1998-99 Hall of Fame Inductees
Mr. Glenn Smith
Mr. Smith was one of the founding fathers of the sport at Bellefonte High School. He became the school's first coach in 1946. As the story goes, the newly formed team didn't have uniforms so Coach Smith got long johns and dyed them green. Then, he had his wrestlers pull black swimming trunks on over the long johns. Raider wrestling singlets have come a long way in the five decades since then. Coach Smith was known as a fierce competitor and strict disciplinarian. But, his Raider teams responded like none other in school history. After a 1-5 opening season in 1946-47, Coach Smith remained at the helm for five more seasons during which time the Red Raiders were on of the state's great powers, compiling an amazing dual meet record of 51-2-1 with three undefeated seasons. During his six-year career, Mr. Smith coached 17 District and Regional Champions and four PIAA State Champions. Mr. Smith presently resides in Allentown and could not be with us tonight because he is celebrating his 54th wedding anniversary. He is honored to have his former wrestlers in this Hall-of-Fame Class accept this award on his behalf.
Mr. Tom Riglin
Mr. Riglin was Bellefonte High School's first state wrestling champion. He captured District 6-9 and PIAA honors in the 95-pound weight class in 1948. Mr. Riglin was also the first underclassman in District VI history to claim a state championship by winning his title as a 10th grader. He went on to a 32-5 career record and was a leader on several of Glenn Smith's great teams. Following high school, Mr. Riglin wrestled for four years at Frankin and Marshall College. While still in the prime of his life and not far removed from his wrestling days at Bellefonte, Mr. Riglin was trgically killed in a military aviation accident. Tonight, Bellefonte's first PIAA state champion is represented by many members of his family. On his behalf, they accept this Hall-of-Fame honor.
Mr. Joe Masullo
Mr. Masullo posted a career record of 27-10-3 and in 1949 claimed the PIAA title at 112 pounds to become Bellefonte's second state champion. Mr. Masullo was a junior when he became a state champion. He also won the District 6-9 title in 1949. Mr. Masullo always was team oriented and says that his finest wrestling accomplishment was simply being part of the great teams in Bellefonte High School history. Tonight's award is a cause for double celebration as this is also Mr. Masullo's birthday. Today, Mr. Masullo is still very active as a community leader right here in Bellefonte.
Mr. Tom Musser
Mr. Musser became Bellefonte's third PIAA state champion in 1950 when he won the title at 127 pounds as a junior. He was also the District 6-9 Champion in 1950 and claimed District VI and Central Northwest Regional honors in 1951. Mr. Musser still holds one of the top five winning percentages in school history after posting a superb 52-5-2 record in his career. He wrestled in college for Lock Haven State University. After graduating from college, Mr. Musser founded the wrestling program at Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg where his wrestlers won five district titles and three regional crowns. Mr. Musser returned to his alma matter and became the Raiders' head coach in the 1962-63 season. In his seven years as head coach, Mr. Musser produced eleven Holiday Tournament Champions, ten Sectional Champions, six District Champions, and three Regional Champions. Still serving his alma matter, Mr. Musser teaches science in the Bellefonte Middle School.
Mr. Dave Adams
Mr. Adams was the first wrestler in both Bellefonte and District VI history to win two PIAA state championships. He claimed his state titles at 120 pounds in 1951 and at 138 pounds in 1953. He remains the only four-time District Champion in Bellefonte history. He also claimed Central Northwest Regional titles in 1951, 1952, and 1953. He still holds one of the school's top five all-time winning percentages after posting a career record of 67-4 with 35 falls. Mr. Adams was a co-captain for Penn State and won the EIWA title at 147 pounds in 1957 after finishing as a runner-up the year before. He was the NCAA runner-up in 1957. Mr. Adams coached for 25 years at several schools; most notably as the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He served 19 years on the NCAA Wrestling Rules 
Committee. This is the fourth wrestling hall-of-fame induction for Mr. Adams as he has been previously honored by: District VI, the NCAA's Eastern Wrestling League, and the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches. The top Bellefonte wrestler in each grade (10 through 12) is awarded the "Dave Adams Award" each March at the team banquet. Mr. Adams currently resides in Akron, Ohio and has several family members with him at tonight's ceremony.
Mr. Ken Royer
Mr. Moyer won the PIAA state title at 127 pound in 1953. Since he claimed this title just several minutes before Dave Adams won his second crown, Mr. Moyer is officially the first senior in Bellefonte history to win a state championship. He also won the District title at 95 pounds in 1950 as a freshman and District and Regional titles in 1953. Mr. Moyer still holds one of the top five winning percentages in school history after compiling a career record of 54-6-1 with just three dual meet losses in four years. Still active in the community, Mr. Moyer had a long career in vocational-technical teaching in Centre County and is still know to many as "Foxy".
Mr. Ron Pifer
Mr. Pifer won PIAA state championships in 1957 (138 pounds) and 1958 (154 pounds) to become the second two-time state champ in Bellefonte history. He is also one of just two Bellefonte wrestlers to win three District VI titles (1956, 1957, and 1958). He claimed Central Northwest regional titles in 1957 and 1958. Four decades after he last wrestled for Bellefonte, Mr. Pifer still has the best winning percentage in school history at .967 (with a career record of 60-2 including 39 falls). He wrestled at Penn State University and earned All-American honors three times. He had a distinguished head-coaching career at State College High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is the author of a best-selling book and video on leg wrestling techniques. Previously, Mr. Pifer has been elected to both the District VI and the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches' Halls-of-Fame. Despite his storied career, Mr. Pifer acknowledges that one of his proudest moments in the sport occurred in March 1983 when his son Scott won the 119-pound
AAA State Title while wrestling for State College High School. This event made Ron and Scott Pifer one of the very rare father-son state championship teams in PIAA history.
Mr. Jim Thal
Mr. Thal won the ninth PIAA championship in Bellefonte history when he claimed the 125-pound title in Class AAA in 1991. He posted a 25-0-1 record during his senior season en route to that title. Mr. Thal also claimed District and Regional honors in 1991. Following a mediocre start during his first two varsity seasons, Mr. Thal had a solid junior season in 1990 in which he was a District and Regional runner-up and placed 5th in the PIAA championships. He wrestled in the Pittsburgh Classic. His win in the state title bout was a 4-3 decision over Penn-Trafford's Lee Shickel; who went on to win an NCAA Division II National Title at UP-Johnstown. As of this induction ceremony (12/23/98), Mr. Thal is the last Centre County or District VI AAA wrestler to win a state championship. Presently, he works for the Department of Corrections in Houtzdale and serves as Bellefonte's assistant wrestling coach.
Mr. Larry Fornicola
Mr. Fornicola was the 1955 NCAA National Champion at 137 pounds while wrestling at Penn State University. He battled his way to the national title by first winning the EIWA title with overtime victories in both the semifinals and finals. During his career at Bellefonte, Mr. Fornicola wrestled for the legendary Glenn Smith and compiled a record of 32-7-2 with 17 falls. He won District titles in 1950 and 1951. In honor of his legacy as Bellefonte's only NCAA champion, the Bellefonte Wrestling Club hosts an annual youth tournament called the "Larry Fornicola Memorial Tournament". After a distinguished lifelong career in wrestling, Mr. Fornicola passed away a few years ago. He is represented tonight by his brothers.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has recognized Mr. Fornicola with the Lifetime Service to Wrestling honor for his "years of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in young people through the sport of wrestling".