This year’s class included Nic Bedelyon, Joe Daubert, Charlie Roselle, Joe Stewart and Holly Loht Yeager.

The guest speaker was Gerry Cooney, of New Jersey. A former heavyweight boxer, Cooney fought from 1977 to 1990 and twice challenged for the world heavyweight championship, in 1982 and 1987. He fought 113 professional rounds and finished with an 85.7 percent knockout rate.

Cooney spoke about overcoming a difficult childhood and how boxing helped him build a productive life.

“I grew up in a rough household. Thanks to amateur boxing, I made something of myself,” Cooney said.

Submitted photo
Former heavyweight boxer Gerry Cooney was the guest speaker at this year’s banquet.

NIC BEDELYON

Mifflin County has produced many outstanding wrestlers, and Nic Bedelyon stands among the best. He starred at Indian Valley, compiling a 123-14 career record and placing three times at the PIAA Championships in Hershey — fifth as a junior, fourth as a sophomore and state runner-up as a senior.

At Kent State University, Bedelyon qualified for the NCAA Championships four times and twice earned All-American honors, placing eighth in 2009 and sixth in 2012. Competing in the Mid-American Conference, he was a four-time finalist and two-time MAC champion.

His career also included a title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and a victory at the 46th NWCA All-Star Classic, where he became the first Kent State wrestler ever invited to the event.

Bedelyon later entered coaching at Rider University in Trenton, N.J. He was inducted into the Kent State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023. Presenter: Joe Daubert

JOE DAUBERT

Only eight wrestlers in Mifflin County history have won a PIAA state championship, and Joe Daubert is one of them.

In 1988, wrestling as a junior heavyweight for Chief Logan, Daubert went 26-1 and won the Class AA state title by fall in the championship bout. As a senior, he competed for the newly-formed Indian Valley program at the AAA level and finished as the state runner-up at 275 pounds.

Daubert closed his high school career with a 93-12-1 record and 20 pins. After wrestling at Lock Haven University, he returned home and served as head coach at Indian Valley from 2004-2010.

He was inducted into the District 6 Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014. Presenter: Bob Torok

CHARLIE ROSELLE

The late Charlie Roselle coached three different high school wrestling programs in Mifflin County — Chief Logan, Penn Highlands and Indian Valley — all from the same wrestling room at the Highland Park campus.

Across 36 seasons, Roselle won 251 dual meets, the most in county history. His teams captured multiple district titles, produced 23 individual district champions and 10 regional champions. He coached five of Mifflin County’s 10 all-time state champions (four at Chief Logan, one at Penn Highlands). His 1970-71 Penn Highlands team finished 12-0, the only undefeated wrestling team in county history.

As an athlete at Lewistown High School, Roselle became the county’s first district champion, first regional champion and first PIAA state finalist.

He later served in the Navy and attended Lock Haven University. Roselle was previously inducted into the District 6 Wrestling Hall of Fame (1995), the Lock Haven University Wrestling Hall of Fame (1998) and the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2000).

Roselle died on April 10, 2009. Presenter: Joe Heller

JOE STEWART

If Joe Stewart’s athletic talent could have been bottled, he would have been a millionaire many times over after graduating from Lewistown in 2004.

Stewart excelled in both football and basketball for the Panthers. In football, he was a two-time Big Eight selection on both offense and defense (2002-03), playing tight end and defensive end. He was nominated for the prestigious Pennsylvania Big 33 game, a rare honor for a Mifflin County athlete.

On the basketball court, Stewart made an even bigger impact. A versatile center, he scored inside, rebounded and jump-started fast breaks with quick outlet passes. He graduated with 1,520 career points, currently fourth on the all-time Mifflin County scoring list. He helped lead Lewistown to the Elite Eight of the 2003-04 PIAA Class 4A tournament, earned Mountain League MVP honors as a senior and won the Rothrock-Webber Award twice.

Stewart continued his football career at the University of Richmond, where he played tight end and scored the game-winning touchdown with 13 seconds left in an FCS semifinal. Richmond went on to win the national championship. Presenter: Aaron Gingrich

HOLLY LOHT YEAGER

Only six athletes in Mifflin County history have won a state title in a track event, and Holly Loht Yeager is the lone champion from Chief Logan.

In 1982, as a senior, she won the Class 2A 1,600 meters in 5:00.01. She is one of just two female athletes from Mifflin County to win a state track title and one of seven state champions in Chief Logan history.

In cross country, Loht finished in the top 20 at states three times — 13th as a freshman, fourth as a junior and state runner-up as a sophomore.

She continued her career at Penn State University, qualifying twice for the NCAA Championships in cross country and finishing 107th in 1984 and 65th in 1985. Presenter: Greg Loht

OTHER HONOREES

The Jon Zimmerman Volunteer Recognition Award was presented to Greg Williams, a longtime writer for The Sentinel. The award honors Zimmerman, a past president of the Hall of Fame who was inducted in 2025 and passed away shortly afterward. Williams helped form the local Hall of Fame and has been employed at The Sentinel in various capacities since 1991.

The 1986 Chief Logan girls Class AA state championship cross country team was also recognized. The Mingoes are one of only five state championship teams in Mifflin County history. The team was coached by Ron Sprecher, a Hall of Fame member, and Jackie Hannon.

Team members included: Michelle Bailey, Wendy Booher, Amy Elsesser, Amy Kauffman, Andrea Mauery, Nikki Maurey, Steph Olson, Teresa Richards and Kathleen Wright.

Other Mifflin County teams previously inducted into the Hall of Fame include the Lewistown girls basketball teams of 1997-98 (two-time state champions), the 1963 Rothrock boys basketball team (state champions) and the 1971 undefeated Penn Highlands wrestling team — the only unbeaten wrestling team in county history.