Category Archives: 2013 Inductees

NPHS BOYS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM 2002

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UNDEFEATED BOYS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM 2002

Suburban One League Champions, District One Champions,

PIAA BOYS AAA STATE CHAMPIONS

Richard “Swank” Swanker Head Coach

Ron Jaros Assistant Coach

Jay Jones Assistant Coach

Dave Franek Assistant Coach

Captains: Steve Craig and Dan Michael

Team Members:

Greg Abram Ryan Palser Ian Maurer David Baer Chris Knechel Garry Cole
Andy Barndt Zach Thomas Chris McCarthy Alex Bloom Matt Krum Abe Horng
Jarrett Coleman Kevin Zeblium Aleks Musika Chris Bloom Haibo Lu Robert Hudson
Steve Craig Rick Bennett Phil Riccardi Eric Boyer Paul Mencel Dev Kaneria
Dave Hartzell Dan Colvin Chris Schautz Jim Casertano Mike Penn Brandon Mordas
Bryan Hughes Tim Heebner Adam Thomas Steven Dasch Francis Prior Kwaku Osei
Zac Hurst Matt Henderson Ryan Verost Dustin Doran Michael Russel Andrew Sims
Victor Jacques Sean Hettel David Wilderman Brian Ford Scott Simonovich Zach Sitkin
Mike Kwan Ben Hunt Phil Zhou Robert Gallagher Timothy Sin
Dane Mengel-Spurio Jared Keisling Kevin Akins Chris Graham Will Wilson
Dan Michael Mike Macksoud Brian Atkiss Dan Jacques Phil Yoo

District One Championship:

Kevin Akins 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Steve Craig 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay, 1st Place 800m Run, 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Tim Heebner 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay
Matt Henderson 1st Place 200m Dash, 1st Place 4 x 100m Relay (SR), 3rd  Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Dan Jacques 8th Place Triple Jump (Soph SR)
Matt Krum 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay
Dan Michael 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay, 2nd Place 800m Run, 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Mike Penn 1st Place 4 x 100m Relay (SR)
Adam Thomas 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay
Zach Thomas 1st Place 4 x 100m Relay (SR), 2nd Place 110M High Hurdles, 3rd Place 300M IM Hurdles
Kevin Zeblium 1st Place 4 x 100m Relay (SR), 8th Place 100m Dash

PIAA State Championship:

Kevin Akins 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Rick Bennett 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay
Steve Craig 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay, 2nd Place 800m Run, 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Tim Heebner 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay
Matt Henderson 3rd Place 200m Dash, 3rd Place 4 x 100m Relay, 3rd  Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Dan Michael 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay, 3rd Place 4 x 400m Relay (SR)
Mike Penn 3rd Place 4 x 100m Relay
Adam Thomas 1st Place 4 x 800m Relay
Zach Thomas 3rd Place 4 x 100m Relay, 4th Place 110M Hurdles
Kevin Zeblium 3rd Place 4 x 100m Relay

Nobody Beats the Knights!

NPAAA-Plaque-B.-Track-2002

Leading up to 2002, North Penn was labeled as an 800 meter runner’s paradise. Year after year, Dick Swanker would construct a 4x800m relay team that continually challenged Pennsylvania’s elite schools for the state title. State Relay titles, school records, and individual contributions at the state and national level were not uncommon for the North Penn Track and Field team. However, 2002 was shaping up to be a special season and not just because of a single relay.

The 2002 season, would bring the return of state and district senior point scorers Steve Craig, Dan Michael, Zach Thomas, and Kevin Zeblium, along with promising Juniors Rick Bennett, Matt Henderson, and Adam Thomas. Steve & Dan had shown their versatility in the mid distance events with the ability to compete in the 400m to the 1600m in previous seasons. Zach Thomas was a state contender in the hurdles and Matt Henderson was an all around threat in the sprints. While the outlook for the team going into the 2002 season was optimistic, the team’s mission didn’t take shape until the 2002 Penn Relays.

The Penn Relays is always one of the highlights of any track season, and 2002 didn’t disappoint. The team of Matt Henderson, Adam Thomas, Dan Michael, and Steve Craig won the Championship of America in the Distance Medley Relay, something no other team in school history had accomplished, while also setting a school record of 10:17.47. In the 4x800m Championship of America race the relay team of Rick Bennett, Dan Michael, Adam Thomas, and Steve Craig were the 1st American Team to cross the finish line. The 4x400m team of Steve Craig, Dan Michael, Kevin Akins, and anchored by standout Matt Henderson finished 1st in the Philadelphia area schools race. Lastly, the 4x100m Relay Team of Mike Penn, Zach Thomas, and Kevin Zeblium, also anchored by Henderson took 4th in their heat setting a new school record of 42.5 seconds! The Knights performance at the 2002 Penn Relays was described as North Penn’s “strongest team performance at the Penn Relays in school history,” and with such a depth of success it certainly brought into focus the bigger mission for the 2002 Knights Track and Field season.

A state team title for North Penn Track Field was an honor only achieved by one other North Penn Track and Field team, the 1981 Boys Team. It had been over two decades since the North Penn Track and Field team had celebrated the success of a State team title. With the momentum from the Penn Relays, the Knights polished off the regular season undefeated in dual meets, 7-0 (at the time North Penn was in the midst of an undefeated dual meet streak that started in 1995). The Knights then captured their 7th consecutive Suburban One Patriot League crown with no issue. The next hurdle was the District 1 Championships at Coatesville High School.
If North Penn was going to be a contender for a State Team Title, the District 1 Championship was as good a place as any to test it out. Glen Mills had dominated the District One meet with 7 consecutive championships. In the year prior (2001), after a disappointing loss in the 4x400, the Knights finished 5th as a team walking off the track to the infamous Glen Mills chant, “Nobody beats the Bulls!” However, 2002 proved to be different than 2001. Steve Craig and Dan Michael dominated the 800 meters and 4x800m relay. Matt Henderson & Kevin Akins scored in the 200 meters and were key cogs in their respective 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Zach Thomas scored in the hurdles and Kevin Zeblium placed in the 100 meters. After two long days, North Penn was triumphant for the first time in over 10 years with a 12 point victory over 2nd place Glen Mills. And so began the chant, “Nobody beats the Knights!”

There was still one more rung on the ladder though, Shippensburg University, the 2002 PIAA AAA State Championship Meet. The bus departed with 12 guys;
Kevin Akins, Rick Bennett, Steve Craig, Tim Heebner, Matt Henderson, Matt Krum, Mike Macksoud, Dan Michael, Mike Penn, Adam Thomas, Zach Thomas, Kevin Zeblium

Each played their part, Zach Thomas took 4th in the 110M Hurdles, Matt Henderson placed 3rd in the 200m Dash, and all three North Penn relay teams (4x100—3rd (Mike Penn, Zach Thomas, Kevin Zeblium, Matt Henderson), 4x400—3rd (Steve Craig, Dan Michael, Tim Heebner, Kevin Akins, Matt Henderson) , and 4x800—1st (Rick Bennett, Matt Krum, Adam Thomas, Dan Michael, Steve Craig) placed in the top three. Going into the last race of the day, the Knights trailed Cumberland Valley and Altoona in the overall team standings by 3 points. If North Penn was going to hang a banner on the wall in 2002 they would need a 5th place finish or better in the 4x400m relay to win the team title. In what was a very tight race, the last race for many of the team members, the 4x400m relay team of Steve Craig, Dan Michael, Kevin Akins, and anchor leg Matt Henderson managed to squeeze out a 3rd place finish in a school record time to clinch the state title. 3rd place never felt so great! We did it…STATE CHAMPIONS!

STEPHEN G. SOMKUTI

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STEPHEN G. SOMKUTI, M.D., PH.D., F.A.C.O.G.

North Penn High School 1978

Dr. Somkuti is a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist who completed his training at Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is an attending physician at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, PA, and Medical Director of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Program at the hospital’s Toll Center for Reproductive Sciences. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Jefferson Medical College, a visiting scientist in the Department of Biology at Lehigh University and Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences in the School of Medicine at Temple University.

The recipient of numerous research publication awards from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and has earned the privilege to serve as the President of the Philadelphia area Reproductive Endocrinologist Society. Dr. Somkuti has extensive experience and expertise in surgical and medical treatments of infertility, laser surgery and IVF. His research pursuits range from understanding endometriosis and its effects on implantation to exploring connections between fertility and the environment.

B.A., B.A., Lehigh University, Biology and German, 1982

Ph.D., Duke University, Pharmacology, 1986

M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1989

Postdoctoral Associate, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 1986

Residency, Duke University Medical Center, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1993

Fellowship, Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Memorial Hospital, 1995

INDUCTED 2013

Steve was known as a nerd in high school and had the nickname of “professor”. These were the waning last years of fallout from the Vietnam War… all types of smoke could be smelled in the hallways and corridors of NPHS! His teachers were all absolutely inspiring, especially in English and History and German.  He was on the track team as a sprinter. He also played violin in the NPHS orchestra. The gifted and advanced placement program at NPHS allowed him to enter Lehigh University with sophomore standing and graduated three years later with a double major in Biology and German. Both parents were in the sciences and their influences helped to secure a summer student position at the Baylor college of Medicine in Houston Texas in the Department of Cell Biology. It was a very exciting time as molecular biology was in its infancy. He spent two summers working in a laboratory involved with understanding reproductive hormone receptors and started his passion for the study of the reproductive system.

After graduation from Lehigh, he held a job at Smith Kline and French Laboratories as a research scientist in renal pharmacology.  He was also active in the North Penn Symphony Orchestra. Next, he entered Duke University and obtained a Ph.D. in Reproductive Biology/Pharmacology/Toxicology studying the mechanism of toxicity of organophosphate chemicals on the male reproductive system. After a postdoc at the NIEHS, he completed medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From there he went back to Duke to complete Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and then back to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed the subspecialty Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility. It is quite obvious that he was following the number one basketball teams around! He saw five national championships (between Duke ‘91, ‘92, UNC ’82, ‘93, and NC State ‘83) during his 14 years of doing “hard time” there.  In addition to being fluent in German and Hungarian, needless to say he became “fluent in basketball” as well!

In 1995, he joined Jay Schinfeld at Abington Reproductive Medicine and helped grow a  single office and 6 employees to its present state with seven office locations with five physicians and over 50 employees. There, he has been instrumental in offering the latest advances in assisted reproductive technologies. His clinic was the first to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis on embryos to evaluate for the presence of single gene mutations to prevent the transmission of a disease and allow a healthy outcome. This can be done for over 200 different genetic diseases. T\His clinic has had over 5,000 live births from IVF alone. Dr. Somkuti has extensive experience and expertise in surgical and medical treatments of infertility, minimally invasive surgery. His research pursuits range from understanding endometriosis and its effects on implantation to exploring connections between  fertility and the environment, improving fertility preservation options in patients with cancer, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and understanding the effects of aging on fertility. He enjoys cycling, running, hiking, the beach, stamp and coin collecting, opera, music, fine wines, cooking, and traveling. Some of his best friends are still from his NPHS days.

Dr. Somkuti is proud of his two children: Livia a high school senior who is interested in a career in music and vocal arts and enjoys horseback riding, and son Michael, a junior, who is into computers, programming and his guitar.

NPHS UNDEFEATED FOOTBALL TEAM 2003

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NORTH PENN HIGH SCHOOL

UNDEFEATED FOOTBALL TEAM 2003

Suburban One League Champion, District One Champion

PIAA AAAA STATE TEAM CHAMPION

Head Coach Dick Beck

Assistant Head Coach Jay Jones

Assistant Coaches: Mike Carey, Dave Franek, James Williams, Ryan Major,

Jason Munn, Ed Harkins. Jim DePaul, Bob Taggart, Joe Wilus

Captains: Chris Tribanas, George Farrell, Jim Casertano, Jeff Ball, Chad Finney

Team Members:  

#2 Jim Laky             #18 Eric Halberstadt     #37 Alex Zeblium          #55 Cory Focht            #77 Zach Detwiler

#3 Terence Walton        # 20 Pete Stoll            #40 Ian Carpenter       #56 Chris Tribanas     #78 Dotun Akintoye

#4 Kevin Beyers          #21 Anthony Signore     #41 Ian Thacker          #57 Jeremy Schenkel  #79 Mike Partain

#5 Jeff Gill                #22 John Kalis        #42 Andrew Brown     #60 Dave Mims       #80 Dave Kornock

#7 Kevin Akins         #23 Chris Cazier        #43 Jim Casertano       #62 Fred Piantini         #81 Jon Striefsky

#8 Adam Hearns       #24 Thomas Romeo        #44 Alex Johnson        #66 Ryan Adams        #82 Anthony Stumpo

#9 Zach Raffle             #25 Shane Gallagher      #45 Brian Ford             #67 Greg Warwick     #84 Jeff Ball

#11 Matt Burke          #30 Ray Alexander         #50 Andrew Sipp        #70 Tom Green         #85 Chris Bloom

#13 Deanco Oliver        #31 Steve Wittmer          #51 Alex Munio          #71 Chris Knechel       #87 Phil Schilling

#14 Tony Cardona      #33 Chad Finney           #52 Chris Hood            # 74 Kevin Uhll            #88 Josh Neubert

# 15 Shaun Mulvihil      #34 Nick Taggart           #53 Bobby Huber         #75 Mark Hanna         #90 Mark Koenig

# 17 Neal Kulp       #36 Brandon Turner      #54 Kurt Morgan        #76 Eric Sullivan         #99 George Farrell

 

Sophomores:  Ken Broughton, Lloyd Casper, Nick Cope, Josh Dubois, Sean Hinkle, Andrew Kohler, Walton Lee

Paul Leslie, Evan Mackey, Dave Madara, Ben Meyers, John Rodriguez, Dave Schmeltzer, Kevin Spross, Joe Talotta

Vincent Tancredi, Joe Wagner

                               

Dual Meets 10 – 0                                                                      District One Play Offs 3 - 0:

North Penn   35    O’Hara 7                                                                North Penn   28    Ridley             7

North Penn   38    Bethlehem Catholic            7                              North Penn   42    Pennridge    19

North Penn   49    H. S. Truman       8                                              North Penn   43    Interboro      28

North Penn   49    Abington             7

North Penn   35    Pennridge         10                                                 Eastern Finals:

North Penn   45    Glen Mills       19                                                  North Penn   38    Easton         21

North Penn   35    Neshaminy       17

North Penn   38    C B East            7

North Penn   43    Pennsbury              19

North Penn   41    C B West               7

 

PIAA AAAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS:

North Penn   37            Pittsburg Central Catholic    10

USA Today ranked North Penn Football Team 8th in the Nation in 2003

Named, “The Team of the Decade” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, 2010

 Inducted NPAAA Hall of Fame - 2013

Team of the Decade

NPAAA-Plaque-Football-2003

A wire to wire finish is something tough to achieve in sports; whenever a squad is ranked #1 in the preseason, it is unfounded, based on hype, or filled with too much expectation.  The result usually falls short.   We didn’t.

After the final second ran off the clock for the 2002 North Penn Knights, the expectation for the 2003 campaign was State Championship or bust.  Why wouldn’t it be?  We had promising talent coming back including the already proven core of juniors and sophomores that helped the 2002 team to the State Semi-Finals.  Our goal was not to meet those expectations but to exceed them.

There wasn’t an offseason that year, by January the 2003 football season began for everyone.  As the months rolled on, our team mastered what our competition would be starting months later.   Through lifting and conditioning in the winter, passing league in the spring and practices in the summer, our team became familiar with the technique, strength and togetherness we would need to get through camp in August and our opponents in the fall.  Once Hell Week arrived, we were ready to fine tune our craft and that craft was kicking ass.

August camp was different this year; the cadence drill involved a sled for our starting offensive line to push; Coach Carey turned the bell ringer backwards and it truly turned into a bell ringer; all of position coaches made sure that every time we were running at all cylinders—especially Coach Jones during conditioning; and Coach Beck made sure to let us know when we were slacking during camp.  It was hot, film was humbling, and each of us got out of bed like old men every morning – but the foundation we built in the heat of August lasted through the blizzards of December.

Before we knew it, our first test was in front of us: Cardinal O’Hara.  They were supposed to have the best running back in the state: Ours was better.  Their offensive line was supposed to be bigger, stronger and faster: Our defense ran through and around them.  Their defense was supposed to scare our rookie quarterback: He lit them up.  When the final whistle blew, everyone in the state knew that the 2003 North Penn Knights were a team that was ready to claim their crown.

Every Friday night there was a new opponent and a new test but nobody proved to be worthy of dethroning the Knights.  Our four headed rushing attack seemed to run through any defense as if they were non-existent.  Our defense was relentless, tallying up sacks, tackles for losses, and takeaways.  Our special teams were known for returning kick returns for touchdowns and blocking punts almost every game.  It was truly Knight Time in 2003.

The AAAA State Championship was the prize of all of the hard work throughout the 2003 season.  The Knights galloped into Hershey in early December as an underdog and rolled over Pittsburgh Central Catholic.  The final seconds ran off the clock and the Knights of North Penn were crowned State Champions completing the seldom accomplished wire to wire bid.

Though ESPN did not document the 2003 State Championship Knights, they are the only North Penn Football team to have gone 15-0 and won the only PIAA AAAA State Football Championship.  The 2003 Team holds the record in points scored and the Seniors are the first class in memory to have never lost to arch-rival CB West.  In 2010, the boys were named “The Team of the Decade” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, not too shabby for some kids from Lansdale.

Written by the Captains of the 2003 North Penn Knights Football Team: Jeff Ball, Jim Casertano, George Farrell, Chad Finney, & Chris Tribanas

2003 State Championship Football Team:

Coaches: Head Coach Dick Beck, Assistant Head Coach Jay Jones

Assistant Coaches: Mike Carey, Dave Franek, James Williams, Ryan Major, Jason Munn, Ed Harkins, Jim DePaul, Bob Taggart, Joe Wilus

Captians:  Jeff Ball, Jim Casertano, Chad Finney, Chris Tribanas

Seniors:  Ryan Adams, Kevin Akins, Chris Bloom, Andrew Brown, Kevin Beyers,

Tony Cardona, Zach Detwiler, George Farrell, Cory Focht, Brian Ford, Jeff Gill, Mark Hanna,

Chris Knechel, Mark Koenig, Neal Kulp, Jim Laky, Dave Mims, Deanco Oliver, Mike Partain, Fred Piantini, Thomas Romeo Anthony Signore, Anthony Stumpo, Terence Walton    

Juniors:  Dotun Akintoye, Chris Cazier, Shane Gallagher, Eric Halberstadt, Adam Hearns,

Chris Hood, Bobby Huber, John Kalis, Dave Kornock, Zach Raffle, Jeremy Schenkel,

Andrew Sipp, Jon Striefsky, Eric Sullivan, Ian Thacker, Joe Wagner, Greg Warwick,

Steve Wittmer

Sophomores:  Ray Alexander, Ken Broughton, Matt Burke, Ian Carpenter, Lloyd Casper,

Nick Cope, Josh Dubois, Tom Green, Sean Hinkle, Alex Johnson, Andrew Kohler, Walton Lee, Paul Leslie, Evan Mackey, Dave Madara, Ben Meyers, Kurt Morgan, Shaun Mulvihil,

Alex Munio, Josh Neubert, John Rodriguez, Dave Schmeltzer, Phil Schilling, Kevin Spross,

Pete Stoll, Joe Talotta, Vincent Tancredi, Brandon Turner, Kevin Uhll, Nick Taggart,

Alex Zeblium

STEVEN A. NYCE

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STEVEN A. NYCE

Athlete, North Penn High School, 1992

6 Varsity Letters: 3 Football, 1 Indoor Track, 2 Spring Track

1992 PIAA SPRING STATE SHOT PUT CHAMPION

1992 PIAA District 1 Shot Put Runner up

1992 SOL Shot Put Champion

1991 NPHS Football Co-MVP Award

1991 Football NPHS Outstanding Defensive Award

1991 Football NPHS Academic Achievement Award

1991 Football NPHS Off-Season Training Award

1991 Football 2nd Team SOL Fullback & Linebacker

1990 Football NPHS Defensive Hard Hat Award

1993-1996 LaSalle University, All-East Track & Field (6 Times)

LaSalle University, B.A., Economics, 1996

University of Notre Dame, M.A., Ph.D., Economics, 2000

INDUCTED 2013

While attending North Penn High School, Steve participated in football and track and field.  He started on the football team at linebacker as a junior and senior and he earned second team all-league honors in both years.  Steve also started at fullback his senior year, earning second team all-league honors.  As a senior, he was voted co-captain by his peers, leading the team in tackles and interceptions, and he was named team co-MVP.  His most memorable game came in his senior year (on September, Friday 13th), where he scored 4 touchdowns on the way to a convincing victory over Souderton.  Steve is most proud of earning the football team’s Academic Achievement Awards and Off-Season Training Awards in his senior year.

Steve joined the track and field team in the spring of his junior year.  After earning a varsity letter in his junior year throwing the javelin, he began throwing the shot put during the winter track season of his senior year, where he placed fifth at the Winter Track State Championships.  Steve carried that momentum into the spring season, where he was the League Champion, runner-up at the District 1 Championships and PIAA State Champion in the shot put.

Steve continued his track and field career at Penn State University (1992-3) and LaSalle University (1993-1996).  He earned All-East in the shot put six times and he was the 1994 and 1995 Midwest Collegiate Conference Champion and 1996 Atlantic 10 Champion in the shot put.   Other notable accolades  include the 1996 LaSalle University MVP Track and Field, 1996 Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference and 1996 LaSalle University Male Student Athlete of the year.  Steve continued his academic pursuits at the University of Notre Dame where he graduated with a Ph.D. in Economics in 2000.

Steve resides in Ashburn, VA with his wife, Jenny, and three sons, Braden 4, Grayson 2 and Tatum 8 months.  He is currently the Director of the Research and Innovation Center for Towers Watson, a large global professional services company.  He is honored to become a member of the North Penn Alumni Athletic Association Hall of Fame. 

STEPHEN CRAIG

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STEPHEN CRAIG

Athlete, North Penn High School, 2002

13 Varsity Letters: 2 Cross Country, 3 Soccer, 4 Indoor Track, 4 Spring Track

2002 INDOOR STATE 800 METER CHAMPION

1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 INDOOR STATE CHAMPION, 4 X 800m RELAY

2001 & 2002 NPHS Indoor Track MVP

National Scholastic Indoor Meet 4X800m Champions 2001 & 2002

Co-Captain of the 2002 PIAA STATE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

2002 PENN RELAYS CHAMPIONSHIP OF AMERICA

DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY CHAMPIONS, School Record 10:17.47

2001, 2002 Penn Relays Championship of America 4 X 800m 1st American Team

1999, 2000 & 2002 PIAA STATE CHAMPIONS 4 X 800m RELAY

Holds North Penn HS 800 meter Record, 1:52.17

NPHS Spring Track MVP 2000, 2001 & 2002

8 Times PTFCA 1st Team All State Track & Field

6 Times National Scholastic Sports Foundation All-America Team

2001 Co-Captain of the NPHS Soccer team

Duke University, Men’s Track and Field, 2002-2006

Duke University, B.A. Public Policy Studies, 2006

INDUCTED 2013

As an athlete at North Penn, Steve earned 13 Varsity letters in Cross Country, Soccer, Winter Track and Spring Track. Steve began his career at North Penn after securing a varsity position on the Soccer Team as a freshman. During the offseason, Steve joined the Winter Track Team fall of freshman year. That season Steve was able to earn a spot on the North Penn 4x800m Relay Team along with Zack Webb, Lee Benedette, and Jim Farrow. That relay team later went on to win the Indoor State Championship (1999). It was after this first season of winter track that Steve became hooked on competitive running.
During Steve’s track and field tenure at North Penn he was proud to be a part of several successful 4x800m Relay teams that went on to win Indoor State Championships in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and Outdoor State Championships in 1999, 2000, 2002.
Steve looks back on the 2002 Penn Relays Distance Medley Relay as one of his favorite races during his HS career. In a last minute team decision to enter the Distance Medley Relay, Coach Swanker submitted the entry form the day of the final cutoff. In a surprise showing, the team of Dan Michael (1200m), Matt Henderson (400m), Adam Thomas (800m), and Steve Craig (1600m) went on to win the Penn Relays Championship of America in a come from behind victory setting a school record of 10:17.47.
Steve’s most memorable athletic accomplishment was participating on the 2002 Outdoor Track and Field Team that went on to win the PIAA State Team Title in 2002. The entire team had strong performances throughout the weekend. Zach Thomas took 4th in the 110M Hurdles, Matt Henderson placed 3rd in the 200m Dash, and all three North Penn relay teams (4x100—3rd (Mike Penn, Zach Thomas, Kevin Zeblium, Matt Henderson), 4x400—3rd, and 4x800—1st (Rick Bennett, Adam Thomas, Dan Michael, Steve Craig) placed in the top three. However, the state title came down to the last relay of the day. North Penn was trailing Cumberland Valley and Altoona by 3 points and needed a 5th place finish or better in the 4x400m to win the team title. In a very tight race, the 4x400m relay team of Steve Craig, Dan Michael, Kevin Akins, and anchor leg Matt Henderson managed to squeeze out a 3rd place finish to secure the team title.
Steve feels very fortunate to have received the guidance and direction from coaches Richard Swanker, Ron Jaros, and Jay Jones who set the foundation for a proud North Penn Track and Field tradition. Without the commitment and hard work of teammates throughout the 1999-2002 seasons the success of the 4x800m relay and the PIAA State Championship Team in 2002 wouldn’t have been possible.
After graduating North Penn High School, Steve went on to Duke University where he continued his track and field career earning All-East Honors. Steve graduated in 2006 with a B.A. in Public Policy Studies.
Post College, Steve moved to Minneapolis, MN to work for a startup IT company, which later went through a successful IPO and then went on to be acquired by Dell Inc. in 2011. Steve now works as a Sales Executive for Dell in the Mid Atlantic Area.
Steve is the proud husband and father of his beautiful wife Sarah and adorable 9 mos. old son Hayden. Steve and his family currently reside in East Norriton, PA where they spend most of their spare time taking care of their little guy, but enjoy spending downtime with family and friends.

KRISTI TROSTER

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KRISTI TROSTER

Athlete, North Penn High School, 2003

7 Varsity Letters: 2 Field Hockey, 2 Basketball, 3 Softball

2003 Field Hockey Tri-Captain & NPHS Co-MVP

2003 1st Team SOL All-League Field Hockey

2002 1st Team Inquirer, Southeast PA

2002 Times Herald Field Hockey Player of the Year

2003 SOL 2nd Team All-League Basketball

NPHS Basketball Co-Outstanding Senior, NPHS Outstanding Junior,

NPHS Co-Outstanding Sophomore Award

2003 Softball Captain and NPHS Co-MVP

2002, 2003 SOL 1st Team All-League Shortstop

2001 SOL 2nd Team All-League Designated Hitter

2002 Inquirer 1st Team All Suburban Shortstop

2002 Intelligencer 1st Team All Area Shortstop

2003 Inquirer 1st Team All Southeast PA, Softball

2003 Genuardi’s Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award

UMBC Female Scholar Athlete Award 2007

University of Maryland Baltimore County, B.S. Biology, 2008

Inducted 2013

Kristi was an accomplished tri-athlete at North Penn High School where she participated in field hockey, basketball, and softball. She received multiple varsity letters in field hockey and basketball and three in softball. Kristi was a key contributor on many successful teams, each of the teams she contributed to received District 1 playoff berths with several continuing on to states. She earned all league honors in each of her 7 varsity seasons, All South Eastern PA 1st team in 2 seasons, and 1 Player of the Year award.

Her interest in sports was cultivated at an early age by her supportive and athletic parents. Kristi’s mother, Freddi Troster, was an outstanding high school field hockey player. Her father, Barry Troster, is a past inductee of the NPAAA Hall of Fame after starring in both basketball and baseball at North Penn and Ursinus College. It is no surprise the passion and love her parents share for athletics were instilled in their daughter Kristi.

Upon graduating from North Penn in 2003, she continued to excel in both field hockey and softball at Division I University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and in the classroom. Kristi lettered 4 years in field hockey team where she started all 64 games in her career. She is ranked 4th all-time for both career goals and total points in UMBC history and was named to the America East All Rookie Team in 2003 and to the America East 2nd team All League in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Kristi was named Tri-captain and Co-MVP in both 2005 and 2006 and was named to the National D1 Academic Squad in each of her 4 seasons. She was named to the inaugural America East All Academic Field Hockey Team in 2005. In 2006 Kristi was a repeat honoree. She was a member of the softball team in 2003 and in 2007. In 2007 she named a starting outfield, batted .301 on a team which finished 2nd overall in the America East. In each of her six competitive seasons at UMBC, she earned the America East Honor Roll for a GPA of 3.0 or better and in 4 of those seasons earned the commissioners honor roll with a GPA of 3.5 or better. Kristi was named the 2007 UMBC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and graduated with a BS in Biology.

Kristi resides in Ocean City, NJ and teaches biology at Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor, NJ. She coaches softball at Egg Harbor Township and is an assistant field hockey coach at Division III Richard Stockton College in Pomona, NJ.

KEVIN T. AKINS

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KEVIN T. AKINS

Athlete, North Penn High School, 2004

9 Varsity Letters: 3 Football, 2 Indoor Track, 4 Spring Track

2004 Mr. PENNSYLVANIA FOOTBALL

2003 MEMBER PIAA STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

2002 & 2003 NPHS Offensive Player Award MVP

2003 1st Team SOL Running Back and Defensive Back

2002 MEMBER PIAA STATE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

2003 PIAA STATE CHAMPION 4X400m RELAY

2003 PIAA State 4X100m Relay Runner Up

2 Times PTFCA 1st Team All State Track & Field

2004 SOL 200 meter Champion

5 times 1st Team SOL Track & Field

2008 Boston College Football “Unsung Hero Award”

2007, 2008 ACC Football Conference Champions

Boston College, B.S. Communications, 2008

INDUCTED 2013

I have always had a goal of succeeding and excelling on and off of the playing field, whether this being building personal relationships and team moral or providing advice to peers and community members.  After graduating from Boston College I have developed careful understanding of the sports and business world, and with a get knocked down and get back up attitude. I continue to strive within my calling of providing assistance to aspiring athletes, while also contributing to business endeavors with his colleagues and family.

Most importantly I attribute much of my success to my father and mother, Ronnie and Zelda Akins, as well as my three brothers Eric, Ronnie, and Kristopher. Who are also corner stones of the North Penn Sports Community, having all been contributing members of at least one state championship team. Without their support I could have never made it this far.

One slogan I have always lived by is “leaders are selected, but a good follower can always become a great leader” and in saying that I will always live life’s ventures in stride, reaching each goal that comes to mind.

JENNIFER KREPPS ATKISS

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JenniferKreppsAtkiss

JENNIFER KREPPS ATKISS

Athlete, North Penn High School, 2002

10 Varsity Letters: 3 Field Hockey, 3 Indoor Track, 4 Soccer

2002 Field Hockey Co-Captain and NPHS Co-MVP

2002 Suburban One All League First Team Field Hockey

2001-02 Indoor Track Co-Captain and NPHS MVP

2002 NPHS The Outstanding Senior Athlete

2001 Middle Distance Award; 2000 Coaches Award

Member of the 4x400m School Record 2002

2001, 2002 Soccer Co-Captain and NPHS MVP

Suburban One All League 1st Team; Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12

1999 NPHS Defensive MVP & Hardest Worker Award

2002 NPAAA Scholar Athlete Award

2002 William F. Dannehower Award 3rd Place

University of Delaware Varsity Athlete, Women’s Soccer

University of Delaware, B.A. Biological Sciences Education 2007

Penn State University, M.Ed. Instructional Systems 2012

INDUCTED 2013

While attending North Penn, Jen earned 10 varsity letters in field hockey, winter track, and soccer. Jen received the NPHS Athletic Department Award for Outstanding Female Athlete in grades 10, 11, and 12 and was voted by her peers as Most Athletic her senior year.
Academically, Jen was a member of National Honors Society and graduated in the top 2% of her class. In her senior year, she was awarded the NPAAA Scholar Athlete Award and was second runner up for the Montgomery County William F. Dannehower Memorial Award recognizing students’ outstanding accomplishments in athletics, academics, and community service.
Jen broke onto the North Penn athletic field by playing soccer during her freshman year. As a member of the soccer team she started every game and earned Suburban One All League 1st Team honors in each of her four years on the team. During her freshman and sophomore years, she was awarded Rookie of the Year, Defensive MVP, and Hardest Worker honors. Then as a junior and senior, she served as a team captain and was named team MVP.
During her sophomore year, Jen earned spots on the field hockey and winter track rosters. As a member of the field hockey team, Jen was named to Suburban One All League 2nd team in grades 10 and 11 and then 1st team in grade 12. As a senior, Jen was a co-captain and co-MVP of the field hockey team. Winter track was a sport that Jen originally joined to stay in shape for soccer. However, due to the influence of her coaches and the friendships she developed on the track, running became a passion that she still enjoys today. In addition to meeting her future husband on the track, Jen placed at the Indoor State Championship in the 4x400m relay, the 4x800m relay, and the open 400m. Jen was awarded Rookie of the Year in grade 10, Middle Distance MVP in grade 11, and was a team captain and the team MVP in grade 12.
Jen went onto play soccer at the University of Delaware (UD). As a fighting Blue Hen, Jen earned the CAA Academic Award during each of her four years on the team and was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA District II All-Academic 2nd team as a junior and 1st team as a senior. Jen also earned the UD Team Sportsmanship Award as a sophomore and was nominated for the NCAA Sportsmanship Award as a senior. Additionally, she was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was honored with the UD Student Services for Athletes Outstanding Contributor Award during her senior year. Academically, Jen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences Education and a minor in Nutrition.
Following graduation from the University of Delaware, Jen earned her M.Ed. in Instructional Systems from Penn State University and works as a Biology teacher, soccer coach, and class advisor at Central Bucks High School South. Jen is thankful for her athletic experiences at North Penn and feels that the mentoring by her coaches and the relationships with her teammates have helped her to be as passionate about teaching and coaching as she is today. She is honored to become a member of the NP Athletic Hall of Fame.

I. NEWTON COWAN

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INewtonCowan

I. NEWTON COWAN

Coach, Lansdale High School, 1933-1941

Baseball 2 yrs., Basketball 5 yrs. & Football 8 yrs.

Bux-Mont League Football Record; 43 wins - 13 losses - 5 ties

2 Bux-Mont League Football Championships 1937 & 1939

Undefeated 1937 Football Team; Enshrined NPAAA Hall of Fame 2005

1939 Bux-Mont League Football Co-Champions, Record 6-2

1934 and 1936 Bux-Mont League Football Runner Up

MVP & Most Improved Football Awards Named in His Honor

Supervising Principal Hatfield High School, 1951-1956

Attended Carnegie Mellon University, 1925-1928

Franklin & Marshall College, BS, Psychology, 1930

Temple University, M.Ed., Education, 1941

Temple University, Ed.D. Education Administration, 1956

INDUCTED 2013

Dr. I. Newton Cowan's football career was associated with several successful football programs both as a player and as a coach.

He started his football career with Lancaster High School in Lancaster, PA. In 1923 with Newt as the fullback, the Lancaster High School football team was undefeated and out scored it's opponents 393 to 15. That season Newt who scored 10 touchdowns also played guard on defense.

In college Newt was a member of the Carnegie Institute of Technology's (now known as Carnegie Mellon) football team. The greatest victory in Carnegie Tech's football history occurred on November 27, 1926, with Newt Cowan as the starting offensive and defensive right guard. That day on Forbes Field, Carnegie Tech was a heavy underdog to the renowned coached Knute Rockne's Notre Dame football team and its famous "Four Horsemen". The results were all for Carnegie Tech with a final score of Carnegie Tech 19 to Notre Dame's O. Dr. Cowan was named Honorable Mention All-American Football Carnegie Institute Starting Offensive Guard on the 1928 football Team that also defeated the 7-1 Notre Dame Team, Coached by Knute Rockne.

Following his graduation from Carnegie Tech in 1928, Newt taught school at Shadyside Academy and in 1929 he was the line coach for Franklin and Marshall. He then was the Athletic Director at Wesley College Institute in Dover, Delaware, before arriving at Lansdale High School in 1933 to teach Social Studies and coach football, basketball, and baseball. While at Lansdale High School, he was the head football coach for the undefeated and untied football squad of 1939.

In 1941, Newt Cowan became the Principal and Athletic Director at Upper Mooreland Township Schools. Later he was the Supervising Principal at Hatfield, the Superintendent of Schools at Palmra, NJ, and the Superintendent of schools at Roselle Park, NJ.

Dr. Cowan did post graduate studies at Franklin and Marshall College, Columbia University, and Temple University where he received his doctorate in 1956.

Dr. I Newton Cowan died in 1960 while he was the Superintendent of Schools at Roselle Park, NJ.

DOMINICK SZABO

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DominickSzabo

DOMINICK SZABO

Athlete, North Penn High School, 2000

11 Time National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association All American

3 Time PIAA STATE CHAMPION, setting 2 STATE RECORDS

2000 PIAA STATE CHAMPION 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY, STATE RECORD

Held 6 NPHS Pool Records out of a possible 11 in 2000

Set five Team records 1997-2000; 2 Individual and 3 Relays

Won 10 District One Titles, Setting 4 District One Records

From 1997 to 2000 the NPHS Swim Team Won 84 Consecutive Dual Meets,

4 Suburban League, 4 District I and 4 PIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Led NPHS to 2000 NISCA NATIONAL POWER POINT TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

2000 National Ranked, 2nd 100yd Breaststroke and 3rd in 200 Ind. Medley

Qualified for the 2000 Olympic Trials Senior Year at North Penn

American University: NCAA Qualifier and All American 2003

Patriot League 100 Breaststroke & Medley Relay Champion, Record Holder

Placed 8th in the 100 yd. Breaststroke at the 2004 Olympic Trial Finals

American University, B.S., Business Administration, 2007

Inducted 2013

"Following graduation, Dominick competed in the 2000 US Olympic Trials and placed in the top 25 in the 100 Breaststroke. He then accepted a Division 1 swimming scholarship from American University in Washington DC where he earned the Most Valuable swimmer award his freshman year and placed 7th at NCAAs in his Junior year. He took time to train with Michael Phelps at North Baltimore and made it to the finals of the 2004 US Olympic Trials, where his time would have been in the top 25 at the Olympics.

Dominick then graduated from American University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After some time with an advertising/marketing firm, decided to expand his experience in corporate sales while also managing a restaurant. He is now working in accounting and operations for a growing Real Estate company in Washington DC.

The new position allows flexibility for his new and growing family since the birth of his incredible daughter, Sophia, in 2011. Dominick and his partner, Joy, live and work in the DC Metro area."