Yough recognizes trio of homecoming queens, 50 years later

Fifty years ago, three young women attending rival high schools simultaneously shared the title of Yough School District homecoming queen.

During Yough’s homecoming festivities on Friday, Oct. 18, that honor will again be recognized with a special ceremony on the high school football field.

The event marks a half century since the unusual circumstances resulted in a “triumvirate” of queens.

In 1969, while former rival high schools West Newton, South Huntingdon and Sewickley Area all were part of the Yough School District, students attended three separate schools.

“At that time, in 1969, we didn’t have a facility for Yough, but we had combined all of the (extracurricular) activities,” said Karen Potocher Beyrand, 67, of Yukon. “We made friends we never would have known in such a small area because we merged.”

She was a student at then-South Huntingdon High School.

“Our three schools were rivals, so in order not to offend anyone, we chose three (homecoming queens),” Beyrand said.

Sharing the honor are former West Newton High School student Sheryl Hook Gadani, 67, now of Canonsburg, and former Sewickley Area High School student Marilyn Premich Duncan, 66, now of Greensburg.

The girls donned the short plaid skirts and turtleneck sweaters popular at the time for their ceremony at the field in Herminie where the joint football games were played.

Beyrand says she “started the ball rolling” to mark the event by contacting Yough administrators and reminding them of the approaching 50th anniversary.

“People don’t know how hard that was to do that 50 years ago without a hitch,” she said. “They didn’t cut anyone from football. We had 21 cheerleaders — from all three schools — and 20 majorettes.”

According to a newspaper report of the event, students from each high school voted for one queen from two senior girls selected by the football players.

“I almost fainted. I was surprised,” Beyrand said.

“We went out onto the field in convertibles,” Gadani said.

Duncan says vacation plans will prohibit her from attending Friday’s festivities.

“I probably would have tried to make it,” she said. Like her co-queens, she believes Yough made the right decision by naming three queens.

“I guess that was the best way to handle it. That was probably the fairest way to do it,” she said.

Duncan also recalls the merger of rivals going smoothly. “We had a lot of fun. I was a majorette in the band. We were happy,” she said.

Yough Senior High School principal Brian Sutherland said plans are still evolving as to how the women will be acknowledged Friday.

“We are really looking forward to it. It’s kind of nice,” Sutherland said.