Saucon Valley Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

The Saucon Valley Athletic Hall of Fame's inaugural Class of 2012 will be inducted at Saucon Valley's on June 6, 2012 at 6:30pm in the auditorium, athletic director Bob Frey announced recently.

Six individuals and one team from Hellertown High School and Saucon Valley High School make up this year's selections.

In addition, the athletic department is also asking that any member of Saucon Valley's 1976 state championship wrestling team contact the Saucon Valley Athletic Office at 610-838-7001, ext. 2720 for information concerning this year's induction.

The inductees are as follows:

Robert R. Hoppes (Baseball & Soccer) - Robert R. Hoppes was instrumental in bringing athletics to Hellertown High School for the first time in 1918. Robert was Hellertown’s first head baseball coach from 1918-1934, winning three league championships in 1932, 1933 and 1934. In 1927, Coach Hoppes brought soccer to Hellertown High School, again as their head coach from 1927-1945, winning two league championships in 1931 and 1939. In addition to his coaching career, Robert Hoppes was a well-respected teacher in the district from 1916-1958.

William A. Szabo, Hellertown High School Class of 1942 (Soccer, Basketball & Baseball) - William A. “Muggsy” Szabo was a four-year athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball, and part of Hellertown’s 1939 Soccer League Championship team and its 1939 and 1941 Basketball League Championship teams. During the 1941-1942 basketball season, Bill was Hellertown’s leading scorer. From 1943-1946, Bill proudly served his country as a member of the Marine Corps. From 1949-1952, Bill was a Class “B” professional baseball player in the Washington Senators organization. After his professional baseball career, Szabo returned to the Hellertown-Lower Saucon School District for a long career as a teacher and administrator.

F. Nicholas Diehm (Baseball & Soccer) - Nick Diehm spent 37 seasons as Hellertown/Saucon Valley High School’s Head Baseball and Soccer coach from 1965-1984. Nick won six League Baseball championships in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1979, three League Soccer championships in 1972, 1976 and 1977, and one District XI Soccer Championship in 1972. In addition to serving his country in the Army, Nick spent 34 years at Hellertown/Saucon Valley School District as its first elementary physical education teacher.

Charles E. Bartolet, Jr. (Wrestling) - Responsible for the introduction of wrestling to Hellertown High School in 1960, Bartolet spent the next 25 years as the program’s Head Coach. From 1960-1985, Bartolet’s wrestlers accrued 86 team and individual championships, including 32 individual District XI champions, 30 Southeast Regional champions, nine PIAA State champions, 12 League Team championships, two District XI Team championships, and Saucon Valley’s only Team State Championship as the 1976 AAA PIAA State champions. In 1972, Coach Bartolet was named the Pennsylvania State Coach of the Year. He is also a member of the District XI Wrestling Hall of Fame. In addition to his 25 years on the mat, Bartolet has served the Hellertown/Saucon Valley School District for more than 50 years as a teacher, administrator and school board director.

Don Rohn, Saucon Valley High School Class of 1972 (Wrestling) - An outstanding wrestler at the high school and collegiate levels, Don helped lead the district into what would become a dominant decade for the Saucon Valley Wrestling program. Don’s accomplishments include: three-time District XI Champion, three-time Southeast Regional Champion, two-time PIAA State Champion, 1972 High School All American, four-time PSAC Champion at Clarion University, three-time NCAA Division I All American, 1973 Division I NCAA Champion at Clarion University, and being a member of the District XI Wrestling and Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, Don returned to Saucon Valley as an assistant wrestling coach after almost 400 victories as a Head Coach at both Hazelton and Northampton Area high schools.

Thea Ackerman, Saucon Valley High School Class of 1979 (Track & Field) - An accomplished track athlete in multiple events, Thea set records at both the District XI and PIAA State levels. Her record jump of 5’10” in the 1979 High Jump remains the PIAA State record 33 years later. Thea’s accomplishments at the high school and college levels include: two-time District XI Low Hurdles Champion, 1979 PIAA State Low Hurdles Champion, three-time District XI High Jump Champion, two-time PIAA State High Jump Champion, 1979 State High Jump Champion with a state record of 5’10”, two-time High School All American, four-time Mason Dixon Conference High Jump Champion at Mt. St. Mary’s, 1981 NCAA Division II Champion in High Jump at Mt. St. Mary’s, 1981 and 1982 NCAA Division II All American at Mt. St. Mary’s, and being a member of the Mount St. Mary’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

1976 Saucon Valley High School Wrestling Team - Competing in Class AAA as a AA school, Saucon Valley’s 1976 wrestling team’s goal was to compete with the largest schools in the state of Pennsylvania. By the end of the 1975-1976 season, Saucon Valley had placed gold medals on three individuals and had captured the 1976 PIAA AAA Team Wrestling championships at Penn State University. The team represents Saucon Valley’s only PIAA State Championship team in any sport.

-Information courtesy of the Saucon Valley Athletic Department