Penn Hills celebrated its rich athletic heritage Friday night as the Penn Hills Sports Hall of Fame honored its 10 newest members.

Tears and laugher punctuated the evening as the inductees were celebrated for their contributions to athletics in Penn Hills.

George Pekich, Bill Deem, Tom Truschel, Angelo DeRiggi, Rebecca Donald-Shellem, Bob Mauro, Mike Meyers, J. Raymond Reilly, Eric Roberson and Dr. Cathleen Shantz-Mills make up the Class of 2008.

Rich Walsh, a sports reporter for WPXI-TV and a Penn Hills alum, served as master of ceremonies.

"It's an honor that the committee asked me to be a part of this special evening," he said. "Sometimes, Penn Hills gets a bad rap for different things, but I'm proud to be a Penn Hills alum, and I wouldn't change a thing. It's a good feeling because I was involved in athletics, and I know a lot of these inductees and the other past inductees. They helped make me the person I am."

Pekich, who led the Penn Hills boys volleyball team to a state title in 1965, died in April 2006. His son, Tim, accepted the award in honor of his father.

"My father always was a very humble man when it came to his sports accomplishments," Tim Pekich said. "He would be so happy to share this evening with his family and friends."

Past inductee Moe Barr, a volleyball player for George Pekich at Penn Hills, remembered a dedicated man, both on and off the court.

"George loved his family and friends," Barr said. "He had tremendous character. All his players learned a lot from him. No matter what I've done in my athletic career, I'll cherish the 1965 state title the most."

The sports of baseball, cross country, track and field, volleyball, swimming, football and basketball are represented in this year's class. Several of the inductees were athletes first and later gave back as coaches.

"I had some talent, I had great teammates, and I learned from some great coaches," said Bill Deem, a standout baseball player at Penn Hills High School who also coached baseball in the Penn Hills area.

"Later on, I got the chance to work with some great coaches. In baseball and life, it's about working as a team, protecting those around you, handling yourself with dignity and facing challenges squarely."

Several of the inductees came home to Penn Hills from other parts of the country.

Donaldson-Shellem, a swimming star at Penn Hills High School, lives in New Jersey, where she is a teacher and swimming coach.

Roberson, a 1,000-point scorer and three-year starter on the Penn Hills varsity boys basketball team, resides in Illinois and works for a consumer products company.

Shantz-Mills, a basketball and volleyball standout at Penn Hills High School, is a physician in Virginia.

"Looking at my life and career, they wouldn't be what they are without athletics at Penn Hills and the lessons they taught," Shantz-Mills said. "It was a great foundation of hard work, dedication and teamwork."

This year's induction class plaque will be on display in he Penn Hills Sports Hall of Fame Room at Penn Hills High School.

"Penn Hills has a long history of tremendous athletes and coaches and it's an honor to be a part of that history," Donaldson-Shellem said.

"In our crazy, hectic lives, it's nice to have the chance to take a step back and share many great memories."

Also honored Friday was Drew Thomas for his years of dedication to the Penn Hills Sports Hall of Fame and his service as the induction banquet's master of ceremonies.

The committed presented Thomas, a 1998 inductee and former Penn Hills swim coach, the Distinguished Service Award.