The Youngstown State Athletics Department will induct eight new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 8, 2020.

The ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. in Kilcawley Center between the YSU women's basketball game against Northern Kentucky at 1 p.m. and the men's basketball game against Cleveland State at 6 p.m.

The Class of 2019 includes Ruth Boscaljon (volleyball), Erich Diedrich (baseball), Phil Gaston (men's basketball), Yandeh Joh (track and field), Jason Perry (football), Brad Samsa (football), Pauline Saternow (contributor), and Mychal Savage (football).

Tickets to attend the ceremony are available by calling YSU Ticket Office at 330-941-1YSU (1978). The group will be presented at halftime of the Penguins' men's basketball game against Horizon League foe Cleveland State, which tips off at 6 p.m. 

Boscaljon, who was a middle blocker on the volleyball team from 2005-09, was an All-Horizon League selection in 2006 and 2009, named the 2006 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and selected to the All-Newcomer Team in 2006. She finished her career as the school's all-time leader in career hitting percentage (.301), second in total blocks (490), and third in kills (1,340).

Diedrich, who starred on the baseball team from 2005-08, was an All-Horizon League pick in 2006 and 2007 and an All-Newcomer Team selection in 2005. He ended his career as the school's all-time leader in runs batted in (168), home runs (27) and total bases (390), second in hits (252) and runs scored (146).

Gaston, who was four-year letter winner for the men's basketball team from 1971-75, posted 1,081 career points and grabbed 560 rebounds in his career. He finished his career as the 11th leading scoring in program history and now ranks 25th all-time. He scored 481 points for an average of 17.8 points per game as a senior in 1974-75 and owned a career scoring average of 11.8 points per game.

Joh, an eight-time Horizon League champion, ran track and field for the Penguins from 2005-09. She held the school records in the outdoor 400-meter hurdles, long jump, and heptathlon, as well as the indoor pentathlon when her career ended. She was a four-time Horizon League champion in outdoor seasons and a four-time champion in indoor.

Perry, a two-time All-American, was a standout on the YSU football team from 2003-06. He was named Second-Team All-American by the AP in 2006 and was a First-Team All-Gateway Football Conference pick in 2006 and second-team selection in 2005. He had nine career interceptions, was a member of the 2005 and 2006 Gateway Football Conference Championship teams and 2006 FCS National Semifinals team.

 

Samsa, who starred for the football team from 2006-09, was a 2007 AP Second-Team All-American, a 2008 AP Third-Team All-American and a 2008 AFCA All-American. A two-time All-MVFC First-Team selection (2007-08), he was a second-team All-MVFC pick (2006) and was named a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete in 2008.

Saternow was a head coach and associate athletics director at Youngstown State from 1976-2002, serving Penguins athletics for 26 years. She served as an assistant athletics director in charge of women's athletics from 1976-80 while also serving as head softball coach (1978-79) and head volleyball coach (1977-78). Saternow was the associate executive athletics director/senior woman administrator from 1994-2002 and served on several NCAA committees during her tenure.

Savage, who played for the Penguins football team from 2006-09, was a Sports Network First-Team All-American in 2009, an AP Third-Team All-America Team selection in 2009, and a Sports Network Third-Team All-American in 2007. A four-year letter winner, Savage was also a two-time First-Team All-MVFC selection in 2007 and 2009.