The Peru Gazette

John Rock, Cameron Riggs, Travis Angevine, Jennifer Goette and Nicky Viti-Duprey will be inducted into the Peru Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 27th. The Hall of Fame banquet will be held at Livingood’s Restaurant in Peru (former Crickett’s Restaurant). The scheduled times are, 6:30 social, and 7:00 dinner @ $20.00 per person. Checks can be sent with the names listed to Cathy Phillips, 4 Vista Drive, Willsboro, NY 12996, phone 518-963-7963. Checks should be made payable to the Peru Athletic Hall of Fame.

John Rock graduated from Peru Central School in 1968. During his High school years John played football, basketball, baseball and track playing for Mike Beauvais, Tony Papero, Frank Ruane, Harry Brown, Dan McKillip and Frank White. In 1965 he was on the undefeated football team. In 1966, during the last game of the season, he scored 4 touchdowns against St. John’s at Bailey Ave.   The only JV sport he played was basketball in the 1963-64 seasons.

John held track records in the 220 yd. dash with a 22.7 and 100 yd. dash with a 10 flat.   He was also on the record setting 880-relay team with Joe Furnia, Barney Woodward, and Jeff Norman. The track team won three out of four track Section 7 titles and in baseball the teams won 3 out of the four years with Section 7 titles.

Cameron Riggs, a 1978 graduate of Peru High School, was a three-sport athlete. He competed in football, wrestling, and baseball earning 9 varsity letters: four in wrestling, three in football, and two in baseball. During his high school athletic career, which started as an 8^th grader, Cam demonstrated versatility in all areas of athletics. He was an accomplished baseball player/pitcher all four years of high school. During his tenure on the team he displayed his leadership by serving as the team captain and by leading the team in hitting and pitching. He equally shined on the football field as the team quarterback. His speed and ability to orchestrate a play quickly made him a very dangerous thrower and kicker. His accomplishments include leading the CVAC in PATs and field goals. Again his leadership talents had him serving as captain his senior year.

In addition to serving his school in exemplary fashion in the above sports, it was his gift as a “grappler” that led to a career on the wrestling team that few since have surpassed. He began his rise to the top with an early commitment to the sport. He wrestled as a youngster in tournaments around the state throughout the school year and into the summer. His targeted focus earned him many outstanding wrestler awards, acclaims and recognition. His skills increased with age and include placing 6^th in the NYSPHSAA meet as a freshman and 3^rd as a senior when there was only one division. He was the first Peru wrestler to win four straight titles in the Peru Invitational and he was undefeated in Section 7 during his four years. To add to his fame, he was the first Section 7 wrestler to win over 100 matches. He earned a trip to the State meet every year and represented our area by wrestling for NYS team against Polish National Team.

Travis Angevine, a 1988 graduate of Peru High School, excelled in three sports: football, basketball, and baseball earning 9 varsity letters. Travis was a three-year starter at quarterback from 1985 through 1987. During this time period the team went 26 and 3 winning the CVAC Division 1 championship in 1985 and 1986, runner up in Super Bowl C in 1985 and Super Bowl champions in 1986. Travis played varsity basketball from 1986 through 1988. In 1987 the team was the CVAC Division 1 champion with a 17-2 record. In 1988 the team went undefeated in the CVAC winning the Division 1championship. The team was the Section Seven class B Champions, finishing the year with a 20-2 record. Travis was moved up to varsity baseball in 1985 and started as a pitcher in all playoff games winning the Section Seven championship and state quarterfinal participant. In 1988 the team won the CVAC and Section Seven championships. The team went on to win the New York State Eastern Regional championships and was state runner up in class “B”. Travis was undefeated as a pitcher and won the state semifinal game.

Awards that Travis won during his high school career included: 1988 US Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete, 1988 The Amateur Athletic Union/Milky Way Be an All American Award – given for outstanding athletic performance, 1988 – I.A.A.B.O Flynn Memorial Scholarship Recipient (CVAC Basketball Official Scholar Athlete Award), 1988 player of year in baseball and 1st Team CVAC All-Stars, player of the year CVAC Basketball 1988 & First Team All-Star, Captain Football 1986, Captain Basketball 1987 & 1988, Co-Captain Baseball 1988, 1987 Second Team All CVAC Offense Quarterback / 2nd Team All CVAC Defense – Safety, 1987 CVAC All-Academic Team Fall Sports, 1987 CVAC All Conference Baseball Honorable Mention, WEAV All Star Team Basketball 1986-1987, WIRY All Star Team Basketball 87-88, WIRY First Team Defense Football 1987, 1986 CVAC All Conference Second Team Football, NYS Basketball Coaches Association All-Academic Team for New York State.

Travis Angevine went on to play collegiately at Colgate University earning 2 Varsity Letters as a wide receiver and named to Patriot League Academic Achievement Honors 1991.

Jennifer Goette graduated from Peru High School in 1992 and was the salutatorian of her senior class. She lettered in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and field.

Jennifer was on the cross-country team in grades 8 through 12 and was captain of the team the last three years. She was the first runner to be a five time all conference runner in CVAC history. She won two sectional championships in 8th and 9th grade. The team won five sectional and four league titles during this time and her senior year the team finished as the number 1 ranked team in New York State.

Jennifer was a member of the indoor track team and was captain the last three years of school at Peru and on the Varsity Outdoor Track in grades 7^th – 12^th and captain of the undefeated league and sectional championship teams in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. She was on the Section Seven record setting team in the 4 X 800 meter relay during her senor year.

Other accomplishments while at Peru were, Champlain Valley Athletic Conference All Star, National Honor Society, and Ray A. Kroc Award.

After high school Jennifer went onto Princeton University where she graduated with Honors in Psychology. She competed in twelve consecutive seasons of Varsity athletics: Cross-Country, Outdoor Track and Indoor Track. In 1992 she was named Most Outstanding Freshman in Cross-Country. In 1995 she was the recipient of the Rosengarten Award in Outdoor Track “awarded annually to that member of the Princeton varsity cross country team who in sportsmanship, improvement and performance has contributed most to the sport.” Jennifer was a 1996 NCAA Division I Finalist in the 5000-meter race and earned Academic All-Ivy the same year.

Nicky Viti-Duprey graduated from Peru High School in 1998, where she was a three-sport athlete. She participated in soccer, basketball and track and field. She played soccer for four years and was a major contributor to any success the team had. She was captain during her junior and senior year and was named to the Honorable Mention team in 1997 and All-Star team in 1998.

Nicky played basketball from 1993 through 1998. She was named to the Honorable Mention team in 1987 and 1^st team All-Stars in 1998 and captained her senior year. Nicky traveled extensively on the traveling AAU team Lake Champlain her junior & senior year. She traveled to Washington D.C. for the Junior Nationals.

In Track and Field Nicky competed from 1994 – 1998. She focused on the 100m hurdles, long jump, and high jump. She won numerous first, second and third places during meets. She was named captain of the team in the 1998 season. 

She went on to play collegiately all fours years of college at Plattsburg State. While playing she earned SUNY All-Academic Teams each semester in her junior and senior year, ECAC player of the week (4 times), Tourney Team Player, Most Valuable Player in the Cardinal Classic, Plattsburgh State Female Athlete of the year in 2002, SUNYAC All-Star Team in 2000-2001. In the 2001-2002 season her team reached the final round championship game during her senior year.