Penn Hills Hall of Fame to welcome Class of 2018

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 13, 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.

An induction ceremony will take place 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 and the inductions at 7:30.

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

Below is a look at the second half of this year's class.

Kevin McCoy

Football

McCoy, a 1996 graduate, was a three-time letterman for the Penn Hills football team.

During his sophomore year, McCoy saw playing time on the offensive and defensive line, as well as special teams. During his junior year, McCoy started at left tackle and was named a Quad East All-Star. During his senior year, McCoy helped lead the team to both WPIAL and PIAA championships with a 15-0 season. McCoy was again named all-conference.

McCoy attended IUP and earned a degree in criminal justice in 2001. In McCoy's first year, he started out on the offensive line but quickly transitioned to defensive end, where he played for the following two seasons while also playing on special teams.

Since graduating from IUP, McCoy has worked with at-risk youth and their families throughout Allegheny County. McCoy works for Allegheny County Office of Behavioral Health, Department of Human Services as a mental health specialist. Acting as a liaison, he primarily works with the Pittsburgh Public Schools system.

He lives in Penn Hills with his wife, Heather, and their three children, Andin (11), Kellan (8) and Ashlyn (3).

Byron Knight

Basketball

Knight, a 2003 Penn Hills graduate, was a three-year starter for the boys basketball team. At 6-foot-4, Knight played the game with finesse, as a shooting guard. Knight possessed the ability and determination to take over a game and was considered one of the best players in Indians history.

In the 2003 WPIAL championship, Knight led his team in scoring on the way a WPIAL title. Knight was a three-time leading scorer, with more than 1,000 points during his career. He garnered all-state, all-WPIAL and all-section honors.

Knight accepted an athletic scholarship to Robert Morris. He maintains an interest in athletics, is a dedicated father, and remains a resident of the Penn Hills community.

Megan Thiessen

Soccer, track and field

Thiessen (formerly Hill), who graduated from Penn Hills in 2006 as the class valedictorian, played soccer and ran track, lettering all four years in both sports.

She ran the 800-meter and 3,200-meter relay. As a captain of the only girls soccer section champions in school history, Thiessen holds the school record for career points. Thiessen was a three-time all-section and all-WPIAL honoree. She also was on the PA West Olympic Development Program team.

Thiessen attended Kent State on a soccer scholarship. She lettered all four years and was a captain her senior year. She was named to the Academic All-MAC team and was awarded the MAC Commissioner's Award. Thiessen graduated summa cum laude as a member of the Honor's College, Chi Alpha Sigma (National College Athlete Honors Society) and Phi Beta Kappa (National Honor Society).

Following graduation, she attended Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Thiessen was published in The Yearbook on Arbitration and Mediation, was the President of the Sports Legal Society and a certified mediator. Thiessen is barred in Pennsylvania and Maryland and passed the West Virginia Bar. Thiessen is a contract manager for Evoqua Water Technologies.

She resides in Fox Chapel and married her husband, Dan, on New Year's Eve. They play in coed soccer leagues together and are in a bowling league.

Shala Carter Ward

Basketball, track and field

Ward, who graduated from Penn Hills in 1997, lettered in basketball and outdoor track and field.

Ward was one of the top WPIAL athletes in the 200-meter dash and 300-meter hurdles and also was a member of the 400 and 1,600 relay teams that broke records and were among the top relay teams in the state.

Ward briefly ran track for Pitt but because of an injury, she decided to retire. She graduated with a degree in exercise science.

Ward volunteers at the Penn Hills YMCA and coached for the basketball league for a number of years and continues to help with the flag football league. She also was the physical activity instructor for the KidShape program through the YMCA.

She volunteered as a coach for the Penn Hills Eagles track team, before starting her own team, the Western PA All-Stars, along with her husband Jeremy, where they mostly work with middle and high school athletes. Ward, who has been involved in track and field for more than 25 years, specializes in sprints and hurdles, but also works with long jump, shot put and javelin.

She lives in Penn Hills with her husband, Jeremy, and children, Jermel, Kiera and Julian.

1973 boys volleyball team

In 1973, boys volleyball teams would play two matches a night, and the Indians, under the direction of coach Scott Klinger, won six straight out of the gate, defeating Burrell, Fox Chapel and Highlands. But they sputtered in midseason and down the stretch, splitting with Deer Lakes, North Hills and Plum, and losing twice at Elderton and North Allegheny.

By the time the WPIAL tournament rolled around, Penn Hills wasn't the favorite, but on that day in their own gym, the Indians dispatched Churchill, North Hills and North Allegheny to set up a showdown with Elderton in the winners' bracket. Penn Hills won that match and then beat Elderton again after the Bobcats had worked their way through the losers' bracket, to capture the championship.

At State College for the state tournament, Penn Hills defeated Sullivan County, Union, Haverford and Tunkhannock, which upset the favorite, Central York. This set the stage for a showdown with Townville, which had battled through the losers' bracket. The Indians won the first set but lost the second before rallying to capture the third and win the state title.

The team included seniors Angelo DeRiggi, Mike McGrath, Jack Weaver, Bob Christ, Dave Simons and Phil Conte; juniors Dave Barr, Chuck Thorne, Frank Agnew, Frank Guadagnino, Mike Casey, Kevin McKinney, John Finn and Steve Bence; and sophomores Jeff Beavers, George Halle, Bill Spina, Paul Stritmatter, Steve O'Connor, Gene Pollitt and Terry McCoy.

Andrew John is a freelance writer.

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