Greater Pittston Area well-represented in Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026

PLAINS TWP. — The Luzerne County Sport Hall of Fame Class of 2026 added 10 new inductees, with nearly half of them from Greater Pittston.

In addition to the 10 inductees, three others were honored along with three scholar athletes on Sunday, June 7, at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

This year’s inductees are: Bree Bednarski, Brianna Pizzano, and Frank Redmond, graduates of Wyoming Area; Allie Barber, Pittston Area; Ed Keil, West Side Vocational-Technical School; Joseph Kemmerer, Crestwood; Karen Krysiewski Day, Wyoming Valley West; Addy Malatesta, Berwick Area; Bobby Sura, Wilkes-Barre GAR; and Eddie White, III, Bishop Hoban.

The hall honored: Neil Corbett, founding member of The Citizens’ Voice, received the Media Award; Mary Kelly, Hazleton Area’s winningest field hockey coach, received the Tracey Tribendis “Profile of Courage” Award; and Jeffrey Swire, co-founder and president of Patriots Cove, received the Sam Falcone Community Service Award.

The hall also recognized this year’s scholar-athletes: Tucker Blasi of Sullivan County, Addisyn Bly of Wyalusing Valley, and Joseph Mayernik of MMI Prep.

Evelyn Sheer of Hazleton Area, winner of the HERizon Award, is presented as the most outstanding female wrestler in the Wyoming Valley Conference.

Greater Pittston had four representatives entering the hall for 2026 with Allie Barber, Bree Bednarski, Brianna Pizzano, and Frank Redmond.

Barber, a Pittston native, played a key role in major team successes in multiple sports in high school and college. She developed her athletic foundation at an early age through constant exposure to sports alongside her family.

“Being inducted into the Sport Hall of Fame was a tremendous honor and something that meant a great deal to me,” Barber said. “While it was special to be recognized for my accomplishments, it was also incredibly meaningful for my family. They invested countless hours driving me to practices and games, supporting me through both successes and setbacks, and making sacrifices that helped make those opportunities possible. The induction felt as much like a recognition of their commitment and support as it did of my own achievements, and it was a very special moment for all of us.”

She scored a Pittston Area record 159 career goals in soccer and was a 2013 Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association all-state selection. She also led the Patriots to the District 2 Class 3A championship. In basketball, she scored over 1,000 career points and won a district title. She also competed in track and field for three seasons at Pittston Area, which won a district title in that sport, as well.

Barber continued her soccer career at Bloomsburg University, where she appeared in every game, recorded 19 goals and 20 assists, and started the final 59 consecutive contests of her career. She was part of teams that won a regular-season title, a conference championship, and an Atlantic Regional title and made the Elite Eight. She also played one season of basketball.

While at Bloomsburg, Barber was named a United Soccer Coaches second-team All-American and a first-team Scholar All-American. She also earned the school’s Eleanor Wray Senior Female Athlete of the Year award.

One of the Wyoming Valley’s most accomplished multi-sport athletes, Bree Bednarski, of Wyoming, established herself as one of the nation’s premier field hockey players while also excelling in softball and track and field.

“Being inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame is an incredible honor and one of the proudest moments of my life,” Bednarski said. “It is humbling to be recognized alongside so many talented athletes, coaches, and individuals who have contributed to the success of our sports community.”

Bednarski concluded her remarkable field hockey career at Wyoming Area with 127 goals and 37 assists, setting program records for goals in a game, season, and career. Her 67-goal senior season in 2015 set a state record and earned her Wyoming Valley Conference Player of the Year honors from The Citizens’ Voice.

She was also a three-time all-state selection and member of the U.S. U17 national team. Bednarski continued her collegiate career at the University of Michigan and Penn State.

In addition to her field hockey success, Bednarski was an all-state softball player and was named the Times Leader’s 2016 WVC Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. In that postseason, she won four medals at the District 2 championships — gold in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4×100 relay, and silver in the javelin.

As Bednarski’s playing career ended, her coaching career began. She was named Wyoming Area’s head field hockey coach in 2022 and has led her alma mater to multiple district and WVC championships.

Brianna Pizzano began playing tennis at age 3, taking her first lesson at Kingston Indoor Tennis Club. She quickly demonstrated the ability to compete beyond her age and was playing in — and winning — local and regional tournaments by age 8.

“Being inducted into the Luzerne County Hall of Fame is an incredible honor and something I am truly grateful for,” Pizzano stated. “Luzerne County will always hold a special place in my heart because it is where my love for sports began and where so many of my greatest memories were made. This recognition shows that hard work, dedication, and perseverance truly pay off, and I am so thankful to everyone who has supported, encouraged, and believed in me throughout my journey and helped me reach this point.”

At Wyoming Area, Pizzano competed in both tennis and softball. She won two District 2 championships as a freshman and sophomore in singles play as a Warrior. In softball, she was an all-state shortstop who posted a .457 batting average as a junior; her senior season was canceled due to COVID-19.

Pizzano continued her tennis career at Misericordia University, where she was named MAC Freedom Player of the Year in all four seasons. She was also recognized as the conference’s Senior Scholar-Athlete and ranked No. 36 among the university’s top athletes of the century. She won conference championships in singles and doubles play and lost only once in regular-season play throughout her career.

She remains actively involved in the sport she loves, providing private tennis instruction to children and adults of all ages.

Having been introduced to track and field as a seventh-grade student at Wyoming Area, Frank Redmond soon captured a junior high championship, setting the tone for an impressive high school and collegiate career.

“Being inducted into the hall of fame felt like a dream come true,” Redmond said. “To be put alongside a list of great athletes that showed hard work and grit for northeastern PA is surely memorable. It’s also exciting to know that all the hard work and sweat that I put into my sport is still recognized by the great people of NEPA. The induction was a great experience! It was amazing to speak with all these inductees, as we all were part of different sports and had different stories to tell. Great event!”

Redmond recorded three top-10 finishes for the Warriors at the District 2 Cross Country Championships. On the track, he steadily improved each season, and his achievements included qualifying for the PIAA state championships in the 800-meter race as a junior.

Redmond continued his running career at Misericordia University, where he took a significant step forward. He was named Misericordia’s Most Valuable Player four times in cross country and three times in track.

He earned All-America honors in 2010 with a fifth-place finish in the 800-meter race at the NCAA Division III national championships. He earned 20 All-MAC honors across indoor and outdoor track and was a six-time All-ECAC selection.

Following graduation, Redmond served as a graduate assistant coach at Misericordia while completing his master’s degree and competing in regional road races.

The Luzerne Co. Sport Hall of Fame is led by James T. Martin, Jr., president, Dave Kanavich, vice president, Nancy J. Johnson, treasurer, and Mary Jo Hromchak, recording secretary.