Four new members were added to the District Vi Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday night at Tyrone Area High School. The Class of 2005 included Earl Harris, Larry Strong and Gary DiDomenico who entered the Hall as wrestlers and Tony Yaniello, who gained entrance as a coach.The presentations were made prior to the championship finals at the AA District Tournament.
In addition to the Hall of Fame members, long-time District VI-AAA contributor and Financial Director Donald Hoover was named the 2005 District VI Man of the Year.
Earl Harris began his wrestling career at the early age of eight years old at the Ninth Street Elementary School in Philipsburg. Earl won his District VI championship in 1958, then went on to win the Central Northwestern Regional title and the PIAA state Gold Medal in the 133-pound weight class by defeating John Kalokerinos of Latrobe, District VII, by a final score of 9-6 at Rec Hall on the Penn State campus. His junior and senior year record was 22-6-3. Earl was a member of the 1956-57 undefeated Philipsburg-Osceola team which produced 36 consecutive victories and had four state champs who wrestled on that team. Mr. Harris continues to possess a passion for the sport, with over 33 years overall coaching young kids.
Larry Strong was a 1967 graduate of United High School and a four-year starter, first for coach Alex Zbur and then Bill Wilt. Larry completed an amazing 21-0 record as a senior by winning the 103-pound weight class at the PIAA state championship. In Strong’s title run, he defeated two future state champs in becoming United’s only state champ. After his high school career, Larry attended Clarion State College, where he wrestled for former Tyrone wrestling coach Bob Bubb. Larry came to Tyrone in 1971 to begin a coaching career that lasted through the 1991-92 season. He first served as assistant to Pete Dutrow and then Tony Yaniello beginning in 1979. During Larry’s 22 years as junior varsity coach, he amassed just over 200 wins, sending out a complete junior varsity team nearly every year. When you think of Tyrone wrestling, Larry’s name will always be mentioned among the great coaches who continue Tyrone’s rich wrestling tradition. With all these heralded accomplishments, Larry has also been inducted into the United High School Hall of Fame, has received special recognition by the Indiana County Hall of Fame, was selected the District VI Man of the Year in 1996 and inducted into the Tyrone High School Hall of Fame in 2005. It is difficult to let the sport of wrestling go once involved and Larry Strong is no exception. He continues his love for the sport and Tyrone as a timer for high school dual meets and the District VI and Southwest Regional tournaments. Larry is a retired elementary school teacher and resides in Tyrone with his wife Linda, who also still contributes as a scorekeeper for the Tyrone wrestling program, District VI and Southwest Regional tournaments.
Gary DiDomenico was Tyrone’s fifth state champion in 1966. Gary beat Geoff Baum from Allentown Allen 9-8 in the 29th annual finals held at Rec Hall at Penn State University in March of 1966. Gary began his run for a state championship by winning a District VI crown at the Jaffa Mosque, pinning West Branch’s Don Fulmer in 3:48, then went on to beat Penns Valley’s Jack Reigel 8-4 in the finals. Next came the Central Northwestern Regionals, also at the Jaffa Mosque, where Gary pinned Royden Thomas of Conemaugh Valley in 5:55, then beat Sam Eakin of Greenville 6-4 in the finals. In his first match at states, Gary beat Cheltenham’s Mark Fifer 10-2, then went on to beat Baum in the finals to win the 180-pound weight class. Gary was inducted into the Class of 2000 Tyrone Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Monogram Club Hall of Fame in 2005.
Tony Yaniello, was a 1971 graduate of Towanda High School and 1972 grad of Penn State University, where he earned a varsity letter in wrestling. Tony had the opportunity to move to Tyrone and become head coach in a wrestling hotbed. He took over the wrestling program in 1979 and continued Tyrone’s proud tradition until 1999. Through Yaniello’s 20 years at the helm, he compiled a record of 158-115-2, setting the career win mark throughout Tyrone’s rich wrestling history. Tony coached 21 district champs, six regional champs and three state champs, along with many other state place winners. His teams also claimed three district titles, one regional title and a runner-up, and in the ‘82-83 season finished fifth in the state with six qualifiers. His teams earned a Top 10 ranking seven times, including third in ‘82-83 and second in ‘84-85. Tony was voted Coach of the Year three times. Before coming to Tyrone, he served as assistant at Sayre High School in 1977-78 when Sayre finished as the runner-up and claimed one state champion at the PIAA State Tournament. In 2000, Tony also served as assistant coach at Claysburg-Kimmel, claiming a District VI title at the Team Duals and the individual District VI title, a Regional tournament team title and team runner-up at the PIAA State Tournament. Also in 2000, Tony ran the last AA vs. AAA Challenge of Champions. He is presently the Tournament Director of the District VI AA and AAA Team Dual Meet Tournament and assistant director of the Southwest Regional Tournament.
