The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has robbed Alpena Sports Hall-of-Famers of their chance to publicly fete the athletic prowess of the Wildcats, but that little bug can’t take away the accomplishments of our players.

The Hall of Fame decided last week to cancel its annual banquet because of ongoing concerns over COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Still, we celebrate the accomplishments of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019:

∫ Eric Puls, a former Alpena High basketball star who went on to play for the University of Michigan.

∫ Shannon Woloszyk, a former Alpena High softball star, who went on to play at Alma College.

∫ Terry Thomas and Tom Lavoie, former Alpena High girls basketball coaches, who led the Wildcats to two regional championships.

∫ James Hubert, a former Alpena Catholic Central basketball player, baseball player and longtime coach.

∫ Bob Kelley, a multi-sport athlete at Alpena High, who also starred in slow pitch softball and speed skating before getting into coaching.

∫ Bruce Vanderwall, a former Alpena High basketball star, who was a leading scorer for the Wildcats in the late 1960s.

Additionally, Jim Townsend and Joyce Gohlke are honored as Boosters of the Year and Alpena’s 2010 district champion baseball team will be honored as the Team of the Year.

The Hall-of-Famers exemplify not only athletic skill, but also the virtues of teamsmanship, sportsmanship, perseverance, and integrity.

Those are attributes worth celebrating, banquet or not.

Congratulations to the 2019 Hall of Fame class.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)