O'Connell will Induct New Members into Athletic Hall of Fame

Herald Staff Repoprt
(From the issue of 6/5/03)

The 2003 Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held at the school on June 7. Ten new members will be inducted.

Dennis Telzrow (’63) was a football team captain, made first team All-Catholic and was an All-Met selection. He was also a varsity wrestler. Telzrow attended VMI on a football scholarship.

Lew Potter (’66) led all Northern Virginia ground gainers his senior year with over 1,000 yards rushing as a quarterback. He made first team All-Catholic and was selected to All-Met and All-Prep teams. Potter attended Eastern Kentucky University on a football scholarship,

Barbara Hartman (’71) was basketball team captain for three years. She played basketball for 3 years at Radford College and was team captain for two years.

Joe Laniak (’73) was a pitcher who was voted MVP on the 1973 baseball team that went 21-4. He pitched four years for Villanova University and played a season of professional baseball for McAllen, Texas, of the Lone Star League

Joe Pettit (’74) was a three-sport athlete, staring in football, baseball and track. He was voted the 1973-74 DJO "Athlete of the Year." Pettit has been a girls fast-pitch softball coach in Loudoun County for the past 12 years, including four years with the Sterling Silvers (11-14)

Jim and Tim Puglisi (’74) were twin brothers that comprised one of the best pitching duos in the school’s history. The Puglisi brothers combined for 29 wins and 2 loses in their O’Connell careers. They were both first team All-Met picks for a 1974 team that was top-ranked in the area with a 21-2 record. Both Puglisi’s went to Virginia Tech on scholarships, where Jim set four school pitching records, including most wins (28) and most strikeouts (234). Tim Puglisi became a top reliever, leading the pitching staff in 1978 with an ERA of 2.87 and a career record of 12-6 with 10 saves.

Ray Zdancewicz (’74) starred in football and baseball. He was the catcher for the 1973 and 1974 baseball teams that went a combined 42-6. Zdancewicz was chosen the DJO "Student Athlete of the Year" in 1974. He caught for the University of Virginia and was a four-time member of the ACC Baseball Honor Roll Team. After his college days he became a two-time Industrial League All-Star.

Kevin Campbell (’81) was a first team All-Met selection as an offensive end on the 1980 football team. He also starred in basketball and baseball, and was the 1980-81 DJO "Athlete of the Year." Campbell received a scholarship to play for Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions and was a member of Penn State’s 1982 NCAA National Championship Team. He became the starting wide receiver in the 1984 season.

Mark Meyer (‘91) was a four-year starter on the basketball team. He was MVP three times and ultimately amassed an astounding total of 2,275 points with 1,004 assists. Meyer was the Virginia Independent Schools’ 1990-91 "Player of the Year." At West Liberty College he averaged 20 points per game in the 1993-94 season and was the team captain for the 1995-96 season.  

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