The Peru Gazette

Meet the Honorees

The Thirteenth Annual Peru Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner will be Saturday, October 8, 2022, at Living Goods Restaurant, Bear Swamp Road, Peru, NY 12972.  There will be a 6:00 PM Social Hour and a 7:00 PM Dinner. Price $35.00 per person.  Please RSVP by Monday, September 26, 2022. Please make checks payable to the Peru Athletic Hall of Fame.  Send it to Cathy Phillips, 4 Vista Drive, Willsboro, New York, 12996.  

Phone 518-963-7963 (H) or 518-572-1235 (C)

2022 Hall of Fame inductees

Thomas Joseph Giroux (1954)

Thomas Joseph Giroux (1936-2021) attended Peru Central School from 1951-1954, participating in four sports: Soccer, Basketball, Baseball and Track, all four years of high school. While he was a standout on all four teams, Tom excelled in Soccer and Basketball and continued to play both sports while attending Plattsburgh State. He was Captain of the 1953 undefeated soccer team that was instrumental in the start of a 95-game winning streak continued by subsequent Peru Central School’s Soccer Teams. He was Captain of the JV Basketball Team his Sophomore Year and Captained the Varsity Basketball Team both his Junior and Senior Years. He participated in the 1952, 1953 and 1954 Clinton County Interscholastic League All-Star Games and helped win several tournaments during his high school hardwood career. Tom was a member of the 1955-1956 Plattsburgh State Varsity Men’s Undefeated Basketball Team.

John Zerrahn (1973)

John graduated from Peru High School in 1973, having lettered in Varsity soccer, football, basketball, and baseball.  John exhibits outstanding traits consistent with Peru Athletics.  John competed in soccer during his freshman and sophomore years and was named the best offensive player his freshman year.  John played football during his junior and senior years.  

John was an outstanding basketball player playing on the varsity team all four years of high school.  He was the captain in both his junior and senior years.  During the 1971-72 season, John was the recipient of WIRY All-Star selections second team and was the leading scorer on the team.

John played varsity baseball all four years of high school and was team captain in both his junior and senior years.  In the 1971-72 season, he was a member of the CVAC Southern League Division Champions and was named an All-Star first-team pitcher that same year.  John also played American Legion Post 20 baseball as a sophomore through his senior year, where he started and hit third in the lineup in every game.  He pitched in a regular starting rotation and played right field.

Sarah (Sabourin) Goldberg (1995)

Sarah was an outstanding record-setting three-sport athlete at Peru Central in the early 1990s.  Her athletic prowess in the pool and on the track led her to participate in numerous New York State Intersectional championship competitions.  Her superior work ethic and highly regarded leadership skills were key factors in her selection as team captain of both her 1993-94 and 1994-95 swim teams, as well as her 1995 outdoor track team.

Sarah was a member of the women’s varsity indoor and outdoor track teams for four consecutive years.  With speed as her defining characteristic, she competed in multiple individual events, including the 100-, 200-, 400-, and 800-meter sprints and the 400-meter hurdles.  Her “team first” mentality also encouraged her inclusion in multiple relay events.  It was in the 4 x 400-meter relay events that she led her team to the 1994 and 1995 New York State track and field championships.

While Sarah excelled on the track, it was in the pool where she left an indelible mark on Peru Central School’s athletic history.  She became a varsity swim team member in the seventh grade and was a varsity swimmer for six years.  The final four years of her swimming career at Peru saw Sarah win every individual league event she participated in; she did not lose an event in four years. Truly remarkable!!!  Furthermore, Sarah set numerous Section Seven records during her tenure at Peru. She set the record in the 100-meter butterfly as a sophomore and was a member of the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay team that also set Section Seven records.  Because of her outstanding success in Section Seven, Sarah participated in the New York State Championship meet in all four events for four consecutive years.

Arik Christopher Robinson (2011)

Arik Christopher Robinson attended Peru Central School from 1998-2011. He participated in the sport of wrestling which he started at the young age of 5. He was a standout wrestler with many accomplishments and awards for his hard work and dedication to the sport. He was captain of the wrestling team as a young Freshman continuing through to his Senior year. Arik finished high school with major accomplishments which included a varsity record of 180-10, 5x section VII sectional champion, 4x NYSPHSAA state tournament champion (5th person in state history to accomplish this), and the most outstanding wrestler award at the NYSPHSAA state tournament in 2011. Not only did Arik have many major accomplishments as a Peru athlete, but he also spent most of his off-season time continuing to practice the sport and compete in tournaments. He won double gold medals at the Empire State Games in Greco and Freestyle in 2010 and was awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler award for Greco style. 

 

Dan Lennon (2012)

While at Peru High School, Dan competed for the school’s Cross Country and Track & Field Teams in his sophomore year until graduating in 2012.

As a junior, Dan finished 3rd overall in the mile race at the NYS Championships and 1st for Division 2 schools. The following Spring, Dan finished 5th overall in the two-mile race at the State Championships after losing his shoe early in the race. In his senior year, Dan finished 2nd overall and 1 st for Division 2 schools in the two-mile race at the NYS Indoor and Outdoor Championships. 

At the national level, Dan finished high school as a 5-time all-American on the track and was the 2012 National Champion for the 5,000m race. He holds school records for the mile, two-mile, and 5,000m distances. He holds a section record for the two-mile race. 

His 5,000m time is the second fastest run by a NY high schooler. In Cross Country, Dan won the 2011 NYS Championship, finished 2nd in the Footlocker Regional Championships, and 21 st at the National Championships. In his two years competing in Cross Country, Dan was undefeated in Section 7 competition.