9 men, 7 women selected for Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame 2023 class

Jun. 8—WILKES-BARRE — Two of the finest baseball players in the history of the Wyoming Valley Conference, along with a brother and sister combination which dominated the local swimming competition for many years, headline a group of nine men and seven women who will be enshrined into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame when the organization holds its annual induction ceremony and dinner set for Aug. 6, at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

—Jim Stehle and Mike Papi etched their names in local sports lore on the diamond.

Stehle, a flamethowing southpaw, was drafted by the San Diego Padres and spent two years in the organization, reaching Class AA before retiring.

Papi matriculated to the University of Virginia and led the Cavaliers to a second-place finish in the College World Series. He was a first-round pick by the then-Cleveland Indians and played three years with the organization's AAA Columbus Clippers.

—Joe and Katlin O'Hara are doctors and each played multiple sports, but showcased their expertise in the pool, particularly at their alma mater — Wyoming Valley West.

Dr. Joe (veterinary medicine) won a host of District 2 gold medals in both swimming and water polo, while his sister Katlin (doctor of podiatry), never lost an event at the district level in her scholastic year. She also was an all-state selection in water polo.

"The 2023 edition of the Hall of Fame includes a 16-member class of athletes, coaches, administrators, commentators, and officials spanning a number of sports, both female and male," stated Jim Martin, Chapter President. "This year's notables hail from Luzerne County and other counties which the chapter recognizes. These LCSHOF selections are some of the finest athletes, legendary facilitators and sports pioneers that this area has ever produced."

That quartet is joined by a distinguished group of athletes that include:

—Former Wilkes University baseball coach Gene Domzalski, who guided the Colonels to a 138-42 record in eight seasons and played five years in the New York Yankees organization.

—Rebecca Mack McGraw, the first female athlete in the history of GAR High School to receive a Division I athletic scholarship.

—Joe Hasay of Northwest High School, one of just a handful of scholastic basketball players to eclipse the 2,000-point scoring mark.

—Amy Viti, a standout track and field and cross country athlete at Hanover Area who went on to become one of the finest athletes in the history of Misericordia University and still holds five individual records for the Cougars.

—Scott Davis, a Pennsylvania gold medal winner in wrestling for Lake-Lehman, who went on to Delaware State and set the NCAA Division I record for being hit by a pitch in baseball.

—Jaime Kauczka Esgro, whose standout basketball career at Wyoming Valley West and Bloomsburg University, included 1,332 points scored as a Spartan and 1,117 as a Husky.

—Nina Wozniak is another Wyoming Valley West and Bloomsburg grad, whose distinguished 40-year aquatic career includes being the first youth swimmer from the Wilkes-Barre YMCA to win a state championship — at age 12. She also was a successful swim coach at WVW.

—Bill Downey, who for more than 50 years was an official in multiple sports, most notably in football, basketball and softball, merited him induction. He has officiated several PIAA championship games..

—Marsha Krysiewski Hanson was a two-sport standout at Wyoming Valley West which included numerous District 2 gold medal performances. At Lock Haven University, she ranks in the top five all-time in three track and field events.

—Jim Hill has been involved as a baseball coach at multiple levels for more than 50 years, including head coach at Northwest Area High School for 25 years and served 36 years as president of the Rural Teeners League.

—Joanne McComb, who has the distinction of playing in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, a league which was immortalized in the iconic film "A League of Their Own," She also was the first women's basketball coach at Bloomsburg University with the advent of Title IX.

—The late Dick Callahan, a native of Avoca and a graduate of Scranton Prep High School, who enjoyed a long career in broadcasting which started with the former Scranton Miners basketball team and took him to the West Coast where he served as the public address announcer for the Oakland A's for more than 1,000 games..

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