Keith Woods
Keith Woods was a superb all-around athlete at Mercer High School, but it was the phenomenal coaching career that makes him the 2022 Posthumous Inductee to the Mercer County Hall of Fame.
He was a 1975 graduate of Mercer High School where he shined in basketball and track and field. In basketball he led the team in scoring his senior season, and he was a PIAA Outdoor Track and Field qualifier in the shot put.
But his Hickory High track and field coaching achievements in the throws was what set him apart from others. Those achievements include: - 2 national champions, 14 national medals, 5 All-Americans. - 16 Hickory PIAA state champions (indoor and outdoor). - 74 Hickory PIAA state outdoor medals; 22 state indoor medals. - 6 club PIAA state champs; 13 club PIAA state outdoor medals. - 38 District 10 champions - 18 full athletic scholarships to Division 1 universities. He was named the 2016-17 Pennsylvania Coach of the Year for boys track and field by the NFHS Coaches Association.
The co-owner of Pizza Joe's in Sharon with wife Donna since 1987, he sponsored and supported many youth teams, such as Little League baseball. He also directed the Shenango Valley�s NFL �Punt, Pass & Kick� competition. After coaching shot put and discus at Hickory starting in 2003, he started the 'Learn to Throw' youth summer program through Hermitage Parks and Recreation to provide kids the opportunity to learn fundamentals of weightlifting and proper discus and shot put techniques. The camp was later co-coached by his children Ben, Emily and Taylor, as well as niece Kristy Woods.
He also played softball for many years in the Shenango Valley area and competed with Maraodi Transfer, a semi-pro team in Pittsburgh, in 1985 and �86. Keith passed away unexpectedly Dec. 17, 2017.