Hall of Fame Induction Set at West Liberty
WEST LIBERTY — The 36th annual induction ceremony for the West Liberty University Athletic Hall of Fame will be held on Saturday at the university’s Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex.
This year’s class features Zach Amedro (football), Georgia (Dawson) Vannest (volleyball/basketball), Joe Sarver (track/cross country) and Derrick Stickles (football).
The four inductees will be guests of honor at a social gathering in the lobby of the ASRC from 8:30-9 a.m. with breakfast and the formal induction ceremony to follow at 9 a.m. in the R. Emmett Boyle Conference Center.
The event is open to the public with tickets priced at $12. Reservations can be made by calling Athletic Secretary Robin Brunner at (304) 336-8046.
The inductees will be recognized on the field at West Family Stadium that afternoon during halftime of the football game against No. 3-ranked Shepherd. The game is set for a noon kickoff.
Following are information capsules for this year’s honorees:
ZACH AMEDRO
Football
One of the most prolific passers in NCAA Division II history, Zach Amedro turned the NCAA record book into his personal scrapbook in a stellar four-year career with the Hilltoppers.
An Ohio Valley native who passed for more than 6,000 yards at John Marshall High School, Amedro transferred to West Liberty after a redshirt year at Appalachian State.
Amedro set numerous NCAA Division II records, including passing yards (14,733) and completions (1,079). His streak of 30 consecutive 300-yard passing games remains the best in NCAA Division II history.
As a junior, he led WLU to an unbeaten WVIAC title and NCAA Division II playoff berth, highlighted by a record-setting 84-63 playoff win against Edinboro.
A 2-time NCAA Division II All-American, Amedro also won back-to-back WVIAC and Atlantic Region Player of the Year Awards and was a 2-time runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy as National Player of the Year.
After graduation, he returned to campus as a member of the WLU football staff and currently serves as the Hilltoppers’ quarterbacks coach.
Zach and his wife, Jonni Jo, reside in Bridgeport, Ohio, with their newborn son, Luke Zachary.
GEORGIA (DAWSON) VANNEST
Volleyball/Basketball
A true multi-sport athlete, Georgia Dawson was an All-Conference volleyball standout at West Liberty and a major contributor to the women’s basketball program throughout her four-year run on campus.
Dawson was an All-OVAC standout in basketball, volleyball and track at Bellaire High School. A 1,000-point scorer in basketball, she also grabbed 1,162 rebounds – still one of the Top 20 totals in Ohio high school history – before coming to the hilltop.
A four-year letterwinner in volleyball and basketball, she served as team captain for both sports. A 3-time All-WVIAC volleyball selection, Dawson was the 1987 WVIAC Volleyball Player of the Year. In basketball, her 541 career rebounds still rank among the Top 20 in school history.
Dawson was honored by the Upper Ohio Valley Dapper Dan in 1988 and selected for the Bellaire High School Wall of Fame in 1989.
She was inducted into the Ohio District 12 BCA Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Employed as an Operations Manager at PNC Mortgage, Georgia lives in Bellaire with her husband, Scott Vannest, and their sons, Tyler and Chad.
JOE SARVER
Track/Cross Country
Legendary distance runner Joe Sarver followed up his record-setting career at West Liberty to become one of the most well-known and respected runners and coaches in the region.
Sarver was a dominating presence for the Hilltoppers’ track and cross country programs during the late 1970s. A 9-time All-WVIAC honoree and the 1979 WVIAC Track and Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year, Sarver qualified to compete in five national championships and still holds the school and WVIAC record at 10,000 meters.
An elite distance runner for many years, Sarver has also coached numerous athletes to national and international success. A member of the Pittsburgh Marathon and Wheeling 20K Halls of Fame, he is the USATF Three Rivers distance running regional chair.
West Liberty’s Outstanding Senior Chemist in 1980, Sarver holds a master’s degree in Polymer Science from Carnegie Mellon and has obtained a dozen U.S. patents in his work as a Laser Scientist.
Joe and his wife, Judy, – also a WLU alum – reside in Washington, Pa. They have two daughters, Danielle and Janine.
DERRICK STICKLES
Football
Derrick Stickles set West Liberty’s career rushing record with 3,544 yards and topped the 100-yard rushing mark a school-record 17 times in four seasons (2002-05) with the Black and Gold.
A multisport athlete at Oak Glen High School, Stickles earned all-state honors as a running back in football and was a three-time state champion on the wrestling mat.
At West Liberty, he was an All-WVIAC and all-region selection as a sophomore when he ran for 1,492 yards and 17 TDs – highlighted by a school-record 348 rushing yards against W.Va. State on Nov. 8, 2003.
After missing much of his junior season due to injury,
Stickles earned All-Conference honors again as the workhorse tailback rumbled for 1,458 yards on a school record 280 carries to close out his career.
After graduating from West Liberty, he remained in the Ohio Valley to kick off his coaching and teaching career. Stickles is currently in his third season as head football coach at Edison High School.
Derrick is the father of a son, Landon, and resides in New Cumberland, W.Va.
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