Apr 13, 2015 3 min read

Kaitlyn Orstein and Missie Berteotti will be among the Class of 2015 to be inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame. The group of inductees will be honored at a banquet June 12 at the Greentree Doubletree Hotel.

As a swimmer, Orstein earned All-American status 25 times in high school. The Mt. Lebanon product won six PIAA titles, four in the 100-yard breaststroke and two in the 200-yard individual medley. She also won numerous WPIAL titles and finished her career with school records in six of the eight individual events.

“I was incredibly surprised,” said Orstein. “I’m really excited to be among all those talented individuals.”

Orstein’s talented career did not end at the WPIAL level. She went on to win eight NCAA Division III championships at Washington & Jefferson College. She held the NCAA Division III national record in the 200 IM for five years and claimed 14 All-America honors. She did all that under the watchful eye of her father, Mike, who also happens to be the W&J coach.

“There were so many things I enjoyed in my career,” said Orstein. “Swimming for my dad, the whole team aspect, it was a great team environment.”

One of the best golfers in the district, Berteotti won back-to-back WPIAL tiles in 1979-80 and a state championship in 1979. The Upper St. Clair graduate went on to golf at the University of Miami. In 1984, Berteotti earned medalist honors and led the Hurricanes to the NCAA team title. She also won Pennsylvania state and Western Pennsylvania amateur championships before spending 14 years on the LPGA tour. She finished sixth at the 1988 women’s U.S. Open and eighth at the LPGA championship.

The WPIAL, founded in 1906, is in its ninth year of inducting honorees into its Hall of Fame. Athletes, coaches, teams, contest officials and contributors are considered for selection in several categories. The league also distributes heritage and courage awards to deserving individuals.

Other notable athletes joining Orstein and Berteotti on the marquee include: Jeff Christy, who played football at Pitt and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Paul Failla, who played baseball and football at North Allegheny and Notre Dame; Joe Lafko, who holds the state career record for football interceptions with 37; Gina Naccartato, who is the WPIAL’s all-time leading scorer in girls’ basketball with 3,364 career points; and Tom Tumulty, a Parade All-American and former Pitt linebacker.

Blackhawk’s Joe Hamilton (342-170-11), Midland’s Ed Olkowski, North Allegheny’s Corky Semler and Brentwood’s Dave Warner headline the list of coaches to be inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame.

The 1990 Penn Hills girls’ basketball team as well as the 1971 Kiski Area football team will be recognized, as will basketball official Kathy Ridilla and contributor Howard Crawford. New Brighton’s Tito Francona is the Heritage Award recipient while Ellen Toy and Jaime Vick Moran are the Courage Award winners. The Kiski Area volleyball coaches were both diagnosed with cancer during the 2009-10 school year. Vick Moran died in 2012.

Tickets for the banquet are $50. Make checks payable to the WPIAL. Mail payments and reservations to WPIAL, attention James Collins, 615 Iron City Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. Deadline is June 5.