On Saturday, November 5, 2022, Madonna High School inducted 6 new members into the Hall of Fame during an Induction Ceremony held at Williams Golf & Country Club. The Class of 2022 has the distinction of being the first class made up exclusively of Madonna alumni. Lisa Conti ‘75 and HOF Class of 2020 was the emcee for the evening. Attendees enjoyed dinner prior to the ceremony. Biography highlights were read by Mrs. Conti and then a video presentation for each inductee followed. The new members of the Hall of Fame received a plaque. Madonna High School would like to thank Michael and Robin Nogay and Trinity Health System for their financial support. 

Athletic Achievement: 

Craig Rumora, class of 1975, was a standout athlete in basketball and baseball. He received numerous accolades during his years at Madonna including being named to the All-OVAC 1st team in basketball and baseball, the Catholic State Basketball All-Tournament team, and earned West Virginia All-State 1st team recognition. Craig played baseball at James Madison University and West Liberty University. He earned WVIAC 1st Team All-Conference honors and was team captain in 1979. 

Public Service:

Katie Deter Dahlheim, class of 2000, has spent her adult life helping those in need. She formally established the non-profit organization, Lend-A-Hand Appalachia in 2005. In 2017 Katie began the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project as a way to help with food insecurity issues in her Charleston, South Carolina community. The project started with 6 blessing boxes and there are now over 250 in the Charleston area and over 400 in the state of South Carolina. Katie has also written the book “Building a Kindness Army.” 

School Service:

Al Boniti, class of 1969, has been connected to Madonna High School for decades. Al was a member of the Catholic State runner-up football team in 1966, the OVAC AA championship team in 1967, and the Catholic State championship team in 1968. He became  principal of St. Joseph the Worker Grade School in 1987 and in 1998 served as interim principal at Madonna High School. Al helped coach at Madonna from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. He was an assistant and head baseball coach, an assistant football coach, and an assistant basketball coach. He was a sportscaster/color analyst on WEIR radio for 25 years. Al was also the Jr. Dons Athletic Director and head coach of the Jr. Dons football team. Al’s award was accepted posthumously by his wife, Patty Boniti and niece, Rebecca Garan.

Dr. Samuel D. Licata, class of 1982, served as the team physician for the Blue Dons for almost 20 years. He would be on the sidelines of games to help with injuries, set up annual physicals, and give advice to coaches when asked. Dr. Licata also served as “team physician” when Madonna students took a trip to Europe. Many students have shadowed Dr. Licata in the operating room over the years and he has assisted numerous students with letters of recommendation into medical school. Many of these former students are now colleagues. 

Lifetime Achievement:

Dr. John Przybysz, class of 1968, is a leader in the world of Superconductivity. His expertise in physics has led to 42 U.S. Patents being granted in semiconductors, superconductors, nanotechnology, and quantum information. His most notable patent is U.S. Patent 5,812,078, “Josephson junction digital to analog converter for accurate AC waveform synthesis” which is the basis for the US Standard AC volt. Dr. Przybysz is a Fellow of the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers) and the current President of the IEEE Council on Superconductivity. Dr. Przybysz and his wife Lauri have been invited twice to the Vatican to consult with the Pontifical Council on the Family and served as Moderator of the English-language discussion group for the 2015 Synod on the Family. 

Ronald Rogowski, class of 1960, had a 44 year career in medicine, Research & Development in water, sports drinks, and food product development and technical management. Mr. Rogowski began his career with Culligan USA where he did research on ways to remove chlorohydrocarbons from drinking water supplies. He was a member on the U.S. Drinking Water Advisory Council to Congress. Ron then moved on to a 24 year career with Quaker Oats where he became the Vice President of Research and Development. He worked to support Quaker and Gatorade research activities in product development, engineering, packaging nutrition, quality assurance, and sports science. Mr. Rogowski has made it a priority to give back to the institutions that provided him with the knowledge and foundation to succeed. 

The Madonna High School Hall of Fame exists to recognize outstanding Alumni and school supporters for their significant achievements and contributions to Madonna High School. These individuals and organizations provide a source of pride and distinction to the Madonna High School Family. These role models also present an inspiration and incentive for current and future students. Nominations for the Class of 2024 will be accepted beginning in the fall of 2023.

Inductee videos and the ceremony program can be found here: Hall of Fame | Madonna High School (weirtonmadonna.org)