The Tamaqua Area High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee will induct six new members on Friday night (6:40 p.m.) before the Tamaqua-Panther Valley football game.

Inductees into the Class of 2016 are Sam Schaefer, Class of 1972; Beth Fulton Pallman, Class of 1998; Caleb Calarco, Class of 2003; Garth Lakitsky, Class of 2011; Allison Updike, Class of 2011; and Amy Zehner Shinkus, Class of 2011The inductees will receive a plaque and have their name prominently displayed on a plaque in the high school which includes all past Hall of Fame inductees.Following is biographical information on members of the 21st class in Tamaqua Hall of Fame history:SAM SCHAEFER* Sam was a two-sport standout for the Blue Raiders, starring in football for two years and on the track for four.Track was his specialty, excelling as both a hurdler and sprinter.* He won the District 11 Class B championship in the 120-yard high hurdles, the 180-yard hurdles, and the 880-yard sprint relay to qualify for the PIAA state championships at Penn State.* He broke the school record in the 880-yard at the state championships and was MVP of the track team his senior year.* Sam began coaching track at Tamaqua in 1991 and is currently a member of the Tamaqua track coaching staff. He specializes in hurdles and sprints.* Sam coached 2006 PIAA state champion, 300 meter hurdler Derrik Keich along with three other PIAA state medal winners.BETH FULTON PALLMAN* Beth is a 1998 graduate and one of the best tennis players to ever graduate from Tamaqua High School. She finished her tennis career with an undefeated regular season record throughout all four years. She was a three-time District 11 singles champion, winning the championship her sophomore through senior years. She competed in the PIAA tennis singles championships all four years.* Beth received a full tennis scholarship to Virginia Tech, where she competed for two years. She advanced with her team to the NCAA Division 1 championships during her sophomore season.* She finished her collegiate career at Bloomsburg University, where she and her team advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship round of 16.CALEB CALARCO* Caleb is a 2003 graduate. He was a four-year member of the baseball team and three-year member of the basketball program.* In baseball, he was a member of Tamaqua's first-ever District 11 championship squad. This team advanced all the way to the 2003 PIAA state finals, losing to Ellwood City, 3-1.* During the 2003 playoff run, Caleb went 3-0 with a 0.74 ERA in 19 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts.* He was a Pottsville Republican All-Area selection.* At King's, Caleb earned many accolades including MAC Freedom Conference Pitcher of the Year, MAC Freedom Conference Player of the Year, NCAA/NABC Regional All-American and MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.* In 2008, Caleb played semi-pro baseball with the Namur Angels of Belgium. He pitched for Team Belgium in the 2008 baseball Euro Cup in TuscanyGARTH LAKITSKY* Garth is a member of the class of 2011 and was a standout on both the football field and wrestling mat. He is the only PIAA state champion wrestler from Tamaqua, as he went 42-0 his senior season in the 215-pound weight class.* His is a three-time PIAA state qualifier, a three-time PIAA regional qualifier, has a District 11 championship, two second-place finishes, and is a three-time Schuylkill League champion.* Garth holds several school wrestling records including: Most career wins (129), wins in a season (42), falls in one season (33), career falls (94), and fastest fall (0:07).* After graduation, Garth went on to Lackawanna College where he earned his associate degree. He then went to Penn State University for one year and was a member of the football team. He then transferred to Kutztown University where he played football for one year and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Sports Studies.ALLISON UPDIKE* Allison is a member of the class of 2011. She was an outstanding three-sport athlete, excelling in soccer, basketball, and track and field.* In soccer, she was a four-year starter and was Tamaqua's all-time leading goal-scorer with 88 at the time of her graduation. Allison's soccer teams had the following accomplishments over four years: Two District 11 championships, two D-11 runner-up finishes, two Schuylkill League championships, and one Schuylkill League runner-up finish.* Allison was also a member of one of the most successful basketball teams in school history in the 2010-11 team that went 28-1, losing in the PIAA state playoffs in a heart-breaker to Oley Valley.* Allie finished her basketball career with 568 career points, which is good for 36th on the all-time scoring chart.* Allie is likely most noted for her outstanding track and field career. She was highlighted by her PIAA state championship javelin toss of 161-2 in her junior year. That throw is still the Tamaqua school record. She was also a junior national champion in 2010.* In the javelin, her yearly accomplishments are as follows: three PIAA state medals (1st, 4th, 7th); two District 11 championships and one D-11 runner-up finish; two Schuylkill League championships and one Schuylkill League runner-up finish.* Allie went on to attend the University of Georgia for three semesters on a track and field scholarship. She was the 2012 SEC javelin champion. She transferred to Azusa Pacific University, where she was the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Division II National Champion in the javelin. She was a US Olympic qualifier in 2016, just missing the cut to attend Rio.AMY ZEHNER SHINKUS* Amy is the third member of the 2011 class being inducted into this Hall of Fame class. She finished her high school career ranking third on the all-time girls basketball scoring chart with 1,908 career points, and as the program's leading rebounder with 1,114.She also participated in softball and track and field* Her basketball teams were three-time District 11 champions and two-time Schuylkill League champions.* Amy was named First-Team All-State in her senior season, Second-Team All-State in her junior year, and Third-Team All-State as a sophomore.* She was recognized by three local newspapers as the Girls basketball Player of the Year. Amy was also named the Blue Ridge 13 Athlete of the Year in her senior season.* Amy went to Bucknell on a basketball scholarship. She was named Patriot League Women's Basketball Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week for the first time in Patriot League history.* She then transferred to DeSales University where she graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Med in 2015. She will be graduating this spring with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant.