2022 Inductees
Athletes inducted into the North East Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021
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Brent was known as “Brent the Bull.”
Brent wrestled for North East High School from 1974 through 1976. He was highly dedicated to his sport as he attended Clarion Wrestling Camp in 1974 and 1975 to look at improving his wrestling skills.
He wrestled heavyweight his sophomore year and moved to the 185 weight class for his Junior and Senior years. He was captain of the team his Senior year. He held the record for the fastest pin for a short time. In his Senior year, he had 16 consecutive pins on the mat. Brent was named to first team All County his Senior year. He won he Sectional Championship and was third at the District 10 and also third at Regions. He finished in the top 8 at the PIAA State Championships at 185 Lbs.
After competing in high school, Brent entered the Erie Tough Man Contest. He won the Erie Tough Man contest and was given the chance to participate in the National Tough Man Contest. Brent finished third in the Richfield Coliseum National Heavy Weight Tough man Contest in Cleveland. He may have gotten to the finals but got a bad head butt with 20 seconds left and was unable to go to the final match per doctors’ orders.
Brent boxed semi-pro for the next ten years and then turned to motocross racing for the next fifteen years with several wins at different tracks.
Brent still works out today and rides motocross to this day. The adrenalin of competition keeps him motivated to keep on pushing.
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Rick Eaton
Rick Eaton is a 1983 graduate of North East where he competed in Cross Country and Track. He was a four-year letterman in both sports. He was All-County and All-District in Cross Country all four years and earned All-State honors finishing 7th place in 1982. He also was Co-captain of the 1982 State Champion Cross Country team.
In track, Rick was a member of the County and District Champion 4 x 800 relay in 1982 and 1983. These relays finished 4th and 2nd respectively at the PA State Meet those years. He also qualified for the 1981 State Championships in the 1600 Meters as a sophomore, running 4:21.6. Rick continued to run at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown before retiring due to injuries in 1985. He currently is Assistant Cross Country and Track Coach at Montour High School in the Pittsburgh area. In 2021, the Montour Girls’ Cross Country Team won the Pennsylvania State Meet, bringing home the school’s first state title on their first ever trip to the championships.
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Coach Gunther Edelmann started the wrestling program at North East High School in 1959 and his involvement with the program continued for over twenty years. During Coach Edelmann’s nine-year head coaching tenure from 1959-1968, he produced fourteen Section and County champions and one District Champion. He also produced two wrestlers who were voted MVP of the County tournament. The impact of Coach Edelmann’s contributions to North East wrestling extended beyond his head coaching tenure. Selflessly, he accepted requests twice to return as an assistant coach to help onboard new NEHS head wrestling coaches. From 1971-1978 when not in an official coaching capacity, Gunther consistently volunteered his time at North East wrestling practices, taking to the wrestling mat well into his fifties to help wrestlers with their skills. Coach Edelmann’s passion for the sport of wrestling positively impacted the future of his wrestlers, including two who continued to wrestle at the collegiate level. Additionally, four others became high school head wrestling coaches in Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio with a combined total of 36 years dedicated to coaching the sport. Like Coach Edelmann, two of those coaches started the high school wrestling program at their respective schools. In addition, one of Coach Edelmann’s wrestlers started the youth wrestling program in North East, which continues to expand its reach and impact. As a World War II veteran, and former collegiate wrestler and football player at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Coach Edelmann learned, lived, and taught the virtues of sacrifice and self-discipline, and positively influenced the lives of his athletes through his passion.
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Gary was a standout runner and basketball player for North East High School. In Cross Country, he was three-time All County, three-time All District, two-time All State, and NEHS course record holder in 1994. In basketball, he was a three-year varsity shooting guard. In the 1994-95 season, he was voted All County, finishing second in the league in scoring, and leading NEHS to a District 10 Championship and first win at PIAA State Championships in school history in the 2A Division. In Track and Field, he competed in five different events: The 800M Run, 1600M Run, 3200M Run, 3200M Relay, and 1600M Relay. In four years, he racked up ten All County performances, ten All District performances, and four All State performances. After earning All County honors in all 3 sports seasons in the 1994-95 school year, Gary was named PA Sports Hall of Fame “Athlete of the Year” in 1995 among all Erie area high school sports athletes.
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Jonathan graduated from North East High School in 1983. He was a three-time letterman in baseball and a two-time letter winner in football.
During his baseball career, he set several school and county pitching records, some of which still stand today. As a hurler for the Grapepickers, he established records for strikeouts in a game (16), strikeouts in a season (95) and in a career (185). He also once struck out 20 batters over 11 innings. His season and career strikeout records still stand today.
Jonathan held league and school records for most wins in a season (8) and career (17) and led the league in wins during the 1982 season (8) and in 1983 (7). During that time he also held the mark for Won-Loss record for a season (8-4) and for a career (17-7). During his junior and senior year, he led the league in innings pitched throwing 73 1/3 in 1982 and 65 1/3 more in 1983. His ERA of 2.07 was the standard for many years.
Dubbed the Iron Man by an opposing coach in the Erie County League, he once earned 3 wins in one week. He was selected as North East’s Outstanding Athlete for baseball in 1982 and 1983 and was selected as the team MVP by his peers in 1982 and 1983. He earned All County honors in 1982 and was a unanimous selection in 1983.
After his junior year at North East, Jonathan was selected to participate in the Keystone State Games where he was the opening game starter leading his team to a victory.
As a football player, he played both sides of the ball as a tight end and defensive end while also holding down the kicking duties for the Grapepickers. He was selected as the All-County punter his junior and senior years and was selected to play in the Save-An-Eye City/County All Star game in 1983.
He currently resides in Philadelphia, PA with his wife Dana. They have two children, Katie and Andrew who are talented athletes and individuals in their own right.
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Dick Kennedy Class of 1962. Track & Field
Dick was a member of the 1962 PIAA State Championship Track Team. He ran the last leg of the Gold medal winning 1962 State Championship 880 Relay team, coming from behind to win the race in thrilling fashion, and in the process, the Relay team set a school record time of 1:32.9. He was also on the 1600 Relay team, which finished 3rd for a Bronze Medal.
Dick was also a 1962 D-10 Champion, running on both the winning 880 Relay team, with a time of 1;34.5, and the Championship 1600 Relay team, with a time of 3:30.8. Dick as a member of the County Championship teams of 1960, 61 & 62 1600 Relay teams and the 1961 & 1962 880 Relay County Championship teams. As an individual sprinter, Dick won the 1962 100 Yard dash with a time of 10.3.
Dick set the 100 Yard dash in school record time of 9.9 seconds, or converted to meters, is 10.8, still the school record, +60 years later! There is little doubt, that Dick Kennedy will be remembered as one of the most successful Sprinters in the long-storied history of the North East High School Track and Field program!
Upon completion of High School, Dick immediately joined the United States Marine Corp, and saw extensive combat during his time in Vietnam. He remains a U.S. Marine forever!
Dick is now retired, living in North East with his wife Kaye. He is a committee member of the North East Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the North East Hall of Fame in 2013 with his team from the 1962 PIAA State Championship Track & Field Team.
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Hello, everyone! Thanks for taking time out of your day to join us this evening. I am not from North East so I thought I should share a little about my past. I was born and raised in Meadville, Pa., where I graduated in 1972. I participated in 3 varsity sports from grades 9-12 winning many All-Region accolades in the 3 sports. I was a starter on the boys’ basketball team that lost in the western finals to Farrell High School. I was also a nominee for the BIG 33 football game played in Hershey Pa. I attended the University of Arizona on a full football scholarship and then finished my degree at Edinboro State College in 1977. I have taught for more than 30 years in the Crawford, Conneaut, and North East School Districts winning a Golden Apple Award and the Region Teacher of the Year while at North East.
I have coached varsity sports at Meadville High School, Conneaut Lake High School, and North East High School. At all 3 schools combined, I have coached 7 state champions in track, 1 National AAU javelin champion, and several district and region champions. I am the winningest coach in girls’ basketball at Meadville High School as well as the winningest coach in boys’ basketball at North East High School. I have had the unique opportunity to play in a western final, coach in a western final and be an assistant coach in a state play-off championship basketball game. In 2007 I was named by the Associated Press as the Boys AA Basketball Coach of the Year. I am a lucky guy to been here in North East at the same time we have all of these wonderful athletes, parents, and coaches!
Tonight, for the very first time, my family is at a banquet in honor of me. My wife, Denise, who I married in 1998, is the real HOFer in this family. You guys know how that goes!
Please enjoy the evening and please continue to Advance North East!
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Chris was a three-sport letter winner all four years at North East High School and held school records in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Breastroke, 200 Free Relay, and 400 Free Relay. Chris was the ECL champion in the 200 Individual Medley, 100 Breaststroke, and 200 Medley Relay.
In Track & Field, Chris competed in the 1991 state meet and was the 1991 ECL, District 10, and PIAA State Champion with a jump of 13'9". He was voted the most outstanding field events athlete in 1991 for his performance.
Chris was a member of the Penn State Track & Field Team. He obtained a B.A., and M.Ed. from Penn State and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Chris is a school Superintendent in Abington, Pennsylvania and is an active runner and athlete.
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Chris was a three-sport letter winner all four years at North East High School and held school records in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Breastroke, 200 Free Relay, and 400 Free Relay. Chris was the ECL champion in the 200 Individual Medley, 100 Breaststroke, and 200 Medley Relay.
In Track & Field, Chris competed in the 1991 state meet and was the 1991 ECL, District 10, and PIAA State Champion with a jump of 13'9". He was voted the most outstanding field events athlete in 1991 for his performance.
Chris was a member of the Penn State Track & Field Team. He obtained a B.A., and M.Ed. from Penn State and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Chris is a school Superintendent in Abington, Pennsylvania and is an active runner and athlete.
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Brian Vereb was a four-year letter winner in swimming as well as three-time letter winner in soccer and track. Brian continued his swimming career at The College of Wooster (1988-1992).
Brian earned All County Honors in swimming his sophomore, junior, and senior season and established team records in the 100/200/500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 400 Free Relay, and 200 Medley Relay. The 200 and 500 Freestyle records still stand, while the 400 free relay record was eclipsed this past year. Brian represented North East High School at the state championship meet his sophomore and senior seasons.
Brian swam collegiately at The College of Wooster, where he was a NCAA Division III national qualifier and earned Academic All American. He established team records in the 200 backstroke and 200 freestyle, while earning MVP honors his junior and senior years.
Brian continued to stay involved with swimming after graduation. He worked as an assistant coach with The College of Wooster for three years, Ball State University for two years, and Fresno State University for one year. He became the Head Coach for The University of Akron, where he coached for 8 seasons, twice being named the Mid-American Coach of the Year.
Brian has stayed involved with swimming at the club level. He had the privilege to be able to coach his five children at different stages of their careers. Most recently his daughter competed at the United States Olympic Trials-Wave I, finishing 3rd overall.
Brian is very thankful to the tremendous guidance of numerous leaders, teachers, coaches, and family members that he has worked with as an athlete and coach.
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