Larry Ksanznak

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Larry was captain of the West Hazleton High School basketball team and was selected to the first team All Anthracite and All Regional teams. In the Anthracite League championship game, played at the Hazleton High School gym before 1600 fans, he made a foul shot with one second left in the game to win the championship for West Hazleton High. He was selected to be a member of the Dream team in his senior year. He played for Bloomsburg University and was captain of the team that won the first State basketball championship for Bloomsburg University. One of his coaches at Bloomsburg was “Belles” Colone. Larry played in the Rogers Open tournament for the Plymouth VFW. He was selected to the first team All Stars four the tournament. He played on the Plymouth VFW team that won three consecutive championships in the tournaments and retired the trophy. The only other team to accomplish this feat was the outstanding “Meat Cutters” team. In one game Larry had 17 assists and 15 points. Larry was highly respected as one of the best fast pitch softball players in the Hazleton area. He played on five championship teams. At Bloomsburg University he was the starting softball pitcher for four years and his team won the championship each of the four years. Larry was selected to play for the Southern Area Command All Star basketball team in Germany while serving in the US Army and won a service league championships (he served as the captain of the team). Larry taught in the Neshaminy School District and taught, coached basketball and was principal in the Hamilton, NY School District. After serving as principal and then assistant superintendent in the Lawrence Township NY School District, he was named Oakland NJ superintendent of schools in 1984 and served until his retirement in 1997. He has appeared on CBX, ABC, NBC, CNN and local television stations as an expert in education. The Lawrence Township Public Schools honored him by building an Olympic size swimming pool and fitness center in his name.