BUTLER TWP — The Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame is growing quickly.

In only its fifth year of existence, the Hall's membership swelled to 42 with the inductions of Shawn Bellis, Troy Mohney, Lyneil Mitchell, Annie Lowry, Mark Maier and Mark Farabee Friday night.

“I'm a 1995 Butler graduate who played sports here,” HOF committee chairperson Brian Slamecka said. “The direction of my life came from different teachers, coaches and people in this community.

“I'm proud of the great accomplishments that occur in this district and these inductees are all a part of that.”

Bellis and Maier rank 1-2 in career scoring in Golden Tornado boys basketball history. Bellis scored 1,466 points in his prep career and also owns school records of 614 points in a season and 47 points in a game.

Maier scored 1,216 points at Butler and was the first Tornado boys basketball player to amass 1,000 points. He scored 576 points in as season, 45 in a game.

“Scoring 45 points in a game under Mark Jula is a greater accomplishment than scoring 47 under George Abraham,” Maier quipped.”There should be an asterisk next to that record.”

Maier credited the support of his wife, Jill — who he started dating when she was a high school freshman — and his parents throughout his playing career.

“My wife's been there for the whole ride,” he said. “Out of my 108 games at IUP, my parents probably attended 100 of them. The ones they didn't make, they drove to the top of a hill in Kittanning, got the game on on the radio and listened in the car. That's dedication.

“Mark Jula made us realize how much we could accomplish. He was a teacher of life who just happened to coach basketball.”

Mitchell was a multiple sport athlete at Butler and Gannon University, but stood out in wrestling. He was a two-time WPIAL finalist with the Golden Tornado and a Division II national runner-up at Gannon.

“I was fortunate Butler started a wrestling program when it did,” Mitchell said. “When I was a kid, I thought wrestling was about turnbuckles, Hulk Hogan and all of that stuff.

“As it turned out, I loved the sport. It's all about mental toughness and getting the most out of yourself. If I didn't wrestle, I wouldn't be up here right now. I wouldn't be the father or husband I am today.”

Mitchell said his parents never let him quit at anything. When he was in college, he was ready to quit the football team.

“My coach told me I couldn't quit,” Mitchell recalled. “He said if you quit now, you'll get better at quitting. I've never forgotten that.”

Mohney is Butler's all-time boys soccer leader with 63 goals scored, 37 in one season. He led St. Francis College in goals scored for three successive years and is the Golden Tornado boys soccer coach today.

“My mom was my first soccer coach when I was 4. She had no clue about the game, but we had the most fun in the world,” Mohney said. “She's a priceless gem.

“Jeff Schnur was my mentor in high school and is now a good friend. Bob Bender was a coach of mine who taught me so much more than just how to score goals.”

Lowry is the second all-time points leader in Butler girls soccer history with 84. She played on the Tornado's 2001 and 2003 teams that reached the state finals.

“Being a great player on a team that didn't make the playoffs or state championships ... It wouldn't have had the same meaning,” Lowry said.

“I could do my job as a forward knowing my teammates always had my back. Those were great, great times I'll never forget.”

Farabee was an assistant football coach at Butler for 25 years, head track coach for 11 years, head football coach for six years and a member of the WPIAL Track Committee for more than 20 years.

“I had tremendous booster support in football and track and always appreciated that,” Farabee said. “We turned the track program here into a football mentality. We went to meets and went after people.

“I had outstanding kids who played for me in football and track. It was easy to motivate kids like that.

“The real Hall of Famer in my family is my wife, Laura. She raised a family while I was always out on the road somewhere,” Farabee added.