Phil Navola was a two-sport athlete during his tenure at Penn State Wilkes-Barre from 1989-1991. While participating in tennis, he became a CCAC State Singles Champion and received team MVP honors. During his two years of tennis, he collected multiple CCAC/EPCC All-Conference awards. Additionally, he was a member of the school’s golf team where he received All-Conference and All-Tournament honors and was a member of the 1st Presidents Cup Championship. In honor of his accomplishments, he received the 1989-90 John Kolesar Outstanding Athlete Award. Phil was selected to the 1991 Edition of Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges, and went on to continue his education at University Park, where he received a bachelor of science in quantitative business analysis in 1993. – Inducted 2012
Kelly (Huff) Rattray
Dr. Kelly (Huff) Rattray attended Penn State Wilkes-Barre in 1983-1984, earning All-Conference Honors in 1984 as a member of the Conference Champion Women’s Volleyball Team that finished 15-1. Kelly earned a bachelor of science in elementary education in 1986, receiving the Outstanding Student Teacher Award from Penn State University. Dr. Rattray earned her master of science in reading and her Reading Specialist Certification from the University of Scranton in 1989. She also earned her doctorate in education from Lehigh University in 1998.
James Ryan
As campus executive officer, Dr. James Ryan made significant contributions to the athletic programs at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Under his leadership, the Athletic and Recreation Building was constructed through the securing of state funding, with the assistance of State Representative Fred J. Shupnik. The Athletic and Recreation Building officially opened in 1990.
Jeanette (Faux) Siegel
Jeanette (Faux) Siegel (1982-1984) was a student-athlete who excelled at women’s volleyball during her two years at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. She earned Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) All-Conference honors as a member of the 1984 CCAC Championship team that finished 15-1. While at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Jeanette was named to the Dean’s List for three semesters and was also involved with the school newspaper as a writer and editor. Jeanette graduated from University Park in 1986 with a bachelor of arts in english literature. – Inducted 2014
Daniel Tucker
Daniel Tucker was a two-sport athlete, spending three years on the men’s basketball team and one year on the baseball team. He earned 1st team All-Conference honors in basketball three years in a row, and is the only player ever to score 1,000 points. Dan graduated from Penn State with a bachelor of science in information sciences and technology in 2004.
Michelle Vowler
Michele Vowler was a two-year student-athlete on the Penn State Wilkes-Barre women’s basketball and volleyball teams. She was a part of the 2010-11 women’s basketball and 2011-12 women’s volleyball teams, which made it to the Final Four of the PSUAC Championships. Michele earned PSUAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference honors in 2010-11 and PSUAC Volleyball All-Conference honors in 2011-12. Michele succeeded on and off the court, earning USCAA Academic All-American honors in Volleyball and Women’s Basketball in 2011-12, as well PSUAC All-Academic honors in Volleyball and Women’s Basketball in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Michele graduated from Penn State University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. – Inducted 2015
Thomas Winter
Dr. Thomas Winter coached the cross-country team with Coach Graham in the 1980’s. As acting campus executive officer from 1994 to 1997, he started the men’s basketball team and free-weight program, and refurbished the tennis courts. He continued to donate time and funds to keep them playable for many years. From 2004 to 2014 Tom directed and funded an annual strength fitness contest, and more recently, a pump-and-run contest.
Brian Yagel
Bryan Yagel (1998-2000) was a student-athlete who excelled at men’s baseball during his two years at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Bryan was member of the 2000 EPCC Championship team, as well as the 1999 Eastern CACC Championship team. A two-year captain, Bryan was recognized for his success on the field by being named the team’s MVP in 2000. Bryan was also a two-time John Kolesar Athletic Award recipient in 1999 and 2000. Bryan graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 2003 with a bachelor of science in environmental studies. Following graduation, Bryan played professional baseball for the Allentown Ambassadors of the Northern League. – Inducted 2014
