Mike Mastovich: Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame members more than names on a plaque

Apr. 5—This summer, seven names will be added to the new Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame plaques on display inside the 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial concourse.

These local sports icons in the class of 2024, listed alphabetically, are Mike Garbinski (posthumous), Robert Gardill Sr., Joe Greenwood, Judy Heinze, Reg Kent, Joe Shorto and Randy Wilson.

This strong class will be inducted during the 22nd Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame banquet July 13. The event returns to 1st Summit Arena for the first time in 34 years. The War Memorial hosted the inaugural hall of fame festivities in 1965. That 18-member class and their respective presenters gathered for a program that lasted into the early morning hours of the following day.

The War Memorial hosted the first 10 hall of fame inductions through the 1990 ceremony.

After that, the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center or the Crown Ballroom inside Holiday Inn Johnstown-Downtown hosted — until this year.

Big and bronze

When the class of 2024 is celebrated at 1st Summit Arena, there will be plenty of symmetry.

But, back to those two new plaques hanging adjacent to the large original plaque.

During the 1960s, the hall of fame committee had a heavy-duty, cast bronze plaque with 4-foot-by-6-foot dimensions mounted on the wall between Sections 19-21. The plaque had room for 148 names. It wasn't completely filled up until the class of 2020, which held its banquet in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As those name slots gradually became scarce after each induction, the hall of fame committee, which includes volunteer Mike Mastovich, proactively explored options to add a new plaque. The goal was to display the names of future classes with a presentation worthy of upholding a tradition.

Think about it. The hall of fame committee began putting names onto the big plaque in the 1960s and continued attaching the name plates for 56 years.

The non-profit hall of fame organization traditionally has enough funds to hold a first-class banquet, produce a thick glossy program book filled with bios, history and dozens of vintage photos, and also create large posters presented to each inductee.

Bringing it home

So, finding revenue for a new plaque wasn't a simple task. A number of area organizations and a bi-partisan group of the region's representatives, senators and commissioners provided input and advice over the past five years, but it seemed as if the project never would completely materialize.

Then, in October, War Memorial Authority Chairman Chris Glessner asked the hall of fame committee to make a presentation during the authority's regular monthly meeting.

By the conclusion of that meeting, the group voted unanimously to use its general fund to purchase what turned out to be two plaques (3-foot-by-4-foot each).

Local company RPM Signs in Richland had the plaques made and installed one in December and the second in January. The original bronze plaque was so large and heavy, RPM said, that it took two separate plaques to replicate it.

"The arena is a living, breathing monument dedicated not only to those service men and women who fought for our country, but also those athletes from our community who have achieved greatness," Glessner said, referring to the impressive collection of plaques and displays throughout the arena to recognize the region's military men and women.

"We are honored to have those names displayed on our walls and wanted to make sure there was plenty of room to keep the tradition going for years to come as area athletes continue to make an impact nationwide," Glessner said after Thursday's announcement naming the class of 2024 and touting the banquet's return to the War Memorial.

"We're very excited to be able to partner with the Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame to bring the banquet home, so to speak. Especially in the year that Reg Kent is being honored — as he spent his career under this roof making people cheer."

Kent scored 273 goals and 813 points in 601 games with the Johnstown Jets from 1965-74 in the former Eastern Hockey League and one season in the North American Hockey League. A local sports icon who has resided in Johnstown after his retirement from hockey, Kent is part of a strong class.

Garbinski played football at Penn State in 1939 and '40 before becoming the first Nittany Lion to join the U.S. Armed Forces and serve in World War II. Amazingly, he returned to play at Penn State in 1945.

Gardill had a role in organizing some of the region's top sporting events, such as the nationally acclaimed Cambria County War Memorial Invitational Basketball Tournament, Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Classic and the Big 33 football game when it briefly was played at Point Stadium in the 1980s.

Greenwood earned Associated Press all-state honors as a defensive back at Greater Johnstown High School in 1983 and played four seasons under coach Bruce Arians at Temple University before a two-season career with the Frankfurt (Germany) Galaxy in the World League of American Football.

Still working games into her 80s, Heinze has 65 years as a PIAA volleyball official and previously officiated in scholastic softball and basketball. She has been honored nationally and by the PIAA for her time on the court.

Shorto spent 30 years as the Sunnehanna Country Club golf professional and had a significant role in the Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions, one of the nation's top amateur events. The Tri-State PGA Hall of Fame inducted Shorto in 2015.

Wilson will enter two halls of fame this year, as the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame will welcome the Central Cambria cross country and track coach later this month. Wilson's girls cross country teams have won five team state titles and his boys squad brought home one PIAA gold medal.

The names of those seven worthy individuals will be the first attached to the new plaque at the arena, adding a historic touch to a story years in the making.