June 13, 2008

PITTSBURGH--Executive Associate Athletic Director Donna Sanft becomes just the fourth-ever woman to be named to the Mid-Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame. She will be honored on Friday, June 13, at a banquet held in the Willowpoint Plaza, at 6:30 p.m., as a member of the 2008 class.

Sanft will become only the fourth woman to be inducted into the Mid-Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame, and the first since 2005. She joins seven others in the class of 2008, including James "Kayo" Adamson, John Hewitt, Gary Hogan, Joe Kurey, Billy Russell, Robert "Red" Worrell and John Wozniak. The eight members will increase membership to 177.

Sanft holds one of the Pitt Athletic Department's most diverse and accomplished tenures. Her long association includes time as a student-athlete, head coach and, for the past two decades, administrator. A 1974 graduate of Pitt with bachelor's and master's degrees in health and physical education, Sanft was a member and three-year captain of the gymnastics team. She was named Pitt's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1974.

While coaching the Pitt gymnastics team for 12 years (1974-1986), Sanft compiled an 82-50-1 record and was twice selected the Eastern Collegiate Coach of the Year. Most recently, Sanft has served as Pitt's senior associate athletic director for administration, student life, and compliance. She was also named interim athletic director in the fall of 2007.

The Mid-Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame opened in 1951 with Stan Musial and Bert Rechichar as its inaugural inductees. At this year's banquet, each attendee will receive a commemorative badge honoring Musial and Rechichar.