Miller, Meister headline North Allegheny Hall of Fame class

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, July 16, 2021 | 10:22 AM

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Championship-winning coaches Heidi Miller and Rick Meister were among 18 inductees chosen to enter the North Allegheny Hall of Fame this year.

Both coached at the school for more than two decades as a head coach or assistant. Meister won WPIAL softball titles in 2002, ’03 and ’06, along with a state championship in 2002. Miller led the girls volleyball team to a fourth consecutive state championship last fall and won WPIAL titles in 2018, ’17 and ’13.

Miller resigned after the season. Meister handed off head coaching duties in 2019.

“They were dedicated to their sport, to their kids and to the entire program,” North Allegheny athletic director Bob Bozzuto said. “Both of them worked really hard in the offseason and always prepared. The Ts were crossed and the Is dotted.”

This is the 24th year for the school’s hall of fame.

Joining Miller and Meister are former NA athletes Scott Abel (1984), Travis Barnes (1994), Madi Beining (2016), Zach Buerger (2014), Becky Etter Sharp (1975), Steve Harris (1996), Kylie Isaacs (2014), Augie Leon (1989), Jamie Luchini (2012), Rachel Middleman (2007), Brian Monaghan (1989), Meg Morningstar (2015), Allie Pennetti (2012), Larissa Steeb (2010), Joe Waltko (2009) and Shannon Yon-Kelley (2004).

The group will be honored at a banquet Oct. 7 at The Chadwick in Wexford. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. with the induction ceremony at 6 p.m. There was no class inducted last year because of the pandemic.

“We’ve got a big class this year,” Bozzuto said. “It’s a great class.”

Luchini, Middleman and Steeb were standout soccer players, Buerger and Pennetti were swimmers and Etter Sharp competed in rifle. Isaacs played tennis, Waltko was a wrestler and Monaghan played football.

Barnes (football/basketball/track) and Harris (football/basketball/volleyball) were multi-sports athletes, along with Abel (cross country/track), Leon (football/baseball) and Morningstar (volleyball/basketball).

The hall of fame association also announced four special award winners who will be honored at the banquet.

Gene Modic was chosen for the Joseph Drazenovich Award for legendary service, and David Groetsch will receive the Bob Miller Award for outstanding support of North Allegheny athletics.

Mark Donovan, president of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and a 1984 North Allegheny graduate, will receive the inaugural Dr. Lawrence Bozzomo Award for Distinguished Career Achievement.

Jack Davis was tabbed for the Bob Austen Distinguished Coaching Service Award for his contributions to wrestling.

The hall also will recognize teams and individuals that recently won PIAA gold. The list includes the boys and girls volleyball teams, boys and girls cross country, girls basketball and girls swimming. The individual state champions included relay swimmers Torie Buerger, Olivia Kisow, Molly Smyers and Lexi Sundgren and diver Christiana Shi.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: North Allegheny