Antone headlines Kiski Area Sports Hall of Fame inductees

By: Michael Love
Thursday, June 19, 2025 | 5:56 PM

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Maddie Antone never slowed down as an athlete at Kiski Area.

She earned 12 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and softball.

Antone helped Cavaliers girls volleyball to the section title in 2011 and was a 2012 all-section selection.

She scored more than 1,000 points in her Kiski Area basketball career and earned all-section honors.

Antone picked up all-section softball laurels three years in a row.

She was named the Valley News Dispatch Female Athlete of the Year as a junior and was a finalist for the award as a senior before embarking on a successful three-year collegiate softball run at Division I Winthrop.

Her high school and collegiate exploits and the athletic careers of seven other Kiski Area greats will be recognized and celebrated Aug. 30 as the Kiski Area Sports Hall of Fame hosts its annual induction banquet and ceremony at the Greek Orthodox Church Social Hall on Washington Avenue in Oakmont.

“I am just so honored and humbled to be in the moment and be a part of this class with these other great inductees,” said Antone, who has excelled in youth, collegiate and professional softball coaching since her time at Winthrop concluded.

“I trusted the process, and everything was working for a bigger purpose. Any hits to the chin along the way, I was able to persevere and get some fortitude under my belt with teaching from my grandparents, my parents and my brother.

“I loved all three sports I played at Kiski, and I learned something from every coach and every teammate I was with during those years. It’s an unreal feeling and very special to be able to look back on all of the memories and experiences.”

Joining Antone in this year’s class are William Emerick (Class of 2011, football, wrestling, baseball), Crystal Heder Kosecki (Class of 2003, soccer, track and field), Mike Rairigh (Class of 2002, football, basketball, track and field), Ryan Sciullo (Class of 2014, baseball, basketball, golf), Kara Shirley (Class of 2003, basketball, swimming, cross country, track and field), Allison Little Sromek (Class of 2002, tennis, swimming, track and field), and Blair Woolheater (Class of 2007, golf, swimming, tennis).

This year’s class of eight brings the total number of individual inductees to more than 160 since the first group was enshrined in 2006.

The hall of fame went on hiatus in 2020 and 2021 because of the covid pandemic and returned in 2022 and also celebrated the Class of 2023 and 2024 at the Greek Social Hall.

Plaques recognizing the inductees will be on display in the athletic wing of the high school.

In addition to the enshrinement of this year’s class, the hall of fame committee will honor Anthony Gonella with the Bill Miller Community Service Award for his years of dedication to the school district and community.

Banquet tickets are $40 each and are available by calling 724-727-2527.

Here are the other Class of 2025 inductees, listed alphabetically with their graduation year in parentheses:

Kiski Area Sports Hall of Fame — Class of 2025

William Emerick (Class of 2011) — Emerick earned 12 letters in football, wrestling and baseball. At quarterback, he became one of the top 10 passers in school history. Emerick owned 100-plus career wrestling wins and was a three-time WPIAL qualifier. He helped lead the Cavaliers baseball team to a section championship. Emerick was selected Kiski Area’s male athlete of the year in 2011 before a four-year baseball career at Pitt-Bradford.

Crystal Heder Kosecki (Class of 2003) — Heder Kosecki earned seven letters in soccer and track. She scored a school-record 29 goals as a junior and was an all-section selection all four years. Heder Kosecki also was the first girls soccer player in school history to be named first-team All-WPIAL. She went on to a four-year soccer career at IUP and became the fourth-highest goal scorer in school history. Heder Kosecki was inducted into the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.

Mike Rairigh (Class of 2002) — Rairigh earned nine letters in football, basketball and track and field. He finished his football career as the all-time school leader in receptions. Rairigh earned first-team all-conference honors his senior year. In basketball, he was a three-year letterman and an all-conference honorable-mention selection for two years. Rairigh won a silver medal in the javelin at the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships. At IUP, he was a four-year member of both the football and track and field teams. He earned All-American honors in the javelin.

Ryan Sciullo (Class of 2014) — Sciullo earned eight letters in baseball, basketball and golf. He was a four-year starter in baseball and was an all-conference selection his senior year. He played in the WPIAL all-star game. In basketball, Sciullo helped lead the Cavaliers to the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs. He also was a three-year starter on the golf team. Sciullo attended Washington & Jefferson College and played baseball for four years. He helped lead the team to the NCAA Division III College World Series championship tournament.

Kara Shirley (Class of 2003) — Shirley earned 11 letters in basketball, swimming, cross country and track and field. In swimming, she qualified for the WPIAL championships all four years and was selected by the Valley News Dispatch as a second-team all-star. In track, Shirley was a member of 3,200-meter relay team that qualified for WPIALs. She was voted Kiski Area’s 2003 female athlete of the year. Shirley went on to Saint Vincent and was a member of the swimming and cross country teams.

Allison Little Sromek (Class of 2002) — Sromek earned 11 letters in tennis, swimming and track and field. She set the javelin school record with a throw of 125 feet, 9 inches. She placed seventh in the javelin at the WPIAL Class 3A championship meet in 2000. Sromek attended the College of Charleston and held the women’s javelin record for eight years.

Blair Woolheater (Class of 2007) — Woolheater earned 11 letters in golf, swimming and tennis. In swimming, he qualified for the WPIAL championships all four years and was team MVP his junior year. He was a two-time boys tennis MVP and participated in four sectional tournaments. In golf, he qualified for sectionals his senior year. Woolheater attended Duke and participated in club sports.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Kiski Area