Conwell-Egan Inducts Alumni into Sports Hall of Fame

The feeling of nostalgia swept through the banquet hall of King's Caterers Thursday night as the inductees of Conwell-Egan Catholic High School's Sports Hall of Fame gathered for the program's inaugural banquet.

Each of the honored alumni took the podium and recounted their days representing their school on the field, court, wrestling mat and bowling alley. One by one, they described the pride and camaraderie they felt while playing alongside their teammates, and the values they held onto after they graduated.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia spared Conwell-Egan High School from closure in February 2012. To celebrate the reprieve and inspire renewed interest in the school's achievements, the Conwell-Egan Sports Hall of Fame was formed to honor student-athletes dating back to before Bishop Egan and Bishop Conwell merged.

"It was a daunting task to go through 55 years of athletic achievements," said Sports Hall of Fame committee chairman Bill Burns.

Burns and his committee winnowed down the pool to 14 individual athletes and teams that were inducted Thursday night. The honorees include:

• Jerry Friedrich (Bishop Egan, class of 1961): Remains Conwell-Egan's all-time men's basketball leading scorer with 1360 points. Two time All Lower Bucks first team in basketball and two-time All Trentonian first team.
• Shelly Steely (Bishop Conwell, class of 1980): Named Courier Times Runner of the Year in cross country in 1978. Set a course record at the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship meet at Belmont Plateau. Went on to place seventh in the 3,000 meters at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
• The 1993 Bishop Conwell Softball Team: The last Conwell team to play before the schools merged, the team dominated all season long, outscoring their opponents by a total of 149-12. Went on to win the PCL final with a 1-0 victory against Arhbishop Ryan.
• Jim Boyle (Bishop Egan, class of 1970): Named PA All-star by Associated Press and UPI, Catholic League and team MVP. Selected to All-Delaware Valley, All-Catholic and All-Bucks County teams in 1968 and 1969. Member of the 1967 and 1969 City and Catholic League championship teams.
• Kathy Rizzo (Bishop Conwell, class of 1985): Named first team All-Catholic junior and senior year in basketball. Voted 1985 Bucks County Courier Times Girls Basketball player of the year.
• John Salmon (Bishop Egan, class of 1982): Holds fastest pin in school history (six seconds). Compiled a 112-11-1 wrestling record with 79 pins. Three time All-Catholic.
• Debbie Ponist Fee (Bishop Conwell, class of 1986): 1986 Girls' Basketball PCL North Division MVP. Bucks County Courier Times Player of the Year. Scored 1,250 career points. Also played shortstop for four-time PCL championship softball team. 1985 Courier Times Player of the Year and two-time PCL North Division MVP.
• Tony Petruccio (Bishop Egan, class of 1975): Named All-Catholic, All-City, All-State and All-American as a defensive lineman. Second Team Freshman All-American and First Team Sophomore All-American while playing for Penn State. Drafted by the San Diego Chargers and played three years in the Canadian Football League.
• Maureen Wooley Coughlin (Bishop Conwell, class of 1973): First Team All-Catholic for softball. Philadelphia Catholic League MVP (1971 and 1972). Member of the 1971 undefeated Bishop Conwell Softball Team. 
• Bill O'Neill (Conwell-Egan, class of 1999): First Team All-Catholic (1995-1999). Bucks County Bowler of the Year, 1997-1998. First Team All-American. Collegiate Bowler of the Year, 2004. PBA Rookie of the Year and four PBA titles.
• Natalie Schafer Ryan (Conwell-Egan, class of 2000): In field hockey, named 1997-1998 Second Team All-Catholic, 1998-1999 First Team All-Catholic, and 1999-2000 All-Catholic MVP. Also playe lacrosse and earned 1998-1999 Second Team All-Catholic and 1999-2000 First Team All-Catholic.
• Jack Brady (Bishop Egan, class of 1982): Four-time Catholic League Champion wrestler, four-time Philadelphia City League Champion. Runner-up National Prep Champion.
• John Kerr (Bishop Egan, class of 1964): Played football, basketball and baseball for Egan. Made First Team All-Catholic, First Team All-Lower Bucks County and Trenton Times All-Area Second Team in football. Helped the Bishop Egan basketball team win the Pennsylvania Catholic Eastern State Championship during his sophomore year and co-captained the team his senior year on its way to the PCL finals. 
• The 1966 Bishop Egan Football Team: Led by Head Coach Dick Bedesem, the City Champion Bishop Egan Eagles finished the season with a 12-1 record and outscored their opponents by a total of 438-50. They ended up getting ranked fifth in the nation.