Ben Karasiak and Sandy Heston Recognized

Ben Karasiak, Penn High School’s Director of Athletics and Student Activities, and Sandy Heston, Administrative Secretary for the Penn Athletic Department, were honored before the start of the Friday, September 11 football game on their recent retirements. 

Karasiak was Penn’s AD for the past 18 years, serving not only the student athletes of Penn High School, but the entire P-H-M community. He graduated from South Bend LaSalle High School in 1968 where he played football as defensive end and linebacker. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player and Most Valuable Defensive Back and was selected to the All-Northern Indiana Valley Conference team.  He continued his football career at the University of Evansville where he earned All-American recognition. He was named Most Valuable Lineman in the Indiana Collegiate Conference and was named to the list of Outstanding Athletes in America in 1972 and 1973. He is a member of the Evansville Hall of Fame. Ben coached football, baseball, and wrestling in the area before retiring from coaching in 1980. He held administrative positions at Marian and Elkhart Memorial High Schools before becoming Penn High School’s Athletic Director in 1997.

Heston started her lengthy service in the athletic office in 1993 where she fielded countless questions daily and was on call 24/7 in the evenings and weekends to assist with events or to handle a problem. She kept track of the budgets and event schedules, assisted the director and assistant director as well as the coaches and generally kept everyting running smoothly. Sandy retired after 40 years of service to Penn-Harris-Madison.