The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown will induct six new members as part of the 14^th Athletics Hall of Fame class on Saturday, April 22 in the Pitt-Johnstown Wellness Center.  The Class of 2023 includes:
Shad Benton '02 (Wrestling), Kaleb Fleck '11 (Baseball), Linda Renzi (Meritorious Service), Bob Rukavina (Men's Basketball Coach), and Craig Thurber ('96) (Wrestling), and Jennifer Tuscano '99 (Women's Basketball).
 
        Pitt-Johnstown will also recognize the 2013 PSAC Championship volleyball team, all of the former Hall of Fame inductees, and former student-athletes in attendance.
 
        The Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 2007 to honor prestigious groups of athletes, coaches, and university supporters and their champion spirits. These individuals merit distinction for their accomplishments and leadership in athletic endeavors for Pitt-Johnstown.  Since its inception in 2007, 67 individuals and three teams have earned induction.
 
        The reception is 5:45 p.m. in the Sports Center Hall of Fame Room and dinner is 7 p.m. in the Wellness Center.
 
        Speaking at this year's event will be Pitt-Johnstown President Dr. Jem Spectar, Athletic Director and college wrestling's all-time winningest coach Pat Pecora, and Assistant Athletic Director Abby Gearhart.
 
        2022 Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and Tribune-Democrat Sportswriter Mike Mastovich ('85) will serve as Emcee for this year's event.
                  Mr. Shad Benton will go down in history as one of the top wrestlers the Pitt-Johnstown program has produced after posting a 101-9 overall record, winning three NCAA regional titles, earning All-America honors in each of three seasons, and winning a NCAA Division II National Championship in at 157 lbs. in 2002.
                An East Freedom, Pa. native and Central High School graduate, Mr. Benton transferred to Pitt-Johnstown in 1999 after one season at Penn State.  He made an immediate impact by winning his first of three regional titles an becoming an All-American with a seventh-place finish at the 2000 national tournament.  His efforts helped the Mountain Cats win their ninth consecutive regional crown and secure a fifth-place national finish.
                One year later, Mr. Benton won his second regional championship and finished third at the NCAA National Tournament to help Pitt-Johnstown claim another regional championship, before reaching the peak of success in 2001-02.
                That season, Mr. Benton won a championship at the Division I-dominated Oklahoma Gold Classic and placed fifth at the Midwest Classic.  He continued to shine in the post season by earning another regional crown and becoming Pitt-Johnstown's seventh individual national champion with a 6-1 decision victory over North Dakota State's Paul Carlson in the title bout at 157 lbs.  He joined fellow Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Famer Brandon Newill (125 lbs.) in winning national championships in 2002 and leading the Mountain Cats to a sixth-place finish at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
                Mr. Benton still holds Pitt-Johnstown records at 157 lbs. for Wins in a Regular Season (38), Wins in a Season (46), and Pins in a Season (14).
                His 101-9 career record ranks 24^th on the Mountain Cat All-Time Wins List, while his .918 winning percentage stands fourth all-time on the Pitt-Johnstown Winning Percentage List.
                Mr. Benton earned his Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education at Pitt-Johnstown in 2002 and has been a Social Studies teacher for the last 20 years.  He is currently teaching at his alma mater, Central High School in Martinsburg.
                Along with his professional career as a teacher, Mr. Benton also serves as an assist coach for Head Coach Pat Pecora on the Mountain Cat wrestling staff.  He is an integral part of Pitt-Johnstown's recruiting process and assists with the day-to-day operations with the program.
                Mr. Benton, his wife, Tara, and four children, Noah, Elijah, Jacob, and Madeline currently reside in Hollidaysburg, Pa.
                "Being inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame is a great honor," Mr. Benton said.  Being a student-athlete at Pitt-Johnstown was undoubtedly one of the most positive experiences in my life."
                  Mr. Kaleb Fleck , a two-time All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (WVIAC) selection and an All-Atlantic Region right-handed pitcher for Head Coach Todd Williams' Pitt-Johnstown baseball program, signed a minor league free agent contract with the Arizona Diamondback in September 2011 and worked his way all the way up to the AAA level.
                Mr. Fleck, a Claysburg, Pa. native and a graduate of Claysburg-Kimmel High School, joined the Mountain Cat pitching staff in 2008 and was a three-year starter in the Mountain Cat rotation, before sitting out the 2011 season with an injury.         
                In three seasons at Pitt-Johnstown, Mr. Fleck posted a 14-7 overall record and a 4.18 E.R.A. in 127 innings.  He also struck out 118 and walked 44.     
                Mr. Fleck joined Head Coach Todd Williams' starting rotation as a freshman in 2008 and was 6-3 with 36 strikeouts.
                A year later, he garnered First-Team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC), Second-Team Daktronics, and Second-Team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region honors after going 6-2 with 55 strikeouts and a 2.61 E.R.A. That summer, Mr. Fleck pitched for the Chatham Anglers in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League.
                As a junior in 2010, Mr. Fleck was 2-2 with a 4.76 E.R.A. on his way to being named Second-Team All-WVIAC.
                Mr. Fleck, who opted out of his senior season, returned to the Cape Cod League and pitched for the Cotuit Kettleers in the summer of 2011.
                On Sept, 19, 2011, Mr. Fleck signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Over the next eight seasons, Mr. Fleck, who also pitched in the Arizona Fall League in 2014, worked his way through the ranks and reached as high as AAA, one call away from joining major league squad in Phoenix.  He spent 3 years pitching in AAA for the Reno Aces.   He posted a 3.72 ERA in 329 innings pitched with 373 strikeouts in his minor league career.
                After the 2017 season, the Washington Nationals selected Mr. Fleck in Major League Baseball's Rule 5 Draft and he spent 2018 pitching for the Nationals' AA team in Harrisburg, PA.
                Mr. Fleck retired from professional baseball in 2018 and began working in the sales field.  For three years, he worked in the medical device industry in Harrisburg, PA but as his family began to grow, Mr. Fleck and his wife, Nicole, to move back home to be closer to family and friends.  Mr. Fleck is now a territory sales manager for The Garland Co. in central Pennsylvania.
                Education, along with baseball were always important to Mr. Fleck.  Even while pursuing his lifelong dream of professional baseball. Mr. Fleck returned to Pitt-Johnstown in the off-season and earned in Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology in 2012
                Mr. Fleck, Nicole and their two children, Kallie, age four, and Madden, age two, reside in Duncansville, Pa.
                "Being selected to the Athletics Hall of Fame is truly humbling," Mr. Fleck said.  "When I decided to go to Pitt-Johnstown to continue my education and play baseball, being inducted into the Hall of Fame was something that never even crossed my mind, let along being able to continue my baseball career professionally.  Playing under Todd Williams and Rick Roberts allowed me to grow as a person and player and achieve things in my athletic career that I didn't even think were possible coming out of high school.  I am very thankful for them and am extremely grateful to be a part of this group being inducted into the Pit-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame.  I'd also like to thank Pitt-Johnstown for going above and beyond to help me finish my degree.  I left college several credits short of earning my degree to pursue my professional baseball career.  The biology department came up with a custom internship/research program that allowed me to earn the credits needed to finish my degree while I was playing in the minor leagues.  This allowed me to chase my dream knowing that no matter what happened, I at least had my Pitt-Johnstown degree to fall back on."
                   Already a highly decorated volleyball coach, Ms. Linda Renzi spent the final nine years of her coaching career at the helm of the Pitt-Johnstown women's volleyball program and all of them came without pay.  Ms. Renzi chose to give back and served as a volunteer head coach at Pitt-Johnstown.
                Ms. Renzi took over the Mountain Cat volleyball program in 2004 when Pitt-Johnstown was still competing as an independent, before leading the team into the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) in 2008.
                From 2004 through the 2012 season, Ms. Renzi led Pitt-Johnstown to a 136-119 overall record and a 48-41 mark in conference-play.  Her Mountain Cats posted 21 wins in 2008 and appeared in the WVIAC postseason tournament in four of the five seasons Pitt-Johnstown was in the league under her tutelage.
                In 2012, Ms. Renzi was named the WVIAC Coach of the Year after leading Pitt-Johnstown to an 18-8 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the conference.  She coached eight All-WVIAC selections.
                Prior to her arrival at Pitt-Johnstown, Ms. Renzi spent 30 years as the head boys' and girls' volleyball coach at Richland High School, located across the street from the Pitt-Johnstown campus.
               
                Ms. Renzi guided the Richland girls to seven Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) State Volleyball Championships, including four straight championships from 1983-1986, five runner-up state finishes, 25 District 6 crowns, and 28 conference titles. 
                Her Richland boys' volleyball teams claimed seven District 6 titles.
                In addition to volleyball, Ms. Renzi also coached Richland girls' basketball teams to  more the 500 victories, and coached a Richland girls' javelin thrower to a PIAA State individual track and field championship in 1975.
                Ms. Renzi passed away on December 23, 2019 after a long battle with an illness.
                She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Joe, and two sons and four grandchildren.
                  After the Mountain Cats saw just four winning seasons between 1969 and 1987, Mr. Rukavina has completely turned the program around.
                Mr. Rukavina, Pitt-Johnstown's all-time winningest men's basketball coach, has a 546-368 overall record with four regular season games remaining in the 2022-23 season.  He has guided the Mountain Cats to four NCAA Regional Tournament berths and nine 20-win seasons, including four in a row from 2005-2009, and back-to-back in 2019-20 and 2021-22.
                In 1996-97, Mr. Rukavina led Pitt-Johnstown to a 21-6 record and the program's first ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance, before going a program-best 24-5 record and earning second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid a year later.  That season, the Mountain Cats advanced to the East Regional Semifinals and suffered a one-point loss to eventual Regional Champion Fairmont State (W.Va.) College.
                After earning the Independent Coach of the Year Award and coaching Chris Gilliam, the Independent Player of the year in 2005-06, Mr. Rukavina and Pitt-Johnstown became members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) in 2007.  That year, Pitt-Johnstown went 23-8 record and won the WVIAC regular season title with a 17-3 conference record.  Rukavina, the 2007-08 WVIAC Coach of the Year, also led the Mountain Cats to their third NCAA Tournament appearance.  In 2008-09, Pitt-Johnstown won the WVIAC Tournament title and advanced to its second straight and fourth overall NCAA Tournament.
                Pitt-Johnstown then joined Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to begin the 2013-14 season, where Mr. Rukavina, the PSAC West Coach of the Year in both 2015-16 and 2018-19, has guided the Mountain Cats to seven consecutive conference tournament berths, and five trips to the conference quarterfinals, including three straight from 2019, 2020, and 2022.  2023 will mark the eight straight PSAC Tournament appearance for the Mountain Cats
                In 1998-99, Pitt-Johnstown finished the regular season ranked fifth in the country.  The Mountain Cats also tied the school record for wins in the regular season, duplicating the 23-4 mark set in 1997-98.  Pitt-Johnstown posted an 87-23 record (.791 winning percentage) between 1996 and 2000.  1999-00 also marked the program's sixth straight winning season.
                His squad led the nation in field goal percentage in 2008 and 2010 and was the best three-point field goal shooting team in all of college basketball in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
                In his tenure, Pitt-Johnstown has had four players lead the NCAA in statistical categories on six different occasions.  Several his players receive accolades ranging from All-American (John Paul Kromka), All-American Honorable Mention (Chris Gilliam) to All-Region performers.  Nine former Mountain Cats have continued their basketball careers at the professional level in various countries.
                Academically, well over 90% of his student-athletes have earned their degrees, a statistic that will stand up to nearly any institution in the nation.
                In 2004, Mr. Rukavina was selected to be an instructor with former NBA Coach of the Year Jack McKinney at the MedQuest Coaching Clinic in Beirut, Lebanon, and prior to that, he coached an all-star team that traveled to Madrid and Vigo, Spain in the summer of 1998.
                Mr. Rukavina, a 1985 graduate of Indiana University (PA) with a degree in Health and Physical Education, his wife Sharon, and son Nicholas, a current Pitt-Johnstown student, reside in Lower Burrell.
                "I have spent well over half of my life here at Pitt-Johnstown, and I am truly honored to join such an elite group of athletes and coaches in our Hall of Fame," Mr. Rukavina said.
                  Craig Thurber Mr. Craig Thurber left his mark on Pitt-Johnstown wrestling by winning three NCAA Regional titles and earning three NCAA Division II All-American honors, including finishing as the 1995 National Runner-up at 177 lbs.
                Mr. Thurber, a former Pennsylvania State Champion and runner-up from Greenville High School in Greenville, joined Head Coach Pat Pecora's starting line-up as a true freshman in the 1991-92 season and was a mainstay at 177 lbs. for the remainder of his career.
                As a sophomore in 1992-93, Mr. Thurber posted a 30-4 record and secured his first NCAA All-America honor with a fifth-place finish, before placing sixth in 1994 with a 31-3 overall record.
                Mr. Thurber, a member of four straight Mountain Cat NCAA Regional Tournament Championship teams, took the next step in his outstanding wrestling career as a senior in 1995 when he reached the NCAA National Finals at 177 lbs. and finished as the national runner-up.  His three falls in 10:51 at the NCAA Championships earned him the 1995 Gorriaran Award for most falls in the leas amount of time and helped Pitt-Johnstown to a fourth-place finish, the programs highest ever to that point.
                His name is still etched in Mountain Cats history.  Mr. Thurber's 120 career victories are tied for sixth on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Wins List with fellow hall of famer Rob Yahner, and his .857 career winning percentage (120-20-0) is eighth all-time in Mountain Cat history.  In addition, Mr. Thurber's 38 victories during the 1994-95 season remain a record in that weight class.
                In 1996, Mr. Thurber earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology at Pitt-Johnstown, then received a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education from Slippery Rock University, where he served as a volunteer wrestling coach from 1997-1999.
                 Mr. Thurber then spent three years as a Health and Physical Education Teacher at Keystone Charter School and a volunteer wrestling coach at his Alma Mater, Greenville High School.
                In 2003, Mr. Thurber was named the head wrestling coach at Thiel College.  He remains in that position today.  In his 20 years at Thiel, he has coached multiple All-Americans and NCAA Scholar-Athletes and has been named the President's Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the year nine times.  His teams have finished in the Top-25 in overall GPA seven times.
                Mr. Thurber is a volunteer at his local Lion's Club and various other organizations in the Greenville area and coaches his son's 13/14-year old baseball team.
                Mr. Thurber and his wife, Kristin, have three children, Keetin, Karis, and Cael.  They reside in Greenville.
                "This means a lot to me," Mr. Thurber said.  "There have been a tremendous amount of people that were part of this journey and I thank each and every one of them, especially, my parents and grandparents for all the phone calls, rides, and travel across the country to watch us compete. It's quite humbling to be named with all of the other great student-athletes before me. I am very appreciative of this honor."
                  From 1995-1999, Ms. Jennifer Tuscano proved to be one of the most prolific scorers in Pitt-Johnstown history, finishing her career with 1,396 points, while helping to lead Head Coach Jodi Gault's Lady Cat basketball team to a pair of NCAA Division II Regional Tournament berths.
                Ms. Tuscano, a three-sport standout who tallied 2,236 points on the basketball court at Meyersdale Area High School, joined the Lady Cat program for the 1995-96 and got her first taste of NCAA post-season action when Pitt-Johnstown made its 11^th appearance in the tournament.
                The following year, Ms. Tuscano led the Lady Cats in scoring at 19.8 points per game, including a 42-point performance against California (PA) that tied fellow Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Denise Gallo's single-game scoring record.
                As a junior in 1997-98, Ms. Tuscano averaged 14 points per game to lead the team for the second consecutive season and became the 21^st Lady Cat to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau.
                Ms. Tuscano then closed out her career by joining teammate Carrie Thomas to form the "Killer T's" and guide Pitt-Johnstown to an 11-0 start, the top-ranking in the East Region, and the program's 12^th appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament.  Ms. Tuscano, tabbed the Most Valuable Player at the Carson-Newman (TN) Tournament, averaged 13.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
                She wrapped-up her stellar Lady Cat career ranked 10^th on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,396 points, and currently sits 13^th all-time.
                Ms. Tuscano graduated from Pitt-Johnstown in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Mathematics Education, before earning her Master of Science Degree in Sport Management at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2007.
                In 2000, Ms. Tuscano became the Director of Athletics at her Alma Mater Meyersdale Area High School, before accepting a position with the University of Pittsburgh as an Academic Advisor and later the Assistant Director in the Academic Support Service for Student-Athletes Office in 2004.
                Ms. Tuscano continued to work her way up, and in 2015, she was named Senior Women's Administrator and Associate Athletic Director directly responsible for the oversight and daily guidance to teams and coaches regarding management, administration, operations, compliance, etc.
                From 2020 to 2022 she was Pitt's Senior Associate Athletics Director, before being promoted once again.  This time to Executive Associate Athletics Director where she is in charge of oversight and daily guidance to teams and coaches regarding management, administration, operations, compliance, etc.
                In her tenure at Pitt, she has overseen NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships, including the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2019 and Women's Basketball Championships in 2007 and 2010 and the ACC Softball Championships in 2022.
Ms. Tuscano, a member of several committees and organizations, earned the University of Pittsburgh Athletics Charles S. Miller Award (2009), Gold Standard Softball Administrator of the Year (2019) and Gold Standard Leader Award (2023).She was
 
also named SportsPITTSBURGH Partner of the Year in 2020 and the East Atlantic Region Gymnastics League Administrator of the Year in 2021.
Ms. Tuscano, a native of Meyersdale, Pa., currently resides in Pittsburgh.
"I am both honored and humbled to join not only an extraordinary group of Lady Cats previously inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame but all current and former inductees who have etched their mark on Pitt-Johnstown Athletics," Ms. Tuscano said.  "When I reflect on my time spent at Pitt-Johnstown as a student-athlete, I'm grateful for the strong commitment to family and team that laid the foundation for leadership and success.  The impact and lasting relationships that Pitt-Johnstown has had on my development as a person, athlete, and professional will be with me forever.  This honor is a true recognition of my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and the Pitt-Johnstown campus community who have supported me in all my endeavors."
 
        Pitt-Johnstown's inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class was inducted on September 30, 2007 and included:  Lisa Britt (Women's Basketball), Sean Isgan (Wrestling), Carl Sax (Men's Basketball), C. Edward Sherlock (Men's Basketball and Athletic Director), and James Wilkes (Men's Basketball)
 
Class of 2009:  Carlton Haselrig (Wrestling), Clyde Horner (Head Coach), Joachim Knispel (Men's Soccer), Paul Leonard (Baseball), Dave Roman, Sr. (Men's Basketball), and Mindy Young-Gagliardi (Women's Basketball)
 
Class of 2010:  Jodi Gault (Head Women's Basketball Coach), Dr. Robert Hartnett (Men's Basketball/Meritorious Service), Dave Hoff (Baseball), Rich Ragan (Men's Basketball), Patty Ritter-Sharbaugh (Women's Gymnastics), and Lee Schickel (Wrestling), and the 1996 National Championship Wrestling Team
 
Class of 2011:  Bob Bulas (Men's Basketball), Don Elzer (Men's Basketball), Steve Parker (Men's Track and Field/Cross Country), Jody Strittmatter (Wrestling), and Trish Wajers-Carr (Women's Basketball)
 
Class of 2012:  Mike Gresik (Baseball/Men's Basketball), Quinn Harris (Men's Basketball), Maureen Latterner-Brown (Women's Basketball), Teri Menett-Cruse (Women's Basketball/Volleyball), John Strittmatter (Wrestling), and the 1999 National Championship Wrestling Team
 
Class of 2013:  Tony Albertelli (Wrestling), Jill Halapin (Women's Basketball), Bruce Haselrig (Wrestling Coach), Justin Walther (Men's Basketball), and the 1986-87 Women's Basketball NCAA Final Four Team
 
Class of 2014:  Eric Dinyar (Baseball), Barry Gresh (Wrestling), Ken Keiper (Baseball Coach), Emanuel "Book" Richardson (Men's Basketball), and Lenore Shimkus-Schell (Women's Basketball)
 
Class of 2015:  Denise Gallo (Women's Basketball), Devlin Herring (Men's Basketball), Tim Nolen (Men's Soccer), Pat Pecora (Wrestling Coach), and Rob Yahner (Wrestling)
       
Class of 2016:  Rick Baxter (Baseball), Chuck Bradford (Men's Basketball), Bridget Hale-Sherick (Women's Basketball), Steve Littleton (Men's Cross Country and Track and Field), and Dan Revesz (Wrestling)
 
Class of 2017: Troy Barbush (Wrestling), Amy Kessler (Women's Basketball), Brent Matish (Baseball), Chris Rhames (Men's Basketball), Dr. Clark Strausser (Meritorious Service, and John Sumoski (Men's Soccer)
 
Class of 2018: Carlos Buford (Men's Soccer), Larry Hohman (Wrestling), Casey Long (Baseball), Josué Nieves (Men's Basketball), Terry (Solema) Woods (Women's Basketball)
 
Class of 2019: Carrie Ferguson (Women's Basketball), Isaac Greeley (Wrestling), Matt Lushko (Men's Basketball), Larry Robey (Wrestling), John Jay (J.J.) Thomas (Baseball)
 
Class of 2022: Ron Haden (Men's Basketball), Mike Mastovich (Meritorious Service), Sally Mosay (Women's Basketball), Brandon Newill (Wrestling), Ben Watkins (Baseball)