(WILLIAMSON WV) –
The Board of Directors of the Williamson High School Athletic Hall of Fame have announced their plans for the Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary Celebration and the members of their Induction Class of 2022.
The Williamson Athletic Hall of Fame will commemorate it’s 25th Anniversary with a very special Anniversary Celebration Weekend on August 5th and 6th, 2022. The celebration will include two separate events with a “Meet and Greet Reception” on Friday, August 5th at 6:00 p.m. and their Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet on Saturday, August 6th , starting at 4:00 p.m. Both events will be held this year at the Historic Mountaineer Hotel in downtown Williamson.
In addition to inducting the Hall’s Class of 2022, the Hall of Fame Board of Directors will also be hosting a special recognition and reunion of the 1983 Williamson Wolfpack Class AA State Championship Team, which will celebrate it’s 40th Anniversary this coming school year. As part of this 40th anniversary, the Board will honor the team during their Saturday Induction Ceremony. The Head Coach of that 1983 team, Allen Hatcher, will be the Keynote Speaker for that ceremony. The ’83 team members, along with all of the members of the Hall of Fame and the 2022 Inductees, will be the special guests at Friday’s “Meet and Greet Reception” in the Mountaineer Atrium.
The Hall of Fame weekend is being held six weeks earlier this year than in the past. “We’ve been told by many of our Hall of Famers that they would be able to more easily attend the Hall of Fame weekend if it were held before school starts,” said WHS Hall of Fame President Jeff Reynolds. “The HOF Board decided to accommodate those requests and moved it to the first weekend in August. Of course, with the hot temperatures present in August, that also meant that we needed to insure we accommodated our Hall of Fame members and attendees with a venue that was air conditioned. Since the Mountaineer has hosted the Hall of Fame Ceremony many times, the Board felt this to be an appropriate setting for the 25th Anniversary Weekend.”
The members of the WHS Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2022 are as follows:
Harvey Austin – Austin was an outstanding student athlete for the Wolfpack in the mid 1970’s and was a four-year letterman for the Pack in Boys’ Basketball being chosen as an All-Stater in basketball in both his Junior and Senior years and was an All-American in basketball his senior year. He is in the top 5 in most boys’ basketball career statistical records for the ‘Pack. He also played football for the pack as a Junior.
Olivia Banks-Nelson – Banks-Nelson was a three-time state qualifier in track and field for the Wolfpack in 2009, 2010 and 2011. She finished 4th in the 200-meters and 100-meters at the 2011 WV State Track Championships and 7th in the 100-meters at the 2010 WV State Track Championships. She placed 12th in the 2009 State Finals in the 100-meters. She also was a member of the Williamson High Cheerleading Team
Stacie Beckett – Beckett served as Captain of the only WV State Cheer Championship Team in Williamson High School history. She was a four-year letterman in Cheerleading for the ’Pack. In her career in healthcare following her years at WHS, she has provided many of the area’s athletes with physicals in support of their athletic endeavors.
Ralph Pyszkowski – Pyszkowski was a stand-out baseball player for the Wolfpack from 1994 to 1997. Pyszkowski was All–Conference, All-Area and State Special Honorable Mention in 1996 in baseball. He was All-State in 1997 in baseball for the Wolfpack and led the ‘Pack in most statistical categories during his years with the Wolfpack Baseball Team.
Burke Taylor – Taylor was a three - year letterman in football, boys’ basketball, and baseball for the Wolfpack from 1973 through 1975 and was a three – year starter in both football and boys’ basketball. He was named to the All-Area teams in both football and basketball in 1975 and rushed for over 1500 yards during his varsity football career at WHS.
Bobby Whaley – Whaley was the starting halfback for the Wolfpack Football teams in the mid to late 1950’s. A standout athlete, Whaley was named to the Class AA First Team All-State Team in 1958 and had the honor of being named the captain of that ’58 All-State First Team. He was also a Mingo County Golden Gloves Boxing Champion in the 1950’s as well.
The Hall of Fame Board, in addition to it’s 2022 Induction Class, will also be honoring worthy individuals with a new HOF honor, “The Friend of the Pack” Honor Award. This is a new award for the Hall of Fame to bestow and will be awarded at the discretion of the Hall’s Board of Directors, to those individuals the board believes to have made exceptional contributions to the success of Williamson High School’s Athletics Program during the school’s 101-year history.
Tickets for the 25th anniversary celebration, covering both events including dinner on Saturday, will be $35 per adult and $25 for children 5 and above. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased in advance by contacting Board Treasurer Cecilia Lynn Hatfield Barker at 606-625-0085 or ccbarker@k12.wv.us.
The Historic Mountaineer Hotel is the official hotel and headquarters for the Williamson High Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. The hotel has a limited block of rooms available at the event rate of $89 per night. Those wishing to stay there should call the hotel directly (304-235-2222), giving the code HALL25 to receive the special Hall of Fame Anniversary Event rate.
For more information on the Williamson Hall of Fame and it’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Weekend, you may contact the Hall through it’s Facebook page at Williamson High School Athletic Hall of Fame.