By David J. Hill<br><a href="mailto:hilld@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail David</a>
Friday will be a big night for nine Tonawanda High School graduates as they’ll be inducted onto the school’s Athletics Wall of Fame.
The 2010 class of inductees includes Brian Carey ‘88, Al Henningham ‘52, Cindy Holway ‘79, Mike Kramer ‘84, Darcy Runfola ‘87, Charlie Smilinich ‘97, Ryan Smith ‘02, Dan Sommer ‘89 and Cheri White ‘02.
The induction ceremony will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. Friday, between the boys and girls varsity basketball games in the George H. Miller gym. A small reception will be held afterwards in the Freedom Shrine at the high school, and an after party will take place at the Eldredge Club at 8:30 p.m.
Here’s a look at each of this year’s inductees.
A three-sport standout from 1986-88, Brian M. Carey excelled in football, wrestling and baseball. He was captain of the varsity football team his junior and senior seasons, earning first team all-league honors as a senior. Carey recorded 122 tackles in a season and 22 in a single game.
On the wrestling mats, Carey pinned down the Niagara Frontier League championship at 155 pounds as a senior. He was named most valuable wrestler in 1988. He also is the former school record holder for quickest pin.
On the baseball diamonds, Carey earned All-Western New York honorable mention honors as a third baseman while batting .409 his senior year.
After Tonawanda, Carey played football for four years at Canisius College. He is currently the dean of students at Niagara Falls High School.
A four-year starter on the THS soccer team, Cindy Holway helped Tonawanda win two NFL titles, and was a first team All-WNY selection in 1979. Holway also played three years of varsity basketball, serving two years as team captain.
On the softball diamonds, Holway earned the distinction of being the first eighth-grader in Tonawanda history to play at the varsity level. She played six years of ASA women’s fast pitch softball with the NT Shamrocks.
After high school, Holway attended Canisius College, where she played basketball and softball. Holway has held several youth sports coaching positions in recent years, including serving as assistant coach for the Tonawanda summer softball league.
Holway graduates as a clinical pharmacist in 1984 and served for three years as assistant director of pharmacy at Buffalo General Hospital. She received her MBA in 1994 and her doctorate of pharmacy in 2008. She’s currently the regional leader of Pfizer.
Cheri (Leight) White left quite a mark on the THS girls basketball program after graduating in 2002. White holds numerous school records, including career points (over 1,000), rebounds (915), blocked shots (128), single-season rebounds (279) and single-game rebounds (26).
She was varsity team captain for two seasons, earning team MVP honors as a senior. She was named most important player in 1999 and most dedicated player in 2000.
In addition to basketball, White swam for the Warriors, helping to set the school record in the 200 free relay in 1999.
White also participated in varsity track for two years and played one year of softball.
White played basketball at Hilbert College, where she has also served as an assistant coach.
A 2001 graduate, Ryan Smith ranks as Tonawanda’s all-time leading rusher, and he was the first Warrior to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. Smith is eighth all-time in Western New York in rushing.
After his senior season, Smith was named a Wendy’s All-American. A three-time Section VI Class B offensive player of the year selection, Smith also earned All-WNY honors in three seasons and twice earned All-New York state accolades.
In addition to football, Smith played two years on the varsity baseball team, starting at second base. He earned first-team all-league honors both years. During his senior season, Smith led the Warriors with a .399 batting average and led THS in extra base hits while earning MVP honors.
Smith continued his football career in college, playing for Hobart. He graduated in 2006.
Dan Sommer stands as one of the greatest swimmers in Tonawanda history. Sommer holds school records in the 200-yard medley relay, 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 100 breast stroke and 400 free relay.
Sommer served as team captain for three of the six years that he swam on varsity. His many accolades include earning being selected an NFL all-star in the 100 butterfly, All-Western New York, All-American nominee in 1989, and placing second in the 200 butterfly in the Empire State Games.
He also played two years of golf and baseball at Tonawanda, earning the T-Club award in baseball, along with second-team all-NFL honors.
Sommer received a scholarship to swim at Division I St. John’s University, where was team captain in 1993. He helped set the St. John’s school record in the 400 medley relay, and placed sixth in the 200 fly at the Big East Championships.
Sommer graduated with a degree in business administration.
Charles A. Smilinich excelled in football, basketball and baseball before graduating from THS in 1997. As a four-year member of the varsity baseball team, Smilinich earned first team All-New York state honors during his senior year, in which he batted .472 on his way to earning first team All-New York state, first team All-ECIC and second team All-WNY honors.
During his junior season, Smilinich was named the Tonawanda News Player of the Year, and was selected to the Empire State Games team.
Smilinich also started for four years on the Warriors football team, garnering first team Tonawanda News honors in 1995 and 1996. In his senior year, Smilinich was named team MVP, selected as Defensive Player of the Year and gained second team All-NYS and All-WNY recognition.
Smilinich also played three years of basketball. He was named junior varsity team MVP in 1994 and varsity MVP his senior season after steering THS to its first winning season in 25 years.
Darcy (Goulet) Runfola played soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball during her high school career. Soccer and softball were Runfola’s primary sports. She played four years of varsity soccer, and was named to the All-NYS team in 1987 and 1988.
In addition, Runfola was named the Wendy’s Player of the Week in October 1986, and was an Empire State Games gold medal winner in 1987.
Runfola played three years of varsity basketball, serving as team captain her senior year.
In softball, Runfola earned All-NFL honors as a junior and senior.
Runfola’s many awards include the National Scholar Athlete award, Soccer Booster award, Craig Allen Memorial award, Presidential Academic Fitness award, Top 20 Students (1988) and Amateur Athletic Union High School All-American award (1988).
Runfola coached high school soccer, and was named coach of the year in 1995. She currently teaches health and physical education at Noble High School in North Berwick, Maine.
After leading Tonawanda to the Niagara Frontier League title in 1951 as a pitcher and first baseman, Al Henningham attended ECC and Buffalo State Technical Institute before foregoing college to sign with the Detroit Tigers, for whom he played from 1955 to 1957.
Henningham also served two years in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany before receiving an honorable discharge.
Henningham was inducted into the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
Baseball wasn’t the only sport in which Henningham helped THS earn an NFL title. In 1952, his senior year, Henningham led the Warriors basketball team to the NFL championship.
After college, Henningham was a coach/player for the N.A.B.F. championship team in 1974 and coached the EBC ladies softball championship team in 1977. He refereed high school basketball games for 28 years in WNY.
As a three-year starting pitcher for the Tonawanda varsity baseball team, Michael Kramer guided the Warriors to the NFL title from 1982 to 1984. He pitched a perfect game during the 1984 sectional playoffs, and was named MVP of the 1984 WNY all-star game.
Kramer also fared well in football, earning the starting quarterback role in 1982 and ‘83. As a junior, he was named a finalist for the Connolly Cup, awarded to WNY’s best football player.
Kramer quarterbacked a freshmen team at Tonawanda that went undefeated and also wasn’t scored on all season.
After high school, Kramer pitched for Marietta College, earning all-conference honors during each of his final three seasons, including 1986, the year Marietta won the Division III national title.
He was an All-America honorable mention in 1985, the year in which Marietta finished as national runner-up.
Kramer’s 1988 Marietta team was ranked third in the nation.
He was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2006.
Kramer also played amateur baseball in Tonawanda for 23 years and holds the record for most wins (160).
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
