The Carbon County Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 28th Annual Induction Ceremony on Sunday, May 28, at the Franklin Township Fire Company hall.

Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and the banquet will begin at 1:45.

Tickets to the dinner program are $35 for adults and $15 for children under 12 and can be purchased from the following committee members: Danny McGinley, 570-325-3550, Vince Spisak, 570-645-4542, Jake Boyer, 610-751-6634, Trevor Lawrence, 570-645-4722, Bill Gardiner, 570-669-6564, Bob Gelatko, 570-645-7565, and Evan Evans, 570-645-7716.

The 2023 inductees include:

Coaldale: Bob Urban, Jeff Neitz and the late Cathy (Radocha) Gelatko.

Jim Thorpe: A.J. Petrucci Jr., Mike Paulas and Irene Sebelin Serignese.

Lansford: Tony Zonca, Frank Bydlon and Gina Uher-Lee.

Lehighton: Steven Hawk, the late Marvin J. Barry and George Harris.

Nesquehoning: Jack Corby, Matt Maradeo and Joel Hunsicker.

Summit Hill: Jack O’Gurek and Dan Matika.

The Summit Hill inductees are:

John “Jack” O’Gurek

One of Marian Catholic High School’s most prolific all-around athletes of the 1960s, John “Jack” O’Gurek hailed from Summit Hill, where he initially left his mark as a talented basketball player on the St. Joe’s Hornets.

After graduating from the parochial school there, he went on to establish himself as one of the key cagers of the forces of the late Hugh “Wink” Gallagher. Before graduating in 1962, he earned letters for three consecutive years in three sports - basketball, football and baseball – for the Colts.

His 5-9 frame didn’t stop him from a successful athletic career, as he became known as one of the toughest players on the gridiron, starting for three seasons as a lineman, playing both offense and defense and helping Gallagher’s teams to 4-4 and 4-4-1 records in his junior and senior years, respectively. “Jack” has the distinction of being Marian’s first-ever Scholar-Athlete.

His basketball days were, however, where O’Gurek most prominently starred, playing three seasons for the Colts, including his junior and senior campaigns when the Colts won the Anthracite Catholic League and was one of the top scorers in the Carbon-Schuylkill area. As a senior, he captained the Colts, was among the area’s leading scorers, and, most notably, tallied 26 points in Marian’s championship victory over rival Nativity.

He finished his cage career with 654 points, including 390 in his senior year when he led the Colts to their second straight ACL.

In the Spring, “Jack” was a member of the Colt baseball teams for three campaigns.

He graduated from Thaddeus Stevens Trade School, Lancaster, and went on to serve our country for 21-1/2 years in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of master sergeant and receiving numerous awards and letters of commendation during his tenure. He served two tours in Germany and one in Korea.

After his military service, O’Gurek worked as a senior logistician for several companies which provided support for both the Patriot and Hawk Air Defense Weapons Systems.

He and his wife, Katie, reside in Madison, AL, where Jack had been active in the American Legion Baseball program. They are the parents of three daughters, Michelle, wife of Audie Wilson, Tracy, wife of Rod Beck, and Kimberly O’Gurek, and have two grandchildren, Colin and Hannah Beck.

Daniel Matika

Daniel “Danny” Matika was born in the summer of 1967 to Joseph and Patricia Matika of Summit Hill and has been a lifelong resident of Carbon County.

Danny is a 1985 graduate of Panther Valley High School, where he played multiple sports, but his niche was basketball. Upon graduation, he was offered a scholarship to William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, to continue his basketball career. However, instead of pursuing the sport, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as an administrative support specialist and was stationed at the Holloman Air Force, New Mexico.

During his military career, Danny received the Airman of the Quarter awards for his squadron - 4th Satellite Communications Squadron (SCS); Airman of the Year from Space Command Headquarters based in Colorado; and received an extensive advanced promotion known as “Below the Zone” in 1988, moving from the rank of Airman First Class of Senior Airman.

Because of his passion for sports, even while in the military, he played basketball for his squadron, as well as softball year-round, where he excelled and was recognized several times as Most Valuable Player during tournament play throughout the Southwest.

Danny completed his four-year active duty contract and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1989, returning to Summit Hill with his family.

In October of 1989, he was hired by the United Parcel Service in Bethlehem as a package handler, where he continued his career for 25 years, retiring as a driver. Following retirement, he became a manager at the UPS facility in Hometown. During his career with the company, he also established two businesses in Summit Hill. In 1991, he started and continues to operate Matika’s Lawn Care. He is also the proud owner of the Batter’s Box Sports Bar and Grille, Summit Hill, where he has operated for the past 11 years

Again, he always made time for sports. Danny played on and sponsored a basketball team in the Summit Hill Adult Basketball League for 25 years, his teams making the playoffs every year. Of those 25 years, he ran the league for three years. And, as a dedicated member of his community, Danny decided to give back to his Alma Mater when he was hired as the head boys’ basketball coach for the 1998-2001 seasons. The last time Panther Valley played in a Schuylkill League championship was during his reign as coach.

Prior to his coaching stint, Danny was elected to two terms as a Summit Hill Borough Council member in the 1990s. In November of 2019, he was elected to the Panther Valley School Board, where he serves as president. He is always willing and able to give back to the community. For example, during the pandemic, he served daily meals to those in need and offered to pick up bulk food orders through his establishment.

Danny resides with his wife, Valerie Trujillo Matika, in Summit Hill. They have two daughters, Megan Matika and Kiersten, wife of Joel Rivera. They are also the proud grandparents of Mirabella, Viviana, Ada and Joel Daniel.