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Three Former MHS Student Athletes To Be Honored

By Staff | Jul 17, 2013

Three Blue Eagle student-athletes from the 1960’s decade will be among eight honorees at the 28th Annual Magnolia Athletic Boosters Life Achievement Awards Banquet.

The honorees, with graduation year and hometown, are John Brookover (1966) of New Martinsville, Dan Gerkin (1967) of Vienna, Va.; and Tom Myslinsky (1967) of New Martinsville.

The public event will be Saturday, Aug. 3 at Magnolia High School. A social hour starts at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 o’clock. Tickets will be available at Witschey’s in New Martinsville or from banquet chairman Brent Gamble at 304-455-3234.

Capsule summaries of the honorees follows.

Brookover: The current Sheriff of Wetzel County was a four-year football and baseball player at Magnolia and also competed in basketball one season. After attending West Liberty State, he served in the U.S. Marines from 1968-72 including a tour of Vietnam in 1970.

After being employed in the construction and carpenter business from 1972-86, he started a 15-year career as a Wetzel County Deputy Sheriff before being elected to his current position in 2012.

He has also taught DARE classes, coached Little League baseball and volunteered for church events. The honoree, and wife Linda, have four children, Marshall, Wesley, Ryan and Michael.

Gerkin: Currently the senior vice-president of political affairs for the National Mining Association, he was a four-year football and three-year Blue Eagle baseball player who also competed a year in track and basketball. He served as baseball team co-captain as a senior when he was awarded the Bob Bailey Award.

He graduated from West Virginia University with a public relations degree from the School of Journalism before starting his career as vice-president of the WV Surface Mining and Reclamation Association.

His career also included the following positions: executive director of the Contractors Association of WV; president of the Center for Energy and Economic Development; president of the Mining and Reclamation Council of America; vice-president of Communications for National Coal Association; and vice-president of Government Affairs for the National Mining Association.

He also coached Little League baseball seven years and softball one year. A three-year member of the board of directors for the Lakevale Community Association, he also has been annual supporter of several charities.

At West Virginia University, he played freshman baseball and was a four-year basketball team manager and also served as sports editor of the student newspaper. He and wife Carolyn have two children, Daniel Jr., and Carly Beth Modica.

Myslinsky: A New Martinsville community activist, he competed in golf two years and basketball one season for the Blue Eagles.

An industrial engineering graduate of Cuyahoga Community College, he later added an organizational leadership degree, summa cum laude, from Mountain State University. After working six years for Republic Steel in Cleveland, Ohio, he started a 32-year career as owner-operator of Eagle Electronics Radio Shack franchise in New Martinsville.

He also taught social media one year at West Virginia Northern Community College and served two years as a Vista volunteer in the Grow Local, Go Local food initiative to reduce childhood obesity.

He also was a 10-year member of the New Martinsville City Council and was finance chairman for six years. He served as President of the Wetzel County Chamber of Commerce and the New Martinsville Rotary Club; vice-president of the Wetzel County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and was a board member of the Wetzel County Convention and Visitors Bureau. He also organized Career Days at Magnolia High School.

He and wife Fran have three children, Chad, Dana and Lea Ellen.