Hal Bodley, is a nationally prominent Major League Baseball writer for U.S.A. Today who has covered the sport since 1958. He is the author of two baseball books including “The Team That Wouldn’t Die”, an account of the l980 Philadelphia Phillies championship season, and “Countdown To Cobb”, the story of Pete Rose’s pursuit of the Major League record for base hits. He covered 38 World Series baseball games, 37 baseball All-Star games, as well as five Super Bowls (football) and four Olympic Games competitions. He received the “Best of Gannett” Award in 1982 for baseball coverage; has served as national baseball analyst for CBS and co-host of the network’s weekly “Inside Pitch” Sunday night national radio show. Hal was a baseball analyst for Cable News Network from 1988-1991 and co-host of NBC-TV’s baseball pre-game show in 1987; currently does the “Around the Majors” segment for the Philadelphia Phillies television network. Before joining USA Today, he was sports editor and columnist for the News Journal where he was elected “Delaware Sportswriter of the Year”, a record 12 times. He is considered the most honored sportswriter in Delaware history with 26 National and Regional writing awards, including the Headliners Award for his coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics. He is the founder and former president of the Associated Press Sports Editors Association; twice served as Philadelphia Chapter President of the Baseball Writer’ Association of America and was elected to two terms on the organization’s Board of Directors.

Nicholas “Nick” Bucci was the first selection by the Wilmington Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association as Delaware’ Athlete of the Year in 1949. Nick was considered by many to be the most versatile athlete ever produced by Claymont High School, winning a school record total of 13 varsity letters in football, basketball, track and baseball from 1947-1950. He was the first 2-time first team selection to the Delaware Journal Every Evening All-State football team; won State football scoring championship in 1949 with 149 points, 25 more than runner-up Ron Waller, who later starred with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. His 149 points were 59.6% of the team total of 250 points. He led Claymont to an unbeaten, untied football season in 1949 and tallied 293 points averaging 18.6 points per game. He set two records (most points scored (293) & most touchdowns (23) scored during his Claymont football career. He also passed and punted and was considered both his team’s best blocker and best tackler. Nick won 1949 Delaware State 100-yard dash championship in a then record of 10.4 seconds. He was recruited for football by Division I colleges and university (North Carolina, Florida, Yale and Cornell). He was also recruited by the University of Delaware.

A. J. English was an outstanding athlete and basketball player at Howard High School 1983-86. He received two-time first-team All-State honors; was a leader on the Howard High 1985 State Championship team, distinguished himself as Howard High’s all-time leading scorer. He was 1986 Delaware High School “Player of the Year”, 1986 McDonald’s All-American, 1986 Gatorade All-American, and 1986 Converse All-American. AJ attended Virginia Union University 1986-1990, averaging 33.4 points per game his senior year. He was NCAA 1990 Division II “National Player of the Year”, and was the nation’s leading scorer in 1990. A. J. further demonstrated his athleticism by being designated two-time CIAA Slam Dunk Champion. He played for the NBA Washington Bullets 1990-1992; selected as the overall #37 pick (2nd round) of the 1990 NBA draft. He played for the Washington Bullets and the Portland Trailblazers during his NBA career. English played in 70 games, averaging 8.8 points per game 1990/1991; played in 81 games, averaging 10.0 points per game 1991/1992. He averaged 9.9 points per game during his two season NBA career. He participated in other professional basketball games during the period 1991-2001, the Continental Basketball Association 1993/94, the United States Basketball League 1998/99 finishing third in free throw attempts percentage. In 1999/2000 he played in the International Basketball League which included Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece and Poland.

Dr. Peter A. Grandell’s career as athlete, coach and administrator spanned more than a half-century, personified the storied sports tradition of Wilmington High School, and had the school’s football field after him in 1997 in recognition of his numerous contributions to the success of WHS student-athletes. He was selected the top athlete of his class at Wilmington H.S. while earning varsity letters in football, basketball and track. Pete led WHS football team to mythical city championship in 1937; scoring the first touchdown in the long football rival with P.S. DuPont H.S.; was inducted into the Wilmington High Wall of Fame. Before entering Mount St. Mary’s he starred in football and basketball during a post-graduate year at Archmere Academy. He served as Athletic Director at Wilmington’s West End Neighborhood House. As a college athlete, Pete excelled in football, track and boxing at Mount St. Mary’s College during the late 1930s and 1940s, where he set a then-school record in the 440-yard run; played a key role in the Mountaineers’ small-college football championship in 1941. When his college career was interrupted by World War II, he became an outstanding middleweight boxer while serving in the Marine Corps, winning the silver medal in the All-Armed Forces tournament in 1942. He served as director of Parks and Recreation for the town of Elsmere; coached Turners Club girls track team and many other youth teams; received numerous city and state accolades for his work with young athletes.

William L. Kapa served over 50 years as a coach, official and administrator. He was Director of Wilmington Parks and Recreation for 17 years and served 18 years as Chairman of the State Recreation Advisory Council. He was Fellow of the American Park and Recreation Society. Bill was CYO Executive Director 10 years and served as Director of the National Association of Catholics in Youth Services Agencies. He received the Pro Deo ET Juventute Medal in 1967. The St. Hedwig gymnasium was rededicated as the Kapa Memorial Gymnasium. Kapa was President & Director of the Wilmington Touchdown Club, and a charter member & President of the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. Kapa served 8 years as Director of New Castle County Parks and Recreation. As an official, was President of IAABO BOARD #11 (basketball) and President (4 yrs) of New Castle County Football Officials’ Association. In a 40 year officiating career Bill officiated 2 State Football Championships, and 5 Blue-Gold Football games; also received the Hallam-Robertson Award for outstanding contribution to the game of football. Bill worked 7 years as a college football official and 17 years as a high school basketball official. As a Marine officer in the 1950’s, he was player-manager of the league champion baseball team at the US Naval Station at Iwakuni Toriis. Kapa was a three-year baseball starter at Wilmington High School, batting .511 as a senior. As a freshman at Springfield College, he set a pinch hitting record (8 for 9), and played two years with Defiance of the Delaware Semi-pro Baseball League where he batted .398 and .355.

Sue Manelski Kampert etched her name in the women’s basketball record books at the college and high school level before becoming a successful head coach at Ursuline Academy, and Concord High School and assistant at the University of Delaware. She holds the James Madison University women’s basketball records for career starts and assists; ranks as school’s third all-time leading scorer. As a senior, led JMU to 22-7 record and second place finish in ECAC tournament. Sue was named JMU “Female Athlete of the Year” in 1984 and 1985 and was only woman to be named basketball “Most Valuable Player” three times; named to All-ECAC and Colonial Athletic Conference women’s basketball first team in 1984. She was named 1981 Delaware high school “Athlete of the Year”; selected to the Carnation Prep All-America women’s basketball team in 1981 when also named Delaware women’s basketball “Player of the Year”. She was twice named to first-team Delaware All-State team; played in three State Championship games, two in basketball and one in softball in her final two years at Padua, where she is the school’s all-time leading women’s basketball scorer and batted .502 in softball. As the head women’s basketball coach at Ursuline, she is the only person ever to play and coach in a Delaware high school championship game. Sue served as assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Delaware 1991-1996; coached women’s basketball team at Concord High School for five years, where her teams made the State tournament every year. She started the first all-female high school golf team in Delaware ate Ursuline in 2003.

Thomas Carmen Silicato was inducted into the Reading Phillies Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Delaware Baseball HOF in 1998 after 13 seasons of professional baseball. Silicato had 11 seasons in the Phillies’ organization, playing in 9 leagues, including 3 in AAA. His lifetime batting average was .262 in 1092 games and 3,664 at-bats, with four seasons over .300. His base running resulted in 115 steals (5 times, stealing home) with a success rate of 80%. He won the Rawlings Minor League Silver Glove Award for 2nd basemen and was the 1972 All-AA 2nd baseman with a batting average of .329 and a league leading 6 triples in the Eastern League. Silicato was selected for 3 All-Star Teams. His career in Semi-pro ball included 8 years as player/manager with Colonial Wallace and 5 years as Owner/Manager with Concord Packaging. As a player he hit .312 and as manager, had a record of 90-23. Silicato played varsity football, basketball and baseball at Salesianum in 1961-64. He was selected to play in the Blue-Gold football game in 1964, and received the school’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1995. In 1961, he was Delaware Bowling Association Class B – Men’s State Tournament Champion. He had games of 299 and 300 in 1986 in 1992; his league bowling average was 212. Tom coached CYO sports teams for 20 years, was coach and administrator for Wilmington Optimist Little League and Director of MVP Youth Summer Baseball Camp. Silicato recorded a hole-in-one at Penn Oaks Golf Course on the 12th hole in 1994.