Five athletes added to 52 in ‘Hall’

Emily Moore, Copy Editor

The Pitt-Johnstown Hall of Fame has five new photos on its walls of athletes who have been inducted in 2018.

Out of all of the athletes who have earned a spot in the Hall of Fame room, three spots are of teams that became Hall of Famers together. 57 athletes as individuals have been inducted into the “hall.”

Blue and gold walls fill the background of athlete headshots, but a glass case reserves shelves for teams that make extraordinary steps in their sports to earn a spot in the room.

Pitt-Johnstown’s 1996 and 1999 wrestling teams are inducted as a team, and the women’s basketball 1987 team was inducted.

In 1996, the Mountain Cat wrestlers won a national championship, so the team, as a whole, was inducted in 2010.

In 1999, Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers gained another national championship title, earning a team induction in 2012.

In 1987, the Pitt-Johnstown women’s basketball team was a final four team in the nation, earning a team induction in 2013.

Teams can either be recognized or inducted.

Being a recognized team does not mean the whole team is inducted as Hall of Famers; if a team is only recognized, they are a team that had a specific athlete on that team.

According to Pitt-Johnstown’s sports information director Chris Caputo, one team is recognized a year.

“We try to connect the team being recognized with someone (athlete) who is getting inducted,” Caputo said.

“We try to recognize a team a year, but sometimes a team isn’t as successful as an athlete.”

According to Caputo, inductees will get a plaque, and a plaque will be in the Hall of Fame room, and the team will get certificates.

Caputo said that a team has to be a conference, regional or national championship team.

“You have to do something big to be inducted as a team, like win a national championship.”

According to Caputo, Pitt-Johnstown’s 2006 baseball team is to be at the Hall of Fame ceremony for placing first in the NCAA regional tournament.