by Dawn Kane | Nov 4, 2022
Ian was a dedicated athlete, earning 8 varsity letters for the purple and white, competing in football, basketball, and track & field. Already showing his athletic ability as an 8th grader, Ian started at defensive end on the junior varsity. The following four years, he was a fixture on the gridiron, with the last 3 years as a two-way starter along the offensive and defensive line.
In his senior year, Ian was named to the All-WNY team as an offensive lineman, while being named Defensive Player of the Year for Class A-South. Other football accolades achieved during his career: Two-time 1st team All-ECIC, 2004 Trench Trophy finalist- awarded for the top WNY lineman. Ian competed in the WNY annual Lion’s Club All-Star football game, and was invited to play in the 2005 Governor’s Bowl in the NY vs. NJ football classic. Ian, however, was not a one sport athlete at Hamburg, as a sophomore, he began a three-year varsity run with the basketball team. Margerum made All-ECIC-2nd team honors and in 2004 earned a roster spot on Western Region Bronze Medal winning Empire State basketball team. In the spring of 2003, Ian earned a varsity letter throwing shot put and discus. He went to Robert Morris University on a football scholarship, where he was a three-year starter on the offensive line playing both guard and tackle. One of Ian’s favorite football memories while at Hamburg, was beating Lake Shore to claim 1st division title in 10 years on Senior Day. In 2010, Ian returned to his Alma Mater, joining the football coaching staff as an assistant JV coach, where he enjoyed mentoring the young athletes.
Currently, Ian lives in South Buffalo and works as a sales representative for Wright Beverage Distributing. He hopes to one day get back into coaching and give back once again to the sport that provide him so much opportunity.
by Dawn Kane | Nov 4, 2022
Everyone who has ever met Coach Evans, has always said he is one of the most affable, kind, and nicest guys you will ever meet. He’s such an unassuming guy, that when he first learned that he was going to be inducted into the Sports Wall of Fame, he flatly turned down the invitation. Coach Evans has always said, “it’s about the kids and not about me”. But when he heard that two of his former swimmers had nominated him for induction, did he didn’t want to let them down and finally agreed to the induction. That sums up Coach Evans!
Dave grew up in West Seneca, graduating from West, and then went to SUNY-Cortland where he swam for the Red Dragons. After graduating, Evans became a Hamburg teacher and started coaching the girls swimming team in 1977. In 1979, Dave was named head coach of the first Boys varsity lacrosse team, when it was first recognized as school sport, coaching for 6 seasons. During his swim coaching career, Dave won 4 sectionals, 6 conference, and 11 divisional championships. He compiled an overall W-L record of W: 223 L: 57. Evans was named Super 7 and ECIC Boys swim coach of the year in 1988 and named Super 7 Girls swim coach of the year for three consecutive years: 1985-1987, which was during this incredible run of the girl’s swim program where his teams went on a remarkable 54 consecutive meet win run, that helped get this group of swimmers inducted as the Teams of Distinction in 2013.
Dave stopped coaching the girl’s program in 1987, only to come back and coach again from 2007-2015. Dave finally retired from teaching and coaching and lives an active retirement with his wife of 43 years, Janet and he has three grown Hamburg graduate children: Laura, Dan, and Jessica.
by Dawn Kane | Nov 4, 2022
A blues/rock artist, Tommy was voted Top Blues Vocalist in WNY 2003/2004/2006, Top Blues Guitarist 1993/1994/1995/1997/2004/2005/2006, Top Crossover/Blues Band 1994/2005/2006, Muddy Waters Award by WNY’s Blues Society (2004). Inducted into Buffalo’s Music Hall of Fame in 2007, he’s worked w/the world’s top blues/rock artists including: B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray, etc. touring w/Grammy-winner Pinetop Perkins.
Tommy has toured Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Djibouti, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Turkey, Guam, Alaska, etc. on behalf of USO/AFE.
In 2004 he released “Universal Love” then composed for Film, TV, w/credits for the St. Louis Blues (NHL), Red Hot Chili Peppers Biography, Last Comic Standing, Swamp Wars, America’s Top Model, etc.
In 2013 the album “Sometimes” made airplay charts in the US, France & Australia, etc. In 2015 and 2019 the band was the international headliner for the Cali Blues & Folk Festival in Colombia for concerts/master classes. He was blues radio host on WBFO/88.7 from 2015-2022, then started WBLZ.
“Blizzard of Blues” (2016) debuted as #1 Blues Rock Album (RMR). It hit iTunes’ Top 10 Blues Chart then debuted on Billboard’s Top 10 Blues Chart.
In 2018 and 2019 the band played Buffalo’s Ball Drop to around 40,000 with widespread TV coverage. After a headliner in Denmark, Tommy went to Nashville in January 2020 to work w/Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge on “Plug In and Play” (2021). It was a #1 Blues/Rock album for airplay then Amazon’s #1 Hot New Release Seller (Electric Blues), #5 on Billboard’s Blues Chart and #5 on iTunes Blues chart plus B.B. King Bluesville’s Rack of Blues countdown for three weeks.
Tommy continues to teach, perform and write music.
by Dawn Kane | Nov 4, 2022
Do you know what 3 actions make up the triple jump? You can ask Class of 1972 and Wall of Fame inductee, Steve Shiffler! He became very proficient at the triple jump during his junior year for the Hamburg High School Track & Field squad. Steve’s best effort in the Triple jump (Hop, Step & Jump) that year (1971) came at the AAA Sectional Qualifier meet, where he recorded an effort of 43’-6”. This jump won the event and qualified him for the Section VI Intersectional meet and set the Hamburg school record for the Triple Jump. Steve went on to compete at the NYS meet that year, and although did not place, it set the stage for things to come his senior year.
In 1972, Shiffler set the Hamburg High School, ECIC, and meet records at the Alden Invitational Track Meet with a jump of 46’ 2 ¾”. The jump that Steve made at that meet was just six inches shy of the Western New York record at that time. With something to prove the second time around, Steve would go on to win the State meet and be selected 2nd team All-State in the Triple Jump. His Hamburg school record would go on to survive for 50 years!
After graduating from Hamburg, Steve went to Hilbert College where he participated in soccer, basketball, and track. After spending 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, obtaining the rank of Captain, as a Weather Officer, he started his career as a Mechanical Engineering Designer on Gas & Wind Turbines for General Electric (GE) in Greenville, South Carolina. Steve retired from GE in 2017 and is enjoying full retirement in Greenville, where he stays active in local dance groups, gym activities and Meals-on-Wheels deliveries.
by Dawn Kane | Nov 4, 2022
Nicole is like so many talented Hamburg alumni; she could have been inducted as a distinguished alumni or sports legend. Nicole was a multisport athlete during her career, who earned 17 letters, including 10 varsity letters. She was a four-year starter on the Varsity Soccer team as well as the Varsity Lacrosse team. In 2008, Nicole earned US Lacrosse Academic All American Team Honors and was on the Section VI Scholar Athlete Team. Besides being a top athlete her senior year, Nicole also finished in the Top Ten of her graduating year of 2008.
Nicole is most remembered for her athletic achievements in lacrosse, as she helped lead the 2007 and 2008 Girls Lacrosse Teams to back-to-back Section VI Class B Championships. During her senior year, she recorded 80 goals and 15 assists. Nicole had a “post up” move like a center on a basketball team, protecting herself and her stick, and being able to cradle the lacrosse ball from the defender to score one of her many patented goals. Once the ball was thrown into Nicole in the post, it was already counted as another goal for Hamburg!
Nicole was named First Team ECIC in 2005 and 2006, All-WNY 1st team in 2007 and All-WNY Honorable Mention Team in 2008. Despite the opportunity to play lacrosse in college, Nicole instead focused on her career, attending the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2012. She went on to earn her doctorate in Psychology from Syracuse University in 2018. Nicole and her husband Sean live in Western New York, and Dr. Shea works as a psychologist at Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.
