June 6, 2013, BUFFALO, NY – The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame introduced its 13 member Class of 2013 on Wednesday afternoon, June 6 at the New Era Corporate Headquarters in downtown Buffalo, NY.

This is the 23rd class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991 and brings total membership to 267.

Buffalo native and a member of the Super Bowl XXI champion New York Giants, Phil McConkey, offered remarks on behalf of the class. McConkey, a Canisius High School graduate, played six seasons in the NFL for the Giants, Green Bay Packers, Phoenix Cardinals and the San Diego Chargers.

McConkey will be inducted with 12 other former athletes, administrators and coaches into the 2013 class. Five of the 13 will be inducted posthumously as part of the Pride of Western New York.

Pictured in photo: Top row (L-R) Walter Plekan’s son, Art Jeziorski, Milt Northrop, Phil McConkey, Therese Forton-Barnes; Bottom Row (L-R) Fred Hartrick, Pam Amabile, Dick Diminuco

This class joins a rich heritage of native Western New Yorkers, or those who starred in and around the Queen City during their playing days and sports careers who are enshrined in the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. The 2013 class will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in October or November (date to be announced) at the GBSHOF dinner in the Buffalo Hyatt Regency Hotel.

This year’s class includes:

•  A pioneer for female athletes, and the ECC Kats first true female superstar…Pam Amabile
• A two-time New York State Coach of the Year…legendary football coach from Albion High School…Dick Diminuco
• One of the most influential people in the long history of Buffalo State athletics…Fred Hartrick
•  A legendary Western New York bowler whose success at the lanes spans 5 decades…Art Jeziorski
• A native Western New Yorker who played over 17 seasons in the National Hockey League and won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks…Todd Marchant
• A Buffalo native who played 6 seasons in the National Football League and won a Superbowl with the New York Giants…Phil McConkey
• A writer who has covered just about every sporting event in Western New York in his 46 years with the Buffalo News… Milt Northrop
• A Fredonia native who has won a gold and silver medal in the Olympic games for pole vaulting…Jennifer Suhr

The Pride of WNY inducted posthumously this year are:

• An iconic sports figure and community leader in WNY…General Bass
• A three-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion…Ed Don George
• Once dubbed as the “nerve center of amateur sports in WNY”…a visionary for youth sports and a leading basketball administrator… Herbert Mols
• One of the nation’s greatest handball players ever…Walter Plekan
• An outstanding defensive catcher who once set a Major League record for handling 581 consecutive chances without an error… Frank Pytlak

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame honors those who have enhanced our lives with their performances and commitment to Western New York sports, an effort surpassed only by the positive impressions they have left on our athletes of tomorrow.

View additional photos below:

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