The members of the WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2008 made their marks in different ways.

Some were athletes, and others were coaches. Still others were officials who helped the athletes and coaches reach their goals.

They represented different schools at different times in the WPIAL's century of existence.

At the same time, they were the same in the fact they all were ambassadors for the good things about high school sports in Western Pennsyl- vania.

Athletics in the WPIAL changed their lives, and their lives changed the WPIAL.

The 13 individuals and three teams that make up the second WPIAL Hall of Fame class were bound forever Friday with induction into the Hall of Fame at a banquet and ceremony at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Moon.

Included in that group is former Swissvale, Duke University and Pittsburgh Pirates standout Dick Groat, legendary Braddock football coach Chuck Klausing, Gateway swimming standout Michelle Chow, former Gateway athletic director and WPIAL executive director Larry Hanley and former WPIAL football and basketball official Cliff Fair.

"Throughout the history of the WPIAL, it has been privileged to have witnessed outstanding performances and accomplishments by tremendously talented and motivated individuals," said Tim O'Malley, WPIAL executive director.

"The WPIAL is very proud of the indelible mark each of the inductees has left on the very rich interscholastic athletic history in Western Pennsylvania.

"The WPIAL Hall of Fame serves as a very positive motivating example for all the future athletes in all of our member schools."

Before becoming athletic director at Gateway, Hanley coached football at Gateway, including several years with legendary Gator football coach Pete Antimarino.

"There are some great athletes and coaches and other great people in this class," Hanley said.

"I am humbled by the fact that I am included in this group."

Antimarino and several other members of last year's inaugural WPIAL Hall of Fame class were in attendance Friday.

The inductees credited their family, friends, teammates, coaches and their schools with helping them achieve success in the WPIAL.

Before becoming a star for the Duke men's basketball team and in Major League Baseball, Groat was a standout member of the baseball, basketball and boys volleyball teams at Swissvale.

As a senior, he set a school basketball record with 37 points in a game. He was elected to the National High School Hall of Fame in 1996.

Today, Groat can be heard on the radio as the color analyst for Pitt men's basketball with Bill Hillgrove.

"Bill brought me back to my first love, and that is basketball," Groat said.

Klausing started out as a football coach at Pitcairn High School and later was a successful college head coach at IUP and Carnegie Mellon.

He is best remembered for leading Braddock High School football to a 56-game winning streak (1954-59) and six straight WPIAL AA championships.

"Everyone in this room owes something to the WPIAL," Klausing said. "My family knows what it did for us. We've had a great life because of my opportunity to learn to coach in the WPIAL."

Klausing and his wife, Joan, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in May.

Cliff Fair, a Penn Hills resident for 25 years, is a graduate of Shaler High School.

He officiated high school and college football and basketball for three decades and also served as the first WPIAL Quad-A supervisor of football officials in 1981.

Fair, who celebrated his 90th birthday yesterday (Wednesday), officiated college football and basketball at the Division I level and once officiated the Sugar Bowl.

"I officiated games involving several of my fellow hall of fame class members at one time or another," Fair said.

"This is a pretty good class."

Chow helped her Gateway Lady Gator swim team to back-to-back state championships in 1985 and 1986.

She also was dominant in individual events at states, winning the 50 and 100 free titles four years in a row from her freshman to senior years.

"I'm so proud to represent Gateway High School in the WPIAL Hall of Fame," Chow said.