The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame announced today that NFL Hall of Famer Ron Yary, MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzki, Olympic pole vaulting gold medalist Jenn Suhr, and Boston Marathon winner Greg Meyer have been elected into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024. 

Ron Yary – The 6’5” offensive tackle at the University of Southern California (1965-1967) was a two-time All-American and led USC to a National Championship in 1967. Selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the first overall selection in the 1968 AFL-NFL Draft, Yary went on to a remarkable 15-year NFL career, playing 14 seasons with the Vikings and one with the Los Angeles Rams. He was named first-team All-Pro six times (1971-76) and All-NFC eight consecutive seasons (1970-77). During his years in Minnesota, the Vikings won two NFL Central Division titles, nine NFC Central championships, the NFL Championship in 1969 and played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI. Yary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2001) and the College Football Hall of Fame (1987).

Troy Tulowitzki –The California State University shortstop earned All-Big West honors and helped Team USA win a gold medal in the World University Baseball Championship in 2004. The Colorado Rockies made him the 7th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft, and he went on to enjoy a stellar thirteen year MLB career (2006-2019), with the Rockies, Blue Jays and Yankees. He is a five-time MLB All-Star (2010-11; 2013-15), a two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2010 & 2011) and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2010 & 2011). His MLB career totals include a .290 batting average, 225 home runs, 780 RBI, and a slugging percentage of .495. His career fielding percentage of .985 is tied for first all-time among major league shortstops. 

Jenn Suhr – A superb all-around athlete at Roberts Wesleyan College, Jenn Suhr turned her focus to the sport of pole vaulting in 2004, and by 2005 had become the U.S. National Indoor Champion. She added U.S. National Outdoor Championship titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008, while rising to a No. 2 world ranking. In 2008, she set a U.S. record with a vault of 16’1 3/4” and capped the year with a silver medal at the Olympics at Beijing. By 2011, she had risen to a No.1 world ranking, and won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. Suhr is a seventeen time U.S. Champion, 2016 IAAF World Indoor Champion, 2013 IAAF World Championships silver medalist, and to this day still holds the women’s world indoor pole vault record (16’ 6”). 

Greg Meyer – A long distance runner, Meyer was a four time All-American at the University of Michigan (1973-1977). He won the 1978 U.S. National Cross Country Championship, the 1980 Detroit Marathon, and the 1982 Chicago Marathon. In 1983, he won the Boston Marathon with a winning time of 2:09:00 and was the last American to win the race until 2014. Meyer, who set 10 American records and two world records during his running career, was named United States Male Distance Runner of the Year in 1983. He has been inducted into several Halls of Fame including the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, the University of Michigan Hall Of Honor, and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. 

 The 51st Annual Induction Banquet will be held on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, Michigan. Jim Costa, morning show host at WXYT-FM 97.1 “The Ticket” will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Tickets for the banquet, which begins at 5:00 p.m., are $160 and can be ordered by calling (248) 588-5333. Information on the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame is available at www.polishsportshof.com.