Blue Mountain inducts 8 into sports hall
Sep. 23—The Blue Mountain All-Sports Hall of Fame inducted eight new members prior to Friday's home football game against Pottsville. A gathering for the new inductees, their families and other Hall of Fame members was held during the game on the stadium grounds, and a reception followed the game at Carmelo's Roman Delight Restaurant on Route 61.
This year's inductees include:
Brandon Choate
A 2011 graduate, Choate excelled in wrestling at Blue Mountain, earning four varsity letters.
Accumulating a career record of 163-33, he was a four-time Schuylkill League champion, four-time District 11 medalist and three-time PIAA state qualifier. At states, he placed third, sixth and seventh. His talent earned Choate a wrestling scholarship to Old Dominion University, where he wrestled for four seasons.
Choate recently graduated from Alvernia University with a doctorate in Physical Therapy. He is employed at Geisinger-St. Luke's in Orwigsburg as a physical therapist. Choate and his wife reside in the Orwigsburg area.
Stephanie Frey Vietmeier
A multi-sport standout, Vietmeier earned eight varsity letters at Blue Mountain, four in basketball, two in soccer and two in cross country. A 2000 graduate, she was selected as Blue Mountain's female scholar-athlete her senior year.
Vietmeier was a point guard and two-time team captain on the girls' basketball team, scoring more than 1,000 career points. She earned Republican Herald All-Area first-team honors her senior year, helping the Eagles to the District 11 championship and a trip to the PIAA Eastern finals. She also held the school's career record for 3-point field goals.
On the soccer pitch, Vietmeier led the team in scoring with 12 goals her sophomore year, earning a spot on the Republican Herald All-Area first team.
After graduation, Vietmeier enrolled at Trinity International University in Illinois, where she was a four-year starter for the soccer and basketball teams. She was a two-time MVP and team captain for the basketball team, twice earning all-conference first-team honors. In soccer, she was team captain, four-time all-conference selection and was twice named NAIA honorable mention All-American.
Vietmeier resides in the Chicago area with her husband and children.
Ravi Pujara
A 2002 Blue Mountain graduate, Pujara excelled on the tennis court, earning four varsity letters. During his four years at Blue Mountain, the tennis team was four-time Schuylkill League champion and captured a District 11 team championship.
In singles, Pujara won first place in Schuylkill League play his sophomore and junior years, and earned District 11 silver his senior year.
Along with his doubles partner, Usman Zafar, Pujara earned District 11 silver his junior year, then captured District 11 and PIAA gold as a senior. He was named to the PIAA All-State doubles team.
After graduating from Blue Mountain, Pujara attended St. Joseph University, where he played on the tennis team. He then graduated from Jefferson Medical College and now resides in the Miami, Florida, area, where he practices as a pediatrician.
Usman Zafar
Zafar also excelled on the tennis court, earning four varsity letters before graduating in 2002. During his four years at Blue Mountain, the tennis team was four-time Schuylkill League champion and captured a District 11 team championship.
Playing in the No. 2 singles spot, he lost only one match in two years, won two Schuylkill League gold medals and was voted onto the District 11 all-star team.
Teaming with doubles partner Ravi Pujara, Zafar captured the District 11 doubles silver medal his junior year and District 11 and PIAA gold medals as a senior.
After graduation, Zafar attended undergraduate and medical school at Drexel University. He practices medicine as an anesthesia and pain management specialist in Manassas, Virginia.
Jeff Ritschel
Ritschel, a 1997 graduate, earned nine varsity letters in his career at Blue Mountain — three in football, three in baseball and three in wrestling.
On the football team, he was a two-way starter at running back and cornerback and was a team captain. He was selected to the Republican Herald All-Area first team and participated in the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association North/South All-Star game.
Playing first base and catcher on the baseball team, Ritschel was team captain and a Republican Herald first-team selection, helping the Eagles win a pair of Schuylkill League Division I championships his junior and senior years. On the wrestling mat, Ritschel was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time team captain.
After graduation, Ritschel attended Ursinus college, where he lettered in football and baseball. He was a baseball team captain, chosen as a preseason All-American and earned first-team all-league honors.
Ritschel resides in Lansdale with his wife and children. He is employed as sales manager with Synergy Orthopedics.
Kyle Somers
A 1999 graduate, Somers was a multi-sport standout at Blue Mountain, earning three letters in football, three in baseball and two in wrestling.
With the football team, Somers started as an interior lineman for three years and was elected team captain two years. He was selected to the Republican Herald All-Area second team his sophomore year and to the first team his junior and senior years. He was selected to the Reading Eagle All-Anthracite first team, and as a senior he was selected by Pennsylvania Football News to its second-team All-State squad at offensive guard.
For the baseball team, Somers was a two-year starter and team captain. He was selected to the South Schuylkill all-star team and to the Republican Herald All-Area first team for two years. He also wrestled, lettering two years as a heavyweight, and was selected as team captain.
After graduating, Somers attended Susquehanna University, where he started and lettered three years on the football team. He was selected to the All-MAC and All-MAC Academic Teams.
Somers is a certified public accountant with Weis Markets. He resides in Selinsgrove with his wife and children.
Nick Yutko
Yutko, a 1979 graduate, excelled on the cross country and track teams at Blue Mountain, earning eight varsity letters.
Competing in cross country, Yutko reached the PIAA state meet three times. In his sophomore year, he finished eighth at the District 11 meet and 20th at the state meet. His junior year, he finished second at both the Schuylkill league and District 11 meets, and earned a 15th-place medal at the PIAA state meet. In his senior year, he finished first at the Schuylkill League meet, first at the District 11 meet, setting a meet record, and again medaled at the PIAA state meet, finishing fifth. He was an integral part of the Blue Mountain teams that finished second at the PIAA meet for two consecutive years.
Running the 3,200-meter race for the track team his senior year, Yutko placed third at the Schuylkill League meet and second at the District 11 meet, qualifying for the PIAA meet.
After graduation, Yutko attended Indiana University (Pa.), where he was a distance runner on the track team. In his senior year, he finished fourth at the PSAC meet and sixth at the NCAA meet.
Yutko resided in the Bethlehem area, where he founded and ran a successful business from 1985 until his death in 2012.
Mike Burcik
Burcik is an honorary inductee, a category reserved for those who have made lasting contributions to the Blue Mountain sports legacy. Burcik achieved this distinction as girls' varsity soccer head coach for 22 years, and before that as assistant boys' soccer coach for 15 years.
As coach of the girls' soccer program, Burcik garnered 235 career wins, playing mostly in the highly competitive Berks League. His teams were seven-time Schuylkill League champions, five-time District 11 champions and six-time PIAA state playoff qualifiers. In 2018, he guided his team to the PIAA Class 3A state final match in Hershey, where they finished second. Among the coaching awards he has earned are the 2005 Berks League Coach of the Year, Schuylkill League Coach of the Year and 2018 PIAA Girls' Soccer Coach of the Year.
Burcik is also an accomplished soccer player. He is a 1992 Blue Mountain graduate and was captain of the first BMHS varsity soccer team in 1991, coached by his father, Rob Burcik.
Burcik resides in North Manheim Township with his wife and sons. He is a member of the faculty at Blue Mountain, where he teaches high school science.
