Jerry Wolman, Northern Anthracite Chapter to induct 9 into HOF

May 3—The Jerry Wolman, Northern Anthracite Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction banquet Saturday, May 6, at 6 p.m. at Groody's Catering Hall, Ashland.

The Wolman Chapter will also honor six senior scholar-athletes with the Stan Rakowsky Memorial Award: Justin Williams and Abigail Kuzio, North Schuylkill; Ben Manley and Tabbatha Ward, Mahanoy Area; and Kaleb Maksimik and Jennifer Selbi, Shenandoah Valley.

Here's a look at this year's class of nine inductees.

Jim Batdorf Ashland High School

Batdorf was a 1960 graduate of Ashland Area Joint High School, where he excelled on the basketball court.

Batdorf scored 1,152 career points in his three years on the varsity team. At the time, out of 1,200 high school basketball players in Pennsylvania, he ranked No. 18 in scoring.

As a senior, Batdorf scored 654 points in 24 games, an average of 27.25 per game, leading all scorers in the North Schuylkill, South Schuylkill, Black Diamond and Anthracite Catholic Leagues. In North Schuylkill League action, he scored 474 points in 16 games, averaging 29.6 points per contest. He scored a school-record 47 points in a 95-41 win over Mount Carmel on Feb. 5, 1960.

After graduation, Batdorf went on to serve in the United State Army and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rio Grande College in Ohio.

Batdorf was the proud father of three sons, James, Bradley and Morris Batdorf. He passed away Jan. 23, 2015, at the age of 71.

Steve Karvois Shenandoah Valley

Karvois was a 1983 graduate of Shenandoah Valley, earning five varsity letters in football and basketball.

On the gridiron, Karvois was a standout linebacker and senior co-captain. He was selected to play in the Schuylkill/Berks County All-Star Game and was Shenandoah Valley's football scholar-athlete.

In basketball, Karvois was one of the top five scorers in the Schuylkill League, earning All-County recognition. A versatile guard, Karvois scored a career-high 48 points in the final game played in the fabled Heights Gymnasium.

Karvois went on to Susquehanna University, where he played linebacker and earned three varsity letters. He continued to be involved in athletics after college, serving as the head boys' basketball coach at both Cardinal Brennan and Tri-Valley and as an assistant coach at Cardinal Brennan, Shenandoah Valley and Tri-Valley.

Karvois is currently a Math teacher at Tri-Valley. He and his wife, Joelle, have three children: Joseph, Jourdin and Joelle.

Sam Matta Shenandoah High

Matta is a 1966 graduate of Shenandoah High School, playing football and basketball. Beyond his scholastic days, Matta played fast-pitch softball for Shingle King.

Matt is a founding member of the Shenandoah Valley Booster Club and the Shenandoah Area Softball League. He has served as a coach for the Shenandoah Teener League program and under the late William "Babe" Conroy with the Shenandoah Valley High School team. Matta also served one year as the Devils' athletic director.

Matta is better known as a sportswriter, working in journalism for more than 40 years at the Shenandoah Evening Herald, Pottsville Republican, Lebanon Daily News, Hazleton Standard-Speaker and Lehighton Times-News. He was appointed twice by late Sen. James J. Rhoades as one of six state-wide sportswriters during the State Senate Judiciary Hearings in the investigations of the PIAA.

Matta currently works as a correspondent with the Lehighton Times-News and has over-seen and managed the renovation of Muhammad Ali's former training camp in West Brunswick Township, now called Fighter's Heaven, into a national museum. He still resides in his hometown of Shenandoah.

Chris Palubinsky Shenandoah Valley

Palubinsky was a three-sport standout for the Blue Devils, earning a total of 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball before graduating in 2013.

As a three-year starting quarterback at Shenandoah Valley, Palubinsky broke the school record for career passing yards with 5,391, shattering the previous school record by 1,655 yards. He threw 47 career TD passes and compiled 990 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

Palubinsky earned All-State honors and was named to the WNEP Super 16 Dream Team. He earned all-star accolades from the Republican Herald, Standard-Speaker, Harrisburg Patriot News, PA Football News, Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association and Anthracite Football League.

In baseball, Palubinsky was a two-time Pennsylvania High School Baseball Coaches All-State outfielder, hitting an incredible .549 as a junior and .426 as a senior. He earned first-team all-star status with all the regional newspapers. In the winter, Palubinsky also received first-team All-Star honors from the local sports media for his basketball prowess.

Palubinsky went on to play football at Bloomsburg University, serving as the Huskies' starting quarterback for two seasons and passing for 3,282 career yards. He set the Bloomsburg single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 10 TDs.

Palubinsky has stayed active in sports, serving as a tight ends coach at Division I Morehead State University and as a running backs coach at Millersville University. He still works as a defensive game day coach at Millersville.

Palubinsky is a marketing analyst for Ateeco Inc. (Mrs. T's). He and his wife, Allison, reside in Hershey.

Dr. Kelly Purcell Mahanoy Area

Dr. Purcell is a 2009 graduate of Mahanoy Area, where she was one of the school's all-time greatest swimmers.

A member of the inaugural class of the Mahanoy Area Sports Hall of Fame, Purcell was the first Mahanoy Area female swimmer to earn a medal at the PIAA Swimming Championships, placing eighth in the 200-yard freestyle as a senior in 2009. Over her final two seasons, Purcell was also 10th in the 500 freestyle twice and 12th in the 200 freestyle at states.

Purcell won three Schuylkill League gold medals, two in the 200 freestyle and one in the 500 freestyle. She remains the current Mahanoy Area record-holder in five events (500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle and 400 relay. The Mahanoy Area female scholar-athlete, Purcell was the Female Swimmer of the Year as a senior for both the Republican Herald and Standard-Speaker All-Area teams.

For her swimming and academic excellence, Purcell received a Division I swimming scholarship to Bucknell University and graduated Cum Laude in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience degree. During her collegiate career she recorded three top-10 times in Bucknell history and earned second-team All Patriot League honors.

Beyond her athletic career, Purcell proceeded to attend medical school and is a 2018 graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Following completion of her doctorate in medicine degree, she completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Emory University School of Medicine in June 2022. She is currently in a fellowship program at Virginia iSpine at VCU specializing in interventional spine treatment. Upon completion of this fellowship, Purcell has accepted an offer as an Interventional Spine Physician at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Purcell currently resides in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, Kyle Mosher.

Samantha Sachleben Snyder North Schuylkill

A 2001 North Schuylkill graduate, Snyder was standout in track and field and girls' basketball.

Snyder was a two-time PIAA state qualifier in track, excelling in the 800-meter run and as part of the Spartans' 1,600-meter relay team. She was the captain of the Spartans' 2001 Schuylkill League Division I championship team, was the Schuylkill League champion in the 400 and helped North Schuylkill win a District 11 gold in the 1,600 relay. She was a District 11 runner-up in the 800, a district bronze medalist in the 400 and helped North Schuylkill take bronze in the 1,600 relay as a freshman.

Her track prowess earned her first-team honors on the Republican Herald All-Area Team, Schuylkill League Coaches' All-Star Team and Shamokin News-Item all-star team.

On the hardcourts, Snyder contributed to the success of the Lady Spartan team throughout her high school tenure. Her time as a Lady Spartan culminated in 2001 with a Schuylkill League championship and a District 11 runner-up finish. Snyder was also involved in the inaugural season of girls' soccer at North Schuylkill where she led the Lady Spartans in assists.

Snyder is employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as assistant chief counsel. She resides in Enola with her husband, Ryan, their two children Ben and Ellie, and their dog, Scout.

Richard Wetzel Jr. North Schuylkill

Wetzel is well-known for his achievements at North Schuylkill as both a player and a coach.

In his high school career, Wetzel earned 10 varsity letters in basketball, baseball, football and golf. He was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball, going on to earn three varsity letters at Misericordia University.

When his playing career ended, Wetzel continued his athletic resume as a highly successful coach at his alma mater. He is currently in his 11th season and seventh as the head coach of the Spartans' girls' basketball team, compiling an 111-43 overall record. During his tenure, his Spartans have won three Schuylkill League titles, two District 11 crowns, qualified for the District 11 playoffs six times and participated in the state playoffs three times.

For his excellence as a coach he was named by the Schuylkill League Athletic Directors as their Coach of the Year for the 2019 — 20 season. Both the Republican Herald and the Standard Speaker newspapers also honored him as Coach of the Year that season.

Wetzel resides in Frackville with his wife, Sharyn, and two daughters, Mya and Maddy.

Eric Whalen Shenandoah Valley

A 2012 Shenandoah Valley graduate, Whalen excelled on the gridiron and track for the Blue Devils.

Whalen earned six varsity letters at Shenandoah Valley, two in track and four in football. He was a standout running back for the Devils, rushing for a school-record 4,049 yards in his career. In track, he was part of the fastest 400-meter relay team in Shenandoah Valley history.

Whalen attributed his football success to playing under the coaching of two of Shenandoah Valley's all-time greatest running backs, Brian Bender and Nick Sajone, whose previous school record of 3,065 yards Whalen broke by 1,000 yards.

Whalen passed up several offers to play college football and committed himself to academics at the college level, initially attending Bloomsburg University and later transferring to Slippery Rock University, where he matriculated with a degree in English Literature & Language.

Whalen currently resides in Danville.

Natalie Alansky Zawada Mahanoy Area

Zawada excelled at Mahanoy Area as both an impressive athlete and coach.

During her playing days, Zawada averaged 11 points per game in 1988, helping the Golden Bears compile a 32-2 record that included a Schuylkill League Division II title, District 11 Class A crown and PIAA Class A state championship.

On the track, Zawada shined in the 400-meter dash and 300 hurdles, going undefeated in the two events several times. She was the Schuylkill League champion in the 300 hurdles as a junior and qualified for states in the event as a senior. She was also Mahanoy Area's 1988 female scholar-athlete.

Zawada continued her academic and athletic careers at Bloomsburg University, competing in the 400 hurdles, 400 relay and 1,600 relay. She competed at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships and Penn Relays.

Following her successful career as a collegian, Zawada moved to coaching younger athletes as an assistant coach for her father, Joe Alansky, and Tom Scheeler. Her work helped the Bears win six division championships, five District 11 championships and the 1998 PIAA state championship.

Zawada has also served as the Mahanoy Area track and field coach since 1996, winning three Schuylkill League Division II girls' titles and six Schuylkill League Division II boys' championships. She produced state qualifiers nine events.

Zawada is a third-grade language arts teacher at Mahanoy Area. She resides in Barnesville with her husband Michael, son Tanner and dog Nova.