Department of Athletics

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chris Caputo, Sports Information Director Sports Center Voice: (814) 269-2031 Fax: (814) 269-2026 E-Mail: [email protected] February 6, 2016 http://www.pittjohnstownathletics.com

Five Selected for Induction into Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame on April 9, 2016

JOHNSTOWN, PA. – The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is proud to announce the ninth class to be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame. This year’s class, which will be inducted at an event beginning at 6 p.m. on April 9 at the Wellness Center on the Pitt-Johnstown campus, will include: Rick Baxter '04 (Baseball), Chuck Bradford '80 (Men’s Basketball), Bridget Hale- Sherick '90 (Women’s Basketball), Steve Littleton '77 (Men’s Track and Field), and Dan Revesz '82 (Wrestling). Pitt- Johnstown will also recognize all of the former student-athletes in attendance, including the 1981-82 wrestling team which captured the program’s first regional championship.

This special event was created in 2007 to honor prestigious groups of athletes, coaches, and university supporters and their champion spirits. These individuals merit distinction for their accomplishments and leadership in athletic endeavors for Pitt- Johnstown. Speaking at this year’s event will be Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar, Athletic Director and National Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach Pat Pecora, as well as student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President Kayla DeCriscio. Longtime Johnstown Tribune-Democrat sports writer and Pitt-Johnstown alumnus Mike Mastovich will serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies.

2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Rick Baxter Baseball – 2000-2004 From the 2001 season through the 2004 season, Mr. Rick Baxter was one of NCAA Division II’s top power hitters and played an integral part in laying the groundwork in turning Head Coach Todd Williams Mountain Cat baseball program into one of the top programs in the region. When his career ended in 2004, Mr. Baxter, an All-North Atlantic Region selection, had established Pitt- Johnstown records in seven statistical categories, including homeruns, runs batted-in, and slugging percentage. Mr. Baxter, a graduate of Forest Hills High School and a native of Sidman, Pa., took over the starting position at first base as a true freshman and hit .336 with five homeruns, eight doubles, and 26 RBI. That was just the beginning for Mr. Baxter. As a sophomore in 2002, Mr. Baxter broke the school records for homeruns in a season with 13 and RBI in a season with 52 on his way to guiding the Mountain Cats to a then program-best 28-18-1 overall record. He ranked 35th in NCAA Division II in homeruns, 61st in RBI per game at 1.11, and 64th in slugging percentage at .673. The following year, Mr. Baxter was named First-Team All-North Atlantic Region after finishing 35th in the country in batting average (.417) and 45th in doubles per game (.39). His 16 doubles led the team and tied the school record, while his .417 average, 10 homeruns, 44 RBI, 41 runs, and 60 hits also paced the Mountain Cats. Despite playing his entire senior season recovering from a torn labrum, Mr. Baxter continued to put up impressive numbers in 2004 by batting .329 with seven homeruns and 46 more RBI.

-more- -2- When his career ended, Mr. Baxter, stood atop of nearly every Pitt-Johnstown single-season and career offensive record. Mr. Baxter’s 173 games-played, 589 at-bats, 207 base hits, 50 doubles, 35 homeruns, and .635 slugging percentage were all Mountain Cat career records. He is still ranked in the top-four in all of these categories, including tied for the top-spot in career doubles, second in at-bats, hits, RBI, and slugging percentage and third in homeruns. In addition, Mr. Baxter never hit lower than .327 in a season, and led Pitt-Johnstown in homeruns and RBI in three of his for years. Mr. Baxter, who competed in baseball, football, and wrestling at Forest Hills High School, was also a member of the Galliker’s Dairy baseball team that finished as the National Runner-up at the 2001 AAABA Tournament at Point Stadium. After graduating with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Environmental Studies and Geography in 2004, Mr. Baxter began his professional career as a Geotechnician for L. R. Kimball in Ebensburg. After five years, Mr. Baxter joined the EADS Group in 2011 as an Engineer Technician, and remains employed there today. Mr. Baxter is still active in the baseball community and has worked with his cousin Rick Roberts at his baseball school, ERA Sports Inc. He also enjoys spending time in the outdoors fishing and hunting. Mr. Baxter and his wife reside in Sidman with their three young children Aubrey (age 2), and twins Briley and Brantley (9 months). “Being inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame is quite an honor,” Mr. Baxter said. “I have many great memories of playing baseball at Pitt-Johnstown. I made lifelong friendships with the guys I played with, as well as Coach Williams. I was also fortunate to have the support of my family, especially my mother who traveled to many games to watch me play. I want thank my family and my wife for supporting my baseball career, as well as Pitt-Johnstown for providing me the opportunity to play and further my education.”

2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Chuck Bradford Men’s Basketball – 1976-1980 Mr. Chuck Bradford came to Pitt-Johnstown in 1976 and helped lead a relatively young Mountain Cat basketball program to three consecutive winning seasons on his way to earning All-American honors as a junior and finishing his career as Pitt-Johnstown’s third all-time leading scorer and second all-time leading rebounder. As a freshman during the 1976-77 season, Mr. Bradford earned Pitt-Johnstown’s Freshman of the Year Award and helped guide the Mountain Cats to 17 victories, a program-record that stood for the next 20 years. The following year, his 242 rebounds led the team and helped Head Coach Jim Basista’s Mountain Cats post a 16-11 overall record. Mr. Bradford, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, also earned spots on the Mercyhurst Invitational and Slippery Rock Christmas Invitational All-Tournament Teams. However, it was his junior season in 1978-79 when Mr. Bradford showed he was one of the top players in the nation. He led the Mountain Cats in both scoring (364 points) and rebounding (176 rebounds), garnered the Mountain Cat Club Most Valuable Player Award, and was named a Street & Smith Official Basketball Yearbook All-American. Despite a down season for the team, Mr. Bradford continued to excel as a senior in 1979-80 with a team-leading 225 rebounds and his second straight Mountain Cat Club Award. Mr. Bradford would join fellow Hall of Famers Don Elzer (1973-77) and Rich Ragan (1974-78) as the program’s first three 1,000-point scorers and was presented with Pitt-Johnstown’s Black Action Society Achievement Award in recognition of reaching the milestone. Mr. Bradford’s name remains on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Scoring and Rebounding Lists today. His 1,078 career points still rank 20th on the scoring list, while his 636 career rebounds are sixth on the rebounding list. In 1980, Mr. Bradford graduated from Pitt-Johnstown with a degree in Speech Communication and Education, but his education did not stop there. Mr. Bradford earned a M.Ed. in Speech Communication and Education at John Carroll University in 1992 and a Special Education Licensure at Kent State University in 2004. Mr. Bradford’s professional career began in 1979 as a part-time teacher in the Westmont Hilltop School District while he was still attending Pitt-Johnstown. He has spent the last 37 years as an educator in various locations, and continues to do so, despite retiring in 2008. Among the locations he has taught, Mr. Bradford spent three years at Coral Springs Middle School and Westchester Elementary School in South Florida. In addition, he taught at the college level at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, and worked and taught in corrections and social services. In 2002, Positive Education Program (PEP) named Mr. Bradford its Teacher of the Year. Mr. Bradford, who resides in Bedford Heights, Ohio, is currently a full-time Intervention Specialist in the Bedford City School system. Mr. Bradford has two children, Charles L. Bradford, who resides in Maricopa, Ariz. and Leia L. Bradford of Chicago, Ill. “Being inducted into University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame is beyond what words can describe,” Mr. Bradford said. “For Pitt-Johnstown Basketball, I planned for perfection and achieved excellence. I must also thank the Hall of Fame Committee for bestowing this honor upon me. This honor is indescribable!”

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2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Bridget Hale-Sherick Women’s Basketball – 1986-1990 From 1986 through 1990, Ms. Bridget Hale-Sherick established herself as a true student-athlete as a member of the Pitt- Johnstown women’s basketball team. Ms. Hale-Sherick finished her Lady Cat career as the program’s third all-time leading scorer, a two-time Kodak All-American, and a GTE Academic All-District selection. On the court, Ms. Hale-Sherick helped Head Coach Jodi Gault’s Lady Cats establish themselves as one of the top programs in the nation. In her four years, Pitt-Johnstown posted a 94-18 overall record, won an East Region Tournament title, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1987. Following her freshman season that saw the team reach the Final Four, Ms. Hale-Sherick set Pitt-Johnstown’s single-game scoring record with 38 points against Longwood College and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Shippensburg Tournament as a sophomore. However, that was just the beginning of her athletics success. The following season, Ms. Hale-Sherick collected her 1,000th career point, earned a spot on the West Chester Tournament All-Tournament Team, and garnered her first Kodak All-American honor after averaging 20.7 points per game. Ms. Hale-Sherick was even more dominant as a senior in 1989-90. She earned First-Team All-Mideast Collegiate Conference honors, was named to the East Region Tournament All-Tournament Team, and garnered her second consecutive Kodak All-American honor. Ms. Hale-Sherick, who averaged 16.3 points per game that season, broke her own single-game scoring mark with 40 points against Lake Superior State at the Northern Kentucky Tournament where she was the top vote-getter for the all-tournament team. In addition, her 87.6% free-throw shooting ranked fourth in the final Division II National Statistics. She finished her standout career ranked third on the Lady Cat All-Time Scoring List with 1,506 career points. She currently ranks sixth on the list. Ms. Hale-Sherick was not just a terrific athlete. She also excelled in the classroom and secured a spot on the GTE Academic All- District Team following the 1989-90 season. That same year, Ms. Hale-Sherick was recognized as a Social Sciences Division Scholar in Business/Economics - Management and received the Howard M. Picking, Jr. Award for achieving at a high level academically, as well as displaying those qualities necessary to succeed in the world of business and finance. She graduated Cum Laude from Pitt-Johnstown in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in both Business/Economics-Finance and Management. For the past 18 years, Ms. Hale-Sherick has been employed by Select Medical Corporation in Mechanicsburg, where she serves as Vice President of Accounting Shared Services. Ms. Hale-Sherick and her husband, Scott, reside in Carlisle. They do not have any children, but the couple does have a very spoiled Yellow Labrador Retriever named Chloe. “It is a great honor to be inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame, especially alongside so many incredible athletes and coaches,” Ms. Hale-Sherick said. “My four years at Pitt-Johnstown gave me some of the most memorable times of my life and gave me life-long friends that I cherish. I owe a great deal of gratitude to Coach Gault, Deb, Rob, my professors (especially Mr. Vickroy) and to my teammates for preparing me for life and helping to shape the person I am today. I am very proud to be part of the Lady Cat Basketball legacy.”

2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Steve Littleton Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field - 1973-1977 After graduating from Ridley High School in 1973, Mr. Steve Littleton came to Pitt-Johnstown and was a dominant member of the men’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams. Mr. Littleton, Pitt-Johnstown’s top runner in each of his four years, became the school’s first NAIA and NCAA Cross Country All-American, as well as the school’s first NAIA Track and Field All-American. Mr. Littleton became Pitt-Johnstown’s second-ever All-American as a junior in 1976 when he placed 11th at the NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Springfield, MO where he finished the 6.2 mile course with a time of 30:23. That same fall, Mr. Littleton also garnered NAIA Cross Country All-American honors with an eighth-place finish in Kenosha, Wisc. The following spring, Mr. Littleton traveled to Arkadelphia, Ark. and came away as an NAIA All-American by placing fifth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:29:37. In 1976, Mr. Littleton’s time of 24:19 on the five-mile course at the Malone Cross Country Invitational broke Pitt-Johnstown previous record time of 25:58. As a senior in 1977, Mr. Littleton was undefeated in six dual and tri-meets, was the District 18 three-mile champion, and was the District 18 runner-up in the mile run. He also won individual medalist honors at the Indiana University (PA) Invitational, and the Penn-Ohio Championships where set a new cross country course record. He posted personal bests of 4:08 in the mile run, 13:55 in the three-mile run, and 30:17 in the 10k run. Mr. Littleton continued running after graduating from Pitt-Johnstown in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. From 1978 through 1981, he ran for the Allegheny Nike Team and won numerous races in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.

-4- In 1982, Mr. Littleton joined the U.S. Navy and participated in both cross country and track. He qualified for the All-U.S. Navy Cross Country and Track Teams and won titles in the Armed Forces 10K and 5K races in 1984. Mr. Littleton also competed in Hawaii and internationally, including winning the 1991 Great Aloha Run that featured over 30,000 runners. Mr. Littleton received a Masters’ Degree in Administration of Justice in 1981 from the University of Pittsburgh. After serving as a teaching assistant for a year, he began his professional career at Allegheny General Hospital as a security supervisor. Approximately a year later, Mr. Littleton was named Director of Safety and Security at Allegheny Community College. He spent 21 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Intelligence Officer where he served in a number of conflicts, including in Grenada, Lebanon, and Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Mr. Littleton’s last six years of active duty were at the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in Tampa, Fla. Mr. Littleton retired from active duty in 2003, but continues to work at USSOCOM as a Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab liaison in the field of technology development. Mr. Littleton was a volunteer track and cross country coach for 21 years at Valrico, Florida’s Bloomingdale High. He was also a high school and youth soccer referee for 14 years. Mr. Littleton, a native of Ridley, Pa. currently resides in Valrico, Fla. with his wife, Barbara and their daughter Amber. “I am honored to be included with all the outstanding athletes in the UPJ Athletics Hall of Fame,” Mr. Littleton said.

2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Dan Revesz Wrestling- 1978-1982 A three-time NCAA All-American at 177 and 190 lbs. and a three-time NCAA Region Champion, Mr. Dan Revesz will go down as one of the cornerstones that helped build Pitt-Johnstown wrestling into one of the most powerful and respected programs in the nation. After helping Head Coach Pat Pecora’s Mountain Cat program post an 11-6-1 dual meet record as a freshman in 1978-79, Mr. Revesz began to make his own name as a standout on an up-and-coming program. As a sophomore in 1979-80, Mr. Revesz won his first regional title and joined Barry Gresh and his brother, John Revesz, on the podium at the NCAA National Tournament as an All-American. Mr. Revesz won two more regional championships and was an All-American in both 1981 and 1982 to cement his name as one of the all-time great Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers. In his four seasons as a Mountain Cat, Mr. Revesz guided Pitt-Johnstown to a 46-18-1 dual meet record and the program’s first Regional Tournament Championship. Mr. Revesz, a two-year team captain who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, was a two-time champion at both the Delaware State University and West Liberty State (WV) College Tournaments. He was also a four-time recipient of the Pitt- Johnstown Mountain Cat Award. When his career came to an end, Mr. Revesz’s 102 victories ranked and .791 winning percentage both ranked atop of the Pitt- Johnstown record books. His 102-27 career record still stands in 21st place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Wins List, while his .791 winning percentage ranks 18th. Mr. Revesz, a native of Colver, Pa., has dedicated more than 20 years working in broadcast television. He began as a sales representative and advanced into Sales Management for CBS-Television, NBC-Television, FOX-TV and CBS Radio. He earned the Johnson & Johnson (Personal Products) National “Creative Selling Award” and was recognized as the top sales person in “Olympic Games” Sales at NBC Television in the Pittsburgh Market. In addition, Mr. Revesz earned the “Sales Person of the Month Award” on multiple occasions at NBC-TV. Along with his professional career, Mr. Revesz is very active in volunteer activities, including Toys for Tots and $Dollar Energy Fund. He also serves as a volunteer basketball coach for the Diocese of Pittsburgh Elementary Girls Basketball League as well as the A.A.U. Junior Olympic Girls Basketball program. After his wrestling career wrapped-up, Mr. Revesz took to the golf course and developed into a very accomplished amateur golfer who participated in the 1998 PGA Golf “Foster Brooks Celebrity Pro-Am” Tournament, the Senior PGA “Quick Silver Senior PGA Pro-Am” Tournament, and the LPGA “Lady Keystone Open Pro-Am” Tournament. Mr. Revesz and his wife, April, have four children, Ashley, Lauren, Kerri, and Daniel, Jr. The Revesz family currently resides in New Castle. Pa. “It means the world to me to leave a lasting and positive legacy for my family, friends, the small town of Colver, my high school, Central Cambria and of course, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown,” Mr. Revesz said. “I am humbled and very grateful. In addition to my family, some of my proudest moments came about through sports and education. They provided a great learning platform for success in Life. When you add to that great people like family, your hometown who always remembers you, and the many positive role models you encounter along the way, it is easy to say that this honor belongs to many people…not just me. I am happy to accept this honor on behalf of my wife and family, friends, Central Cambria High School, the town of Colver, Coach Pecora, Coach Vaux, Coach Vetock, and Pitt-Johnstown. Thank you for this great distinction.”

-5- 2016 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame — Recognition of 1981-82 First Regional Championship Wrestling Team The 1981-82 season marked another first in the long history of Mountain Cat wrestling accomplishments. That, Pitt- Johnstown boasted three All-Americans, placed 19th at the NAIA National Championships, and won its first of 20 NCAA Regional Wrestling Championships. The 1981-82 Mountain Cats posted an 11-5 overall dual meet record and won titles at the Delaware University and West Liberty State (WV) College Tournaments prior to claiming the championship at the East Regional Tournament. At Regionals, Dave McGowan (118 lbs.), Rob Yahner (150 lbs.), Dan Revesz (190 lbs.), and Leo Feister (HWT.) all won individual titles to guide Pitt-Johnstown to its first team championship. Following the regional tournament, Pitt-Johnstown traveled to the NAIA National Championships and got All-American finishes from John Revesz (158 lbs.), the program’s first three-time All-American, McGowan (118 lbs.), and Yahner (150 lbs.).

Pitt-Johnstown’s inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class was inducted on September 30, 2007 and included: Lisa Britt (Women’s Basketball), Sean Isgan (Wrestling), Carl Sax (Men’s Basketball), C. Edward Sherlock (Men’s Basketball and Athletic Director), and James Wilkes (Men’s Basketball)

Class of 2009: Carlton Haselrig (Wrestling), Clyde Horner (Head Coach), Joachim Knispel (Men’s Soccer), Paul Leonard (Baseball), Dave Roman, Sr. (Men’s Basketball), and Mindy Young-Gagliardi (Women’s Basketball)

Class of 2010: Jodi Gault (Head Women’s Basketball Coach), Dr. Robert Hartnett (Men’s Basketball/Meritorious Service), Dave Hoff (Baseball), Rich Ragan (Men’s Basketball), Patty Ritter-Sharbaugh (Women’s Gymnastics), and Lee Schickel (Wrestling), and the 1996 National Championship Wrestling Team

Class of 2011: Bob Bulas (Men’s Basketball), Don Elzer (Men’s Basketball), Steve Parker (Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country), Jody Strittmatter (Wrestling), and Trish Wajers-Carr (Women’s Basketball)

Class of 2012: Mike Gresik (Baseball/Men’s Basketball), Quinn Harris (Men’s Basketball), Maureen Latterner-Brown (Women’s Basketball), Teri Menett-Cruse (Women’s Basketball/Volleyball), John Strittmatter (Wrestling), and the 1999 National Championship Wrestling Team

Class of 2013: Tony Albertelli (Wrestling), Jill Halapin (Women’s Basketball), Bruce Haselrig (Wrestling Coach), Justin Walther (Men’s Basketball), and the 1986-87 Women’s Basketball NCAA Final Four Team

Class of 2014: Eric Dinyar (Baseball), Barry Gresh (Wrestling), Ken Keiper (Baseball Coach), Emanuel “Book” Richardson (Men’s Basketball), and Lenore Shimkus-Schell (Women’s Basketball)

Class of 2014: Denise Gallo (Women’s Basketball), Devlin Herring (Men’s Basketball), Tim Nolen (Men’s Soccer), Pat Pecora (Wrestling Coach), and Rob Yahner (Wrestling)

Founded in 1927, Pitt-Johnstown is located in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania and is the first and largest regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The University is the regional leader, educating for the RealWorld. The distinctive combination of our people, programs, and place results in exceptional performance in preparing students for career and professional success. Pitt-Johnstown is recognized by the Princeton Review as a “Best in the Northeast” college, by G.I. Jobs as a “Military Friendly School,” by AC Online as one of the “Highest ROI Colleges in Pennsylvania,” and by Pennsylvania Business Central as a "Top 100 Organization.” Additionally, Pitt-Johnstown has been presented with The Seven Seals Award by the US Department of Defense’s office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).