Ten new members will be inducted into the Oley Valley Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Jan. 31, the school district and athletic booster club announced on Thursday.

A selection committee composed of Oley Valley School District administrators, community members, booster club members, alumni, and current and previous coaches reviewed the nominations and made the selections.

The Class of 2025 includes: Kay (Felix) Bertolet, Tiffany (Leister) Cappellano, James Christie, Joe Fick, Dick Kaufman (posthumously), Jess Kircher, Shawn Meals, Carol (Fisher) Miller, Rob Mosser, and Brandi (Vallely) Schwab.

There ceremony starts at 5 p.m. at Oley Valley High School with a light dinner and reception.

The induction ceremony and plaque presentation will take place at 6 p.m. and then a public recognition will take place in the gym between the junior varsity and varsity boys basketball games.

Kay (Felix) Bertolet, a 1954 graduate and service recipient, was a former staff member and long-time service provider in athletics. She started working as a secretary in the athletic office in 1982 and retired in 2000. After retirement, she served as a ticket seller for all sports and became a familiar face in the community and with other schools. She retired from selling tickets after the 2022-23 school year and was the recipient of the Oley Valley School District Distinguished Alumni Award, as a service award recipient for her efforts through the years.

Tiffany (Leister) Cappellano, a 1999 graduate, was a decorated field hockey player who was named the 1998 Berks County Player of the Year. As a four-year starter, she was a two-time All-Berks selection, two-time All-State First Team, two-time NFHCA Regional All-American and two-time NFHCA National All- American. In 1995, she helped the Lynx to a PIAA state final runner-up finish. In 1997, she was integral in Oley Valley claiming its first PIAA state title in field hockey. She went on to compete collegiately at the University of Iowa where she had a direct impact being named the 1999 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and helped the Hawkeyes win the Big Ten Championship and make a Final Four appearance. During her time with Iowa, she was a three-time Regional All-American, two-time National All-American, two-time All-Big Ten Team, and 2002 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. She was involved in the ranks of USA Field Hockey, having competed on the U-16, U-21 and U-23 junior national teams. She aided the USA to a silver medal at the 2000 U-21 Junior Pan American Championship in Barbados and competed at the 2021 Junior World Cup in Argentina. In 2018, she played on the O-35 Masters Team at the Masters World Cup in Spain. She got her coaching start in 2006 as the varsity assistant at Daniel Boone High School. A year later at Twin Valley Middle School, she became the co-head coach first, and a year after that shifted to the same position at the high school. In 2009, she took over the helm of the Oley Valley field hockey program and has accumulated an overall record of 319-54-6. She led the Lynx to 12 straight division titles, six Berks County, five District III, three PIAA AA runner-up finishes and a PIAA AA state championship. Since 2006, she has been a coach within the Xcalibur Field Hockey Club, and became an administrator in 2015. She started her teaching career in 2004, and is currently a sixth grade teacher within the Oley Valley School District. In 2023, she was the recipient of USA Field Hockey’s National Coach Award.

James Christie, a 1989 graduate, was a soccer standout. He was three times named All-Berks County. He also earned All-State honors and is the only soccer player in Oley Valley history to garner All-American honors. In 1988, he helped the Lynx to reach the PIAA AA semifinals. He went on to compete collegiately at Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University), where he earned a full scholarship. He was named to the Philadelphia Soccer All-Star Team three times, All-Mid Atlantic Team and was a three-year captain. He played professionally for the Baltimore Spirit (now Blast) for five years, and in 1994 was named Rookie of the Year. He was also in the player pool for the U-20 U.S. National Team. He is the owner and founder of SocRoc Soccer, Inc., which was voted the best soccer program in Manhattan for six years in a row.

Joe Fick, a 1988 graduate, was an outstanding wrestler who went on to coach. He was Oley Valley’s first wrestler to reach 100 wins, finishing his career at 104-15-2. He was also Oley Valley’s first wrestler to reach the state finals, in which he was the PIAA AA runner-up in 1988. His wins also include placing fourth at the Southcentral Regional (1986, 1987) and winning Sectionals (1987, 1988). In 1988 he was the Southcentral Regional Champion and Challenge of Champions. He was a three-time All-Division and three-time All-Berks wrestler, who also won the Bud Lincoln Award. He has coached for more than 30 years, both at Fleetwood and Oley Valley, since 1990. He is currently the Oley Valley Elementary coach, a position he has held since 2016, and led the middle school program from 2021-2024. He’s produced five Berks County champions, four regional champions, ten PIAA state qualifiers and three state medalists.

Richard “Dick” Kauffman, a 1961 graduate, was a three-sport standout athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball. He was a two-time member of the All-Berks Basketball team, and an All-Berks goalkeeper for the 1960 Berks County soccer championship team when he allowed only one goal during the 1960 championship season. At age 19, he was asked to try out with the Philadelphia Phillies and was offered a minor league contract, however, he chose to first complete his college education. He accepted an athletic scholarship to Albright College to play basketball and baseball, while pursuing a degree in mathematics. As captain of the basketball team, he led the Lions to their first 20-win season in team history, a 1965 MAC Northern Division Championship and a berth in the 1965 NCAA tournament. After college, his dream of being a Phillies pitcher was thwarted by the Vietnam conflict. Upon receiving his draft notice, he chose to enlist in the U.S. Army where he served in Pakistan as a barograph operator collecting enemy intelligence. He is best known in Berks County as a generational talent in golf, twice winning the Berks County Championship, and while in the service he won the inaugural Pakistani Open in 1967. In 2010, he was inducted into the Albright College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Jess Kircher, a 1996 graduate, was an exceptional three-sport athlete in field hockey, basketball and softball. In field hockey, she was All-Division Second Team her freshman year, All-Division her sophomore year, and All-Berks and All-State her junior and senior years. She helped the Lynx to a PIAA AA runner-up finish in 1995. In basketball, she was a four-year varsity letter winner. In softball, she was a four-time All-Berks pitcher, accumulating 257 strikeouts and 42 walks on 356 innings pitched, with an overall record of 47-4. Her batting average was .534. She went on to play field hockey collegiately at Bloomsburg University where she was a four-year starter and finished with a team record of 79-6. She helped the Huskies to four Division II national championships, the first program in NCAA history to achieve this accomplishment. In her career, she had 20 goals and 26 assists for 60 points. She was the 1998 Underclassman Female Athlete of the Year, and named two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Player of the Year, three-time All-American and Field Hockey Team MVP, and won the Honda Broderick Award and Eleanor Wray Award as the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete at Bloomsburg her senior year. In 2012, she was inducted into the Bloomsburg University Hall of Fame.

Shawn Meals, a 1989 graduate, was a former athlete who coached within the Oley Valley men’s soccer program for 30 years. He became Oley Valley men’s soccer volunteer assistant coach in 1993, and moved to an assistant coach and the head of junior varsity in 1994. In 2000, he became the head coach and sat at the helm for 23 years. His head coaching record was 277-186-28 and was a four-time Berks County Coach of the Year (2003, 2016, 2019, 2020). He led the Lynx to 15 Berks County Tournament playoff appearances and four Berks County title game appearances, winning in 2016, 2019 and 2020. He made 17 District 3 appearances along with four championship appearances, winning in 2020. In the PIAA, he led Oley Valley to four tournament appearances and two state semifinal appearances (2017, 2020). As an athlete for Oley Valley, he was an All-Division soccer player and helped the Lynx to the 1988 PIAA AA semifinals. He played collegiately at Millersville University, where he was named to the All-PSAC Team. He has been a social studies teacher at Oley Valley since 1993.

Carol (Fisher) Miller, a 1969 graduate and service recipient, was a former athlete, teacher, guidance counselor and coach, who found her niche as Oley Valley men’s basketball program’s scorekeeper. After playing field hockey and basketball for the Lynx, she went on to play field hockey at Cedar Crest College. After a stint of officiating both field hockey and girls basketball, she became Oley Valley’s first JV field hockey coach and JV girls basketball coach in 1975. She also coached the varsity girls basketball program for six seasons from 1976-1981. She joined the faculty at Oley Valley as an English and Driver’s Education teacher in 1973 and became a guidance counselor in 1985. She retired from the Oley Valley School District faculty in June 2010. For more than 35 years, she has been Oley Valley’s JV and varsity boys basketball team scorekeeper.

Rob Mosser, a 1989 graduate, was a distinguished three-sport athlete, excelling in soccer, basketball and baseball and was named 1989 Berks County Athlete of the Year. In soccer, he was a four-year letterwinner and in 1988 he helped the Lynx to reach the PIAA AA semifinals. He was named to the 1988 All-Berks Soccer Team. In basketball, he was a 1987 and 1989 Division I All Star and 1989 Berks County leading scorer, with 24.3 points per game. He joined the 1,000-point scorer club in February 1989 and finished his career with 1,121 points. In baseball, he was a four-year letterwinner and key contributor to Oley Valley’s 1988 PIAA State runner-up finish and 1989 PIAA state championship team. As a pitcher he had a 1.07 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 1989, while hitting .433. He was named 1988 and 1989 All-Berks County. He also accumulated honors of Pennsylvania Male Athlete of the Year by USA Today, and MVP by the Reading Hot Stovers. In 1989, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals and represented the East Baseball Team in the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival, taking credit for one win over 11.1 innings pitched. He went on to play baseball and letter for three years at the University of South Carolina. He set records for career saves (30) and pitching appearance (88). In 1992, he led the team with a 1.72 ERA and was named SEC Pitcher of the Week in 1993.

Brandi (Vallely) Schwab, 2014 graduate, was a standout multi-sport athlete, participating in soccer, cross country and basketball. In cross country, she was named to the 2014 All-Division Team and helped the Lynx to a Berks County Division II title. She was a top 20 finisher at counties (17th) and competed at the District 3 Championship (21st) and PIAA state championship (73rd). In basketball, she was named four-time All-Division (2011-14), two time All-Berks (2013, 2014) and was the captain for three years. She was part of the team that led the Lynx to six consecutive Berks III titles and District 3A title in 2011, where she was named co-MVP. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Catherine Rhodes Scholar, Oley Valley’s first to receive this honor, and the Reading Berks Basketball Association Scholarship. She holds Oley Valley’s record for most women’s career points with 1,551 and completed the only triple and quadruple doubles in women’s basketball history. She played basketball collegiately at Muhlenberg College where she was a three-time All-Centennial Conference (CC), two-time CC Championship MVP, three-time All-Mid-Atlantic Region, two-time NCAA Division III All American and two-time Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Player of the Year. She holds the NCAA Division III record for triple doubles in a single season, with 5; is a three-time NCAA Division III leader in assists and two-time NCAA Division III national leader in assist to turnover ratio. She is tied for Muhlenberg’s school record with most points in a game (39) and is the career and season triple double holder. She is the school’s record holder for career assists, assists in a season, and assists per game in a single season. She was a two-time Scotty Wood Tournament MVP and member of All-Silver anniversary Centennial Conference team. Her career record as a starting point guard was 63-14.