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Lewiston-Porter to induct four into Athletic Hall of Fame

by jmaloni
Tue, Nov 29th 2011 04:00 pm

The Lewiston-Porter School District announces its annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction dinner will take place Friday, Dec. 2, at Antonio's Banquet and Conference Center, 7708 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls.

The event opens at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and are available by contacting Lewiston-Porter Athletic Director Scott Townsend at 754-8281, ext. 2160.

The highlight of the evening will be the honoring of four individuals - three Lew-Port gradates and one coach - for their unique contributions to the district and the community. Included are:

David Hockenberry - Class of 2000

David Hockenberry is one of the most notable wrestlers that Lew-Port has seen in its history, and he continues to be an integral part of the program today. Hockenberry wrestled for the Lancers for four years and accumulated a then-record of 125 wins and amassed a 125-20 career record.

In addition to earning 17 tournament championships, he was the Niagara Frontier League champion in 1997 and 1998 and honored as a first team All-League selection while a sophomore, junior and senior. Also in that three- year span, Hockenberry was the Section VI Class AAA champion and won the overall Sectional Championship as a senior. At the time of his graduation, Hockenberry held school records for most wins in a season, 42, and most wins in a career, 125. He earned a letter as a football player in his senior year.

Upon graduating, Hockenberry received a wrestling scholarship to Division 1 Binghamton University. An excellent student, he earned a degree in computer science and currently works as a software developer at the AIX Group.

Hockenberry also serves as the Lew-Port modified wrestling/varsity assistant coach. He has volunteered countless hours with the Lew-Port Wrestling Club and in implementing a comprehensive off-season program for all of the athletes. He and his wife, Katie, were recently married and they now reside in the Town of Niagara.

Patrick Lehmann - Class of 1981

Patrick Lehmann's name is synonymous with cross country and track success at Lewiston-Porter. He set numerous records, many of which still stand today at the Lew-Port.

Lehmann was a nearly unbeatable runner in his time. In cross country, he earned four varsity letters and was the 2-mile record holder. He was undefeated in 22 of 24 races in his career, and was the Niagara Frontier League champion and first team All-League in his freshman, sophomore and junior years. In addition, he was the sectional champion in 1979 and was a state qualifier in 1978 and 1979. Lehmann is the only Lew-Port runner to ever break the 16:00 minute barrier, running a 15:51 in a sectional race in 1978. He had equally great success in track and field, where he received four varsity letters.

After high school, Lehmann was awarded a scholarship to Niagara University. Currently he owns Lehmann Plumbing and Heating in Lewiston. He has one daughter, Krista, who is also a graduate of Lew-Port.

David Lozo - Coach

Lewiston-Porter is proud to induct David Lozo to the Hall of Fame. Lozo was not only a teacher, coach and administrator at Lew-Port and the community, but was a mentor to many young people in the area.

Lozo was a coach at Lewiston-Porter from 1952 until his untimely death in 1975. In that time, he coached basketball, baseball and track and field, but it was as football coach for 12 years that he gained the most recognition. In his years as the football coach, Lozo's teams were Niagara Orleans League champions five straight years, from 1956 to 1960. He was twice named the Niagara Orleans coach of the year, and amassed four undefeated seasons within his resume. His coaching record in the Niagara Orleans League was 39-6-2 before the Lancers moved to the Niagara Frontier League.

A 1951 graduate of Lemoyne College, Lozo is already a member of its Athletic Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1984 for his illustrious career in basketball there, where he accumulated 1,100 career points.

In addition to being an outstanding coach at Lew-Port, Lozo was a social studies teacher, from 1952 to 1968; head basketball coach at Canisius High School, 1953 to 1958; recreation director in Youngstown, 1953 to 1975; and was the assistant principal at Lewiston-Porter High School, from 1968 to 1975.

In each of these capacities, Lozo influenced countless young people in a positive fashion, including running year-round activities for young people in Youngstown; holding bi-weekly meetings (skull sessions) in his classroom for seventh to ninth grade boys who were interested in playing football one day for the Lancers; and helping form the freshman football team in 1967. His success in helping develop young people is evidenced by some of the colleges that he assisted his players in getting in to, including Miami, Syracuse, the University at Buffalo, Ithaca, Cornell and others. By all accounts, Lozo was a father to all of his athletes and students.

April Wisniewski - Class of 1993

April Wisniewski is widely regarded as one of the finest girls soccer players that Lew-Port has ever seen. Her career continued in college and is still going today. She was not only an outstanding soccer player, but excelled in basketball and softball as well.

Wisniewski accumulated five varsity letters in soccer. As a sophomore in 1990, she was named to the second team All-League in the competitive Niagara Frontier League. By her junior year in 1991, her career started to blossom. In that season, Wisniewski was first team All-League and first team All Western New York. By the end of her senior year in 1992, Wisniewski had amassed numerous honors, including team most valuable player, first team All-League, first team All Western New York, and fifth team All New York State. In addition, she ranked in third place in school history in career points, 126, and was the school record holder with most points in a season, 54.

In addition to being a standout soccer player, Wisniewski was a very successful basketball and softball player, earning a combined eight varsity letters between the two sports. In basketball, Wisniewski earned All-League honorable mention honors in 1990, 1992 and 1993. As a sophomore in 1991, she was named second team All-League. In softball, she earned first team All-League honors as a junior and a senior, and was named the co-MVP of the league as a senior in 1993.

Wisniewski's outstanding career did not end at Lew-Port. Upon graduation, she went on to play soccer at Canisius College, where she was named to the All-League rookie team as a freshman and was the team MVP as a junior in 1995.

Following college, Wisniewski went on to teach math and coach soccer in New Jersey for the past 14 years. Currently, she is a math teacher at Sparta High School in Sparta, N.J., where she has coached the varsity girls' soccer team for six years. She was named the coach of the year in 2008.

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