WPIAL announces latest Hall of Fame class
Three locals, one team among honorees
Two former coaches, one former administrator and one state championship basketball team are among the local honorees comprising the Class of 2025 to be inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Athletic League’s Hall of Fame.
The 18th WPIAL HOF class was publicly announced during a press conference held Jan. 15 at the Senator John Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. The formal induction ceremony will be held June 6 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Green Tree.
Out of the 15 inductees, seven are listed in the Athlete category, two in Coach and Team, and one each in Official, Contributor, Heritage, and Courage.
The two coaches are Dori Oldaker from South Fayette and Rich Saccani from Charleroi.
Oldaker coached basketball at her alma mater, Blackhawk, as well as Mt. Lebanon, compiling a 495-139 record. She guided the Blue Devils to four WPIAL and three PIAA championships, and the Cougars to two WPIAL and two PIAA titles. Her 2009 Lebo team swept Class 4A in the WPIAL and PIAA, finished 29-2 overall and ranked No. 7 nationally by USA Today.
Oldaker was named Associated Press Big School Coach of the Year on five occasions, in 1999, 2000, 2008, 2009, and 2010. She earned Dapper Dan Sportswoman of the Year accolades in 2001 and was a nominee in 2010. Additionally, she captured the WPIAL Class 4A Coach of the Year accolade and Johnny Unitas Sportsmanship Coach of the Year plaudits in 2005
At the youth level, Oldaker also served as a coach for the USA Basketball national team trials for the U16 trials in 2011 and the U17 and U18 trials in 2012.
In high school, Oldaker played basketball, golf, softball, and track & field. The 1986 Beaver County Co-Athlete of the Year was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Girls’ Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Currently, Oldaker serves as a second grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in the Mt. Lebanon School District. She has held that position since 2003.
Saccani started the Upper St. Clair boys’ tennis program, compiling a 404-43 coaching record in 24 seasons. His Panthers claimed nine section titles and six WPIAL team championships. They posted five undefeated seasons.
Additionally, Saccani coached two WPIAL singles champions and the 1982 PIAA singles winner in Martin Sieckmann as well as guided four pairs teams to WPIAL doubles titles and two PIAA gold medals.
Named Coach of the Year by the Allegheny Mountain Tennis Association and Middle States Tennis Association in 1980, Saccani claimed the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Coaches Award in 1975. He is also a member of the USC athletic Hall of Fame.
Twenty-nine of his student-athletes went on to play at the NCAA Division I level and six played on the National Amateur Tour.
Saccani taught mathematics and engineering at Upper St. Clair High School from 1966 to 2001.
Saccani also coached at the collegiate level. From 1990-93, he guided his alma mater, California University of Pennsylvania, to a 58-4 record, complete with two PSAC championships and one runner-up finish.
Named PSAC Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1993, Saccani guided the 1991 Cal team to the No. 1 national ranking. He retired from Cal with a 51-match winning streak, which was highlighted in 2001 during the PSAC’s 50th anniversary as one of the greatest moments in conference history.
Seton LaSalle’s 1984 girls basketball squad is one of two teams being recognized by the WPIAL HOF committee. The other is the 2012 North Allegheny football team.
Led by the late Ben Hartman, the Lady Rebels finished the season with a 35-1 overall record, capturing the WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A championships despite having an enrollment two classifications lower.
SLS topped Strath Haven, 55-53, in overtime on a buzzer beater by Pam Wiseman for the school’s first PIAA title in any sport. The Lady Rebels also defeated Beaver Falls, 71-59, to win the first WPIAL Class 4A title. They were 1983 Class 2A champions in 1983.
The team boasted three 1,000-point scorers in Suzie McConnell, Kathy McConnell, and Lisa Heuer.
The McConnell sisters were two of four student-athletes on the squad that competed collegiately. Suzie enjoyed an All-America career at Penn State before going on to compete in two Olympics, winning gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992, as well as the WNBA, where she also coached.
Kathy played in four NCAA Tournaments as a member of the University of Virginia women’s team, reaching the Sweet 16 twice and Elite Eight once.
Dr. Terry Kushner will be inducted in the Contributor category. He served on the WPIAL Hall of Fame and James Collins Scholarship steering committees. He spent 10 years as a member of the WPIAL Board of Directors and 11 years on the WPIAL football steering committee.
Kushner worked as a teacher, coach, and administrator in the Peters Township, Trinity, and Baldwin school districts before becoming the associate high school principal at Upper St. Clair in 1986. He held the high school principal, assistant superintendent, and acting superintendent positions at USC until his retirement in 2009.
Kushner began his career in education in 1969 as a mathematics teacher and football coach at Moon High School after a successful football playing career at Colgate University. He started at center and won two varsity letters.
Kushner amassed several honors for his football prowess, including being named Washington County Football Coach of the Year in 1980 at Peters Township and earning the National Football Foundation (NFF) Pittsburgh Chapter Scholar-Athlete Award in 1964 as a player at Clairton.
Currently, Kushner works as an adjunct professor at Chatham University, Carlow University, and Waynesburg University. He is co-chair of the Teacher Leadership Academy.
The WPIAL Hall of Fame class also includes Super Bowl winners and NFL Hall of Famers Russ Grimm and Ty Law as well as Olympian wrestler Spencer Lee. Other athletic inductees include: roundballers Charel Allen and Brooke Stewart along with Baldwin track standout Ron Semkiw and Rodney Wilson, who played football, wrestled and competed in track and field at West Greene.
Rick Locaitis enters the HOF as an official in six sports while Aiden Hanna will be recognized with the Courage Award for his ability to battle osteosarcoma while continuing to play baseball and golf at Hampton. Trilby Busch gained the Heritage distinction for contributions to the sport of rifle.
Call 412-921-7181 or visit www.wpial.org to order tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet.