Pennridge Inductees
Gerald "Gerry" Costello – A 1963 Pennridge graduate, Costello was a letter-winning starter on the Ram football championship teams in ’61 and ’62. He was named to both the Coaches’ and Sportswriters’ All Bux-Mont Teams, 2nd team as a junior. As a senior, he was named second team on the Coaches’ All League Team and first team on the Sports Writers’ All League Team. At the end of the ’62 season, he held the record for the most receptions ever by any Pennridge player. Gerry was also a co-captain of the track team in ’63, establishing a school record in the 120 yard low hurdles with a time of 13.4 seconds- a school record that still stands since the event was later changed to 180 yard length. Gerry earned six letters including three in track, two in football and one in basketball. He is currently a professor at Clemson University.
Dean Dimmig – A 1981 Pennridge graduate, Dimmig was a three sport athlete in Cross Country, Basketball and Track. He lettered three times in both Track and Field and Cross Country. He participated in the 1981 State meet as a member of the 4 x 800 Relay with Pennridge finishing 8th in the State. He also participated in the State Cross Country meet in his senior year. As a Cross Country runner Dean finished in the top five in every meet that year. At Shippensburg University, he continued to participate in Cross Country. Dean has competed in over 1,000 races and completed 36 marathons including 17 straight Boston Marathons. His personal record in the Boston Marathon is 2:50:57. Dean is already time qualified to run in the Boston Marathon for the next two years. He has also been successful in pacing other runners in marathons. Locally, Dean has won several 5K races including the Habitat for Humanity run, the United Methodist Church run and the Cinco de Mayo race held by the Upper Bucks YMCA. He is also a rated table tennis player with the USA Table Tennis Association. In his youth he played Little League Baseball and as an adult he played Church Fastpitch Softball for 10 years at the North Penn Gun Club.
Lori McCauley – a 1979 Pennridge graduate, Lori was an standout performer in Track and Field lettering four times and becoming a State Finalist. She attended Rutgers University from 1979-1983 on a Track and Field Scholarship. While at Rutgers she was a seven time All American in middle distance races winning the AIWA Indoor 440 in 1982 and setting a World Record of 52.29. She finished second at the 1983 Indoor NCAA Championships in the 400 Intermediate Hurdles. She graduated from Rutgers as the holder of 14 Track Records as well as the World Record in the 440. She also held an American Record in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles in 1983. She was a seven time Eastern Champion and a 14 time qualifier for the AIAW and NCAA Championships. In 1984, she was an alternate for the US Olympic Team in the 400 intermediate hurdles. She was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Fame in 1994.
Steve Shisler – A 1981 Pennridge graduate, Steve was a four year star in Cross Country and Track and Field. He was the captain of both teams in his senior year and was awarded the B. Earl Druckenmiller Award for Track and Field in 1981. In 1980, he finished 2nd in the Bux-Mont Championship 400 meter dash. He also ran the anchor leg on the 4 X 800 meter relay team that set a School record in the trials for the Outdoor State Track and Field Championship. In the indoor season he won every individual event run during the Greater Philadelphia Coaches Association season including wins twice each in the 600 and 1,000 yards. He set a school record in winning the 1,000 yards Meet of Champions race. He then participated in the Eastern States Indoor Championships in the 1,000 yards race. During the Outdoor Season, he finished 2nd in the 1,600 meter run at the Bux-Mont Championships, 2nd in the District I Championship in the 800 meter and set a school record that lasted 30 years in the 800 meters at the PA State Championships. While at Penn State University, Steve participated in both Cross Country and Track including participation in the NCAA Cross Country Nationals in 1984. In 1985 he was captain of the Cross Country Team and in 1986 he was captain of the Track Team. He won the PSU Nate Cartmell Award for outstanding leadership and excellence over a four year period in 1986. The team in 1986 was the IC4A Outdoor Team Champions. He was a member of the Penn State record setting 4 X 800 meter relay team. This team had the fastest time in the World in both indoors and outdoors that year. They still hold the Penn Relay Record for the 4 X 800 relay with a time of 7:11:17. It is the longest standing record at the Penn Relays. The 1985 4 x 800 relay time (1:47.9) and the 1986 4 x 1500 relay time (3:42.2) are still PSU records and Steve ran the anchor leg on both teams. Steve is currently the distance runners coach at State College High School.
Quakertown Inductees
Diane Bracalente Clune – A 1981 Quakertown graduate, Diane competed in field hockey, basketball and softball and was chosen the Outstanding Female Athlete in 1981. She excelled in field hockey and was an All Bux-Mont Selection in 1979 and 1980. She was a member of the 1982-1984 Old Dominion Field Hockey Team that won consecutive NCAA Championships during that time. She was chosen for the All Tournament Team and was an All American in both 1983 and 1984. She was the captain of the 1984 NCAA Championship Team. Additional accomplishments include: USA National Filed Hockey Team 1982-1988, International Field Hockey World Cup Team in 1986, Pan American Games (USA) in 1987 and Olympic Games in South Korea in 1988. She was inducted into the Old Dominion University Hall of Fame in 1991 and the PA Sports Hall of Fame, Bucks County Chapter in 2013. Coaching and instructing includes the following: WC Eagles Field Hockey instructor (2013-Present), Bucks Mont Field Hockey instructor (2010-Present), Moravian Academy Assistant Coach (2012-2013), USA Field Hockey Association Clinician and Coordinator (1983-1990), USA Field Hockey Olympian and Alumni Team Advocate (2013-present). Diane has a Bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion and a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Bruce Knauss – Bruce graduated from QHS in 1972. While in high school he played 13 seasons of sports, many of them as a letter winner at the varsity level. He played soccer, basketball, baseball and golf. Six of those sports were in his junior and senior years. He was co-captain of the soccer and basketball teams in his senior year. For the last 36 years, Bruce has taught and coached in the Quakertown School District including 83 seasons of sports at Milford Middle school or the high school. At Milford, he has coached 12 seasons of soccer, 19 of girls’ basketball and 5 seasons of boys’ basketball as a varsity coach and 12 additional seasons as a JV coach. At the High School, he coached 4 seasons of boys’ junior varsity soccer, 12 seasons of boys’ varsity soccer (one championship and 116 wins). He also coached 10 seasons of girls’ varsity soccer (4 championships and 124 wins). It is pretty safe to say that he has coached more games (1102) than any coach in the history of the school.
Scott Myers – A 1969 Quakertown graduate, Scott excelled in football, basketball and baseball. He was a three year starting quarterback in football, a two year starting point guard in basketball and a three year starter in baseball. Baseball was Scott’s true love. He was the team MVP as a junior and the team captain as a senior when he also was named 1st Team All Bux-Mont. He was also chosen as the Bux-Mont “Player of the Week” by WNPV in his Sr. year. He was a team captain and leader of the 1970 Bux-Mont Legion Championship Team. After high school, he was a starting outfielder and letter winner for four years at East Stroudsburg University. He became the first freshman in ESU history to lead the baseball team in batting average. He played on the 1971 PA Conference Championship Team. As a senior he was the team MVP and Co-captain while earning 1st Team All PA Conference recognition. He had two “invitation only” tryouts with the Cincinnati Reds. After college he played 8 seasons with the Souderton Warriors in the Perkiomen Twilight League and 15 seasons with Quakertown in the Tri-County League. He has the distinction of playing on 4 different championship baseball teams within the same 12 month period – Quakertown Legion, East Stroudsburg, Quakertown Tri-County and Souderton Warriors. He has coached baseball for three years at Indian Crest Middle School, football for seven years at Indian Valley Middle School and two years as a varsity assistant baseball coach at Christopher Dock HS when they won back-to-back State Championships. As a certified athletic trainer he has worked with the Souderton School District, the Quakertown Blazers, the Lions Club Bucks County All Star football game, various professional athletes from the Flyers and 76ers, National Prep Wrestling Tournament and several other Bucks and Montgomery County High Schools. Scott taught health and P.E. at Indian Crest Middle School for 17 years.
Willard “Willie” Weaver – A 1958 QHS graduate, Willie was an offensive and defensive lineman in football for four years, lettering in three of them. He competed at the Penn Relays twice and was a three year member of the track and field team. He also played one year of HS baseball as an outfielder. He was a 3 year member of the Varsity Club and was twice voted Vice President. A three year starter on the varsity football team, Willie was an outstanding tackle on the 1956 Bux-Mont Championship Team. As a senior he was the team’s place kicker as well as one of the tri-captains. He was selected first team on the Coaches’ Bux-Mont All Bux-Mont Team and 2nd Team on the Sportswriters All Bux-Mont Team as a lineman on the 9-1 Quakertown Panthers. He accepted an athletic scholarship to play football at Montana State College (now Montana State University). As a freshman, he was awarded recognition based on playing time and academic performance. He played 3 years of varsity football there as a tackle lettering in both his junior and senior years. Upon graduation, he was chosen to coach football at the College as an assistant line coach and the team played in the Camelia Bowl in Sacramento, CA. He was later an assistant varsity coach in Montana in football, wrestling and track and field. He is currently a member of the Quarterback Club at Montana State University and is engaged in fund raising for the Student Athlete Scholarship Fund. He was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1964 football team. At MSU there is an endowment named after him – the Willard R. Weaver Scholarship is presented annually to a qualified student. The college library on the MSU Great Falls Campus was named the Weaver Library in 2009.