Board member seeks honor for former baseball coach
CONNELLSVILLE – A Connellsville Area School District board member is seeking to have the name of a former baseball coach inscribed on the field where he led many teams to local and state championships. Director Ed Zadylak requested his fellow board members consider naming the senior high school baseball field the “Tom Sankovich Field” in honor of the district’s first and most successful baseball coach, at a recent board meeting.
“I think we need to recognize excellence in this district,” said Zadylak of the proposal.
Sankovich began his coaching career in 1971 when the district implemented the baseball program at the high school level and served 20 years in the top post before taking an assistant position when Bob Renzi was named as coach.
“In Sank’s tenure, Connellsville Area High School did not ever have a losing baseball season,” said Zadylak. “How many other scholastic baseball coaches can ever say that in their entire career, their teams never had a losing season?”
His overall record stands at 424 wins and 107 losses. Section championships were won in 1973, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1992 under his leadership and the team brought home four WPIAL titles in 1973, 1982, 1986 and 1989.
In 1989, said Zadylak, the Falcon baseball team not only won the section championship and the WPIAL title, but also the state PIAA championship title after defeating the Williamsport baseball team.
“I want (Sankovich) to throw out the first pitch at the first game of next year’s season with his family around him on the field named in his honor,” said Zadylak, adding that he plans to officially propose the action at the September board meeting.
Two outstanding district athletes now have their names inscribed at the South Arch Street football field and track.
In 2004, the board of directors honored John Woodruff and John Lujack for their achievements by naming the athletic field the Connellsville Falcon Stadium John Woodruff Track/John Lujack Field.
Woodruff captured the gold medal for the United States by winning the 800-meter run in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
After completing his career at Connellsville, Lujack went on to Notre Dame, where he earned All-American quarterback honors and was named the nation’s most outstanding collegiate football player.
In other action, the board also conducted the following business:
-Admitted Nicole Shearer as a non-traditional student in the cosmetology program.
-Hired Thomas Friel and Martie Cain as personal student aides at Dunbar Township and Clifford N. Pritts elementary schools, respectively.
-Hired Marcy Witt as a South Side Elementary School monitor/aide.
-Named Justin Guess as the senior high gifted competitions sponsor; Sheryl Craven as Junior High West PJAS sponsor and Michelle McMaster as Junior High West student council sponsor.
-Added Jason Jacobs, Scott Blocker and Mike Blackstone to the school police roster.
-Approved the purchase and installation of carpet in the senior high school conference room at a cost of approximately $700.