Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame selects Class of 2005

The Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame selected its Class of 2006 at its monthly membership meeting. Nine inductees out of 28 nominees were chosen by more than 200 voters. They will be inducted into the hall on Nov. 18 at the Farmstead Country Club in Lafayette. Inductees are: Joe Ash 1956 graduate of Atlantic Highlands High School; 1961 graduate of University of Nebraska; nominated for his basketball coaching and scouting accomplishments: high-school coach for eleven seasons; the first High Point Regional High School basketball coach and coached there for seven years; the NJ Herald Coach of the Year in 1970-1971 and Northeast Nebraska Coach of the Year in 1963-64; inducted into the High Point Regional High School Hall of Fame in 2004; conducted summer camps and coaches clinics in Sussex County; also coached in Nebraska and Iowa At the college level, was assistant coach at William Paterson College for five seasons carrying out coaching, scouting and recruiting responsibilities; directed the Joe Ash Basketball Scouting Services for NCAA Division I basketball teams and the NBA In the National Basketball Association, was a part time scout for several years for various NBA teams; was a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers for five seasons including the 1982-83 Championship season, the Charlotte Hornets for three seasons and the Houston Rockets for eleven seasons including two NBA Championship seasons; internationally, he scouted players in over 30 countries; was involved with drafting international players including Yao Ming and acquiring Sarunas Jasikevicius as a free agent; currently in fourth season with the Indiana Pacers and is Director of Scouting and Assistant to President of Basketball Operations (Larry Bird); in that role he is responsible for all aspects of scouting for the Pacers including college, professional, free agent and international scouting; he also assists Larry Bird in organizing, preparing and carrying out the NBA draft; he oversees seven full time scouts and is active in scouting the top NCAA and top International prospects as well as free agents NBA Hall of Fame inductees with whom Ash was involved include Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippin, Billy Cunningham, Reggie Miller and Larry Bird Jeffery Hughes Graduated Wayne Valley High School, Wayne, NJ in 1967; graduated New York Institute of Technology in 1972 with a BS in Physics; earned Teacher Certification from Montclair State in 1973; nominated for his tennis coaching accomplishments at Sparta High School. As Sparta boys coach from 1978 until 2005, had a career record of 429-121 including 17 SCIL Championships and 11 SCIL Tournament Championships; as girls coach from 1976 to present, has a career record of 478-113 with 20 SCIL Championships, 16 SCIL Tournament Championships and three sectional Championships; his combined record through 2005 is 907-234. Some of the top players he coached went on to become successful college players including Elise Dondero, Christal Jakober, Jessica Rodgers, Mitch Koch, Chris Ciolino and Logan Hirsch; his most successful player at the New Jersey High School Meet of Champions was Andrew Wang who he coached for two years Some of Hughes’ personal awards for his coaching success include NJ Herald Boys Coach of the Year in 1978, 1988, 1995, 1999 and 2005 and Girls Coach of the Year in 1988, 1989, 1996, 1999 and 2005; he was named Star Ledger Coach of the Year for Girls Tennis in 1983; the Daily Record Girls Coach of the Year in 1995 and First Team All Area Boys Tennis Coach in 2004; he received the NJSIAA Sports Award in 2001 and the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association, New Jersey Girls Coach of the Year in 1995. Mike Juskus A 1976 graduate of Hopatcong High School; 1981 graduate of Glassboro State College (Rowan University); nominated for his accomplishments primarily in collegiate track and field and secondarily for his accomplishments in high school baseball, football, wrestling and bowling; in high school, he won 13 varsity letters while winning numerous All League, Most Valuable and Most Improved honors. In college, as a track & field walk on, became the top javelin thrower in the nation; was three time NCAA Division III individual champion and two time team champion and individual second place once; was three time NCAA Division I All American winning the individual National Championship (1981) once and finishing in second and sixth the other two times; his throw of 273’ 3” is still the National Record for Division III and sixth best all time in the 85 year NCAA history. He has been inducted into the Hopatcong High School, Rowan College and NCAA Division III Halls of Fame; other awards won include the Alfred E. White Award for top senior athlete from Glassboro College, the 1981 Top Amateur Athlete in New Jersey Award presented by the NJ Sports Writers and the NJ Herald Athlete of the Year for 1981; at the 1981 NJ State College Championships was named the Outstanding Athlete for his performance in javelin (260’), high jump (6”8”) and long jump (22’). Was part of the United States National Team competing in Europe including the World University Games in Romania; finished in the Top Ten US list each year from 1979 to 1982. Has been track & field coach at Hopatcong High School for twenty three years, nineteen as head coach; his teams have had the highest winning percentage of any sports program in Hopatcong High School history Scott Longcor A 1976 graduate of High Point Regional High School; LSU 1976-1978; Penn State 1978-1980; nominated for his accomplishments in wrestling, football and baseball; achievements started in 8th grade, wrestling for Branchville; became Heavy Weight County Champ, wrestled under Mike Pace; became AAU National Champ; 1976 graduate, Hall of Fame member of High Point Regional High School, wrestled under SCSHOF coach Jeff Hull; 1st Team All Skyline Conference as sophomore and 1st Team All SCIL as a junior and senior, took third in districts as sophomore and junior and first as senior, first in regionals as a senior, was champion of Pope John and Clifton Tournaments, was undefeated at 17-0 in dual meets; voted High Point MVP and athlete of the year; career record includes 68 wins, 37 pins, most pins in one season (10), most points (214), fastest pin (11 seconds), and most takedowns (50). High School football career included 1st Team All SCIL junior and senior year for offensive and defensive tackle; All State and High Point MVP in his senior year; in baseball, he earned varsity letters in junior and senior year 1976-1978 wrestled for LSU, lettered two years in wrestling and 1st at heavyweight in Oklahoma Open 1978-1980 wrestled for Penn State under SCSHOF coach Rich Lorenzo, lettered two years and 4th in the Eastern National Qualifiers in the heavyweight class 1981-1986 was a wrestling coach for Sussex Wantage where he coached SCSHOF member John Gardner. Bob Melillo 1972 graduate of West Orange Mountain High School; 1976 graduate of Kean University; being nominated for his accomplishments as baseball coach of Newton High School; At West Orange Mountain High School lettered in football, wrestling and baseball; was inducted into the West Orange Mountain Sports Hall of Fame in 1994; at Kean University, earned four varsity letters in baseball. Was head coach at Newton High School for 23 years (1979-2002) during which time his teams compiled 353 wins and won five SCIL Championships (1979, 1985, 1992, 1996, 2001), four Group 2 Section 1 Championships (1985, 1992, 1996, 2001) and played in three State Championship final games (1985, 1996, 2001) and won one State Baseball Championship in 1985 (only one in Sussex County history); Inducted into the New Jersey Scholastic Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006. Was voted The Daily Advance “Coach of the Year” in 1979 and 1984, The Daily Record “Coach of the Year” in 2001, the NJ Herald Coach of the Year in 1991 and the Star Ledger “New Jersey Coach of the Year” in 1985; was inducted into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1996. Since retiring from coaching, has remained active in Sussex County sports by officiating field hockey, wrestling, baseball and softball; has been a NJ State Wrestling Official since 1984 serving as both Vice President and President of the Northwest Chapter 2; he has been a member of the NJ State Baseball Umpires Association since 1978 and a NJ Field Hockey Official since 2003. Four former players (Mike Bell, Shawn McCorkle, Jim Duffy and Josh Noviskey) went on to play professional baseball and two former players have been inducted into the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame (Jim Duffy and Erik Pedersen) John Place A 1983 graduate of Sparta High School; attended Penn State University 1984-1987; nominated for his accomplishments in football and wrestling; in high school football, in 1982, he was Coaches All SCIL 1st Team Linebacker, NJ Herald All Area 1st Team, Daily Advance All Area 1st Team, Daily Record All Area 1st Team, Newark Star Ledger All West Jersey 1st Team and All State Group II 1st Team; at Penn State he lettered in football in 1984 and 1985. In high school wrestling, lost only one match in his last two years; was District 3 and Region 1 Champion at 188 lbs. in 1982 and 1983, was State Champion in 1983 and 3rd in 1982; 2nd Place Winner at 1983 National High School Tournament; at Penn State he lettered all four years and was All American as a freshman in 1984, two time Eastern Regional Runner-Up, two time NCAA Qualifier; in 1984 was on the College World Team (wrestled in Russia) and was Freestyle National Champion. Was Sparta High School Male Athlete of the Year 1983 and Most Valuable Back for the Football team in 1982; his senior year at Sparta High School (1982-83), John went undefeated in both his sports as the football team was 11-0 and State Champions and the wrestling team was undefeated and also State Champions; individually, John went undefeated winning the 188 lbs. and was State Champion. Ed Sheridan A 1972 graduate of Sparta High School; 1976 graduate of Princeton University; nominated for his achievements in football, baseball and basketball; in high school earned the maximum of nine varsity letters, three in each sport for three years; he was captain of all three teams his senior year; in football, in his senior year, he was first team All Conference, first team All County and first team All Area as quarterback; voted most valuable player on the Sparta team as he completed 67% of his passes; his teams won the Skyline Conference in both his sophomore and senior years. In high school basketball, he was named second team All County and honorable mention All Conference his senior year; in high school baseball, he was All County and second team All Conference his senior year; At Princeton he was captain of the football team in 1975; he earned three varsity letters as a defensive back/free safety; earned All Ivy Conference Second Team and Coaches Award for dedication and leadership as senior; had a “career” game against Colgate University as a senior during which game he had twenty two tackles and two interceptions; for his performance in the Colgate game he was selected the ECAC defensive player of the week. Gary Sparta A 1959 graduate of Hamburg High School; 1963 BS and 1966 MS graduate of East Stroudsburg State; nominated for his accomplishments as an athlete, coach and athletic director; in high school, played baseball and basketball; in baseball lettered all four years, was a member of the County Championship Team in 1957; he had the best ERA of 1.72, pitching record of 7-2, recorded 83 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched in 1959; he was in the top ten in hitting in his last three years with averages of .394, .419 and .294; was NJ Herald All County 2nd Team in 1957 and 1st Team in 1958 and 1959; he was named Outstanding Athlete by the Franklin Kiwanis Club in 1957-1958; he was Newark News 2nd Team in 1957, 3rd Team in 1958 and 1st Team in 1959; was Newark Star Ledger 2nd Team in 1959; was named Hamburg High School Best Athlete in 1959; won varsity basketball letters as a junior and senior. In 1968 was selected by the Vernon Township Board of Education to be the district’s first Physical Education teacher; was responsible for developing the Physical Education program for grades 1 through 8 and the intramural program for grades 5 through 8; also coached 7th and 8th grade basketball; In 1973 was appointed Athletic Director and baseball coach at Vernon High School; he developed and maintained the Athletic and Physical Education program; he remained AD until 1995. He was a charter member of the SCIL AD’s and served as President of the League for three years and Secretary for three years; helped develop the original SCIL Charter and was the last remaining Charter Member to retire; he was also a Charter Member of the Vernon Township Recreation Commission. Vickie Ann Zummo A 1996 graduate of Wallkill Valley High School; nominated for her accomplishments in wrestling; in 1993 she became the first female wrestler to become Sussex County Champion in a league of 650 wrestlers; in 1994, established herself as one of the top wrestlers in the country by winning two National Titles at 97 pounds and making the United States World Team; was named Outstanding Wrestler at both the 1994 United States Nationals and the 1994 Sunkist International Open. In 1995, won the Gilbert Schaub Open in France, the Michigan International Open and the United States Women’s National Championships; she won the Bronze Medal at the World Championships at 97 pounds; she was the only United States’ wrestler to win a medal at the World Championships; Other first place finishes include the 1996 French National, U.S. Nationals, Klippen Cup Invitational (Sweden), Americas Cup (New Mexico) and New York Athletic Club at which competition she was named the “Tournament Outstanding Wrestler” In 1997 she took first places at the Klippen Cup, Pam American Games, French Nationals and NY Athletic Club Invitational; she was honored as the “U.S.A. Wrestling-Female Athlete of the Year”. She has devoted time to coaching and training other wrestlers at various camps and clubs throughout New Jersey and New York