AUBURN - The ninth annual Auburn High School Athletic Hall of Fame dinner went off with a sold out group of 230 people enjoying the night at Springside Inn Saturday.

The 11 Hall of Fame committee members inducted seven athletes and one honorary member that will join the other 90 members at Auburn High School, where their pictures will grace the wall across from the gymnasium.

“Hopefully these hall of fame inductees inspire future athletes,” Auburn Athletic Director and committee member Tam Ray said.

“This hall of fame is a great celebration of our successes and hopefully we can keep the tradition going. It's nice for the students playing today to be able to walk by the pictures hanging up and see faces they recognize and hopefully try to do well to make it there themselves someday.”

Ray is on the founding committee along with chairman Dick Williams, both are proud to be able to sell out the dinner every year and fill the dining room for the celebration.

“We are hoping to start establishing the first weekend of November as Hall of Fame weekend every year,” Williams said. “That way people know it is coming up and can look forward to it, plan for it. This is a very nice event where we can honor some of our local sports talent while getting together with people in the community.”

Although last year the dinner had an inductee make it in all the way from France, this year the furthest travelers were Kevin Polcovich from Oklahoma and Bob Kappesser, who made the trip from Virginia.

“It's nice to come back and accept the award,” Polcovich said. “It was a bunch of planes, trains and automobiles to get here but I wouldn't have missed it. I know that it is an honor for my parents, who without their support I wouldn't have made it where I did.”

Fellow inductee, Tom Simon, made the trip from Olean with his family including his wife and two daughters. HIs oldest daughter, Emily Simon is a freshman swimmer for Olean High School, following in her father's footsteps with her first state qualification in the 50 freestyle this week.

“It's nice to see familiar faces that I haven't seen in many years,” Simon said. “I remember the faces, the names are a bit fuzzy but seeing so many people I know is nice. I am glad that I get to share this honor with my family too, I had no idea I would be nominated or inducted and I am very honored. This is a really nice event they have put together and I'm glad to be able to be a part of it.”

Fellow inductee, Tracy Poole, planned to make a weekend of it, after coming in from Buffalo on Friday. Poole's parents threw her a pre-dinner party at their home in Auburn where she got to reconnect with more people than she expected to.

“I was overwhelmed by how many friends and family came out to support me and celebrate this,” Poole said. “I didn't even know how many of my friends had planned on coming to the dinner and now I get to see high school friends, old neighbors and even friends from kindergarten. I am just overwhelmed and honored by the support of my friends and family and my induction into the hall of fame. It is especially nice to be inducted with people I know.”

This was not the first visit to a hall of fame dinner for inductee Terri Holmes, who's name will go in the hall of fame with her father who she was able to see inducted five years ago.

“This is an awesome event,” Holmes said. “It is a family affair, with so many familiar faces, it is really a nice night to enjoy.”

This year's Auburn High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductees also include Joe Belluso, Jerry Secaur and the late Chuck Savage.