2025 Honorees

Congratulation to our 2025 class on their induction to the Bucks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame:

  • Jesse Hellyer – Bensalem High School (1979-81)
  • Sylvia Kalazs – Quakertown Community High School (1971-75)
  • John Kopack – Bristol High School (1949-54)
  • Lindsay Krasna – Pennsbury High School (2001-04)
  • Victoria Worthen Lang – Council Rock High School South (2004-09)
  • Megan Miller (Schafer) – Neshaminy High School (2010-14)
  • Donna Nicholson – Pennsbury High School (1973-76)
  • Joseph Paluszek – Conwell Egan Catholic High School (1995-98)
  • Carl Poff – Council Rock High School (1972-74)
  • Allison Nemeth Wunsch – Neshaminy High School (2000-03)

 

Inductee bios:

Jesse Hellyer—1979-1981–Bensalem High School 

  • Two-year varsity letter winner in basketball.
  • First Team All-Lower Bucks in junior and senior years.
  • Named Player of The Year by the Bucks County Courier Times in 1981.
  • Team won the L.B.C.L. Championship in 1981. Was the leading rebounder and scorer. Averaged double figures in every game for two years.
  • In 1981 the team advanced to be the District One runner-up and finished in the quarter-finals of the state competition. Team finished the season with a record of 26-2.
  • Continued his career at Randolph Macon College. Four-year letter winner.
  • First player in school history to start every game in four-year career. Each year led the team in rebounding and finished in fourth place on the all-time list.
  • Led the team in scoring in junior and senior years. At graduation was fifth on the all-time scoring list.  Also led in blocked shots and field goal percentage.
  • In junior year the team joined the Mason-Dixon Conference. Named to the First Team All- Conference Team and the All-Tournament Team in junior and senior years. Team won the regular season, tournament championship and played in the N.C.A.A. tournament for three years.
  • In both seasons selected as a Second Team All-American.
  • Inducted into the Bensalem Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Randolph Macon College Hall of Fame in 2001.

 

Sylvia Kalazs—1971-1975–Quakertown Community High School

  • Lettered in field hockey, basketball, softball. Named to the Buxmont All-League teams and received the Outstanding Female Athlete Award in senior year.
  • Head field hockey coach at Quakertown 1985-1999. Recorded a record of 161-100-39 and league record of 122-56-34.
  • Teams appeared in the District One playoffs 9 times and in the P.I.A.A. state playoffs 5 times. They were in the District One finals in 1987 and in the P.I.A.A. state finals in 1986.
  • Coached numerous athletes who were named All American at the Division One, Two and Three levels.
  • Assistant coach at Old Dominion University when the team won the National Championship.
  • Coached at the Keystone Games, U.S Olympic Festival, U.S. Junior Olympics, U.S.F.H.A. A Camp and the Under 21 National Team.
  • Served as the Athletic Director at Quakertown Community High School from 2009-2024.
  • School received the S.O.L. Sportsmanship Award 7 times under her direction.
  • Inducted into the Pennridge-Quakertown Sports Hall of Fame.
  • Served on the District One Committee for many years.
  • Lead athletic director in the S.O.L. for field hockey and lacrosse.
  • Oversaw the addition of 6 sports at Quakertown.
  • For many years served as the site director for district and P.I.A.A. events.

 

John Kopack—1949-1954–Bristol High School

  • Four-year varsity letter winner in wrestling. Letter winner in football. Selected outstanding wrestler in senior year.
  • Three-year letter winner in wrestling at Millersville University. In senior year lost only once in the dual meet season.
  • After coaching as an assistant in wrestling at Neshaminy High School for several years, named the head coach at Pennsbury High School in 1964. Retired in 1984.
  • In his 20 years, he compiled 154 wins, 2 league championships, 27 sectional championships, and 8 state qualifiers.
  • Served as President of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches from 1978-1985.
  • Named by the Bucks County Courier Times as Wrestling Coach of The Year in 1969.
  • Member of the District One Wrestling Steering Committee from 1975 to 1995. Worked with the PIAA Board of Control to design wrestle-backs in the Sectional, District, Regional and State Tournaments allowing place winners to compete in each tournament.
  • Developed the first eight-man bracket to be used in the PIAA state championship.
  • Inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches and Southeastern Pennsylvania Wrestling Halls of Fame.
  • President of the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame Committee for nine years.
  • Inducted into the Pennsbury Wrestling and Pennsbury Athletic Halls of Fame.
  • Inducted into the Bristol High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Lindsay Krasna—2001-2004 Pennsbury High School

  • Four-year letter winner on the basketball team. Named to All-League First Team and Courier Times First Team in junior and senior years.
  • Named to All-Tournament Invitational Teams all four years and Bucks County Courier Times Athlete of The Week in junior and senior years.
  • 1,000 point scorer in senior year and set all-time girls scoring record with 1,292 career points.
  • Received the Courier-Kiwanis Scholar-Athlete Award and the Rick Block Memorial Scholarship in senior year.
  • Two-year letter winner on the Girls’ Volleyball Team. Team was the District One Champions and the P.I.A.A. state runner-up.
  • At Cornell University was a three -year letter winner on the basketball team.
  • Set school season record in free throws made and free throw percentage.
  • Unanimous selection to Ivy League All-Rookie Team and 7-time Ivy League Rookie of The Week. Led all Ivy League freshman in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
  • Named All-Ivy League Academic team in 2005-06.
  • In 2005 and 2006, was a member of the Gold Medal USA Team in the Maccabiah Games.
  • Following graduation was a silver medal winner with team USA in the Maccabiah Games.
  • From 2009-10 played professional basketball on the Electra Ramat Hasharon professional team in Israel that won the Israeli League Championship.

 

Victoria Worthen Lang—2004-2009 Council Rock High School South

  • Competed in the pole vault, long jump, high jump and triple jump in the indoor and spring seasons all four years of high school.
  • The Council Rock South High School record holder in the pole vault 2006-present in the Indoor Season.
  • DVGTCA Indoor Meet of Champions winner in the pole vault 2008 and 2009 and record holder 2009.
  • Pennsylvania Indoor State Champion in the pole vault 2009 and second place in 2008.
  • Indoor National Scholastic Championship medalist in pole vault 2008 and 2009.
  • The Council Rock South High School record holder in the pole vault 2006-present during the Outdoor Season.
  • I.A.A. Outdoor State second place in 2007, 08, and 09.
  • District One AAA Champion 2008 and 2009. Meet record holder in 2009-21.
  • Penn Relays second place and Outdoor Nike Nationals medalist in 2009.
  • Council Rock South Field Event MVP and Courier-Kiwanis Scholar Athlete in 2009.
  • At Princeton University, was the only athlete to win pole vault in the Ivy League Track and Field Championships all eight times.
  • During the Indoor Season, was the Ivy League Champion 2010-2013. She was also the Ivy League record holder 2012-16 and the Princeton record holder 2010-16.
  • Received the Most Outstanding Player at the Ivy League Championships, 2012. ECAC Champion 2011 and 2012. Named Academic All-Ivy 2010-2013.
  • Ivy League Champion 2010-2013. During the spring season.
  • Penn Relays Medalist 2010 and 2013. ECAC Champion 2011 and 2013.
  • C.A.A Regional Qualifier 2010-2013.
  • Academic All-Ivy winner 2010-2013. USTFCCA Academic All American 2010-2013.
  • Inducted into the Council Rock South Hall of Fame 2015. Received the Peter Farrell Young Alumni Award at Princeton University 2022 for distinctive service to Track and Field.
  • Senior Consultant at Equal Measure 2017-present.

 

Megan Miller (Schafer)—2010-2014 Neshaminy High School

  • Four-year varsity member on the soccer, basketball and track teams.
  • On the soccer team, set the school record in career goals scored (102) and assists (78).
  • In 2013, scored 33 goals, 18 assists. Both were single season school records.
  • Named four times to the All-Region Team, All-State Team, S.O.L. Player of The Year.
  • Three times NSCAA All-American and Bucks County Courier Times Player of The Year.
  • Twice named to the Pennsylvania State Coaches Association State Player of The Year and Philadelphia Inquirer Player of The Year.
  • 2014 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of The Year.
  • Led Neshaminy to the P.I.A.A. Class AAA state title with a 25-0 record and had the assist in the overtime state title game.
  • On the basketball team, named to the SOL First Team four times. Team was the SOL champions twice.
  • Named All-Region First Team four times on the track team.
  • At Penn State University, was a member of the team’s first National Championship in 2015.
  • Named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team, and Cosida Academic All-District Two Team in 2017. Named to the All-Big Ten Team in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
  • Named Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for three years.
  • With B.S. and M.S. degrees, now a Speech -Language Pathologist in Central Bucks School District.

 

Donna Nicholson–1973-76 Pennsbury High School

  • Penn State B.S in 1981 and Temple University M.S. in 1994 in Athletic Administration.
  • At Pennsbury, lettered in field hockey, basketball and softball. Won the Tri-Athlete Award in senior year.
  • Named First Team L.B.C.L. and All Area in Field Hockey in 1975. Team won the league championship and was the top scorer in the area with 14 goals.
  • On the basketball court for three years, was the starting point guard as the team won the league title, runner-up in District One and reached the P.I.A.A. state quarter-finals in 1976.
  • Athletic Trainer at Penn State 1978-1981.
  • Head basketball coach at Pennsbury High School 2001-2012. Recorded over 100 wins and the team won the S.O.L. championship in 2006.
  • Pennsbury track coach 2002 -present. Many on the team qualified for district and state championships in sprint and jump events.
  • Pennsbury Health and Physical Education teacher 9/81 to 6/2022.
  • In New Jersey from 1981-2001 played on several slo-pitch teams that won state and National Championships. Named to the 20th Century Women’s Rec Softball Team by the Trentonian.
  • Inducted into the Trenton Softball Hall of Fame and the Pennsbury Athletic Hall of Fame.
  • PIAA field hockey official for 38 years. Named Field Hockey Official of The Year in 1995.
  • Officiated many District One Field Hockey championships and the PIAA state finals in 1997 and 2002.

 

Joseph Paluszek—1995-98 Conwell Egan Catholic High School

  • In high school was a four-year varsity starter on the bowling team and bowled the first 300 game.
  • Named to the All-Catholic Team for three years. Won the All-Catholic Individual Tournament in 1998. Named Athlete of The Year in 1998 as he set the Philadelphia Catholic League record—218.6 average.
  • Joined the PBA in 2005 and won 5 PBA titles (2006, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2023).
  • Member of the PBA East Region All Star Team 9 times.
  • Placed fourth in USBC Masters in 2018 televised on ESPN.
  • Winner of 10 Metro Sport Bowling titles (most titles won in this organization).
  • Winner of 8 Limpus open championships.
  • Bowled over one hundred 300 games, across 8 states in 40 different bowling centers, 6 being in PBA competition.
  • Named to the Lower Bucks USBC All Star Team in multiple years (highest average in the county).
  • Bowled 800 series (820/3 games) in 2017 U.S. Open.
  • Bowled in high level scratch tournaments wining 86 titles since 2006.
  • Opened Joe’s Pro Shop in 2006 in Bucks County in order to create more interest in the sport of bowling.

 

Carl Poff—1972-1974 Council Rock High School

  • Three-year letter winner in soccer and wrestling and letter winner in cross country.
  • In 1974 was the Sectional, District and Regional Wrestling Champion. Also won the Pennsylvania Freestyle State Wrestling Championship.
  • At Bloomsburg University was a four-year starter on the wrestling team.
  • In 1977-79 was a two-time N.C.A.A. Division One Qualifier in wrestling.
  • Four- time PSAC and three-time EWL place winner in wrestling.
  • Head coach at Lock Haven University 1990-2002. His dual meet record was 167-62-3.
  • In his coaching tenure his teams had 80 NCAA Division National Qualifiers, 14 NCAA Division One All-Americans, 2 individual Division One National Champions,20 Eastern Wrestling League Champions, 4 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Team Championships.
  • Helped coach C.D. Mock, Ricky Bonomo (three times) and Cary Kolat (twice) to N.C.A.A. Division One Individual National Championships.
  • Named PSAC Coach of The Year six times and EWL Coach of The Year twice.
  • Inducted into the Council Rock High School Athletic Hall of Fame, National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Lock Haven Athletic Hall of Fame.
  • Served as a faculty member at both Bloomsburg and Lock Haven Universities.
  • Athletic Director at Lock Haven University and Executive Director of the Lock Haven Foundation.

 

Allison Nemeth Wunsch—2000-2003 Neshaminy High School

  • Three-year letter winner in field hockey at goalkeeper and four-year letter winner in softball at third base.
  • As the starting goalkeeper for three years, held the school record for career shutouts (35).
  • Team was the SOL champions in 2001 and advanced to the state quarter-finals in 2001 and 2002.
  • Named to the SOL All Area Team three times, to the Bucks County All Area Team twice and the Trentonian All-Area team.
  • Named All State and All Academic in senior year by the Pennsylvania Coaches Association. Received the National High School Athletic Institute All-American Scholar Athlete Award in 2002.
  • In 2002 the softball team advanced to the post season. They placed second in the state that year and won the Pennsylvania P.I.A.A. state championship in 2003.
  • In 2003 named to the All-State Team, SOL, Bucks County Courier Times and Trentonian First Teams.
  • On the softball team at Princeton University, was a two-year letter winner and a four-year letter winner as goalkeeper on the field hockey team.
  • Named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in field hockey, four-time Rookie of the Week and Ivy League Player of the Week. 2003 First team All-Ivy selection. Team won the Ivy League Championship in 2003, 2005, 2006. Was an All-Ivy First Team selection in 2006.
  • Participated in the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Championships, prior to and after graduation for multiple years. Member of the Pa./N.J. National Championship Team in 2007.
  • Assistant Field Hockey coach 2007-08 at University of Pennsylvania.
  • Assistant Field Hockey coach and Athletic Marketing Intern at Princeton University 2008-2010.
  • Received M.S. from Drexel University in 2010.
  • Inducted into the Neshaminy All Sports Hall of Fame.
  • Currently coaching youth sports for her children in baseball, soccer, basketball and track in North Carolina.