On Thursday, October 15, over 350 attendees gathered at Cathedral Prep’s H. David Bowes Auditorium to witness an extraordinary moment in school history at the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The evening was filled with excitement and pride as star athletes and iconic teams from both Prep and Villa were honored for their outstanding accomplishments.
The induction ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception, where attendees had the opportunity to congratulate the inductees and reminisce about their lasting legacies.
The following were inducted:
Cathedral Prep
Mark Atkinson '84 - a standout basketball player for the Ramblers, he led the team to the first-ever Quad-A state championship game in PA history. Would later star at Division I Bucknell.
Calvin Behm '18 - one of the top water polo players in Erie history, would later play at Division I power Pacific. Passed away in an auto accident in 2023.
Denis DiLoreto '65 - a top wrestler at Prep, later captained the Edinboro University team.
Mike Heberle '89 - a two-sport star in football and basketball, he was the starting Prep quarterback for two seasons. Led to a Division I opportunity at Pitt.
Dave Hess '81 - an outstanding pitcher for the Ramblers, he would later make his mark as the head baseball coach. Won 165 games in nine years including six Region and four District 10 titles.
Malik Moffett '13 - a two-sport athlete, he made his mark on the track. Qualified not only for the state meet but the US Olympic Trials after an outstanding career at Penn State.
Dan Schneider '86 - one of the top runners in school history, helped his team go 42-0 over his career while placing four times at the PIAA meet, finishing seventh as a sophomore.
Greg VanVolkenburg '02 - won six letters in the water and was a four-time D-10 champ in swimming. Held three school records upon graduation, before becoming a three-time team MVP at Division I Lafayette.
1962 Swimming Team - was a star-studded group who dominated in the state’s Catholic League and featured four All-Americans.
1978 Basketball Team - one of Prep’s finest, they lost in overtime in the state semifinals in controversial fashion. Set the tone for a state title two years later.
Villa Maria Academy
Kathleen Lynch '17VMA - one of the best swimmers in school history, she won six state medals and eight District 10 events. Three-time team MVP, she swam Division I at Pitt.
Lisa Mifsud '12VMA - a star in basketball, she helped the Victors win a pair of PIAA state championships. Later had a stellar career at Division I Holy Cross.
Emma Shimek '16VMA - helped lead the school to back-to-back state championship appearances in soccer, including Villa’s first state title. She finished that season with 16 shutouts as the goalkeeper.
2017 Tennis Team - captured the Victors lone state tennis title.
2019 Swimming & Diving Team - was the first at Villa Maria to win a PIAA state swimming championship.
(📸: Kailey Pisani)