By: Ed Weaver / April 10, 2019
The Wellsboro Sports Hall of Fame committee is proud to announce its class of 2019.
The Wellsboro Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019 includes two athletes: Susan Sweet (Hars) (1976) and Mike Burns (1961).
Sweet (girls basketball) was a pioneer in girls sports at Wellsboro. After Title IX was passed in 1972, Sweet was in the first class as a 4-year beneficiary of the equal rights amendment to the Constitution.
Sweet was a 4-year starter and letter winner in basketball, member of the 1973-74 Tioga County League championship team, and 1975-76 team captain. Susan held records at the time for 716 points scored during her career (55 games spanning 4 years) and scoring 36 points in a single game, currently tied for 2nd place all-time in Wellsboro girls basketball history, while averaging 20 points per game as a senior.
In addition to her success on the basketball court Sweet was a member of 4 volleyball league championship teams, including the Lady Hornets’ first District IV championship in 1975-76, and held records in the 440 yard relay, 880 yard relay, 880 yard medley relay, and the long jump in track & field.
After high school Sweet attended Lock Haven University, coached basketball at Cowanesque Valley, coached track & field at Athens for multiple seasons, and taught elementary physical education.
Burns (football) was a three-sport star for the Hornets lettering in football, basketball, and baseball. Burns was a member of Wellsboro’s recently reinstated football team as a sophomore in 1958-59 then led the Hornets to a 6-1-1 season in 1959, then earned honorable mention all-state honors as a senior.
As a member of the basketball team Burns helped lead the Hornets in scoring and a Tioga County League titles in 1958-59 and 1959-60. During his senior year, which he again earned honorable mention all-state honors, Burns scored 354 points, 429 total, to win the Tioga County League’s scoring title. He also scored 40 points in a single game against Williamson, which ranks 2nd all-time in Wellsboro history.
Burns also stood out in baseball, batting .340 as a sophomore, and .346 during his junior year as part of the Tioga County League championship team, where he started in center field and hit lead-off.
After high school Burns received a 4-year athletic scholarship to Xavier University to play football, where he started at defensive back from 1963-65. Burns graduated with a B.S. in Education and minored in American History and Government, where he later obtained his Masters. Burns taught for 40 plus years in both Ohio and Kentucky and coached football all of those years, and was an assistant coach on 5 Kentucky State Championship football teams. Burns is also a member of the Kentucky Coaches Hall of Fame.
The Wellsboro Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2019 will be inducted on Friday, September 13, 2019, at halftime of the Wellsboro-Towanda football game.
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