Five individuals and one team to be inducted into B-UHS Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 21

Sports Release
August 27, 2024

TENNERTON – The Buckhannon-Upshur Athletic Hall of Fame committee has announced its class for 2024.

Jim Marsh, Chairman of the B-UHS Athletic Hall of Fame, made the announcement this week as five individuals and one team that will make up the Class of 2024. The individuals and team are:

Fred Gaudet 1968

Fred was a 1968 graduate of B-UHS and was an outstanding football and basketball player for the Bucs. He was a member of the 1966 Class AAA state championship team. In 1967, he was a senior co-captain, Honorable Mention on the Big 10 All-Conference Team and accepted a football scholarship to Marshall College (now University). In basketball he was Honorable Mention in the Big 10 averaging 17 points per game. As a dedicated public servant, Fred served as Buckhannon Chief of Police, Magistrate, Upshur County Sheriff and on the Upshur County Commission.

Kayla Linger 2011

Kayla was a 2011 graduate of B-UHS where she excelled as a softball player. In 2008, she was named Rookie of the Year. In 2009, she was the B-U softball MVP and was First Team All-NCAC. As a starting pitcher in 2010, she earned the NCAC Pitcher of the Year honor and was selected to the All-State First Team. Her career pitching statistics include: 517 strikeouts, a 1.28 earned run average, and a WHIP of 0.86. She received the Ray Wollaber Memorial Award in 2011.

John Shomo 1954

John was a 1954 graduate of Buckhannon-Upshur where he participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. In baseball, he was First Team All-Big 10 Conference playing second base. He batted .448 with nine stolen bases. As a junior in basketball, he played in 18 games and scored 86 points and was known for his aggressive plays and steals. His senior season was cut short due to an injury as he only played seven games averaging 13.3 points per game. In football, he played safety and filled in as the backup quarterback. He had some college scholarship offers but instead chose to join the Army to become a paratrooper. After two years in the military, he enrolled at West Virginia Wesleyan and played cornerback for four years under legendary coach Sam Ross.

Doug Straight 1996

Doug was a 1996 graduate of Buckhannon-Upshur while competing for four years on the varsity baseball team. He was a two-time NCAC First Team selection. During his senior year, he posted a stellar batting average of .519 and was named the NCAC Player of the Year and First Team All-State. As a pitcher, Doug earned 24 career wins with 301 strikeouts. He was drafted by the Los Angles Dodgers in 1996 but chose to continue his baseball career at Kent State University. While at Kent State, he posted 20 career victories and received the Steve Stone Outstanding Baseball Player Award.

Brooklyn Waddell 2013

Brooklyn graduated from Buckhannon-Upshur in 2013. She was an outstanding soccer and softball player. In softball, Brooklyn earned Second Team All-State honors in 2012 and 2013. She was named Special Honorable Mention in 2011. As a soccer player, she garnered Second Team All-State honors in 2012 and First Team Big 10 All-Conference in 2011, 2012 and 2013. At West Virginia Wesleyan she was twice named an NCAA Division II All-American in softball and MEC Player of the Year in 2015. She was also named First Team and All-Regional in 2015 and 2016. As a senior in 2017, she was named the MEC MVP Tournament in softball while being named the Culpepper Athlete of the Year at West Virginia Wesleyan.

1999 Baseball Team

The team set a school record for wins in a season with a 29-6 record. They were sectional champions beating Elkins by a 17-3 score and Lewis County by a 4-3 score. They followed that up as regional champions with a 12-9 win over Philip Barbour and a 16-6 win over Wheeling Park. At the state tournament, the Bucs lost in the semifinals to Hurricane by a 4-2 score As a team, they batted .343 and only had 39 errors in 35 games. Their walk/strikeout ratio was 161/59. They were coached by head coach Mickey Tenney and assistant coaches Mike Gillespie and Brian Hinkle.

The Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held Sept. 21, 2024, in the high school commons area at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and must be purchased in advance as no tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets may be purchased from Jim Marsh (304-472-6909) or at the high school from Monica Smith (Athletic Secretary at 304-472-3720 extension 5010).