WILKES-BARRE – Wilkes University will induct four individuals and one team into its Athletic Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
 
The 33^rd class of inductees includes Kristin Wilt '09 (Women's Tennis), Julian Morales '05 (Football), Lonnie Balum '77 (Men's Wrestling), Rob Barbieri (Football Coach) and the 2005 Women's Soccer Team.
  
Kristin Wilt '09 (Women's Tennis)
Wilt was a fixture in the Colonels lineup where she helped lead the team to three straight Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom championships from 2006 to 2009. It marked the start of 13 consecutive titles for the Wilkes women's tennis program.
 
Wilt was outstanding in her own individual play earning First Team All-Freedom Conference honors three times as well as a Second Team honor one season. In MAC Individual play, Wilt captured two doubles crowns at No. 2 and No. 4 pairs.
 
For her career, Wilt finished 30-7 at No. 3 singles and 43-6 at No. 2 doubles. She currently ranks tenth all-time in doubles wins (60) and 8^th all-time in doubles win percentage at 81.1 percent (60-14).
 
Julian Morales '05 (Football)
Morales starred on the Colonels defensive line for four seasons anchoring teams that went 25-17 over his time in the Navy and Gold including two ECAC Bowl appearances and two seasons with seven or more wins.
 
Morales was a three-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) honoree including two First Team nods in 2003 and 2004. He was also named All-ECAC and a Regional All-American in 2003 and 2004.
 
For his career, Morales finished with 106 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and three defensive touchdowns from his defensive line position.
 
Lonnie Balum '77 (Men's Wrestling)
Balum starred for the storied Colonel wrestling teams at the Division I and Division III levels throughout his four-year career. He was a member of the 1974 Division III NCAA Championship team finishing third in the tournament at 126-pounds earning All-American status. Balum also was a two-time Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) champion at 126-pounds during his career at the Division III level.
 
Balum was also a member of Wilkes' first Division I team in the program's history and served as a quad captain his second year. While wrestling at the Division I level, Balum was a two-time Binghamton University Invitational champion and a finalist (second place) at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Tournament at 134-pounds. During his senior season in 1977, Balum was a Division I Tournament qualifier and finished his career with a 91-30 overall record.
 
Following graduation, Balum coached wrestling for 42 years at Coudersport, Wellsville (N.Y.), Southern Columbia, Line Mountain and Susquehanna University. He was named District 4 Coach of the Year twice and the 2017 Pennsylvania Junior High Coach of the Year. Balum was inducted into the Muncy High School (2004) and District 4 (2005) wrestling Hall of Fame.
 
Rob Barbieri (Football)
A fixture in the football coaching ranks in the area, Barbieri served as offensive line coach for 16 years at Wilkes under both head coaches Joe DeMelfi and Frank Sheptock. Barbieri helped guide the Colonels to the 2006 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship during his final season coaching.
 
Prior to his time at Wilkes, Barbieri coached 22 years at nearby Pittston Area High School where he led the Patriots football program to a 159-100-4 record claiming five Wyoming Valley Conference championships and one Eastern Conference title. He was named Coach of the Year twice in 1974 and 1981. Barbieri also coached All-American tailback Jimmy Cefalo, who later starred at Penn State and the Miami Dolphins.
 
A two-sport legend in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Barbieri was all-scholastic in football and basketball at Old Forge High School before moving onto his college career at George Washington University where he played under legendary coaches Paul "Bear" Bryant and Darrell Royal.
 
Barbieri was inducted into the Luzerne County Hall of Fame in 2019. His grandson, Rob Barbieri, is currently a junior all-conference safety on the Wilkes football team.
 
2005 Women's Soccer Team
The 2005 women's soccer team won the first-ever Freedom Conference Championship in program history securing the title with a 1-0 victory over Drew University. The Colonels set the school record for wins in a season finishing 15-4-1 overall.
 
Led by head coach John Sumoski, the squad was ranked fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region and the only team in the history of the program to be ranked nationally at 16^th in the polls. The Colonels were also ranked as high as third in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) rankings.
 
Individually, six players were named all-conference including first team selections Jennifer Compton, Catherine Simone (Conference Championship MVP), Dana Lehman and Liz Pauly and second team honorees Kristi Barsby and Bethany Head. Compton and Lehman also were named NSCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region selections.