SIX STANDOUTS TO BE INDUCTED INTO KUTZTOWN ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

KUTZTOWN, PA — Six former athletes will be inducted into the Kutztown University Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s annual awards banquet on Thursday, June 1.

The KU Hall of Fame & Athletic Awards Banquet will be held in the Georgian Room of Old Main on the Kutztown University campus at 6:30 PM. The six new Hall of Famers will increase the membership to 108 since inductions began in 1977.

This year’s induction class includes Melissa Boettger (’91), a record-breaking member of the women’s basketball and softball teams; Andy Breault (1989-92), who set numerous records for the football team; Kirsten Hansen Cherneskie (’90), the first hall of famer for the women’s soccer team; Jim Diamond (’81), an All-America lacrosse player; Charles Dunkelberger (’31), a four-sport letterwinner; and Michael Pladus (’80) a standout member of the wrestling squad.

In addition to the six Hall of Fame inductees, the Kutztown University athletes and coaches of the year will be announced. Reservations for the banquet can be made at the KU Alumni Office, for $25 per person. For more information, call (610) 683-4110.

A biography on each of this year’s inductees follows:

Melissa Boettger (’91) was a record-setting performer in women’s basketball and softball for the Golden Bears from 1987-91. As a forward/center for the women’s basketball team, Boettger was the first player to score more than 1,200 points and record more than 700 rebounds. Her school record for career points (1,335) stood for two seasons, while her record for career rebounds (831) still stands. She also set school career records for blocks (73), field goals (524) and free throws (287). She was a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division selection, earning first-team honors after the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons and second team honors as a senior in 1990-91. She led the team to the PSAC playoffs in each of those seasons. In the 1989-90 season, Boettger set school single season records for points (429) and rebounds (251). As an outfielder for the Golden Bear softball team, Boettger was just as successful. She set the school’s career record for home runs (22) and slugging percentage (.638). She helped the team to three appearances in the PSAC playoffs from 1988 to 1990. She was an All-PSAC selection as a freshman and sophomore, and was named to the National Softball Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic All-Region team as a senior in 1991. That year, she led the PSAC with a then-school record seven home runs. Boettger graduated from Kutztown in 1991 with a degree in art education. She is a graduate of Manheim Central High School and native of Manheim, PA.

Andy Breault (1989-92) is arguably one of the best quarterbacks not only at Kutztown, but at the conference and national levels as well. A three-year starter, he earned All-PSAC honors in all three years, being named to the first team in 1990 and 1991. As a junior in 1991, Breault was named the PSAC East and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Year. The next year, he placed ninth in voting for the Harlon Hill Award, given to Division II’s top player. By the end of his career, Breault set every single-season and career passing record at KU, including pass attempts (season: 474 in 1990, career: 1,259), completions (s: 269 in 1990, c: 733), yards (s:3,143 in 1990, c: 9,096), touchdowns (s: 37 in 1991, c: 86), completion percentage (s: 62.5% in 1991, c: 58.2%) and yards of total offense (s: 3,173 in 1990, c: 8,975). Not only does he hold each single season record, he holds the top three performances in attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and total offense. All of his records have stood since being set in the early 1990s, including single-game marks for completions (35 in 1992), yards (448 in 1992) and touchdowns (7 in 1991). Breault finished his career as the PSAC’s all-time leader in passing yards, completions and touchdown passes. Even though those records have since been eclipsed, Breault still ranks in the top three in each of those categories. He set the NCAA Division II records in completions and consecutive games with a TD pass (21). He also ranked in the top five in the NCAA in career passing yards, total offense and touchdowns. He is a graduate of Elizabethtown High School and a native of Elizabethtown, PA.

Kirsten Hansen Cherneskie (’90) will be the first member of the women’s soccer program to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She was a standout performer during the early days of women’s soccer at Kutztown University. Cherneskie, then Kirsten Hansen, played for KU from 1986 to 1989. She led the team with school records of 19 goals and 40 points in 1987, when KU won a school record 11 games. The 11-win mark was equaled in 1995, but her single season records still stand. She scored a school record four goals twice, once in 1986 and 1987. Cherneskie still holds KU’s career goals scored (43) and points scored (94) records. Also a standout in the classroom, Cherneskie graduated with honors in 1990. A native of Perkasie, PA, she is a graduate of Penn Ridge High School.

Jim Diamond (’81) was a standout performer for the Golden Bear men’s lacrosse team from 1978-81. A high-scoring attacker, Diamond was the team’s leading scorer from 1979-81. He earned All-America and Mid-Atlantic All-Region honors in 1980 after leading the team to a 4-1 Mid-East Conference record, earning the league championships. He finished second among NCAA Division III players in total points. As a senior, Diamond was named to Mid-Atlantic All-Region and honorable mention All-America honors after leading the nation in goals scored.

Charles Dunkelberger (’31) participated in four sports from 1927-31, for what was then Kutztown State Teachers College. He earned four varsity letters in baseball, three in football and baseball and two in track & field. He was a catcher and second baseman for Kutztown’s baseball team. In football, Dunkelberger played halfback and was a key part in Kutztown’s 3-2-1 season in 1929 and 3-3-1 campaign in 1930. A starting guard in basketball, his finest season came in 1929-30, when Kutztown was 14-7. Dunkelberger participated in several events in track & field, including the 440-yard dash, discus and broad jump. Much of Dunkelberger’s acclaim came after graduating from Kutztown in 1931. He went directly to the coaching ranks, guiding Frackville High School to a 259-60 record from 1931-44. He won 11 championships in 14 seasons, during one stretch winning 116 of 117 games. In addition to his coaching, which included guiding the football and basketball teams, Dunkelberger played semi-professional baseball for 18 years. He went on to build a winning tradition in basketball at Reading High School. Dunkelberger also won five East Penn League championships in baseball at Reading. In addition, he was a major league baseball scout for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox organizations in the 1940s. Dunkelberger passed away in July of 1968 at the age of 60. In 1977, he was elected into the Berks County Hall of Fame.

Michael Pladus (’80) was a four-year letterwinner in wrestling for the Golden Bears from 1976-80. He was a PSAC placewinner, a two-time NCAA Eastern Regional placewinner and a two-time Division III National Qualifier. He won more than 70% of his dual meets (22-8-3), wrestling at five different weight classes. As a senior in 1979-80, Pladus led the Golden Bears in victories and was a PSAC semifinalist, defeating two-time All-American Glen Jarvis of Mansfield. He went on to win the 142-lb. title at the NCAA East Regional Championships and finished one match shy of All-America status at the national championships. He went on to win a Keystone State Games gold medal in freestyle wrestling. He also was a two-year letterwinner in football. After graduating summa cum laude from Kutztown in 1980, Pladus served as wrestling coach at Northwestern Lehigh High School, where his teams posted a record of 69-29-2, winning three consecutive Centennial League titles. In 1984-85, Northwestern was 17-0, winning league, district and regional championships, and finished as the top-ranked AA wrestling team in Pennsylvania. He was named District XI Coach of the Year. In 1986, was inducted into the Schuylkill League Wrestling Hall of Fame and in 1987, was inducted into the Northwestern Lehigh Hall of Fame. He currently serves as principal at Interboro High School, where he earned the extraordinary honor of 1999 MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals National Principal of the Year Award.