(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from June 5, 1992).

By Ed Hedes

TIMES NEWS Staff

It was a night filled with thank you’s and good luck wishes. It was a night that close to 200 of her family, friends, coaches and teammates made sure she will never forget.

With the help of the many people who followed her high school and collegiate basketball career, the Bowmanstown and Parryville Lions and the Bowmanstown Borough Council, paid tribute to Kathy Beck at an “Appreciation Dinner” held at Smitty’s East Penn Social Hall in Ashfield.

Beck, who just recently graduated from Moravian College, ended an outstanding basketball career that started in the Palmerton Borough Hall gym when she was in fifth grade, weaved its way through Palmerton High School where she is the all-time leading girls basketball scorer, and culminated in the NCAA Division III championship game this past March when she led the Lady Greyhounds to a second place finish behind Alma College, the champion.

“Basketball to me has been just overwhelming,” Beck said, when it was finally her turn at the microphone. “I have wonderful memories. I’ve met so many people and have made so many friends and have learned a lot from all of my coaches through the years. And the support from my hometown will never be forgotten.

“It was such a special year. We went to the Bahamas to play during the season. Then there was the NCAA tournament. It was really a chance of a lifetime. Even though we came in second, just to be there made everything the team and I worked for worthwhile.

“I have wonderful memories of what basketball has done for me. It taught me how to work hard, learn responsibilities, how to deal with success and failure, helped me create goals and reach them.

“The awards that I received and the team received were great, but my most important memory that I have from it all was the support we received from all of you fans, coaches and family.”

Beck, the Division III Player of the Year and a two-time Kodak All-American, rewrote the record books at Moravian. She holds the record for most points in a career and a season, most rebounds in a career and led the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and assists for the second straight season.

There were many guests that had nothing but praise for the young lady:

Keith Billig, Bowmanstown mayor, was the first to wish her all the success in the world.

Ron Mihalko, superintendent of schools in the Palmerton Area School District, was proud and happy to watch Kathy’s accomplishments following her PAHS days.

“I knew Kathy from the time I was elementary principal at the Franklin School,” he said. “I knew back then she would be a good player. And I can tell you now, whatever she decides to do in the future, her accomplishments will make us just as proud.”

Bill Piper, her high school coach, talked about Beck the student and Beck the athlete.

“The first time I saw her play basketball was in her freshman year during intramurals between the cross country and basketball seasons,” he said. “I knew right away she could tell what she was doing and put her right on the varsity. That year, she was my first sub off the bench and might have even started a few games. We went on to win the league championship that year.

“After that, Kathy was good enough to be co-captain in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and finished her career with 1,800 points.”

Kathy Farkas, assistant coach at Moravian, talked about the game where she and Coach Mary Beth Spirk were telling Kathy to shoot more.

“She came over during a timeout and we yelled at her to shoot more and she said, ‘I know coach,” said Farkas. “That told us enough about Kathy as a player and person. She knows the game of basketball and knows how to respect others and was a big leader for our team in many ways.”

Spirk, the Lady Greyhounds head mentor, thanked the Moravian followers who made the trip up for the Beck tribute and gave out a couple of gifts to those who did so much for the team.

She thanked Blue Ridge Cable TV-13 and announcers Bob Mlkvy and Bob Capasso for their tournament coverage and presented them T-shirts; she thanked Bob Everett of Bob’s Floral Shop in Palmerton, who had T-shirts printed for the team proclaiming them “NCAA Div. III runnerups” and presented him with a framed picture titled “Best Seat in the House” autographed by the Lady Greyhounds; she also presented the Bowmanstown-Parryville Lions with an autographed Final Four program.

Spirk talked about how she tried to recruit Kathy out of high school, but when Beck picked Lehigh University (where she spent one semester), she still wished her well.

“Kathy transferred to Moravian in January of her freshman year and we knew right away she would make an impact on our program,” said Spirk. “She not only did that, she took it to a higher level.”

Kathy’s parents, Bob and Carol Beck, thanked everyone in attendance for supporting their daughter and the team through her career.

Beck was read a resolution by Burdell Steigerwalt, Bowmanstown Council president, in her honor and Robert Scherer presented her a plaque with her picture and accomplishments from the Lions Club. The testimonial committee presented Kathy with a gift certificate from Hager Furniture towards a “Hope Chest” and she also received a gift from the Mlkvy family.

Bob Mlkvy was master of ceremonies and kept the crowd in high spirits with his humorous toasts.