The Padua Franciscan High School Athletic Hall of Fame was established to recognize those who have either excelled in one or more sports while at Padua or made a major impact on the school’s athletic program or local sports, leading to the enhancement of Padua’s image.
Please join us in congratulating these incredible Bruins on being named Padua Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees! They will be inducted on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at Padua. Click here to register.
Joe Skupski ’71
Golf-Basketball-Baseball
Joe Skupski was a member of Padua’s Golf, Basketball and Baseball teams and named the Most Athletic in the Class of 1971. He was the leading scorer for the basketball team during his junior and senior seasons, leading the 1969-70 team to the Elite 8 in Ohio and Crown Conference championship. Skupski currently ranks in the top 15 in career scorers in Padua Basketball history and was named to the All-City and the All-District teams in 1970 and 1971 by local sportswriters. Skupski was also a member of Padua’s Golf team, which advanced and finished 10th at the Ohio State Tournament in 1968. Skupski went on to play golf and basketball at Cleveland State University and was inducted into CSU’s Hall of Fame in 2002.
Paul Supan ’72
Football-Basketball-Baseball-Track
Paul Supan participated in four varsity sports at Padua earning 11 varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. Supan earned three varsity letters in football, three letters in basketball, three in track and field and two in baseball. Supan was the leading scorer for Padua and earned First Team All-Conference honors for basketball in his senior year. Supan was also a member of the Regional Runner-up and Crown Conference Championship team during his sophomore season for basketball. He placed first in the conference with the long jump, setting a conference record. Supan played catcher for Padua Baseball teams that won over 20 games in both his junior and senior seasons.
Joe Lapka ’78
Football-Basketball-Baseball
Joe Lapka participated in three varsity sports at Padua: football, basketball and baseball, receiving six varsity letters and earning Crown Conference honors in all three sports. Lapka led the Bruins in receptions and receiving yards during his senior football season. He still ranks in the top five in Padua Football history for receptions and yards in a game when he had ten catches for 160 yards against John Marshall, who was ranked #1 in the city at the time. At season end, Lapka was selected to the Plain Dealer All-Scholastic Team consisting of 28 players from the Greater Cleveland area. Lapka was the captain of the Basketball team and led the team in assists as their shooting guard during his senior season. The baseball season of 1977 was his most memorable season as the team won the Crown Conference and finished as the State Runner-up Team. Lapka was recognized on the Plain Dealer All-Scholastic Team and led the Bruins with 28 RBI’s receiving the Most Outstanding Player honors that season. Lapka went on to play college baseball at Jacksonville State University where he earned All-Gulf South Conference honors as their third baseman during his junior and senior year. He was also selected to the NCAA Southeast Regional Team as he helped the Gamecocks to over 20 and 30 wins in each of his seasons.
Sean Gorius ’94
Football-Basketball-Baseball
Sean Gorius participated in three varsity sports at Padua during his career, earning three varsity letters in each of these sports: football, basketball and baseball. Gorius was a two-way starter for the football team during his junior and senior seasons earning All-State honors during his senior season. Gorius was the defensive MVP for the North Coast League and led the team in tackles during his junior and senior seasons. He helped the Football team qualify for the playoffs in 1994 for the first time since 1979. Gorius was also First Team All-Conference in basketball and baseball for the Bruins. Gorius went on to play football at the University of Dayton where he was a two-time All-American at linebacker and named Defensive Player of the Year for the Flyers.
Meghan (Cugliari) McCaulley ’09
Volleyball-Basketball-Track
Meghan (Cugliari) McCaulley was named Ms. Bruin in 2009 and was the team captain for Padua’s first State Championship Volleyball Team in 2008, with double-double matches in the Final Four totaling 80 assists and 24 digs at the state tournament. She helped to build the program into an annual state contender by leading the team in assists during her junior and senior years, which still rank in the top five in school history. Her career assist total is currently fourth in school history. McCaulley also lettered for Padua’s Basketball and Track teams during her career at Padua. McCaulley went on to play club volleyball at the University of Dayton where she was awarded the Club President of the Year award for her commitment as the president of the club volleyball program at UD. She returned to Padua after college and was an assistant coach for Padua’s 2013 State Championship and 2014 State Final Four teams.
Dan Molls ’09
Football-Baseball-Track
Dan Molls was a three-year starter and two-year team captain for the Padua Football team, leading them to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008, plus a North Coast League title in 2008. Molls was first team All-Ohio during his junior and senior seasons, also being named the All-District defensive MVP both years and NCL MVP during his senior year. He was named to the First Team All-Sun News Team and NCL First Team All-Conference for all three years as a starter. Molls went on to compete in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, where he won the Defensive MVP. Molls was Mr. Bruin in 2009 and also a member of Padua’s Baseball and Track teams, helping the Baseball team to a District Championship in 2009. Molls went on to play at the University of Toledo where he was a three-year starter for the Rockets and led the NCAA in tackles during his senior season. He was named to the First Team All-MAC, earned first team Academic All-American honors for his senior season, plus was voted by his teammates to receive the Coach Nicholson Trophy, which honors UT’s first full-time football coach and recognizes the player contributing the most toward the success of the team. In 2017, Molls was named to Toledo’s All-Century team as one of the top 50 players for the Rockets. Molls was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and also participated in training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers before playing two seasons for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.
Click here to read the list of previous Padua Hall of Fame Inductees.