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STEUBENVILLE – Catholic Central High School will be holding their annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony on Thursday at the Mickey Barber Gymnasium at Catholic Central High School to honor the incredible athletes being inducted.
Honorees will include Ed Kliner-Class of '67, Thomas "Hawk" Rice-Class of '72, Christopher Pashke-Class of '84, Brittany Stillwagon Robinault-Class of '06, Zachary Joseph Cernansky-Class of '10, Madeline Gulan-Class of '14, and Tony Barber-Class of '16. Jim "Mac" McCormack, Class of 1954, will receive the Lifetime Service Award for his many years of dedicated service to CCHS.
ED KLINER
Ed Kliner, a 1967 graduate, was a three-year starter for the Crusaders' football team in an era when that rarely occurred. As a sophomore, he started in the defensive secondary on the 9-1 Crusaders, one of the best teams in Central history. Kliner became a stalwart in the secondary
and, in his Junior and senior years, a big contributor as an offensive halfback as well. Described by teammates as tough as nails, he allegedly had two damaged teeth pulled by an Assistant Coach during halftime in a game against Wheeling Central. Kliner played the second half in the
game that ended in a 13-13 tie. Kliner was a team captain in 1965 and 1966 and was named All Eastern Ohio in 1966.
Kliner was also a star on the track, running the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes and rarely losing. Kliner earned three varsity letters in football and three in track. Kliner is deceased and is being honored posthumously.
THOMAS "HAWK" RICE
Thomas "Hawk" Rice, a 1972 graduate, was one of the most dominant defensive tackles in Central history. Playing on the 1971 Class AA State Champion Football Team and what many believe to be the best football team in Central history, Rice stood out when Central's defense was on the field. A Class AA Second Team All-State and 1st team Eastern District selection, Rice was one of the leading tacklers on a defense that allowed a total of 26 points during the season. Rice was a dominant pass rusher and lived in the other team's offensive backfield, especially
against Central's biggest rivals Wintersville and Big Red. Rice dominated the line of scrimmage in both of those games, having numerous sacks and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His performance against Wintersville in 1971 is considered by many to be one of the greatest defensive games ever played in Harding Stadium. Upon graduation, Rice accepted a scholarship to Youngstown State University where he
played four years, two as a starting defensive tackle. During his time at Youngstown State, Rice was a teammate of 17-season NFL star quarterback and NFL analyst Ron Jaworski and 13-season NFL quarterback Cliff Stout.
CHRIS PASHKE
A 1984 Catholic Central graduate, Pashke lettered as a junior in baseball, but made his mark as a Crusader Hall of Famer on the hardwood. As a freshman, Chris saw action at the JV level and on the varsity as well, a rare feat in that era. After lettering as a sophomore on a veteran squad,
Pashke garnered All-OVAC AAA Honorable Mention honors as a junior. He averaged 13.2 points per game, including a 28-point effort in a sectional battle against Steubenville Big Red. As a senior, Pashke put individual success on the back burner, taking on a more selfless role in the name of team success. He still totaled 283 points for an 11.3 average, while dishing out 91 assists. His leadership helped lead the Crusaders to an 18-7 record, the program's first win over city rival Big Red in five years, first Regional berth in over a decade, and both the OVAC and Eastern Buckeye League crowns.
A clutch performer, Pashke sank two free throws with no time left on the clock to beat Martins Ferry on the road, and notched 20 points and the clinching free throws in the final seconds of the District Championship. He finished his career with 626 points and 416 rebounds, ranking among the top 20 in school history in both categories. Chris' exploits earned him All-OVAC, All-Eastern District, All-Eastern Buckeye League, All-Valley Wheeling Intelligencer, and All-Academic Ohio Eastern District as a senior. He also played on both the winning OVAC and Eastern District All-Star squads, captaining the latter.
BRITTANY STILLWAGON ROBINAULT
A 2006 Catholic Central graduate, Robinault ranks as the greatest female golfer in school history. A letter winner in basketball, Brittany cemented her legacy as a Crusader on the links. A four-year letter winner, she led the Central golfers to four city championships and two OVAC Tournament Championships. On an individual basis, Brittany's amazing accomplishments included many firsts. As a freshman, she became the first female golfer in school history to advance to District play. Not only was Robinault the first Eastern District golfer to qualify for Districts all four years, but she was also the first to be named District Player of the Year all four years, and to qualify for the Girls State Tournament. The latter came by way of a two-hole
playoff after Robinault just missed qualifying the previous two seasons. Once at State, she finished in the top 20 among 75 participants.
Brittany was also a two-time All-OVAC honoree, and her nine-hole average of 38 and tournament average of 77 were the lowest scoring averages for a female golfer in school history. Robinault was also the first Crusader female to earn a Division I golf scholarship, leading to a four-year career at Youngstown State University.
ZACHARY JOSEPH CERNANSKY
Zak Cernansky, a 2010 graduate, is one of CCHS's greatest track stars, having won the Division III State Championships in both the 110 high and 300 intermediate meter hurdle events. Cernansky was totally dominant during his senior season, often winning with little competition from his peers. Cernansky won his state championships with times of 14.41 in the 110-meter high hurdles and 38.59 in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
Cernansky set the Region 9 Division lll and CCHS School record in the 300 high hurdles with a time of 38.49. In addition, Cernansky set an OVAC AA 110 high hurdle record with a time of 14.62. Cernansky's school record stands to this day. Winning State Championships in two track events is an accomplishment that a Central athlete has rarely accomplished. Cernansky was also a letter winner in football and basketball. An athletic tight end and linebacker, Cernansky was one of the leading receivers for the Crusaders. After graduating from CCHS, Cernansky attended Tiffin University, where he continued his track career and was named one of the top 20 hurdlers in the country during his sophomore year.
MADELINE GULAN
A 2014 graduate of Catholic Central, Gulan was a three-sport standout, earning 12 varsity letters in softball, swimming, and volleyball. In the pool, Maddy was a four-time district qualifier and took second place at the OVAC Championships in the 100-meter backstroke as a senior. In volleyball, Gulan earned First Team All-OVAC and Eastern District honors, and earned a spot in the OVAC All-Star game while helping to lead the Crusaders to OVAC Tournament titles in 2011 and 2012. The softball diamond was where she most excelled, starting every game over four years and setting school records for career home runs and RBIs, with 23 and 116, respectively. Gulan finished her career with 134 hits and 100 runs scored, ranking second in program history in both categories. For her career, Maddy notched a .470 on-base percentage and a .407 batting average in 329 at-bats. A four-time First Team All-OVAC selection, Gulan was also a multi-year All-Eastern District honoree, an All-Ohio Underclass All-Star Tournament selection as a sophomore and junior, and
an OVAC All-Star game participant. Her skill and leadership led the Crusaders to an 82-21 record during her career, including four OVAC regular season titles, two OVAC tournament crowns, four Sectional and two District championships, three city championships, and a school-best 25-5 record her junior year.
TONY BARBER
A 2016 Catholic Central graduate, Barber was a three-sport star, lettering in football, basketball, and baseball all four years as a Crusader. On the hardwood, Tony was a stalwart guard for the Crusaders. As a senior, he not only earned his second straight First Team 2A All-OVAC status
but also garnered Honorable Mention All-Ohio Division IV honors. He also made All-OVAC First Team in baseball. On the gridiron, Barber ranks among the school's most prolific performers. A three-year starter, he helped the Crusaders to two playoff berths as a two-way standout. He tallied 11 career interceptions as a defensive back, but was even more impressive as a signal-caller. As a junior, he threw for 1,544 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 279 yards and four scores on the ground. His accomplishments earned him first-team 2A All-OVAC honors and All-Ohio Division IV Special Mention. He was even more impressive in his final campaign, airing it out for 2,519 yards and 31 touchdowns, both school single-season records. He also rushed for 432 yards and six touchdowns. His exploits not only saw him repeat as a first-team All-OVAC honoree, but also earned him a WTOV Big 22 Player of the Year finalist, First Team All-Valley (captain), First Team Eastern District and Offensive Player Of The Year, as well as First Team Division VI All-Ohio.
JIM (MAC) MCCORMACK
McCormack, a 1954 graduate, is being honored with the Lifetime Service Award for 40 years of continuous service to Catholic Central High School in a variety of capacities. McCormack, better known as Mr. Mac or Mac by the Central Community, is best known for being the equipment manager for the football team at CCHS. McCormack started as the equipment Manager under Coach Tom Korab in 1970. It was a position he held for 40 years at CCHS and a job he did as well as anyone in high school sports. Making sure that helmets, shoulder pads, and other equipment fit properly was a priority for McCormack. He insisted that players were safely prepared to practice and play in games. In addition, McCormack also took care of the sports
equipment for the other sports at CCHS. McCormack did so much more during his years of service. McCormack was an assistant coach for baseball and basketball for several seasons under Coach Dave Joseph. Although never an official football coach, McCormack often offered coaching tips to Central football players, drawn from his many years on the sidelines. At times, suggestions were also made to the football coaching staff. McCormack also served as an Assistant to Athletic Director John Serafini throughout Serafini's tenure as Athletic Director. Ordering equipment, making travel arrangements for away games, and assisting with schedule development were all tasks McCormack assisted Serafini with. McCormack was always willing to do more. Maybe McCormack's biggest contribution was his relationship with the players. McCormack came across as being gruff, but nothing could have been further from the truth. McCormack was always there for the players. Being a friend, a father figure, and someone they could talk to made him special to the players. McCormack served a similar role with the coaching staff, especially in his later years when many young coaches were leading the Crusaders. McCormack was a pillar of Central athletics for four decades and was well respected by the athletes, coaches and administrations of CCHS. According to his son Jim, "McCormack loved what he did, and Central was everything to him." McCormack is deceased and is being honored posthumously.