UNION, NJ — The fifth class of the Union High School athletic hall of fame included two doctors, a pediatric-care nurse and a judge among the former Farmer standout athletes who were honored.
The fifth induction ceremony of the UHS athletic hall of fame was on Monday, Nov. 21, at the Galloping Hill Inn at 325 Chestnut St. Family and friends of the athletes being recognized filled the room.
The first four induction ceremonies took place in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Here are this year’s inductees.
Ted Zawacki
The only person inducted that was not a graduate of UHS was the one coach who was celebrated. Former highly successful boys basketball coach Ted Zawacki was presented with that honor.
“Among the many things I still miss are the moments in the locker room after a big victory,” Zawacki said.
Zawacki, who as a college senior played on the Wake Forest University team that reached the 1962 Final Four, coached collegiately at Syracuse, Fairleigh Dickinson, Moravian, Delaware and St. Peter’s before returning to his alma mater, Linden High School.
Zawacki, the first 1,000-point scorer at Linden, then came to Union High School to become the head coach of the boys basketball and boys tennis teams.
While at Union, Zawacki was named Union County coach of the year in 1984 and 1997 for boys basketball and state coach of the year in 1997. He guided the 1996-97 team to the school’s only Group 4 state championship, with a record of 27-3. The 1998-99 team fell one basket short of returning to the Group 4 final for a second time in three years. His 1998 and 1999 teams reached the Union County Tournament championship games after the 1997 squad reached the semifinals.
Zawacki has also been inducted into the halls of fame at FDU, Moravian, St. Peter’s and Linden High School.
1996-97 basketball team, 2002 baseball team
The teams honored were the 1996-97 boys basketball team that finished 27-3 and won the Group 4 state championship and the 2002 baseball team that finished 26-3 and also won the Group 4 state championship.
The head coach of the 2002 baseball team, Mike Hamberg, Class of 1976, was in attendance with coaches Nick Koman, Mike Policastro and Frank Napolitano, Class of 1989, in addition to several of the players.
Ron Meyer
Ron Meyer, Class of 1966, was honored as a special contributor. He is the only student in Union baseball history to coach while in high school; he was the third-base coach for the 1966 baseball team, which won the Greater Newark Tournament championship that year behind standout players such as Al Santorini, Elliott Maddox, Jack Goldberg and Chet Czaplinski.
Meyer, who resides in South Carolina and was represented at the dinner by his son, was the voice of Farmers football games for many years and was also the supervisor for all playground and athletic programs for more than 30 years.
Meyer also coached numerous young adults, such as Walter Podgurski and Frank Araneo, who are in the UHS athletic hall of fame.
Amanda Kardys
Dr. Amanda Kardys, Class of 2010, pitched the varsity softball team to the UCT championship in 2009. Kardys is currently in the Pathology Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and is pursuing joint anatomical and clinical pathology training. After four years of residency, ending in 2025, she hopes to pursue fellowships in cytology and surgical pathology.
Cristina Vilsaint
Cristina Vilsaint, Class of 2009, was a track and field standout at UHS. She placed first in discus and second in the shot put at the 2009 Union County Relays. Vilsaint is a pediatric nurse at Hackensack University Medical Center. She’s been in nursing for the past eight years.
Darius Skeete
Darius Skeete was Union’s first 1,000-point scorer in boys basketball and during his senior year in 1996-97 led the Farmers with 709 points during their state championship season. He finished with a school-record 1,148 career points.
“There were times we would just get him the ball and let him operate from the low post,” his head coach, Ted Zawacki, said.
Skeete went on to be a prominent player in college at Montclair State University.
Diana Badger
Diana Badger, Class of 2000, was the starting center fielder for the varsity softball team all four years she played, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. In her senior year in 2000 she helped lead the Farmers to the UCT championship with a batting average of .373, 26 RBIs, 17 steals and 36 runs. Badger set the school record for hits with 154. Also a three-year starter on the UHS field hockey team, Badger went on to have a successful softball career at William Paterson University, producing a .316 batting average and .361 on-base percentage.
Donald Danz
Donald Danz, Class of 1950, was a four-year starter in both football and wrestling for the Farmers. In the 1949 NJSIAA Tournament Danz placed second at 146 pounds. He then became a state champion his senior year in 1950 by finishing first at 139 and was awarded the Ringler Trophy as the outstanding wrestler in the state tournament. In September 1950 Danz joined the Navy, and in April 1952 he was awarded the Commendation Ribbon With Metal Pendant for heroism for rescuing a man from drowning at sea. In 2001 Danz was inducted into New Jersey’s Region 3 wrestling hall of fame.
George Wade
Dr. George Wade, Class of 1960, was the first Union County champion in the pole vault, in 1958, 1959 and 1960, setting the meet record his junior year in 1959. He also held the UHS record in the quarter-mile with a time of 51.5 seconds. While at the University of Michigan in the 1964 Big Ten Men’s Cross-Country Championships, Wade was part of the mile relay team that placed first, setting a meet and school record. After completing a fellowship in sports medicine at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in California in 1979, Wade began a private practice in Boise, Idaho. There, Wade realized a dream by starting the Idaho Sports Medicine Institute. He also served as the team physician for Boise State University from 1978 to 2013. Among a host of honors, Wade was the 2014 recipient of the Union High School track alumni Lifetime Achievement award. Most recently, Wade was admitted to the Centennial High School Hall of Fame in Meridian, Idaho. Wade is an advocate for youths and athletics.
Judge Glenn Grant
Judge Glenn Grant, Class of 1970, was raised in the Vauxhall section of Union and attributes much of his professional success to his mother and family. Grant introduced his daughter as one of his family members in attendance at the event. A three-sport athlete at UHS, Grant says that his love of sports and the development of lifelong friendships began in the gym and on the playground of Jefferson Elementary School. During Grant’s senior-year football season, Union went 8-1 in 1969 and was one of the top-ranked teams in its Group 4 section. Grant was also a standout in wrestling and track and field at UHS and went on to wrestle at Lehigh University. In 2008, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed him as administrative director of the New Jersey Courts. Grant became just the eighth person and the fist minority appointed to the position. More than 30 years of involvement with the United Community Center shows his commitment to children and education. During that period, the UCC gave out tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to talented Union students to assist them in attending institutions of higher learning.
Ilene Cohen
Ilene Cohen, Class of 1983, was simply one of the best softball players in the history of UHS. At age 8, she was one of the first three females ever to play Union Little League baseball. An all-county selection in both field hockey and softball, she batted .531 her sophomore year, .608 as a junior and then .510 as a senior, earning first-team all-state honors in 1983. Cohen excelled in softball at Trenton State College, now The College of New Jersey, and was inducted into that school’s hall of fame as an individual in 2002 and as a member of her championship team in 2006. Cohen became director of athletics at Ocean County College in 2001. Cohen recently received an Equal Opportunity Fund award at OCC in recognition of her mentoring and providing opportunities to students in need. This award shows the true compassion Cohen has for helping others.
Jim Crosta
Jim Crosta, Class of 1972, earned seven varsity letters in his three years at UHS — three for football and two each for basketball and baseball. As a senior in fall 1971, he was quarterback of Union’s first undefeated, untied football team, which went 9-0. In spring 1972, he was Union’s shortstop and leadoff batter, helping lead the baseball team to the first of its three Group 4 state championships. The others were in 1974 and 2002. Crosta was all-county in both football and baseball. Crosta played college baseball at the University of Miami under head coach Ron Fraser, who is a native of Nutley. Crosta was on the 1974 Hurricanes team that finished second in the College World Series. Drafted by the Chicago White Sox, Crosta played baseball in their minor league system for several years.
Mark Ignatowicz
Mark Ignatowicz, Class of 1980, was a standout football player on Union’s first two state championship teams during the playoff era, the 1978 and 1979 squads that captured North 2, Group 4 for the first time. During his senior year, in 1979, Ignatowicz earned all-county, all-metro and all-state honors, and was also the state’s leading scorer. Ignatowicz was also a three-year starting varsity pitcher for the Farmers, earning all-county, first team all-metro and second team all-state honors his senior season in 1980. Ignatowicz was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round, after his graduation from UHS in 1980. Ignatowicz attended Northwestern University on a full scholarship and was a four-year letter-winner in football for the Big Ten Conference school. In 1983, Ignatowicz was the Chevrolet Player of the Week against Wisconsin.
2022 UHS athletic hall of fame inductees
Student-athletes
Diana Badger, Class of 2000
Ilene Cohen, Class of 1983
James Crosta, Class of 1972
Donald Danz, Class of 1950
Judge Glenn Grant, Class of 1970
Mark Ignatowicz, Class of 1980
Dr. Amanda Kardys, Class of 2010
Darius Skeete, Class of 1997
Dr. George Wade, Class of 1960
Cristina Vilsaint, Class of 2009
Coach
Ted Zawacki, boys basketball
Teams
1996-97 boys basketball (27-3), Group 4 state champions
2002 baseball (26-3), Group 4 state champions
Special contributor
Ronald Meyer, Class of 1966
Photos Courtesy of Matt Kipp