Multi-sport standouts lead way into Penn Hills hall of fame

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 6, 2018 | 2:00 AM

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The Penn Hills Sports Hall of Fame will induct eight athletes and two teams in its Class of 2018.

The induction ceremony be April 28 at the Green Oaks Country Club, 5741 Third St. in Verona.

The evening will include a 5:30 p.m. cocktail hour, dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the inductions at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $35 and are available at PennHillsSportsHOF.com or by emailing Cindy McCue at cindymcq1@gmail.com. Congratulatory ads can be purchased at PennHillsSportsHOF.com.

Below is a look at half of this year's class. Check out the other half next week.

Jermaine Carswell

Soccer, basketball, football and track and field

Carswell, also known as “Hollywood,” is a 1992 graduate of Penn Hills. He was a four-sport athlete earning letters in soccer, basketball, football and track.

A striker on the soccer team and guard on the basketball squad, Carswell contributed points in several playoff runs for the Indians. Big Red football enjoyed success with Carswell as a triple threat at tailback, wide receiver and cornerback, where he received All-WPIAL honors.

On the track, Carswell had the ability to sprint any distance and did his part on the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams. Carswell was also a triple- and long-jump specialist.

Carswell continued his athletic career at Edinboro, where he was also a two-sport standout. Carswell played cornerback on a conference champion and nationally top-ranked defense. In track and field, Carswell won three consecutive conference titles, earning NCAA All-America honors and being named to the Edinboro All-Time team.

Carswell played football professionally in the arena and indoor football leagues. Carswell served as an assistant track coach at IUP while continuing to train as an Olympic hopeful.

Michael Diano

Cross country, track and field and baseball

Diano, a 2000 graduate, was a member of the cross country, track and baseball teams. Diano went undefeated in the section for cross country and track his senior year. In cross country, he won the Northern Invitational and Central Catholic Invitational. Diano placed third at WPIALs and sixth at PIAAs. Diano was a member of the Pennsylvania XC team and represented the state in the Mid-East regionals.

In track, Diano finished second in the 3,200 at WPIALs and sixth at PIAAs. Also, Diano took part in resurrecting the Penn Hills indoor track team, along with his teammate Brandon Phillips and coach Lee Zelkowitz.

Diano got a cross country scholarship from Pitt, where he lettered all four years and was a captain of the team.

Diano, who earned a bachelor's degree in history, is a social studies teacher in the Penn Hills School District. He has been teaching for more than 13 years. Diano continues his love for running by coaching at Penn Hills and has guided many WPIAL and PIAA champions throughout the years.

Diano, who resides in Plum Boro, has been married to his wife, Michele, for 10 years and has three girls: Addison (7), Sara (5) and Logan (1½).

Dan Guigliano

Football and track and field

Guigliano, a 1975 graduate, was a two-year letterman in football and track and field. On the football field, Guigliano played defensive tackle and received all-conference first-team honors during his junior and senior years. In his senior year, Guigliano received All-WPIAL and all-state first-team honors and was named Penn Hills Most Valuable Lineman among other honors. Guigliano threw shot put during his two years on the track and field team.

Upon graduation, Guigliano attended Southern Illinois on a football scholarship and played four years while earning bachelor's in criminology.

Guigliano became a probation/parole officer for the state of Pennsylvania. He also was a defensive line coach for two years under Neil Gordon. Guigliano moved on to become the defensive coordinator for four years at the Murrysville Midget Football Program.

Guigliano, who is retired and resides in Florida, has three kids and two grandchildren.

Mallory Ruhling Hodge

Golf

Hodge, a 2008 graduate, was the first female in the history of the district to play and contribute on the boys golf team all four years. Hodge played in the WPIAL individual qualifier three times and qualified for the WPIAL championship twice. She earned a WPIAL medal her senior season by placing sixth at Allegheny Country Club, taking her to the PIAA regional.

Off the course, Hodge performed in the high school musical each year and was the student council president and student school board member during her senior year. The Kiwanis named Mallory the Junior Citizen of the Year in 2008.

At Queens University of Charlotte, Hodge started on the women's golf team and met her husband, Andrew, who was the captain of the men's golf team. Hodge sank her last putt as a collegiate golfer as her team won the first D-II Conference Carolinas women's golf championship. Hodge graduated from Queens in May 2012 with a Bachelors in political science and a certificate in the professional golf management program.

During high school and college, Hodge worked in the golf shop and taught junior golf at Longue Vue Club, where she's the Women's Golf Club Champion.

Hodge is the daughter of Jim ('71) and Jill Ruhling of Crescent Hills. Her brother, Evan ('12), also played on the Penn Hills and Queens golf teams. Currently, Hodge works for a political consulting firm in Pittsburgh.

2010 girls track and field

The 2010 girls track and field team won the PIAA Class AAA championship scoring 48 points at the state meet in Shippensburg. This was not only a first for the school but also for the WPIAL: The Indians were the first Class AAA to win the championship at the state meet. It was a joint effort, with no individual winning her event. The girls won the 400 relay and the 1,600 relay.

In the 1,600 relay, Iman Wilkerson, Deshaun Squires, Christina Roberson and Jordan Lee broke a state record with a time of 3 minutes, 46.31 seconds. The record of 3:48.98 was set by Chester in 1998. This time was the 19th-fastest time in the country.

The 400 relay consisted of Wilkerson, Squires, Roberson and Paige Fields. Samara (Johnson) Presberry was the alternate for the relays. Wilkerson placed second in the 200 dash and third in the 100 dash. Lee placed second in the 400 dash and third in the 200 dash.

The girls were WPIAL champions in the 400 relay and 1,600 relay. Wilkerson won the 100 and 200 dashes. Lee was the WPIAL Champion in the 400 dash.

The girls hold the fastest 1,600 relay time (3:46.31) in WPIAL history, and the 400 relay (47.37) is ranked second all-time. Wilkerson holds the ninth-fastest time in WPIAL history for the 200 dash (24.33), and Lee holds the 17th-fastest (24.76). Lee also holds the fifth-fastest time in the 400 at 55.43.

The 400 relay placed fifth in the Tri-State finals and 25th overall at the Penn Relays Carnival. During the indoor season, the 800 relay competed against 115 other teams, placing sixth at the New Balance Games in The Armory Track & Field Center in New York.

Andrew John is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn Hills