Butler County Sports Hall of Fame: 7 inductees of 2025 class thank family, friends during ceremony at BC3
BUTLER TWP — The 2025 seven-member induction class of the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame share a number of common traits — and one very important decision made.
When opportunity knocked, they answered the door.
The group — Joella Baker, Larry Dillon, Joe Lewandowski, Art Monteleone, Tom Phillips, Scott Stoner and Melissa Sopher-Williams — was honored during a banquet at Butler County Community College’s Founders Hall on Saturday.
The Harmony resident began competing in triathlons in the 1980s to stay in shape for her athletic career at Duquesne University, but it eventually became her main pursuit.
She has competed in over 300 triathlons and seven world championships as a member of Team USA.
“I would like to thank my triathlon mentor, Tom Murray (a Zelienople resident). He taught me so much about the sport, mostly the importance of biking a lot if you want to be a successful long-course triathlon participant. He has a triathlon legacy that I could only dream of — racing at the Iron Man World Championships in Hawaii multiple times, making podium in those races and holding an amateur course record there.”
In 2009, Baker founded Get Fit Families, which has grown into one of the largest youth and junior triathlon teams in the country and has earned three national team championships with Baker serving as coach.
It was long ago the path to success was paved for Baker.
“My parents, Dave and Ann Richard, have always supported me in everything I’ve done,” she said. “When I began competing in triathlons, they drove me all over the country for competitions.”
As a youth, Dillon took a liking to diving, but then-Butler coach Pat Madden urged him to work on his swimming technique, referring him to YMCA coach Pump McLaughlin. Dillon went on to set a number of age-group records for the YMCA team, both individual and on relays, helping to send him and teammates to the national meet in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
He became part of Butler’s dominant swim teams in the mid-1970s, when the Golden Tornado became the standard in section, WPIAL and PIAA competitions.
After graduating from Butler in 1977, he competed for Westminster College, for which he qualified for NAIA Division I Nationals in the 1,650-yard freestyle as a freshman.
His collegiate career was cut short by hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a condition that makes it impossible for Dillon to perspire and caused debilitating joint and muscle pain.
But Dillon did not focus on what he lost, but what he was fortunate enough to take part in. He reflected on his former teammates at Butler.
“We were always pushing each other,” he said. “These guys mean so much to me. We began having yearly gatherings to celebrate each other. We came together to celebrate our team, our family, our accomplishments. We were all blessed.”
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Lewandowski first went to the U.S. Naval Academy to play football but had an itch to change course.
“I loved this game called basketball. I called my parents up and told them that I think I want to leave. They know I’m in the best spot I could ever be in and asked me why I wanted to leave.
“I said: ‘I want to go play basketball.’ They didn’t blink and said: ‘Let’s do it. Chase it, go get it.’”
The support from his parents led Lewandowski first to BC3 and then to Slippery Rock University, starring on the hardwood at both schools. While with the Pioneers, he was named a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American.
Former BC3 coach Dick Hartung won Lewandowski over.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to this small town (Butler) that felt like the middle of nowhere,” said Lewandowski, who played professionally in Denmark following his collegiate career. “I visited Dick’s home on a recruiting visit. He looked at me and told me he could make me better. That was enough. I knew I had my spot.”
Lewandowski, currently the men’s basketball coach at BC3, previously coached at Butler and Deer Lakes high schools as well as Point Park University.
Last year, Lewandowski coached the USA men’s 3x3 team at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
The 1962 Butler graduate was recognized as the Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement inductee. He coached youth sports in Butler for many years and has officiated high school football and basketball games for 54 years. Now 81 years old, he’s still active as a referee.
Harry Leyland was Monteleone’s coach in midget football, but his influence did not stop there.
“Harry got me into coaching and refereeing,” Monteleone said. “This (honor) means a lot to me, when it comes from your hometown. I was born and raised in Butler, been here my whole life. All I wanted to do was coach, ref, love kids and give back to my community.”
Monteleone was previously inducted into the PIAA Sports Officials Hall of Fame and Butler Football Hometown Heroes. He was honored with “Art Monteleone Night” at Karns City High School.
“I’ve been married to my wife, Peggy, for 44 years. She’s the love of my life, changed my life completely around and for the better.”
At one time, Phillips’ passion was racing. He won three points championships in Limited Late Models at Lernerville Speedway after graduating from Freeport High School in 1971.
In 1987 he and his wife, Jamie, began playing in a co-ed volleyball league, and Phillips was hooked. He ended up traveling all over the east coast while playing in tournaments for a men’s team.
He came to know the sport inside and out, but figured playing volleyball would be the extent of his involvement. Then in 2001, the head coaching position for Freeport’s girls was opened.
“Ike Isenberg was the principal at the junior high at the time,” Phillips said. “He’s one of the best athletes to ever come out of Freeport, and I’ve always looked up to him. He convinced me to apply for the job.”
And the rest is history. In his 24 seasons as coach, the Yellowjackets have an astounding overall record of 421-42, have won seven WPIAL titles and two state championships. The last PIAA crown came in 2022, and Phillips was named PIAA Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year following that season.
“I have so much thankfulness in my heart for my family, for my wife, for the Freeport community that supports me so much.”
Phillips was previously inducted into the Alle-Kiski Hall of Fame, the Armstrong County Sports Hall of Fame and the Freeport High School Hall of Fame.
He took over as head coach of Butler varsity wrestling in 1993, just two years into the program’s existence, and has led the Golden Tornado to a record of 453-202 in 32 seasons.
Stoner ranks first in the WPIAL in victories among current coaches and was named WPIAL Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2021-22. The next season, the Tornado went 21-2.
“I look back at it and sometimes, it was just yesterday, and at other times, it feels like 32 years,” Stoner said of arriving at Butler. “Coaching is my chance to teach and promote.
“I’ve always tried to not only be successful as a coach and teach my wrestlers how to develop and get better, but also educate those people around me and sell what I love so much about this sport.”
Prior to graduating from Southmoreland High School in 1986, Stoner won a section title, a Westmoreland County title and broke the program record for pins as a senior. He went on to wrestle, originally as a walk-on, at Slippery Rock University under legendary coach Fred Powell (now his assistant at Butler) and twice wrestled for a PSAC title. He placed second at the NCAA Eastern Regional in 1991.
“I can’t describe the amount of hours I’ve spent on the mat in my 44 years involved in wrestling,” Stoner said. “I’m forever grateful for everything that wrestling has given me, the structure and way of life it creates for people.”
The 2002 Slippery Rock High graduate proved to be a very good sprinter, but her most memorable races came in the 300-meter hurdles. She won back-to-back Class 2A state titles in the event her junior and senior year, still holds Butler County’s best all-time girls effort with a time of 43.78 seconds and is fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.06).
“Winning races is cool, but what I remember is the people who made it all possible,” Sopher-Williams said. “Mr. Meling (Tom, Slippery Rock coach), I thank you so much for believing in me before I believed in myself. You gave so much of your time and knowledge.”
While competing at Slippery Rock University, Sopher-Williams helped The Rock claim PSAC indoor team championships in 2007 and 2008. She was a member of the school’s outdoor 4x400 relay squad that broke school records her junior and senior year.
“Everyone always asks where I got my speed. That answer is simple: my brother, Sam,” she said. “Little did he or I know all the times he chased me, he was training me for my events.”
Sopher-Williams is a member of the Slippery Rock High School Sports Hall of Fame.
