The inductees have excelled in sorts in many ways — some locally, some in college and one at the 1924 Olympics.
CARNEYS POINT TWP. -- Seven individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the local -- and international -- sports scene were honored during the during the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame's 15th annual induction ceremony.
The event was held Tuesday night at Salem Community College's Davidow Hall with about 350 in the audience.
SCC President Mike Gorman called the Hall of Fame "something that is unique, something very special."
"A special night for a special group of individuals," one of the speakers called the annual induction ceremony.
The Salem County Sports Hall of Fame was created by The Partners of Salem County. The organization includes The Memorial Hospital of Salem County, Franklin Bank, PSEG Nuclear and the South Jersey Times.
The selection of the honorees is made by the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors from nominations made by the public.
Inductees include players, coaches and supporters from all sports -- even, appropriately enough for Salem County, professional rodeo.
Ceil Smith, who has coordinated The Partners program since its inception, organized Tuesday night's ceremony.
Publisher/Executive Editor of the South Jersey Times Joe Owens noted that over the past years 100 had been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tuesday night that number grew.
Don Beavers of The Memorial Hospital of Salem County, Ashlee Bailey of Franklin Bank and Joe Delmar of PSEG Nuclear helped to present awards to the honorees.
The 2015 inductees included:
* Donna Stemberger has been a filed hockey umpire for more than 40 years. She described how she played the sport in eighth grade, but circumstances prevented her from continuing during her high school years.
It was after high school that Stemberger was approached to become a field hockey umpire. She said it was Vicky Filbey who recruited her and helped her so much over her career.
Stemberger said the game has changed much over the years, but she continues to love her work as an umpire.
* George Pfeffer is an athlete that seems to be able to master any sport. During his earlier years at Penns Grove High School he played football, basketball and baseball.
After high school he went on to Pfeiffer College where he continued to play more traditional sports, but was introduced to one not so common at the time -- soccer.
Pfeffer became a leading scorer in soccer. After graduation he went on to teach and coach at Penns Grove High School. He also started the PG/CP/Pedricktown Big League.
"I tried to take a little bit from every coach I played under and molded it into my philosophy," Pfeffer said.
* Kelly Ann Kline is a softball standout. She began her extraordinary career at Pennsville Memorial High School and continued it after high school at Muhlenberg College.
Kline ended that career with 30 home runs, a record that still stands at Muhlenberg.
She attributes her success to her favorite coach, her father, Steve Kline. Kelly says from introducing her to the game when she was young, her father has always been there through her high school and college years.
"I owe my success to the encouragement and hard work instilled in me by my father."
* George Hill, who lived in Salem City and neighboring Mannington, was honored posthumously at Tuesday night's event.
Hill qualified and took part in the 1924 Olympics, competing in the 200 meter dash where he placed fourth.
That race was partially the basis for the film "Chariots of Fire."
Hill, a longtime officer of the Salem National Bank & Trust Co., died in 1992.
* Mike Messick was recognized for his longtime dedication to of Little League.
He has served as both an umpire and officer of Little League. Messick is a familiar face at the Pennsville Little League Complex.
So well respected, he was chosen in 2001 as one of the 16 umpires for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
"Nobody thinks of rewards. You go out and you have fun," Messick said.
* Ashley Minch's hard work took her far on the softball field with stellar play at both Pennsville Memorial High School and Rowan University.
Minch says winning the NJSIAA Group I State Championship was one of the highlights of her career.
Minch gave credit for her own success to her teammates, coaches and family who she said supported her all the way.
* Dave Suiter of Mannington was recognized for his years as athletic director at Salem High School.
He recalled the very first Hall of Fame board meeting back in 2000 when he helped to pick the first inductees.
On Tuesday night, Suiter received well-deserved recognition for his role in Salem County sports which not only included his AD position, but many coaching duties as well.
Despite all of their talents and individual accomplishments, the honorees made one thing clear -- they could not have done it all without the support of many others around them, most importantly, their families.
Tom Mason and Lee Ware, both Hall of Fame inductees with extraordinary coaching records, introduced and profiled the honorees.
Along with the seven inductees, Salem County's 2015 state championship teams were honored along with championship teams from the past.
The special teams honored included the Woodstown High School Track and Field team from 1970 to 1974. Its members scored an extraordinary 55 straight wins over that time period.
"It's been 45 years. For 45 years I've been praying for this day," team member Bill Corbin said of the recognition. "We were good, we were really good ... I am very humbled as are the rest of us for the recognition."
Pennsville Memorial High School's 2002 baseball and softball teams were recognized for what has been deemed an extraordinary fete -- both winning state championship titles and doing it on the same day, just hours apart.
The third team from the past honored was the 1974 Pennsville Memorial High School football team.
The state champions for 2015 recognized included:
* Megan Saxvanderweyden of Pennsville Memorial High School for javelin.
* Rachel Ondricek of Pennsville Memorial High School for pole vault.
* The Arthur P. Schalick High School 4 x 100 Meter Relay Team -- Tiemny Wilshire, Taylor Ismail, Josie Koomson and Elyessa Johnson.
* Brandon Bedilion of Woodstown High School for javelin.
* The Penns Grove High School Boys Track Team.
* Kimere Brown of Penns Grove High School for long jump.
At the end of the program, plaques of the inductees that will hang in the college's DuPont Field House were unveiled.
Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.