Apr 17, 2018 6 min read

Each year, the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association spotlights individuals who serve as a special part in athletics. Their participation or support in the program is vital and their devotion and loyalty an invaluable part of the game.

Awards will be presented to these individuals at the Coach of the Year Banquet at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 29 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Meadow Lands.

Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and are on sale at Washington High School, 201 Allison Avenue, Washington, PA, 15301. Reservations can be made by calling athletic director Mike Bosnic at 724-223-5085, ext. 2091.

All proceeds from the banquet benefit Special Olympics. The following are brief bios for these individuals:

Special Olympics Athlete of the Year

• Courtney Canterna
• : Courtney Canterna is 38-years-old and has been involved in Special Olympics since a very young age. Courtney started competing in horseback riding at the age of 4. She would go on to compete at Penn State and earn a blue ribbon. Courtney still continues to ride and has maintained her love of horses over the years.

Over the past 34 years, Courtney has participated in many other sports, such as bowling, swimming, skiing, golf, bocci, baseball and tennis.

Throughout Courtney’s time in Special Olympics, she has not only benefitted from the physical activity, but also has built many lifelong friendships with other athletes.

Courtney comes from a large family who have all been very supportive and proud of her successes. In addition to her mom and dad, Courtney has four sisters, one brother and 10 nieces and nephews.

During her free time, she is cheering on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates. Courtney is one of the most dedicated sports fans in the Pittsburgh area.

Courtney also loves to spend time with her dog, Balashi as well as taking yearly trips to the beautiful beaches of Aruba.

Dick Kohl Memorial

AD of the Year

• Duane Dupont, Albert Gallatin
• : Dupont is a 1987 graduate of German Twp. High School and received a degree from California University. He was a 3-year starting wide receiver for the Vulcans football team and finished his career in 1991 with more than 115 catches.

Dupont was hired by the Albert Gallatin School District in 2005 as athletic director, a post he has held for the past 14 years. In addition to overseeing the district’s 15 varsity sports and 10 middle school sports he, has been the Tri-CADA President for the past two years.

Before becoming athletic director, Dupont was hired as head coach of the Albert Gallatin wrestling team and has been at the helm for the past 20 years. During his coaching career, he amassed more than 225 wins and his teams have made the postseason in 14 of those years. During a stretch from 2000 to 2011, his teams made the postseason 12 straight years. He also coached numerous section and WPIAL champions as well as 8 state place-winners and most recently guided Tim Wallace to a second-place finish at the PIAA State Championships this past season.

Dupont and his wife of 22 years, Helen, have one daughter Madison.

Special Award

• Richard Hardie, Washington:
• A member of the Washington High School football program for 21 years, Hardie served as equipment manager and was a beloved figure there until his death last fall. Among his many duties were cleaning uniforms and setting up the field for games.

Hardie had a bond with the players and an even closer one with head coach Mike Bosnic. Hardie liked to joke he was Bosnic’s first hire when he took the job in 2007.

As one final testament, Wash High won the WPIAL Class AA title and many said they did so in Hardie’s honor.

Bill Christy Sportsmanship Award

• Tanner Hudak, Trinity
• : Hudak is a winner of eight letters – four in football and four in baseball. He is a member of SADD, the National Honor Society and is a Student Body Representative. He is headed to Waynesburg University next fall to pursue a nursing degree.

Olympic Sports

• Joe Winans, South Fayette:
• Winans led South Fayette to a WPIAL Class AA Girls Cross Country title. The Lions won by 14 points over Brownsville and 17 over Quaker Valley. Four South Fayette runners finished in the top 27, led by eighth place for Maria DeCello.

Bill Christy Memorial Award Excellence in Officiating

• James Conroy:
• Conroy’s passion was playing basketball. In the early 1990s, however, a knee problem kept him from playing so he became an official for the Washington-Greene Chapter of PIAA Officials Association for two decades. For the past four years, he was rules interpreter.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Robert Morris College and master’s degree in business administration from Waynesburg University.

A 32-year employee of Washington Hospital, his last position was communications specialist in the Information Technology Department before his death at a far-too-young at 56.

Ricardo Bryant: Bryant was a wrestler, amateur and professional boxer, and is today one of the top officials in the WPIAL.

Bryant became interested in officiating at the behest of his father-in-law, the late Patsy Mazza – who officiated football, volleyball and basketball.

He’s worked two PIAA Championships and two PIAA Team Tournament Championships – the last was a couple months ago with his mentor and friend, Larry Maggi, in Hershey’s Giant Arena.