THE 2026 INDUCTEES INTO the Parochial Athletic League Hall of Fame include a former NFL wide receiver, a longtime football coach who guided his teams to multiple PAL championships, an accomplished track and field athlete, a professional volleyball player and a Paralympic athlete who won nine Paralympic gold medals across three different sports.
The induction ceremony took place following the seventh annual Parochial Athletic League Golf Tournament held in May at the Tustin Ranch Golf Club. PAL operates within the Diocese of Orange, giving students attending K-12 Catholic schools in Orange County an opportunity to play competitive sports in an environment guided by Christian principles.
The PAL Hall of Fame was established in 2022 as a way of honoring its athletes and coaches.
“I love the golf tournament,” said Russ Smith, director of elementary athletics for the Diocese of Orange. “I love the Hall of Fame inductions. I think it’s a great thing to honor some people who have meant a lot to our program, or young men and women who have participated in our program.”
To qualify for the PAL Hall of Fame, inductees had to have attended a Catholic or Christian school within a PAL league. Candidates must be PAL athletes who went on to enter professional sports as a player or administrator, became an Olympic athlete or official, or coached in the PAL program for at least 10 years.
While most of the participating schools are part of the Diocese, it is not a requirement, Smith said.
The 2026 PAL Hall of Fame inductees are:
DEANN SCHLOBOHM, TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE AND COACH
Following a successful high school career, Schlobohm became a standout sprinter at UCLA, a member of the United States National Team and was part of the UCLA 4×200 relay team that set an American collegiate record.
After college, Schlobohm competed and trained with a Los Angeles-based women’s track and field club and represented the U.S. in national and international competitions around the world in both the 400 and 800 meters. When her competing days ended, Schlobohm became the women’s track and field coach and women’s cross-country coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills. After Smith started the PAL track and field meet, Schlobohm volunteered to help organize and run the meet and has played an integral role in overseeing it for its 25 years of existence.
“Over the last 25 years, I’ve been blessed to watch thousands of young athletes grow, not only stronger as competitors, but as stronger people,” Schlobohm said. “I’m deeply honored and humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for years of service to something I truly, truly love.”
PETE CANALES, FLAG FOOTBALL COACH, ST. ANGELA MERICI SCHOOL
From 2003 to 2018, Canales guided the St. Angela Merici flag football team to seven Orange County PAL championships, two Servite Tournament championships and three St. Justin Martyr and St. Paul tournament championships.
“It was just a tremendous run, a lot of fun,” Canales said. “I’m so happy for the kids in the school. And it all paid off for the kids. I know they have great memories. I still see a lot of the players and the families, and they talk about it often. And I got to see Russ at the end of every championship Saturday.”
SHANNON SCULLY, MAJOR LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER
Scully’s athletic career began as a fifth grader at St. Bonaventure Catholic School in Huntington Beach, where she participated in volleyball, softball and basketball. She began playing club volleyball at age 12 and focused solely on the sport when she attended Mater Dei High School. Scully was a member of the Monarch teams that reached the CIF Southern Section finals all four of her years at the school, including the CIF-SS championship team in 2015.
The outside hitter went on to play at Pepperdine and then USC, picking up numerous accolades throughout her college career.
After graduating from USC, Scully played professional volleyball in Europe before returning to the U.S. to compete in the new Major League Volleyball organization.
“It feels like my volleyball career has gone by in a blink of an eye,” Scully said. “One day I was on the St. Bonaventure team in fifth grade, and the next I’m playing volleyball for the San Diego Mojo. I have learned that a Catholic education helps students to discover their purpose. It’s not only about preparing for a career, but about becoming a good person who lives with faith and purpose.”
BRIAN FINNERAN, NFL FOOTBALL PLAYER
Finneran had a standout high school football career at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, where he had a school-record 177 receptions. As a junior, Finneran had 73 receptions for 1,136 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games, earning a spot on the L.A. Times’ 1992 All-County Football First Team.
Finneran played college football for the Villanova Wildcats, where he shattered school records and won the prestigious Walter Payton Award in 1997 as the nation’s top Division I-AA player. He then spent 12 years as a wide receiver in the NFL—11 with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2006, Finneran had 56 receptions for 838 yards and six touchdowns.
After his playing days were over, Finneran transitioned into a successful career as a sports talk radio host in the greater Atlanta area.
“My parents sacrificed a lot for us to go to St. Catherine’s and then to Santa Margarita. And I would never have made it to the NFL if it wasn’t for Jim Hartigan being my first football coach. And I learned so much. You learn about teamwork, friendships, all the different things. So, Coach Hartigan, thank you for instilling that.”
DAVID KILEY, PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST
As a youngster, Kiley played multiple sports at St. John the Baptist School and basketball at Mater Dei. He dreamed of playing basketball at UCLA and then for the Los Angeles Lakers. But at age 19, Kiley’s life course changed in an instant when he sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury in a tubing accident in Big Bear that left him paralyzed.
After being introduced to wheelchair basketball, Kiley’s competitive spirit and passion for the sport were rekindled. He progressed rapidly, competing in elite international competitions, and in 1976, Kiley participated in his first Paralympic Games. Aside from Paralympic competition, Kiley competed in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and is a six-time MVP of the league’s Final Four championships.
Kiley, now 73, won a gold medal in five separate events at the Paralympic Games in Toronto in 1976 and is the only athlete to play Paralympic basketball in four separate decades.
In 2022, Kiley achieved one of sports’ greatest honors: induction into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, alongside swimmer Michael Phelps, figure skater Michelle Kwan, tennis great Billie Jean King and soccer player Mia Hamm.
“I’m in a few halls of fame,” Kiley said. “But this one is up there. It’s up there because this is where it began.”