Mainland Regional’s 2013 hall-of-fame inductions featured diverse group

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Most kids who are involved in sports dream of someday becoming a professional athlete, having an amazing career, and one day making the hall of fame in their favorite sport. A tiny percentage of athletes ever get to realize such a dream. However, several former Mainland Regional High School athletes can now call themselves hall-of-famers at the local level, which, to all involved, is just as gratifying and humbling. In late November at the Atlantic City Country Club, Mainland Regional High School held its seventh Athletic Hall of Fame Association induction ceremony and now nine athletes – as well as the 1962 football team – will live on in Mustangs lore. The list is quite impressive and includes three coaches, three former track and cross country stars, a women’s basketball player who went on to become an Walt Gauta, founder of Walt’s Original Primo Pizza, poses for a photo with his family after receiving his hall-of-fame plaque. Gauta was inducted for his years of contributions that help support Mainland athletics. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) academic All-American in college, a baseball player who was drafted and played several years of minor-league baseball, and a local businessman who has been supporting Mustangs teams for decades. For former tennis coach Janice Mott, this was her second induction into a hall of fame. Her combined wins total of 518 in boys and girls tennis got her elected to the New Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame in 1996 and now she is a member of the Mustang elite. Mott coached girls tennis for 28 years, compiling 450 victories, eight Cape-Atlantic League championships, eight South Jersey championships and the 1991 state Group III title. She also coached boys tennis for 11 years, posting 68 wins, three CAL titles, three South Jersey championships and a state title in 1995. “I’m truly honored. It’s an honor to be voted in by your peers and being here with some of the girls I coached, and all my girls I went to high school with are here to support me,” Mott said. “It’s a great honor. I was surprised.” Mott said she loves the tradition the hall-of-fame induction ceremonies are creating at the school. And now perhaps she is on equal footing with her aunt. “I have an aunt who was a physical education teacher and hall-of-famer at her high school and at William & Mary and I knew it was such an honor. I went to her events and it’s such a nice tradition and a good way to honor your teachers and your players. “Tonight you got a different perspective from the athletes, what their coaches meant to them. I can only hope I meant as much to my kids.” The highlight of the evening was the induction of the 1962 football team, which had more than a dozen members in attendance. That year the Mustangs went 8-0, including an epic 13-12 win over rival Ocean City and a hard-fought, 12-0 win over Middle Township. The team held five of its eight opponents to a touchdown or less while the offense scored two or more touchdowns in every game. They outscored opponents 145-58 that year. “That was quite an honor. They started the winning tradition here. It was good to see all those guys here,” Mott said. Meghan McIntyre, now Meghan McIntyre Klauder, had her baby daughter in tow. It will be many years before the youngster realizes how great an athlete her mom was at Mainland. McIntyre Klauder was a dominant force on the basketball court: A first-team All-CAL selection from 1995-97, the CAL Player of the Year in 1997 and also a Street & Smith All-American, Press of Atlantic City all-star and first-team all-state selection that year. She scored more than 1,000 points in her career, led Mainland to three straight conference titles, accepted a full scholarship to the University of Maryland and went on to graduate from Drexel as a first-team academic All-American. Oh, she also just happened to compete in track and field, earning four more varsity letters and setting the county record in the shot put in 1997. Former Mustangs tennis coach Janice Mott, center, poses for photos along with friends at the induction ceremony at the Atlantic City Country Club in November. “It’s quite humbling. I was really excited when I got the phone call,” McIntyre Klauder said. “I think it’s really important. (High school) is where you set your foundation and where you are learning, and so many years down the road the fact that they are still remembering me is quite an honor. “This is definitely one of the top accomplishments and honors I’ve had over the years.” The accomplishments of past athletes weren’t lost on McIntyre Klauder, and she said it was an honor to have a plaque the same year the 1962 football team was being inducted. “That was very cool. It was a great group to be inducted with.” The list also included three cross country winners, who happened to grow up in the same neighborhood. Brothers Kurt and Geoffrey Wayton were dominating runners who graduated in 1995. They combined to earn 22 varsity letters in cross country, indoor track and spring track. Geoffrey held school records in the 800 meters, the 1,600, the 3,200, the 4×800 relay and the distance medley relay, and Kurt was the CAL’s Joe Clements Outstanding Athlete recipient in 1995. He went on to be named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s All-Centennial Team after a brilliant career at Indiana State University. They joined neighbor Scott Keyser, class of 1996, who earned 12 varsity letters, held the course record at Holmdel, where the cross country state championships are held, and was one of Mainland’s Athletes of the Year in 1995-96. John Albertson earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball – a true three-sport star. He was a two-time All-CAL linebacker and was honorable mention all-state in 1984, but the baseball diamond was where he shined. He was drafted by the major leagues out of high school, when he was selected in the 31st round in 1985 by the Baltimore Orioles. He elected to play college baseball at Jacksonville State and was drafted again in the 29th round by the Atlanta Braves in 1987, rising to double-A before his career was sidelined due to a knee injury. George Evinski was a former athletic director and coach at Mainland, established the golf, girls cross country, boys and girls crew and boys and girls lacrosse programs at the school and founded the Mainland Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. Walt Gauta, a Croatian immigrant, founded Walt’s Original Primo Pizza and has been a huge supporter of Mainland athletics for many years. Harry “Whitey” Haak was a longtime coach in boys tennis, basketball, girls cross country and golf. In those four sports he compiled an astounding 766 wins and only 320 losses. He was the golf coach of the decade for the 80s by the Press of Atlantic City, was the state coach of the year in 2003 and is now a member of three halls of fame. “It’s wonderful,” Haak said. “I am so excited to see so many old friends and players. I had been out of the school since 2007 and I hadn’t even given a thought (to being inducted). It’s absolutely a great moment for me.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays