Four set to join Olean Wall of Fame
OLEAN — Four more individuals will be added to the Olean High School Athletics Wall of Fame this weekend.
The Class of 2025 includes Paul Barber (1985), Tracy (Hendrickson) Wangelin (2005), Kevin Stevens (2010) and Wil Bathurst (2014). The induction ceremony is set for this Saturday at 9 a.m. inside the Olean High School auditorium.
The event is open to the public and no reservations or tickets are needed. Following are bios on each of this year’s inductees:
Paul Barber
Class of 1985
University of Rochester, 1989
University of Missouri, 1996
Barber excelled in football at Olean High, earning a two-way starting position as an offensive lineman and defensive end beginning in his sophomore year.
Barber served as football team captain and was a recipient of the prestigious ‘41-’42 Club George Burlingame Award as the Huskies’ Most Outstanding Player. He was selected to play for New York in the 1985 Don Raabe Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic
Barber fondly recalled the Olean vs. Bradford rivalry games, bearing Dunkirk at Bradner Stadium to win the section and playing at the former Rich Stadium in the playoffs. He also lettered in track and field, joining the team as a senior shot put and discus thrower.
Barber was a National Honor Society student who also excelled in student leadership positions. He currently serves as the senior director of operations and is responsible for the Teledyne FLIR Precision Optics facility located in the Pittsburgh, Pa., area. He developed a passion for the STEM field and studied engineering in college due, in part, to his educational experiences at Olean.
Barber learned the importance of consistent hard work and focus from his coaches and teachers at Olean and has applied this principle to his professional career.
Tracy (Hendrickson) Wangelin
Class of 2005
SUNY Geneseo, 2010
An outstanding three-sport athlete, Wangelin also served as a captain in volleyball, basketball and track and field.
Wangelin earned the 2005 Cattaraugus County Outstanding Senior Athlete Award. On the volleyball court, she was named a CCIAC First Team All-Star and broke the school record for single-season kills with 222. In basketball, she was the CCIAC Player of the Year and a CCIAC First Team All-Star, earned All-Western New York Third Team honors and was named a Big 30 All-Star. In track and field, Wangelin was a Cattaraugus County All-Star, team point leader and a sectional qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles, discus and 1600-meter relay.
Wangelin displayed academic excellence and leadership skills as a member of the National Honor Society and Student Activities Council vice president. She went on to play basketball at the collegiate level for Geneseo Community College and SUNY Geneseo, earning the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. She earned a degree in elementary education and teaches in the Avon Central School District, where she has also coached volleyball, basketball and Special Olympics teams.
Wangelin learned at Olean that “character is who you are when nobody is watching.”
Kevin Stevens
Class of 2010
University at Buffalo, 2013
Daemen College, 2016
Stevens was a talented three-sport scholar-athlete in football, basketball and baseball.
Stevens, who played quarterback, holds multiple passing and offensive records in football and earned the Western New York Unsung Player of the Year award and the Gary Sage Memorial Award as Big 30 Player of the Year in 2008. He was a member of the state championship basketball team in 2008 and was a five-year member of the baseball team.
Stevens crafted an outstanding academic record at Olean, earning multiple scholarships. He was inducted into the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society for the New Visions program. He also regularly earned high honor roll distinction throughout his high school career.
Motivated by the injuries that plagued his senior athletics year, Stevens went on to earn a doctorate in physical therapy from Daemen College, graduating with the highest GPA in the class. He returned to the area and opened Focus Physical Therapy of Olean PC, ensuring area student-athletes and the community have access to high-quality physical therapy. He continues to serve the community as a member of the Olean City School District Board of Education and is involved in youth sports programs.
“Growing up in Olean was a privilege,” Stevens said, “as it provided me with numerous mentors and coaches that helped me grow as a person over the years.”
Wil Bathurst
Class of 2014
Cornell University, 2018
University of Alabama-Birmingham, 2019
Bathurst was an outstanding four-sport athlete in football, basketball, golf and track and field.
Bathurst earned three varsity letters in basketball, two in football, six in golf and one in track and field. On the basketball court, he earned WNY First Team honors, was named a Big 30 All-Star in three-consecutive seasons and was selected as the Big 30 Player of the Year in 2014. He was also a finalist for the New York State Mr. Basketball Award and the NYS Gatorade Player of the Year.
A member of Olean’s 1,000-point club, he finished his basketball career with 1,196 points. He led the Huskies to the Far West Regional and New York State Final Four in both 2012 and ‘14. He went on to play basketball at the collegiate level for both Cornell University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Bathurst was a six-year varsity golfer and four-time MVP who qualified for the New York State championships in both 2012 and ‘14. A solid student-athlete who made the honor roll throughout his high school career, he earned a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell in applied economics and management and a Master’s degree from UAB in communications studies.
Bathurst is recalled as a “talented, dedicated Olean student-athlete.”