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From Left: Jessica (Hoyt) Wolfe, Vanessa (Strohl) VanNorman, Heather (Kuntz) Newhard, Kristin (Kern) Rose, Tiffany Oertner, Kara (Kern) Selgrade, Laurie (Rentschler) Sage, Dennis Hock, Missy (Troxell) Smith, Larry Parry, Amanda (Hoffman) Reinhart, Jim Yadush, Brooke (Kling) Sosa, Bob Sutjak, Robert Kern, and Athletic Director Bryan Geist.
Seated (from left): Gale (Treskot) Husack, Jacqueline (Andreas) Coffin, Karen (Breidinger) Trinkle, Brandi (Bok) Bazella, Amy (Hankee) Swiatkowski, and Allison (Kuntz) Chruscial.
Photography compliments of Joe Seremula
1996 PIAA State Champion Softball Team
The 1996 softball Northern Lehigh Softball team had a record 26 wins and 4 losses. The team earned the titles of 1996 District XI AA Champions, 1996 PIAA State AA Champions, and the Morning Call Co-Team of the Year. Members of the team include: Missy (Troxell) Smith, Amanda (Hoffman) Reinhart, Laurie (Rentschler) Sage, Jacqueline (Andreas) Coffin, Amy (Hankee) Swiatkowski, Brandi (Bok) Bazella, Tiffany Oertner, Gale (Treskot) Husack, Karen (Breidinger) Trinkle, Kristin (Kern) Rose, Allison (Kuntz) Chruscial, Ali Ferrari, Vanessa (Strohl) VanNorman, Angie Cress, Brooke (Kling) Sosa. Dennis Hock was head coach assisted by Jim Yadush, Larry Parry, and Jen Horner. Team managers were Heather (Kuntz) Newhard, Kara (Kern) Selgrade, and Jennifer Rose.
Robert Kern
Robert Kern coached wrestling from 1980 to 1995. During his tenure, his teams received many accolades: Career dual meet record is 167-74-1; Two Centennial League Championships in 81-82 and 82-83; Three Centennial League Tournament Championships; Coached 33 Individual Centennial League Champions; One District 11 2A Title in 1986; Coached 14 Individual District XI Champions; One Southeast Regional Title in 1986; Coached 17 Individual Regional Champions; and a State Championship Team in 1985 (Slatington and Northern Lehigh’s first!). Coach Kern's teams finished in the Top Ten in the state 6 times and he coached 3 State Champions, 4 State Runner-Ups, and 18 State Medalists. He was voted District XI 2A Coach of the Year in 1986. His team was ranked the number 2 Class 2A dual team by the Pennsylvania Wrestling Roundup and the Clearfield Progress in 1983. Coach Kern was inducted into the District XI Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002. He has been the head official of the District XI Championships for 18 years and has been the number one rated wrestling official in District XI for 11 years where he officiated in 7 State Championship Tournaments. Professionally: Robert was named Vice-Principal and Principal of the Northern Lehigh High School and currently is Nazareth Area Middle School Principal. While at Nazareth, his school earned a National Green Ribbon Award, a National Blue Ribbon Award for Academic Excellence, and the Governor’s Award for Academic Excellence. Robert was named the Terrance H. Bell, National Principal of the Year in 2015 by the United States Department of Education. With him tonight is his wife of 35 years, Joanne, daughter Stephanie Gower, son Gregg Kern, son-in-law Jon Gower, and three grandchildren, Skyelar, Dakotah, and Boston.
Bob Sutjak
Class of 2004
Bob graduated from Northern Lehigh High School in 2004. He was a member of the football team from 2000-2003, where he was part of the 2002 and 2003 championship teams and was named an All-League Defensive back in 2003. Bob participated in Track and Field from 2001-2004 where he earned school records in the 110 meter hurdles, 300 meter Hurdles, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, and as a member of the 400 meter relay team. In 2003 he was the Colonial League Meet Champion in the 300 meter hurdles and as a member of the 1600 meter relay. In 2004 he was the Colonial League Meet Champion in the 100 meter dash, the 110 meter hurdles, and the 300 meter hurdles. He also was a member of the 2004 District XI Meet Champions in the 400 meter relay. Bob graduated from Wilkes University in 2008 with a degree in Accounting, and currently works at Air Products in Allentown.
