Gary Martin, a native of Long Island, made his name in Pennsylvania by becoming a two-time Lacrosse All American for the Penn State University Nitanny Lions. He made his name in Philadelphia with the Wings, winning five World Championships: four as a player and one as a member of their coaching staff. Martin went to… Read more »
Sylvia Wene Martin is known as one of the greatest women ten pin bowlers in history. A winner of numerous bowling crowns, she was the first woman ever to rack up three perfect or 300 games in sanctioned competition. She rolled her first perfect game in March 1951. Almost nine years later, in December 1959,… Read more »
After tripping over a hurdle in eighth grade, Sam Mattis was told he would be a thrower. From that day forward, he became a track and field athlete competing in the discus throw. Setting the New Jersey state record from 2010-2012, he won the NJ Meet of Champions and the New Balance Nationals in 2011… Read more »
Contrary to popular belief, Sandy Koufax wasn’t the first dominant Jewish pitcher in baseball. That distinction belongs to Erskine Mayer, who made history nearly five decades earlier by becoming the first Jew to win 20 games and also pitch in a World Series, both of which he did twice. Mayer, whose father composed an opera… Read more »
Dave graduated from Overbrook High School in 1933. He found the ideal sport for his great size and strength by becoming a heavyweight weightlifter. He finished second at the 1936 U.S. senior nationals. That same year, he won a position as a member of the United States Olympic weightlifting team. At the Berlin Olympics, Dave… Read more »
When you think of television sports commentary and play-by-play in Philadelphia, the first name that comes to mind is Al Meltzer. “Big Al” has spent most of his more than 50-year television career in Philadelphia. A nine-time Emmy Award winner, Meltzer come to Philadelphia from his native Syracuse, NY, to join WPHL-TV in 1966 as… Read more »
Every day when he awakens and heads to the gym Dr. Ira Meyers reminds himself that it is a privilege to run. The allure of running is that it can be done anytime, at any place and with or without others. 1974 marked the beginning of competitive running for him with the appeal of competing… Read more »
All-American fencer Dave Micahnik grew up in Wilkes Barre, never touching a fencing sword until he entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1955. He has been the fencing coach at the University of Pennsylvania since 1974. As an undergraduate at Penn, he was All-Ivy in epee in 1959. He was a member of three United… Read more »
Brandi Butler Millis was raised in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania and had a love of sports and a passion for competition. Her older brother signed up for a basketball league and Millis begged her parents to allow her to play. Her love of the game began while playing for the Junior Jewish Basketball League (JJBL), but… Read more »
Irv “Moon” Mondschein was a champion decathlete who holds the distinction of coaching track teams in two different Olympics for two different countries. In 1951 and 1952, he was the national and Olympic coach for the State of Israel and in 1988 was the decathlon coach for the United States Olympic Team. At New York… Read more »
