Previously announced selections for the Martins Ferry Athletic Hall of Fame — presented by Unified Bank – were Ken Sokolowski (Class of 1983), Kevin Sokolowski (Class of 1983), Frank Valentine (Class of 1994), Nick Yourkovich (Class of 1998), Dan Jones (Class of 1998) and Craig Bruney (Class of 1999).

These individuals will be inducted on Friday, Aug. 29 at a luncheon for families at the MFHS cafeteria in the afternoon and they’ll be introduced at halftime of the Purple Riders’ home football game that evening against Malvern.

Next week, the four selections for the Wall of Honor will be announced followed in two weeks by this year’s Teams of Distinction.

Here’s a look at the bios of the final 2025 Hall of Fame selections:

Ashley Bruney

During her career, Bruney played three sports – basketball, softball and track and field – and she will be forever known as a selfless, hardworking, gritty and often unsung Purple Rider and a vital member of OVAC championship teams in each sport.

She was a four-year letterwinner and two-time team captain in basketball for Coach Kim Appolloni.

A point guard who ranks in the top five in assists at MFHS, she is one of the few athletes to start every game her entire four years. Bruney earned All-OVAC Class AAA honors twice — honorable mention as a junior and first team as a senior, and she was also selected to the All-Times Leader team after her final season. That year, the Lady Riders posted a 22-3 overall record and not only won the OVAC Class AAA crown but also captured sectional and district titles and reached the OHSAA Division III Regional Tournament.

Bruney was also a four-year letterwinner in track, serving as a captain as a senior for Coach Dirk Fitch’s squad. She was a hurdler, running a leg on one of the school’s best shuttle hurdle teams, and she also ran legs on sprint relay teams and competed in the long jump. She earned several OVAC Championship titles in the shuttle hurdles and was a four-year place-winner at the area’s premier track meets including the Bellaire Early Bird, the Bellaire Girls Invitational, the Shadyside Relays, Burger King Invitational, OVAC, Union Local Invitational and Belmont County Relays.

As a freshman, she earned a trip to the OHSAA Regional as part of the 4×100-meter relay team. In the spring, she was a dual sport threat as she not only competed on the OVAC Class AAA championship team in track, but as a sophomore she was also a catcher on the softball team that was OVAC Class AAA champions under Coach Jess Cordery – often participating in both sports on the same day.

Scott Mirich

A three-year letterman in basketball, the 6-5 Mirich finished his career with 1,194 points which ranks fifth behind 2025 graduate Alex Reese and Hall of Famers Ron ‘Cy’ Godfrey, Alex Groza and Ricky Ray. He also collected 265 career assists. Mirich, who averaged 24 points per game as a senior along with 10 rebounds and six assists, earned honorable mention All-Ohio Division III recognition as a junior and elevated to a second-team All-State selection as a senior.

He was a two-time first team All-Eastern District Division III, All-District 12 Division III and All-OVAC Class 3A selection, also earning third team All-Eastern District Division III and honorable mention All-OVAC as a sophomore. He also received second team All-Valley honors as a senior and second team laurels as a junior.

He also played in the OVAC Samuel A. Mumley All-Star Game (19 points/10 rebounds) and the Pepsi/District 12 All-Star Game(17 points/8 rebounds).

In track, Mirich competed in the high jump, finishing third in the OVAC Class 3A Championships (6-0), third in the Belmont County Relays (5-8), fifth in the OHSAA Division II District Meet (5-6) and sixth in the Buckeye 8 Championships (5-8) as a senior. The 6-0 effort ranks in the top five all-time at MFHS.

Mirich continued his basketball career at West Liberty University where he was a four-year letterman. During his career, he scored 902 points and collected 460 rebounds, 301 assists, 119 steals and 20 blocks; connected on 339-of-628 field goal attempts, 32-of-80 three-pointers and 192-of-295 free throws.

The Hilltoppers won the WVIAC championship during his senior year and finished as the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region runner-up. WLU had a four-year mark of 100-21 during Mirich’s career.

Tyler Chesonis

This four-year letterman made his mark in the pool with several school records and multiple first place finishes in the OVAC Swimming Championships.

During his career, he set school marks in the 500-freestyle (4:57.47); the 400-freestyle relay (3:30.35 with teammates Ryan Longenette, Andrew Chesonis and Markus Sievers; and the 200-medley relay (1:45.99) with the same three teammates.

He also posted the second-fastest time in the 200-freestyle (1:51.10); third fastest in the 100-butterfly (59.77); fifth fastest in the 100-backstroke (1:04.48); sixth fastest in the 200-IM (2:15.82); sixth fastest in the 200-IM (2:15.82); ninth fastest in the 100-breaststroke (1:13.99) and 10th fastest in the 50-freestyle (25.14).

As a freshman, he was first in the 500-freestyle (5:14.59); second in the 100-butterfly (1:00.18); fourth in the 200-medley relay (2:00.19) with teammates Longenette, Andrew Chesonis and Tom Donley; and fourth in the 200-freestyle relay (1:43.74) with Andrew Chesonis, Donley and

Stefan Fuhrmann in the OVAC and finished 19thin the 500-freestyle and 26th in the 200-freestyle at the OHSAA Division II Sectional.

As a sophomore Chesonis took first in the OVAC; first in the 200-freestyle (1:57.07); first in the 200-medley relay (1:47.62) with teammates Sievers, Andrew Chesonis and Longenette; and first in the 400-freestyle relay (3:37.55) with that same trio. At the District, he was 13th in the500-freestyle; 14th in the 200-medley relay; 15th in the 400-freestyle and 19th in the 200-freestyle.

As a junior, his OVAC accomplishments included first in the 200-freestyle (1:54.36); first in the 500-freestyle (5:01.43); ninth in the 200-medley relay (2:05.12) with Mikey Lewis, Longenette and Chris Lutz; and 12th in the 200-freestyle relay (1:50.01) with the same trio. At the District, Chesonis was sixth in the 500-freestyle 4:57.50) and 18th in the 200-freestyle.

As a senior, he took first in the 200-freestyle (1:51.40) and first in the 500-freestyle (5:03.86) at the OVAC along with sixth in the 200-medley relay (2:02.78) with Travis Couture, Lewis and Caue Zendron and eighth in the 200-freestyle relay (1:45.57) with the same trio. At the District,he was 12th in the 500-freestyle; 21st in the 200-freestyle and 28th in the 200-freestyle relay.

He was named captain of the All- Times Leader Swim Team as a senior.

Chesonis continued his swimming career at Ashland University, competing there for four years (2008-2012).

While there, he recorded what is still (as of 2025) the 16th fastest time in school history in the 1650-yard freestyle (16:32.47) in 2010 and the 21st fastest time in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:00.69) in 2008.