New Olean Athletic Wall of Fame inductees Paul Barber, Tracy Wangelin, Wil Bathurst and Kevin Stevens spoke at Olean High School on Saturday. The common theme from each was that their sports experiences have shaped their personal lives.

1985 grad Barber was a Big 30 football selection in high school. He currently resides in Pittsburgh but still has a heart for his hometown Olean.

Class of 2014 four way athlete Wil Bathurst (basketball, football, golf, track) was short and to the point, thanking the committee as well as his friends and family. “I want to thank my family, my grandparents who came to every game that I’ve ever played and then finally, my mom.”

Next was 2010 graduate Kevin Stevens who excelled in football, basketball and baseball. He emphasized the lessons he learned from sports such as discipline and integrity. “If you want to get better at something, you pay the price and work for it,” Stevens said. “The one thing I noticed was that my most successful friends are the ones I suited up with. I have learned more from one loss than I have from 50 wins.”

Tracy Wangelin finished with a speech about the impact that coaches and teammates made to her life. “My teammates, this isn’t just my honor, it’s ours,” Wangelin said. “I was surrounded by some of the hardest working teammates anyone can ask for. You were the reason the wins were so sweet and the losses were never forgotten.”