Coach Meistickle Honored. Inducted Into West Milford Hall of Fame Thursday Night

10/13/2022-Patterson, New Jersey

Kevin Meistickle was inducted into the West Milford High School Athletic Hall of Fame along with numerous other former West Milford Athletes Thursday night in a (team) spirit filled event at the Browstone special event facility in Patterson, New Jersey.

Coach Meistickle addresses the crowd at the induction WMAHOF ceremony in Patterson New Jersey.

“I’m so honored to be remembered by this Hall of Fame committee and those at West Milford High School. I mean, it’s where it all began for me. The building blocks of what it took to mold myself into a better athlete and a better student. It all started there.” Meistickle admits he wasn’t the best athlete while in his younger days at West Milford but always had a good work ethic. “My parents taught me to have a good work ethic, be honorable and be a good team mate. I worked and worked and even grew some late in my teen years. I could always throw pretty hard and had good grades but I wasn’t heavily recruited at all. My coaches told me I had a chance to play at the next level. They believed in me.”

Long time pitching coach and friend Steve Autry introduced Coach Meistickle. “He belongs to about five halls of Fame. He’s always gracious and humbled to be part of those organizations but I can tell you that the one that means the most to him is this one. It’s his hometown. To be remembered by your school and your community means the most. He was the very first athlete at West Milford to go on after college and play professionally. I was so honored to be asked to introduce my old friend tonight. To fit just a few highlights of his high school, college and pro career into about 10 minutes was difficult. I wanted him to also know how much he meant to me, to his friends and to amateur baseball. He’s helped so many players and others in baseball after his professional baseball career ended.”

Coach Kevin Meistickle with Coach Steve Autry at the West Milford High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Patterson, New Jersey 10-13-2022.

Inductees
Athletes: Kevin Meistickle – Baseball, Football, Bowling
Rob Ragona – Wrestling, Football
Patty Shaulis Roberts – Tennis, Basketball
Jen Pawol – Softball, Soccer, Winter Track
Kirsten Peterson – Soccer, Basketball, Softball
Frank Swart – Football, Wrestling, Track

Teams:
1994 Boys Track
Coach: Tim Gillen
2002 Softball
Coach: Jim Dransfield

Coaches:
Tim Gillen – Boys Track
Jim Dransfield -Softball

Special Contributor: Bob Henry

Highlander Legacy Award:
George Naccara
Mike McCormick

The WMAHOF event was held in the grand ballroom at the beautiful Brownstone facility in Patterson New Jersey 10-13-2022.

–Cracker Baseball