11-11-2024 4:19am

Local PA Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Boyertown Alum Athletes

Lesley Misko Editor

(left to right: Maggie Tamasitis McDonald, James Develin, Shannon Draves Stefani -- photo from Boyertown Athletics on Facebook)

Boyertown Area Senior High School (BASH) alum athletes were inducted into the Tri-County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. The event took place Nov. 2 at Sunnybrook Ballroom.

A three sport athlete at BASH, Maggie Tamasitis McDonald lettered four times in lacrosse, three times in basketball, and played one season of soccer. In the process, she helped Boyertown girls lacrosse to four straight Pioneer Athletic Conference championships, finished her career as the school and the conference’s all-time leading scorer with 463 career points, broke the 25-year old school record with 299 career goals. Tamasitis was named the Pottstown Mercury all-area 2007 and 2008 player of the year. An excellent student, she was a two-time U.S. Lacrosse high school Academic All-American. After BASH, Tamasitis played at Notre Dame, where she was named 2-time All-American, named first team all-BIG EAST. She broke numerous school and BIG EAST records.

A 2006 BASH grad, James Develin played ten seasons in the NFL (2010-2019) with Cincinnati and New England. His teams won three Super Bowls and Develin played in a fourth as a fullback for the New England Patriots. He was selected for the Pro Bowl following the 2017 season. Prior to that, during his years ag BASH, he was an All-Berks and All-PAC selection in football and played lacrosse. He played college football at Brown, where was a three-time All-Ivy League selection as a defensive end and was a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete. Develin was signed by Cincinnati as a member of the practice squad in 2010 and 2011 before signing with New England in 2012.

Shannon Draves Stefani was an All-American Swimmer at BASH and at Ohio State University. A Member of the 2006 YMCA Women’s LC and 2009 Pottstown Seahawks National Championship teams, and a PIAA State Championship finalist in 100FL, 200 IM, and 500 Free.2005-06, Draves was named All-American and earned a spot in the National Top 25. She holds individual varsity SC and LC records in the 100 and 200 butterfly. A member of the record setting 200 and 400 Medley team for 4 years, she was the first swimmer in OSU history to win back to back Big 10 Championships in the 200 butterfly. Attending the Olympic trials in 2012, she finished 16th in the 100 Fly and 7th in the 200 Fly. She earned Big 10 Distinguished Scholars and Academic All-Big 10 Honors.

[Editor's Note - All information from BASH Athletics Facebook page.]