Trinity dedicates Sports Hall of Fame
Dave Frazier of Claysville, studies the wall to find his photo during Trinity’s High School Hall of Fame Wall during its dedication, which also includes a glass room with plaques of Hall of Fame members on Thursday, December 17, 2015. Frazier is a former Trinity wrestler.
Amanda Jolliffe of Washington, takes a photo herself on the Trinity’s High School Hall of Fame Wall at the dedication. The Sports Hall of Fame also includes a glass room with plaques of Hall of Fame members on Thursday, December 17, 2015.
Trinity Area School District honored the efforts and achievements of student-athletes and coaches who have contributed to the Hillers’ athletic history at a dedication ceremony Thursday for the Trinity Sports Hall of Fame.
It includes a glass-enclosed Hall of Fame room, a 70-foot long, 9-foot-high mural featuring black-and-white and color sports photographs, and a permanent plaque and trophy display adjacent to the gymnasium.
Revatalization of the high school gymnasium entrance started in October.
“This is now place to celebrate our pride in our sports programs, our rich history and accomplishments,” said Dr. Michael Lucas, district superintendent.
Lucas said the gym entrance “needed a major facelift,” noting that several awards and trophies were broken or missing and the area had fallen into disrepair.
In less than a month, tile flooring was repaired, new lighting was installed, walls were painted and individual and team trophies and plaques were repaired and polished or replaced.
Big screen video television monitors were installed to showcase athletes.
In addition, new plaques were mounted in the Trinity Sports Hall of Fame.
John Dziak, owner of Printscape Imaging and Graphics and a 1984 graduate of Trinity High School, donated the mural.
Dziak worked with Trinity athletic director Ricci Rich and former athletic director Jerry Chambers to select more than 160 photographs of Trinity athletes, teams, coaches, fans and students for the mural that stretches along gymnasium walls.
Among the photos on the wall are the 1948 WPIAL championship football team, the 1940 and 1941 WPIAL championship baseball teams that featured pitcher Billy Sams, who won both championship games, the 2015 PIAA runner-up girls softball team, and four-time state track champion Elaine Sobansky-Blackhurst.
“I think it’s a wonderful impression that Trinity makes in regard to their athletes with the Hall of Fame and the Wall of Fame. It’s impressive when you walk into the gymnasium and you see the Hall of Fame, the mural, the televisions and everything,” said Sobansky-Blackhurst.
The photographs in the mural also include athletes and teams that did not enjoy as much success, but whose efforts, hard work and dedication are appreciated.
“It acknowledges not only outstanding athletes, but athletics and athletes in general, and it gives athletes something to strive for,” said Sobansky-Blackhurst.
Chambers said he enjoyed watching people find themselves on the wall at the dedication ceremony.
“It’s a great thing. What’s nice is when grandparents come back with their grandchildren and find themselves on the wall and say, ‘This is your pap, this is when he played on the only football team to win the WPIAL.’ It’s very meaningful,” said Chambers.
Chambers and Rich pored through yearbooks, personal photos, and other collections of photographs – including pictures taken by former art teacher Mark Marietta – that Dziak’s company enlarged and printed on a special film that attaches to walls like paint.
The Sports Hall of Fame was started in 2008, when 12 athletes were inducted.
Each year, six new members are inducted.
The Hall of Fame renovation project was funded entirely by donations from alumni and other donors, and the Trinity High School Class of 2016 donated the Hall of Fame design around the display cases.
Lucas said a plaque will be displayed in the gymnasium area to recognize all of the donors.
Plans are underway for a similar project celebrating the arts and academics.