and on the hardwoods. A late starter in football, he immediately captured the attention of college coaches, while leading Dallas to state playoff recognition. Recruited by the University of Pittsburgh, he earned All-American status, and started for four years at right guard, serving as team captain in his junior and senior years.
Monica Wignot was a Holy Redeemer graduate who earned all-state honors three times in volleyball and basketball. She scored more than 1,000 points in basketball and had more than 1,000 kills in volleyball. She went on to play volleyball for four years at the University of Pittsburgh, earning second-team, All-Big East honors as a junior. As a grad student, she played one season of basketball for the Panthers, starting all 31 games and was second on the team in scoring with 10 points per game and led the team with 83 blocks. She died in a car accident in March 2022.
Three of this year’s selections are from areas supported by the Luzerne County chapter.
From Wyoming County, Molly O’Malley Watts played field hockey at Tunkhannock Area and Princeton University. She was Wyoming Valley Conference MVP and an all-state player. At Princeton (1995-98), she attained first-team, All-American status and was a U23 national team member. She is tied for 10th in most career points at Princeton with 110 (41 goals, 17 assists), and helped the Tigers to a pair of national championship games (1996, 1998).
Two inductees come from Northern Columbia County. Both found their way into coaching after successful swimming careers.
Stu Marvin swam and coached at Bloomsburg University. An 11-time All-American, Marvin parlayed his achievements into coaching the women’s and men’s swimming teams at Bloomsburg University. His 15-year coaching career saw him achieve multiple PSAC awards, and the opportunity to coach collegiate champions.
Stefanie Williams Moreno was a four-time YMCA national champion and a winner of 10 PIAA gold medals who never lost a race at Bloomsburg High School. She went on to the University of Georgia, where she was a 28-time All-American (1998-2002). She was a two-time SEC champion in the 200 freestyle, which she held the school record in at the time of her graduation. She was silver medalist at the Pan-American Games, World Championships and World University Games, and an Olympic Trials qualifier in 2000 and 2004. She is in her third season as head coach of the Georgia women’s team.
Kristin Stretanski DePolo was a YMCA junior state swimming champion. At Wyoming Valley West, she attained All-American status, while garnering multipledistrict and state honors. Her success provided a collegiate career at Villanova University. A Big East champion, Kristin made her mark both academically and athletically. She turned her sights to coaching at both Wyoming Area and Malvern Prep.
Sara Myers started her field hockey career at Crestwood High School. She went on to Susquehanna University where she earned all-Conference Player of the Year honors and led her team to its berth in the NCAA tournament. She went on to coach at the University of Scranton and Wilkes University, where shewas named MAC Freedom Conference Coach of the Year at both colleges.
TJ Ziolkowski was an all-WVC star who led Nanticoke Area to two league titles. He became the first player at Luzerne County Community College to reach the 1,000-career point milestone, finishing with 1,369 points. He went on to Wilkes University and helped the Colonels to the MAC championship in 1999. He is head coach for LCCC women’s basketballteam.
Jeff Craig was a baseball standout at Bishop Hoban. He was named the WVC’s most valuable player and helped lead the Argonauts to two district titles. He went on to play at Kutztown University, where he helped the Golden Bears to three PSAC and a Mid-Atlantic Regional title, and an appearance in the 2007 NCAA Division II College World Series.
Chris Mayerski, a Wyoming Valley West graduate, is Wilkes University’s all-time leader in home runs (36), games played (146), RBIs (167) and total bases (344). He was a . 336 career hitter for the Colonels, and was a four-time All-Freedom Conference selection.
