Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Tyrone Golden Eagle Monogram Club honorees Sunday night include (from left): First row—Meagan DelBaggio-Fernandez, Don Friday, Greg Ferguson, Erika Voyzey, Leonard Wilson. Second row—Jim Swaney, Chuck Hickes, Jimmy Ferguson, Christopher Shedd, Terry Tate.

TYRONE — The Golden Eagle Monogram Club held its latest induction ceremony Sunday evening at the Bull Pen Restaurant and welcomed five new members.

They were inducted by people close to them — former coaches, best friends and in one case a son — but according to 2011 inductee Terry Tate, none had a closer relationship than he and 2026 inductee Leonard Wilson.

“He had his hands between my legs for thousands of snaps,” Tate said. “That is an intimate closeness that you share that very few people can relate to.”

The interaction led to featured speaker, the voice of Penn State, Steve Jones to reference it later in the night.

“You put your hands where?” Jones said. “That’s why they invented the shotgun (formation).”

Wilson, who was a 1,000-point scorer for the Tyrone basketball team, threw for 3,482 yards and accounted for 47 touchdowns with two District 6 titles and a state semifinal appearance thanked the founder of the club, Harry Sickler, who died at 94 last year.

“This means a lot to me. Thank you to Harry Sickler, who meant so much to this community and our sports programs,” Wilson said. “This group wouldn’t exist without him.”

In addition to Wilson, basketball player Meagan DelBaggio-Fernandez, golfer Greg Ferguson, high jumper Erika Voyzey and longtime coach and teacher Don Friday were honored.

“My parents only had one rule,” DelBaggio-Fernandez said. “You could not quit in the middle. You had to finish what you started — even majorettes, which remains the longest season of my life — that same grit carried me through college playing basketball at the University of Pittsburgh through medical school through orthopaedic residency. Against all odds, I truly believed I could do anything. That mindset shaped everything.”

DelBaggio-Fernandez went on to become the first female orthopaedic surgeon hired at Geisinger and later became the first section chief after scoring 1,093 points at Tyrone and playing Division I basketball at Pittsburgh. She also had 495 rebounds, 227 steals and 203 assists and Tyrone went 85-24 in her time with the program.

“When I think of role models that I would want my 13-year-old granddaughter to be like, and be someone she can look up to for the rest of her life,” said Jim Swaney, who coached DelBaggio-Fernandez in high school and presented her Sunday. “I would hope it would be someone like Meagan.”

In a twist, Greg Ferguson was presented by his son Jimmy, who had already been inducted in 2023.

“Dad set the Tyrone school record of 69, and that record held for about 30 years,” Jimmy Ferguson said. “The record was eventually broken in 2009, but I am proud to say that record still lives under our roof at home.”

Jimmy holding that record and getting inducted before his father are both more important to Greg than his own induction, but he shared some advice with the crowd of just under 100, which included his other sons Andrew and Gregory and his wife, April.

“Have a passion for what you do, work it with intensity and live with integrity,” Greg Ferguson said. “Give everything you can and give back whenever and as much as you can.”

Voyzey, who won three PIAA championships in the high jump and holds the school record of 5 feet, 11 inches, was the youngest inductee and was proud to be included after her college career took her to Miami and Arizona State.

“It’s a privilege to be recognized among the list of past inductees,” Voyzey said. “Their accomplishments and presence in this community is absolutely commendable. I want to give thanks to the Monogram Club and thank them for this event and recognizing athletes who have made such an impact on this community.”

Presenter Christopher Shedd, who was her high school coach, mentioned perhaps her best honor was winning the Penn Relay high jump over world-wide competition, which drew another one-liner from Jones later in the night.

“You defeated seven or eight Jamaicans?” Jones asked. “They all became members of the bobsled team.”

Voyzey said her time as an athlete shaped the rest of her life.

“I think being an athlete and having an athlete mentality stays with all of us,” Voyzey said. “That determination, integrity and the drive we have goes into our work life, our friendships and our local community.”

Friday spent 32 years coaching a variety of sports at Tyrone and was presented by his friend Chuck Hickes.

The club had its first inductions in 1988 and holds a banquet every two years.

“Your hometown sets a foundation in life for each and every one of you,” Jones said. “You were so fortunate to grow up here. It’s a place with so many people that cared and loved sports.”