Susan Humphry Yucha
- Post by: mcalibrary
- January 12, 2024
- Comments off
INDUCTEE
To establish yourself as the first person to achieve a milestone in athletics is always something special. To stand alone as the only athlete in a 40-year period to accomplish a particular feat is truly extraordinary. That is exactly where Sue Humphrey Yucha stands as a Mount Carmel Area girls’ basketball standout. Sue is the only Lady Tornado to go over 1000 rebounds during her illustrious career as the center for MCA basketball. Her total of 1134 was achieved during a four-year career from 1986-87 through 89-90.
Under Coach Deb Oerles, Sue was a four-year started for the Lady Tornadoes. As a freshman, she helped lead the team to its 6th consecutive District IV playoff berth, which included victories over Shamokin, Lourdes, Southern and Williamsport before losing to Towanda in the District IV playoffs on a buzzer-beater. As a sophomore, Sue would establish a new single game record with her 24 rebound performance in a 51-49 victory over arch rival Shamokin. That win was also significant in that it was Coach Perles’s 100th win as the coach of the Lady Tornadoes.
In her junior season, following the loss of teammates Shannon Guinan, Kim Little, and Peg Scicchitano, the girls would suffer through a 0-24 season in 1988-89. As she entered her senior season, Sue qould become the ultimate leader and “mother hen” with 3 freshman starters in Lesley Gilotti, Marie McDonald, and Jill Gonzalo. She would lead that team to 10 wins in the always tough Division I of the Schuylkill League, which included perennial powers, North Schuylkill, Pine Grove, Pottsville, and Blue Mountain. The girls did earn great wins over Lourdes, Shamokin, Tamaqua and Southern, a game in which Sue ended her career with a fantastic 23 point, 30 rebound performance to cement her status as one of the greats in girls basketball history. Sue would be named to the Christmas Tournament all-star team at Willamsport and was given the VFW’s Auxiliary Award as the team’s Most Valuable Player for the second time. In addition to leading the team in rebounds and blocks, Sue also scored 12.3 points per game, scoring over 900 in her career. It was her leadership that season that would go a long way in making girls basketball competitive once again.
Sue also lettered for four years in track and field, throwing the shot, discus, and javelin, qualifying for District IV competition in the javelin during the 1990 track season. For all of her efforts at MCA, Sue was given the Babe Ruth Foundation Award as the school’s outstanding female athlete during her graduation ceremonies in 1990.
Sue had been employed by Shamokin Area Community Hospital for 19 years and, following the merger, currently works as a Patient Access Representative for Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital. Susan lives in Shamokin with her husband, Mike, and their two children, Mariah and Michael Jr. She is the daughter of Michael and Charmaine Humphrey and the granddaughter of Sandra Popson.