The Tacoma Athletic Commission is proud to host this event to recognize many individuals who have achieved at the highest level in sports in Tacoma and Pierce County. Tonight we are honoring them for their positive contributions to our community in the areas of sports, recreation, and civic betterment.
Congratulations to our Hall of Fame inductees. They have been great leaders and role models for our youth. Congratulations to our High School Male and Female Athletes of the Year. Their futures are bright and we will watch proudly as they becomes the leaders of tomorrow.
We also honor the Dick Hannula Amateur Athletes of the Year, the Clay Huntington Sports Communication Scholarship recipient and the Pierce County First Family of Sports.
The TAC has been supporting local youth in sports for sixty-six years, since World War II, and we pledge to continue our efforts on behalf of those who excel both in the classroom and in the various areas and fields where they play.
I would like to express a special thank you to the families, friends, coaches, and school administrators for their guidance and support of our student-athletes, and also those parents who always have been there for them through the highs and the lows of competition.
Additionally, the TAC wants to thank Marc Blau and his committee for the endless energy and enthusiasm they have displayed in producing the Banquet of Champions. Marc has volunteered his time at an “above-and-beyond” level to insure the success of this outstanding community event.
If you care about our youth and sports, please consider joining the Tacoma Athletic Commission. We promise you a most rewarding experience and we’re confident that you will enjoy joining the 250+ members who are “dedicated to sports and civic betterment” in Tacoma-Pierce County.
Central Washington University Department of Athletics
Pacific Lutheran University Department of Athletics
University of Puget Sound Department of Athletics
University of Washington/Collegiate Images Inc.
Washington State University Department of Athletics
Stanford University Department of Athletics
Page 4 Action photo of Melanie Roach on right courtesy of Thrush Performance Center
Page 5 Action photos of Johnny Spevak courtesy of Rachel Bayne/ Bayne Photography
Page 35 Individual photo of Allan Kollar reprinted with permission of The News Tribune
Page. 35 Individual photo of Dr. Charles P. Larson reprinted with permission of The News Tribune
Page 37 Individual photo of Mike Mullen eprinted with permission of The News Tribune
Page 38 Action photo of Bill Parker courtesy of University of Washington/Collegiate Images
Page 40 Individual photo of Kate Starbird courtesy of Seattle Storm Action photos of Kate Starbird courtesy of Stanford University Department of Athletics
Page 40 Action photo of Jesus Villahermosa reprinted with permission of The News Tribune
Page 4 Photos of George Wright reprinted with permission of The News Tribune
Banquet Of Champions Program
5:30pm No-host social
Welcome and Introductions - Bill Ogden
6:30pm Dinner
Invocation – Father Bill Bichsel, Jesuit Order/Tacoma Catholic Worker
National Anthem & Entertainment - Mt. Tahoma HS Jazz Band
Arnold Myers, Band Director
7:00pm Program
Announcer - Bill Ogden
Master of Ceremonies – Gary Justice
TAC Welcome – Angie Eichholtz (TAC president)
7:05pm Presentation of Awards
Clay Huntington Sports Communication Scholarship - Clay Huntington
Dick Hannula Award – Amateur Athlete of the Year - Dick Hannula
MVP Award – Presented by Pat Garlock, owner –MVP Physical Therapy
7:20pm First Family of Sports Award - Doug McArthur
Presented by Dick Hannula
7:30pm Featured Speaker – Sue Bird, Seattle Storm guard
7:45pm Banquet of Champions Video – Bill Ogden
8:05pm Recognition of Tacoma-P.C. Athletes of the Month for 2008-2009
Tacoma-P.C. High School Athlete of the Year (Female)
Tacoma-P.C. High School Athlete of the Year (Male)
Presented by Terry Mehegan, Vice President -Columbia Bank
8:15pm Induction Ceremonies - Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame— Marc Blau
Parade of Champions
Announcers Gary Justice and Bill Ogden
Presenters Charlie Williams - Former Stadium high and Pro Basketball All-Star
Aaron Pointer - TAC Past President and former NFL Football official
Sue Bird - Seattle Storm guard
Jennifer Kubista - TAC Director
Colleen Barta - TAC Director
1938 Stadium HS State Championship Tennis Team
Sister City Cultural Baseball Exchange
Baseball Tacoma Inc.
TPC Sports Hall of Fame - Individuals
1970-71 Puyallup HS State Championship Basketball Team
Finale – Gary Justice/Bill Ogden
Tacoma Athletic Commission www.tacomaathletic.com
Shanaman Sports Museum of Tacoma Pierce County www.tacomasportsmuseum.com
State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame www.washingtonsportshalloffame.com
Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association www.oldtimerbaseball.com
Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Commission www.tacomasports.org
Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club www.tacomarainiers.com
Tacoma FC www.tacomafc.com
West Central District www.wcd3.org
WIAA www.wiaa.com
Video of Champions Available for Purchase
Copies of the “Video of Champions” that you will enjoy this evening are available for purchase on VHS or DVD for $20 which includes shipping.
To order, send your request, along with payment to the: Tacoma Athletic Commission,Video of Champions, PO Box 11304,Tacoma, WA 98411.
Please allow eight weeks for delivery.
For questions, call 253-848-1360 or email at marc@tacomaathletic.com
TAC Proud Of Its 66 Years in Pierce County
Currently celebrating its 66th year as a civic organization in Tacoma and Pierce County, the TAC originally was formed as the Tacoma War Athletic Commission. Its purpose was to raise funds for athletic opportunities at nearby Fort Lewis and McChord AFB during World War II.
Clay Huntington, fresh out of Lincoln high school, was one of the founders and today he is the last living member of the original organizational committee. The TAC has generated nearly $5-million dollars to assist amateur athletic programs and athletes in Pierce County. Not bad for a group whose first venture was a basketball game between Fort Lewis and the Harlem Globetrotters, played in the Tacoma Armory. Admission was 85 cents.
Dedicated to sports and civic betterment, the TAC has been a leader in preserving the history of sports locally. With the unveiling of the book, “Playgrounds to the Pros” in 2005, the Banquet of Champions is a continuation of the TAC’s commitment to honor individuals and recognize their athletic achievements.
The TAC supports the Shanaman Sports Museum in the Tacoma Dome, recognizes High School Athletes of the Month, gives college scholarships to Athletes of the Year, donates to worthy schools, teams, boys and girls clubs, and produces special events in the community to raise funds for those programs and causes.
Yes, the TAC is there when it comes to youth athletic programs in our community. If you are interested in a TAC membership or in helping with any of our various activities, applications and information are available here tonight at a special TAC table near the entrance. Or check on-line at www.tacomaathletic.com.
“Playgrounds To The Pros: An Illustrated History Of Sports In Tacoma-Pierce County”
From games played in schoolyards to professional championship teams, sports have occupied an important place in the cultural development of the Tacoma area. Playgrounds to the Pros provides an extensive overview of the sports played in the region during the last 150 years. It is not limited to such crowd favorites as baseball, football, and basketball; it also includes archery and auto racing, bowling and boxing, horseshoes and hydroplanes, marbles and mountaineering, soccer and swimming, and much more.
This history of more than 40 sports acknowledges the many men and women athletes who have contributed to their sports over the years, including Lois Secreto, who epitomized ice skating in the 1940s; pro golfer Ken Still, who competed in six Masters, 13 U.S. Opens, and seven PGA Championships; Ryan Moore, who won the 2004 U.S. Amateur Championship; Doug Stevenson, goalie of the riotous Tacoma Rockets in the late forties and fifties; and Gertrude Wilhelmsen, 1936 Olympic athlete and star shortstop of the Tacoma Tigerettes. It is also a tribute to the colleges, schools, organizations, owners, managers, coaches, referees, umpires, and fans who have helped make sports such a significant part of Tacoma and Pierce County’s community, a place where love of a game, any game, is honored and enjoyed.
HOW TO ORDER
PLAYGROUNDS TO THE PROS
Books may be purchased directly through the Tacoma Athletic Commission for $25.00 plus an additional $6 if, shipping is required.
Send payment to: TAC, PO Box 11304, Tacoma, WA 98444
For credit card payments or additional information contact us at marc@tacomaathletic.com or call 253-848-1360.
GUEST SPEAKER
Sue Bird
Born October 16, 1980, Sue was a 2002 graduate of Connecticut and a #1 draft pick by the Seattle Storm that same year. When the Storm won the 2004 WNBA Championship, Bird became just the sixth player ever to win an NCAA Championship, a WNBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal. In addition, Bird also won a national high-school championship at Christ the King High School and has won Euroleague and Russian Superleague titles.
A three-time All-WNBA First Team pick, the 5-9 Bird has been one of the vanguards of a new breed of female point guards who are as dangerous scoring the basketball as they are passing it. During the 2003 season, Bird set a WNBA record with seven point-assist double-doubles. Despite suffering a broken nose early in the Storm’s 2004 playoff run, Bird continued to star with a protective facemask, handing out a WNBA Playoffs record 14 assists in the Storm’s Game 3 victory over Sacramento in the Western Conference Finals.
In 2006, after just four full seasons in the league, Bird was voted to the WNBA’s All-Decade Team. Bird enjoyed her best season in 2008, carrying the Storm after Lauren Jackson was injured and finishing third in MVP voting.
INVOCATION
Father Bill Bichsel
Father Bill Bichsel was born on May 26, 1928, in Tacoma, Wash. He graduated from Bellarmine Prep in 1946, and attended Gonzaga University until 1952.
Father “Bix” was a four-sport athlete in his three years at Bellarmine, participating in football, basketball, baseball and boxing. He was a center on the gridiron and a pitcher on the baseball diamond. In 1944, he was a Golden Gloves boxing participant. After graduating from Gonzaga, Father Bichsel coached frosh football, basketball and baseball from 1953-56 in local recreational programs.
More recently, Father Bichsel has gained notoriety for his work providing shelter and food to the homeless and particularly for his protests against violence. He considers his protests to be civil resistance rather than civil disobedience, believing that he is not actually breaking any law. Instead, he says that he is upholding international laws against war crimes. He has been arrested more than 40 times.
Bichsel entered a Jesuit novitiate in 1946, and traveled to Germany to study theology from 1956-59. He was ordained in Berlin in 1959. He has served as assistant pastor at various churches, and in 1969 he helped start the Martin Luther King Center in Tacoma to help shelter homeless people. In 2006, the University of Puget Sound conferred on Father Bichsel an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanitarian Service.
ENTERTAINMENT
Mt. Tahoma High School Jazz Band
The Mt. Tahoma Jazz Band has been playing for the last three years and performs throughout the school year at local festivals and school concerts. This dedicated group of 25 students meets at 6:30am to practice at school under the direction of instructor Arnold Myers.
MASTERS OF CEREMONIES Gary Justice
A native of Tacoma who was raised in Spanaway, Gary Justice returns for his fifth straight year as Banquet of Champions emcee.
Gary participated in what was the big three of prep sports – football, basketball and baseball – while a student at Bethel High School. After graduating in 1960, he played baseball at Centralia Community College before graduating in 1962 (he was named the school’s Alumnus of the Year in 1988). He moved on to Washington State University and graduated with honors in 1965.
In the 1970s, Gary’s love of sports had its outworking when he served as a sports broadcaster at KIRO in Seattle. During the first three seasons of the Seattle Seahawks’ existence (1976-78), Gary did the play-by-play of the team’s televised preseason games. During that same time, he served as television color commentator for the Seattle Supersonics. In addition, he served as the color commentator on radio broadcasts of University of Washington football games.
Gary also earned a reputation as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most-trusted public figures after serving for many years as lead anchor of KIRO-TV News in Seattle.
Gary is now a principal of Feek Justice Financial, which among other things is recognized for its long history and expertise in implementing tax-efficient charitable strategies. Gary and the firm’s founder, James R. Feek, have assisted in the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars of private wealth into charitable trusts to eventually endow charitable, educational and other non-profit institutions.
Gary, who served three years in the United States Army, most of it as a commissioned officer with the Army Security Agency, is an active, committed member of his community. His public service is at all levels - hands-on volunteer, organizer, board member, educator, fund-raiser and cheerleader. He has served on several boards of non-profit organizations, he has volunteered in excess of 300 hours of community service each year for the past decade, and he is a regular guest lecturer in schools of all levels.
Looking back on his days growing up in Spanaway, Gary recalled recently that “Dad (Jack), Sharon and I all managed some distinction in playing, coaching and/or broadcasting, and Cheryl was one of the fastest young girls I ever saw run (but was short-circuited by epilepsy)... Mom (June) may have been the most skilled of the bunch, but with limited opportunity. I can’t help but think of back in high school when a bunch of the wives and moms in the Bethel community decided to put together a fastpitch team to compete in a league with the top teams in and around Tacoma. Predictably, they got slaughtered, but Mom, who had bat control like Ichiro, hit over .500 for the year until a tag play at second base broke her wrist, and limited her future sports competition to being a star player on the Spanaway Exchange Tavern pool team. Ahh... the memories!
Justice, freshman tackle on Pacific Lutheran’s grid team, is shown with his three youngsters (left to right), Sharon, Gary, and Cheryl. Imagine how many freshman tackles in the country had three children to cheer him on.
Jack
The TAC supports sports and the youth of Pierce County, And the TAC Needs You
If supporting youth and sports in Tacoma-Pierce County is appealing to you, joining the Tacoma Athletic Commission should be a “no-brainer”. No other sports-oriented organization in Pierce County ever has done more for our kids and their sports, and the TAC is currently celebrating 66 years of doing just that.
Nearly $5 million has been donated to schools, recreation departments, boys and girls clubs, deserving teams and individual athletes during that time thanks to TAC dues and special events staged by Commission members.
Among the fund-raisers which the TAC supports or sponsors are this Banquet of Champions, the Shanaman Sports Museum of Tacoma-Pierce County, the annual Golden Gloves amateur boxing show (this year was our 61st consecutive), and the Ken Still Celebrity Golf Classic. The latter is scheduled for later this summer and local sports heroes are committed to play. You can join them by contacting Tim Waer at 284-3260.
Tonight’s induction of new members into the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame is another TAC tribute to sports in our community
If the TAC is destined to continue its efforts of support, it needs the help of civic-minded, sports-minded citizens like you. A TAC individual membership or a TAC Corporate/Business Membership is the ideal way to assist this worthwhile cause.
An application below will enable you to join now. Or you may locate an application form on line at www.tacomaathletic.com. For information, contact TAC membership chairman Doug McArthur at 253-759-1124 or via email at dougmc@nventure.com
TAC MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Individual Membership - $100, Corporate Contributions - $250, $500, $1000, $2500, $5000. Enclose check. Mail to: Tacoma Athletic Commission, Box 11304, Tacoma, WA 98411
2009 Tacoma-Pierce County High School Athletes Of The Year
Sponsored by Columbia Bank
The honor of being the Tacoma-Pierce County High School Athlete Of The Year, Male and Female, goes to individual prep athletes who are selected as High School Athletes Of The Month or win State Championships during the current school year. The awards follow the TAC tradition of recognizing excellence in both academics and athletics. With Columbia Bank’s sponsorship, Athletes Of The Year are eligible for $2,500 college scholarships. The TAC salutes all of its Athletes Of The Month and our State Champions. They all were worthy of the highest of honors in this category.
TAC Female Athlete of the Year
Andrea Geubelle, Curtis High School
When Andrea Geubelle is around a sports venue, the place is usually “jumping”. The Curtis High School senior is the TAC-Columbia Bank Female Athlete of the Year. In track & field and volleyball Andrea has long-jumped her way to the University of Kansas. She has accepted a full ride NCAA scholarship there and no wonder. Not only does she have a national championship to her credit in high school, she has won just about everything else. League, district and state honors have come easy for the Viking star who jumped two feet longer than any other female in the state this year in the triple jump and a foot longer in the long jump. She has topped 40-feet several times this year in prep competition and nearly 20-feet in long jump events. She also won the 100 meters in her league championship meet and she followed that with all three titles in West Central District competition. State meet marks hadn’t been set at press time but state records aren’t out of reach. In volleyball she drew raves
from those who marveled at her jumping ability. In 46 games she had 20 aces, 152 kills and 147 digs in her league and 52 kills and 67 digs at “state”. Yes, she was named her team’s Most Valuable Player. It’s not very often that the TACColumbia Bank Athlete of the Year is claimed by a national champion but Andrea Geubelle is the “real deal” and she outshines a host of outstanding athletes from Tacoma and Pierce County.
TAC Male Athlete of the Year Greg Herd, Steilacoom High School
Three-sport athletes are rare these days but the TAC-Columbia Bank Male Athlete of the Year is a true star on all three of his teams, in the Fall, Winter and Spring. At Steilacoom High School he led his football team to an unbeaten 10-0 league season as the offensive Most Valuable Player and standout quarterback. He was twice the team’s MVP and captain and was named to several area all-star teams. For three straight years he has been an all-league selection on both offense and defense. He was the starting quarterback in the State All-Star game. Eastern Washington University took notice and he will attend there on a full-ride NCAA football scholarship next year. In basketball he was all-league on a team that earned a state tournament berth and he was selected for the All-State 2A West Team. In track he has had an outstanding Spring, winning West Central District championships in the 100, 200, and 400 meters and as a member of the 4 x 100 relay team. Yes, that’s four titles. Results of the state meet were unavailable at press time, but don’t be surprised about any success at state. He not only excelled on the field, in the gym and on the track, but he has demonstrated his leadership in school as Steilacoom’s Associated Student Body President. The TAC-Columbia Bank Male Athlete of the Year is Steilacoom’s multi-sport star Greg Herd.
Past Recipients Of The TacomaPierce County High School Athlete Of The Year
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Kylee Bishop, Washington
Miles Unterreiner, Gig Harbor
Katrina Drennen, Sumner
Angela Jensen, Fife
Andrew Putnam, Life Christian
Danika Lawson, Puyallup
Kyle Stanley, Bellarmine
Brie Felnagle, Bellarmine
Brad Muri, Steilacoom
Megan Rains, Rogers
Sean McNaughton, Curtis
Ashley Blake, Lakes
Ben Shelton, Lincoln
Amy Frederick, Life Christian
Shelton Sampson, Clover Park
Kim Butler, Bellarmine Prep
K.C. Walsh, Lincoln
Cory Belser, Bethel
Shannon Forslund, Mt. Tahoma
Mellanie Tipps, Sumner
Drew Miller, Lakes.
Onnie Willis, Wilson
Collin Henderson, Puyallup
Alexis Yeater, Steilacoom
Travis Brock, Bethel
Dori Christensen, Puyallup
Scott Burcar, Bethel
Evan Martinac, Wilson
Mary Boerner, Bellarmine Prep
Bryan Streleski, Bethel
Alcydia Ladd, Foss
Tyce Nasinec, Rogers
Sarna Renfro, Bellarmine Prep
Chad Wright, Fife
Sarna Renfro, Bellarmine Prep
Jake Guadnola, Bellarmine Prep
Female Nominees:
Athlete of the Year Nominees
Marlayna Geary Bellarmine Volleyball
Kendra Cremeans Bethel Wrestling
Kim Latschaw Curtis Water Polo
Andrea Geubelle Curtis Track
Whitney Sidor Emerald Ridge Gymnastics
Alexa Derrick Emerald Ridge Fastpitch
Kayla Stueckle Emerald Ridge Track and Field
Nakayla Chan Fife Swimming
Alicia Cleveland Fife Swimming
Shelly Kilcup Fife Basketball
Alyssa Andrews Gig Harbor Cross Country
Lindsey Marchand Peninsula Swimming
Lauren Picha Puyallup Basketball
Scarlett Cann Stadium Swimming
Erika Mueller Steilacoom Fastpitch
Alex Davidson Steilacoom Track and Field
Taylor Darnielle Wilson Fastpitch
Clarissa Riches Wilson Water Polo
Male Nominees:
Abdul Gaddy Bellarmine Basketball
Addison Tracy Bonney Lake Wrestling
Ben Johnson Cascade Christian Football
Dillion Truscott Charles Wright Soccer
Daniel Stockdale Curtis Football
Joey Patterson Eatonville Track and Field
Erik Rose Eatonville Track and Field
Stan Walmer Foss Soccer
David Kuich Franklin Pierce Wrestling
Efrain Aguilar Graham Kapowsin Wrestling
Ben Fosnick Lakes Golf
Taylor Meeks Orting Wrestling
Garrett Mann Orting Wrestling
John Thompson Orting Wrestling
Drew Templeman Orting Wrestling
Michael Pinkard Puyallup Tennis
Killian Larson Puyallup Basketball
Greg Herd Steilacoom Track and Field
Thanks To The Following Banquet Sponsors For Their Support!!
GOLD SPONSORS
Columbia Bank
Emerald Queen Casino
MVP Physical Therapy
The News Tribune
SILVER SPONSORS
Cascade Print Media
Connelly Law Offices
Kellie Ham Type & Graphics
MultiCare Health System-Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
BRONZE SPONSORS
Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound
C.J. Johnson’s Bail Bonds
Dimmer Family Foundation
Mike Dunbar-CFP
Franciscan Health System
Merit Company
Anthony J. Milan, D.D.S.
Pierce Commercial Bank
Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Commission
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
TV Tacoma
Willie Stewart
Bob Young Family
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Dwyer Pemberton & Coulson, PC
Evergreen Excavation
Lucky Eagle Casino
RICOH
Rush Hannula, Harkins & Kyler, L.L.P.
Superior Linen Service
TAPCO Credit Union
Tempco Grain
Dr. John West
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Coy Anglin
Brad Cheney
Gary Clower
Kirk Dornan & Buddy Horton-Tacoma’s NFL Referees
Gus Paine Insurance
Gustafson’s Fine Flooring
Overhead Door Company of Tacoma- A Division of Van Court & Matthew Inc.
Earl Powell
Randahl Company
Don Rhodes
Stan Selden
Timberland Bank
Titus-Will Ford
Woodworth & Company
Dick Hannula Amateur Athlete of the Year Award
The Dick Hannula Award is given to the top male and female amateur athletes in Tacoma-Pierce County for the past year. Hannula, an internationally-known coach and a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, also led his Wilson boys swim teams to 24 straight state titles, and coached numerous world-class swimmers such as Kaye Hall-Greff, Janet Buchan Elway, Barbara Mitchell, Chuck Richards, Dick, David and Dan Hannula, Miriam Smith, Sarah Rudolph and others, many of whom are here this evening.
Female Amateur Athlete of the Year
Melanie Roach
Melanie Roach, a mother of three and wife of a Washington State House of Representatives legislator, will be awarded the Dick Hannula Female Amateur Athlete of the Year Award for 2009. Born Dec. 14, 1974, this Bonney Lake, WA resident has gained worldwide attention in the sport of weight lifting.
Roach is a seven-time United States national champion, a five-time U.S. World Team Member, and the only U.S. woman to clean/jerk double her body weight. She set a new world standard in the clean/jerk in the 53kgs weight class by lifting an astounding 113 kgs.
Melanie’s extreme commitment to all aspects of her life serve as motivation and a model for people everywhere. After setting her sights on competing in the 2000 Olympics, Roach suffered a herniated disk two months before the Games and failed to make the team.
In spite of being forced to leave the sport after her injury, Roach never lost the desire to compete. She began a comeback in 2005, but the back pain was unbearable. In 2006, Roach underwent a microdiscectomy, having three bone fragments that had been pressing on the herniated disk removed from her back. After the surgery, she won her seventh U.S. National Championship and returned to the form of a decade earlier, when she clean/jerked twice her body weight.
Melanie returned to the medal podium by winning the bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Championships in Brazil. Roach made is past the Olympic Trials and qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Roach then lifted 83 kg in the snatch, a new personal record, 110 kg in the clean & jerk, and a total of 193 kg, for a new personal and American record. She placed 6th out of 9.
Roach has said that her five-year-old son Drew gives her the inspiration to train and compete at this stage in her life. Drew was diagnosed in 2005 with autism.
Male Amateur Athlete of the Year Johnny Spevak
Johnny Spevak, a 2005 graduate of Puyallup High School and currently attending Central Washington University is the 2009 recipient of the Dick Hannula Male Amateur Athlete of the Year Award. Born March 5, 1987, in Tacoma, Spevak expects to graduate with a degree in accounting in the fall after his senior football season.
At Puyallup High School, Spevak was a two-year letter winner in football, earning firstteam all-SPSL honors as a quarterback and safety. At Central Washington University, Spevak has played wide receiver for the football team and guard for the basketball team. He ranks in the top 10 in CWU history in four major receiving categories, including touchdowns and receptions. With one year of eligibility remaining, he is on pace to challenge the school record in each category.
On the basketball court, Spevak has helped lead his team to a combined 56-17 record the last two seasons whenever he was in the lineup. He finished his basketball career with a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 103 career games. His 39.1 percent three-point shooting percentage ranks eighth in school history.
Greg Sparling, CWU head men’s basketball coach described Spevak as a great defender and smart player. Sparling referred to Spevak as the “best two-sport athlete since I have been at Central (since 1989) and maybe in the history of the university.”
Spevak has received academic All-American honors, and is considered by Central Washington head football coach Blaine Bennett to be “ the hardest working player at practice, and this carries over to his unbelievable success on game day. He is a special young man and has the respect of his peers, coaches and opponents.”
Past Recipients
2008—Christal Morrison, Puyallup HS/University of Washington
Brandon Gibson, Rogers HS/ Washington State University
2007—Megan Quann Jendrick Emerald Ridge HS/Pacific Lutheran University
Kellen Harkness, Cascade Christian HS/Ohio State University
2006—Christal Morrison, Puyallup HS/University of Washington
Joe Rubin, Foss HS/Portland State University
2005—Ryan Moore, Cascade Christian HS/ University of Nevada at Las Vegas
2004 — Reggie Williams, Lakes HS/University of Washington
2003—Ryan Moore, Cascade Christian HS/ University of Nevada at Las Vegas
2002—Dana Boyle, University of Puget Sound
2001 —Chad Johnson, Rogers HS/Pacific Lutheran University
2000—Megan Quann, Emerald Ridge HS/Pacific Lutheran University
1999—Kirk White, Curtis HS/Boise State
1996—Karl Lerum, Pacific Lutheran University
1997—Shannon Forslund, Mt. Tahoma HS
1996—Dusty Brett, Bellarmine Prep
1995—Brock Huard, Puyallup HS/University of Washington
1994—Marc Weekly, Rogers HS/Pacific Lutheran University
1993—Kate Starbird, Lakes HS/Stanford University
1992—Sonya Olejar, Bellarmine Prep/Stanford University
1991—Damon Huard, Puyallup HS/University of Washington
1990—Andy Maris, White River HS
1989—Sonya Brandt, Pacific Lutheran University
1988—Mike Oliphant, University of Puget Sound
1987—Jim Martinson, Puyallup HS
The Clay Huntington Sports Communication Scholarship Award
Clay Huntington may have been the youngest sportswriter and sportscaster in Tacoma’s history. He started while in Lincoln High School, working for the Tacoma Times and KMO radio, and he continued while attending the College of Puget Sound. He was one of the founders of the Tacoma Athletic Commission, the first voice of the Tacoma Tigers when professional baseball returned to Tacoma in 1946 and also broadcast Tacoma Rockets Hockey games from 1946-53.
A former Pierce County Commissioner and founder of the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame, Clay owns radio station KLAY, one of the last stations still covering Tacoma high school and college sports in addition to Tacoma’s professional teams.
The Clay Huntington Scholarship Award is a TAC effort, dedicated in Clay’s name, to assist worthy local high school students in their pursuit of broadcasting or journalism at the college of their choice.
Jordan Lewis
Jordan Lewis earned this year’s Clay Huntington Communications Scholarship by demonstrating his diverse talents at Fife High School. In addition to playing football, Jordan has exhibited exceptional ability as a video director and editor. He is the student body president of FHS, plays the drums well enough to pursue a career in music if he chooses, participates in the drama program and is an Eagle Scout.
Jordan carried a 3.45 grade-point average into his final months of high school. He intends to matriculate at BYU - Idaho to study media arts. He intends to transfer to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, to complete his degree with the goal of pursuing a career in film production or broadcasting.
Jordan played strong safety and wingback for the Trojans football team the past two seasons. He also competed in baseball and track at Fife. He was also the school’s homecoming king last fall.
Past Recipients
2008— Brittany Ward, Puyallup HS
2007—Mike Beers, Pierce College
2006---Nick Kajca, Emerald Ridge HS
2005---Spencer Drolette, Peninsula HS
2004—Brendon Kepner, Spanaway Lake HS
2003—Russell Houghtaling, Peninsula HS
2002—Chad Potter, Gig Harbor HS
2001—Spencer Snope, Peninsula HS
2000—Kara Rae Skagg, Peninsula HS
Fife High holds an annual film festival and Jordan’s entry has won Best Picture the past two years. He also won the Best Action Film award for 2008-09 and Best Dramatic Film in 2007-08.
As the lead drummer in the FHS Jazz Band, they won first place in the Surrey, B.C., Jazz Festival, Clark College Jazz Contest, and Kelowna, B.C., Jazz Festival for the 2008-09 school year.
The Shanaman Sports Museum Of Tacoma-Pierce County
Through out the years, Tacoma-Pierce County has been fortunate to receive recognition and publicity thanks to its national and international caliber athletes, coaches and teams. There has never been one place in which their accomplishments at the high school, college, amateur and professional level could be recognized for the distinction they have brought or will bring to our community. Under the auspices of the Tacoma Athletic Commission, and thanks to a generous contribution by Fred Shanaman, Jr. the museum became a reality with the opening in October of 1994.
The primary focus is to recreate the history of sports through visual displays and complemented with a narrated video highlighting famous moments in our local history. The museum focuses not only on athletes, coaches, and teams, but also on administrators, sponsors, officials, sportswrit-ers and broadcasters, all of whom have contributed to our rich sports heritage. The staff is currently working to create a web accessible database, which will serve as a comprehensive educational resource to the community.
Contributions Sought For Museum
The Shanaman Sports Museum appreciates those who are able to provide financial contributions to the organization to continually update and rotate displays, expand the interpretive section of the museum, and enhance the accessibility of the collections through use of the website and other interac-tive means. Financial support also will allow establishment of regular operat-ing hours so that the public can more easily enjoy the displays.
Artifacts are always being sought which will foster continued preservation of our sports history. Whether it be an old family scrapbook, a uniform, glove, programs, photos, posters, or even an old baseball from the turn of the century, each artifact tells a story and contributes to the folklore that we strive to preserve for generations to come. We must understand the past in. order to appreciate the present and unique memorabilia will allow us to accomplish this objective.
The Shanaman Sports Museum of Tacoma-Pierce County is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit status. To make a financial or artifact contribution, discuss estate planning to benefit the museum or for further information, contact Marc Blau, President, Shanaman Sports Museum at 9908 – 63rd Ave. Ct E., Puyallup, WA 98373 or (253) 848-1360 or via email at blaumarc@qwest.net
Banquet Volunteers
Banquet Volunteers
Our appreciation goes to these sports fans that have volunteered to serve on the banquet and museum committees
John Anderson
Colleen Barta
Larry Bartz
Lilli Bautista
Whitney Bautista
Mike Beers
Nikki Belvins
Leroy Booker
Marilyn Cooksie
Angie Eichholtz
Adria Farber
Jon Graef
Megan Guenther
Matt Haner
Carolynn Howard
Pati Lynn
Arlene McArthur
Doug McArthur
Eugene Morris
Lynn Mueller
Stan Naccarato
Vicki Nyborg-Peltoma
Bill Ogden
Diane Pittman
Earl Powell
Jack Price
Jean Ramey
Jerry Ramsey
Elaine Ramsey
Marlowe Roeser
Heidi Rowntree
Steve Sloboda
Willie Stewart
Tim Waer
Darrell Watkins
Karen Westeen
Colby Wilson
John Wohn
Jackie Wohn
Teri Wood
Terry Ziegler
A special thanks to Gary Brooks, Nick Dawson, Doug Drowley, and Tyler Scott who spent endless hours preparing the biographies on each Hall of Famer and the articles.
Also a big thanks to the Lincoln High School ROTC under the direction of LTC (Retired) Tom Willmuth, Senior Army Instructor, Lincoln High School, for their support and participation.
Most Valuable Player Award presented by
MVP PHYSICAL THERAPY
This award is given to the male and female determined to be the Most Valuable Player in Tacoma-Pierce County to their team during the 2008-09 school year. It is an award that emphasizes teamwork in a true team sport and epitomizes an individual who understands and recognizes the value of integrating his/her game with that of their teammates.
The award is presented by MVP Physical Therapy, known for offering some of the best sports therapy programs in the community utilizing a team approach. This includes both therapists and certified athletic trainers that focus on your athletic injuries while designing sport-specific and overall athletic rehab and training programs to meet your goals.
Caitlin Colvin Fastpitch, Bonney Lake High School
Caitlin Colvin, born in San Pedro, Calif., on Nov. 30, 1990, is the MVP PT’s Most Valuable Female Player for 2009. At Bonney Lake High School, she has excelled on the softball diamond, leading the Panthers to several league championships and a fourth-place finish in the 2008 3A State Tournament. She will graduate from Bonney Lake this spring and will attend Ohio University on an athletic scholarship in the fall.
According to Bonney Lake fastpitch coach Dave Loveless, Caitlin is “the first to serve and not to be served, first to encourage another player, first to lead by example and is always positive to her teammates.”
Wayne Miller, Caitlin’s coach with the Washington Ladyhawks Gold, has called her “a proven winner,” and the statistics support this case. She has earned all-league recognition each year she has played at Bonney Lake. In 2008, Colvin established herself as a top pitcher in Washington State. She earned firstteam all-league, League MVP pitcher and second-team all-state honors that season, compiling a 0.95 earned run average in 166 innings pitched, striking out 253 batters. She also batted .430 at the plate.
This Spring has been more of the same for Colvin, who hit .446 for the season. She led the Bonney Lake Panthers to yet another SPSL 3A League Championship with a perfect record. For the season, Caitlin gave up six earned runs to opposing teams in 115 innings pitched. Equally impressive, her ERA was a miniscule 0.36 with 202 strikeouts while opponents could only muster a .090 batting average against her.
PAST RECIPIENTS
008
Sarah Halasz Basketball Lakes HS
Amanda Roselli Soccer Fife H
Avery Bradley Basketball Bellarmine Prep
Abdul Gaddy Basketball Bellarmine Prep
007 Alisha Babbitt Fastpitch Spanaway Lake HS
00
Roman Tinitali-Pula Football Lincoln HS
Kylie Marshall Volleyball Emerald Ridge HS
Isiah Thomas Basketball Curtis HS
Adam Cimber, Baseball, Puyallup High School
Adam Cimber has already received countless honors and recognition before graduating high school. Born August 15, 1990, in Portland, Ore., Adam is a pitcher and first baseman for the Puyallup High School Vikings. He will be receiving the MVP Physical Therapy’s Male Most Valuable Player Award for 2008-09.
Cimber received various accolades following the 2008 baseball season, including first-team all-state, SPSL South Player of the Year and the Tacoma News Tribune All-Area Player of the year after compiling a 7-1 record with a 0.58 earned run average while leading Puyallup to the SPSL South championship and the state playoffs. He was named a Seattle Post-Intelligencer Spring All-Star, as well as a Seattle Times Morning Star, and honored as team MVP.
While dominating on the diamond, Cimber has also excelled in the classroom. A participant in the Running Start community college program, Adam has compiled a 3.93 grade point average and has been named to the President’s List every quarter for his Running Start program. He is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and has committed to attend the University of Washington next year.
Marc Wiese, Cimber’s head coach at Puyallup, considers Cimber to be “a quality young man on and off the field” who, “with more physical maturity and development will become a professional prospect.”
TAC FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD
The First Family of Sports Award recognizes the contributions of parents, foster parents or guardians who instill and help maintain athletes’ successes.
From the “Hi Mom” TV wave at a sports event to more formal acknowledgement of family interest in and encouragement of sports from generation to generation, athletic achievement, whether in team or individual sports, is fostered by and also can foster family life.
FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD RECIPIENTS
2008 Hannula Family—Dick, Sylvia, Dan, Dave, Dick and Debbie
2007 Names Family—Scott, Sis, Tom, Clint and Paula
2006 Williams Family—Joe, Cleo, Joe, Jerry, Dave, Susan, and John, Jordan and Jennifer
“Faith, Family, & Football”-That’s the Westering Family For You!
By Nick Dawson, Sports Information Director, Pacific Lutheran University
The legacy of Pacific Lutheran University head football coach Frosty Westering might best be summed up this way: About 15 years ago, a stamped envelope arrived at the PLU athletics office. The address read, simply, “Frosty, Tacoma, WA.” The post office workers knew exactly where to deliver the letter.
When you talk about the Westering Family in Pierce County sports history, you invariably begin – and usually end – with discussion of one individual: Frosty Westering, the family patriarch who won four national football championships in eight title-game appearances in his 32 seasons as head coach at Pacific Lutheran University. But there’s more – much more – and we’ll get to that.
To some people, Frosty Westering’s legacy at PLU will be all about wins, and certainly the numbers speak for themselves: four national championships (1980, 1987, 1993 and 1999); 19 national postseason appearances; 32 consecutive winning seasons; a 305-96-7 record in 40 total seasons, including a 261-70-5 win-loss record in his 32 years at PLU; and the ninth head coach in college football history to achieve at least 300 career wins.
“A championship, in the world, gives you authenticity that you did it,” Frosty said, admitting that most people wouldn’t have listened to him if his teams had been less than successful on the gridiron. “The championships just validate that you can coach. But that really doesn’t say anything until you ask, ‘What was the trip like?’ The trip was the greatest thing in life whether we won or not.”
To Frosty, the championship trophies and winning seasons served a bigger purpose. Success on the field gave him a platform from which he could pass on meaningful life lessons to those who rubbed up against the football program, particularly players, but also parents, cheerleaders, coaches and students.
It’s the trip – the journey through four decades with thousands of different lives to touch – that still drives this man who, in 2004, turned over the reins of the program to his second son, Scott. For a man who has lived his life and titled his first book with his motto, “Make the Big Time Where You Are,” retirement is much less a “kick your feet up” than a sidestep into others areas where he can influence the lives of others. He wrote a second book, “The Strange Secret of the Big Time,” and still is a much-requested speaker at the regional and national level. Now, the most important audience for Frosty and his wife, Donna is their family. Those “meaningful life lessons” handed down to countless generations of football players have also lovingly been passed on to the Westering’s five children – Holly, Sue, Brad, Scott and Stacey – and their children. Even now, some of the grandchildren of Frosty and Donna Westering are emerging as excellent ath-
The Westering Family starting clockwise with Frosty, Donna, Stacey, Sue, Holly, Brad and Scott.
letes in their own right, some at the national level, and to a person their goal is to “make the big time where they are.”
Put another way, Frosty lived his life by three Fs – Faith, Family and Football – and in that order. Those three elements have become an integral part of the lives of all members of the Westering clan.
The three most significant parts of Frosty’s life began to gain focus in his hometown of Missouri Valley, Iowa. It was there that he gave his life to Jesus Christ, courted and eventually married his grade school sweetheart, Donna Belle Jones, and first felt the satisfaction of coaching – as a mentor to a grade school football team.
A stint in the Marine Corps plus schooling at Northwestern University and Nebraska-Omaha helped refine his coaching, and life, philosophy. “I had all these coaching ideas and I didn’t know how I was going to put them together. I knew this, all the coaches I’d had believed that football was war and winning was it. They didn’t know there was another way or they didn’t believe in another way. I had this idea that I wanted to coach like I’d like to have been coached but never was.”
Frosty turned struggling Iowa high school football programs at Elkader and Fairfield into winners. Next came the head coaching position at Iowa’s Parsons College, followed by a move to Lea College in southern Minnesota. In the middle of all this, Frosty worked on his master’s and doctorate at Colorado State College, now the University of Northern Colorado. It was there that he was first exposed to an organization called The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “All of a sudden Donna and I realized, this is it, this is what can tie my faith directly into athletics,” says Frosty. “My mission is to share Christ through football without forcing it on anybody. (FCA) really solidified my mission as a coach.”
First Family of Sports Award Selection Criteria
Selection Criteria:
1. Parents or guardians must have supported the efforts of their children in school and community activities.
That’s when Pacific Lutheran called, and the rest is part of Pierce County sports history.
“From a legacy standpoint it’s really not the wins and losses, although those are important,” said Paul Hoseth, who coached alongside Frosty for more than 20 years. “But I don’t think that’s really too important in the big scheme of things from his perspective. The impact that he has had on students who both played and didn’t play football has been amazing, and not only at (PLU) but many other (schools).”
Frosty’s son Scott, PLU’s football coach for the past five years, said it this way: “He’s one of those unique guys in life that you come across that can make anybody feel good about themselves regardless of their walk in life. One thing I’ve learned is living the saying, ‘Your true character shows in how you treat people that can do nothing for you,’ and that’s how my dad has lived.”
Scott has maintained (with a few tweaks) the key philosophical elements of his dad’s approach to football and life:
•The double-win, which emphasizes the satisfaction of playing to one’s personal potential over the final result on the scoreboard.
•Trash talking or posing for the crowd results in a seat on the bench.
•Employing Frostyisms such as “The real measure of me is not what I can do compared to others, but what I can do compared to my best self,” “Character: Our best piece of equipment,” and “The longer we play the better we get.”
PLU football players still rise off the turf to help opponents to their feet, they still clean up their locker room when they’re on the road, and they still
2. Child/children must have made significant contributions at the local, state, regional or national sports scene.
3. Child/children should be able to demonstrate achievements or contributions designed to help improve the quality of life in the community they lived in.
4. All family members should be in good standing as members of the community.
5. Only members of immediate family are eligible for consideration. Extended family members through marriage, birth etc will not be considered as part of an immediate family (i.e. Mother, Father, and their children)
DO YOU KNOW A FAMILY DESERVING OF THIS AWARD? Send in your nomination with a detailed explanation of why you think the family deserves to receive this honor. Include background information on both the parents and their children and be specific as to their community and school involvement. Please elaborate on how the parents supported their children in their school, sports and extra-curricular endeavors and any additional information that will support this nomination.
Submit nominations to: Tacoma Athletic Commission: PO Box 11304, Tacoma, WA 98411 or Email to: marc@tacomaathletic.com
Left to Right: The Westering boys: Brad, Frosty and Scott
Left to Right: Jim, Chad and Holly Johnson.
Frosty and daughter Stacey.
leave a lasting and respected impression with airline, hotel and restaurant personnel wherever they travel.
One of those football players was Chad Johnson, quarterback of the 1999 national champion Lutes and also the 2000 Gagliardi Trophy winner, given to the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. Chad is the oldest son of Frosty and Donna’s oldest daughter, Holly, and her husband, Jim. Their second son, Jason, played at Puyallup’s Rogers High School, like his brother, but then went on to be a starting quarterback at the University of Arizona. He is now playing professional football in Europe. The youngest of the Johnson children, Heather, was a volleyball and basketball standout at Rogers High who later starred in volleyball at Pacific Lutheran. She is married to former Lute football linebacker Chris Linderman.
Frosty and Donna’s second daughter, Sue, is a dynamic motivational speaker and for the better part of the last three decades, including her time as captain of the PLU cheer squad, has unquestionably been the most vocal supporter at PLU football games. Sue served many years in local YMCA branches and is now a physical education teacher and volleyball coach at Gig Harbor High School.
Oldest son, Brad, was an all-conference and all-district starting quarterback for his father at Pacific Lutheran, leading the Lutes to a 1977 Apple Bowl victory over Western Washington in the Kingdome. Formerly the Dean of Students at Garfield High in Seattle, he is now an assistant principal in the Tacoma School District. Brad has two sons, Forrest and Logan, and he and wife Mary live in Seattle.
Scott was next in line. A state high school hurdles champion winning nine letters and named one of Tacoma Area’s 50 top Athletes of all time, Scott became an All-America tight end at PLU and had short stints with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He served under his father as the Lutes’ offensive coordinator from 1982 until becoming the head coach. During the winter months Scott and his wife, Susan, watch their oldest daughter, Jordan, play basketball for the PLU Lutes. The next football player in the Westering line is Kellen, a talented soon to be a junior wide receiver for the Rogers High Rams. Their youngest daughter Jessi plays volleyball, basketball and fastpitch softball.
The baby of the family, Stacey, graduated from Pacific Lutheran in 1982 and in 1987 married Gary Spani, an AllAmerica linebacker while at Kansas State. Gary went on to a nine-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs and is still the franchise’s all-time leader in tackles with 999.
Stacey and Gary are the parents of five beautiful daughters, the first two of whom are “making the big time where they’re at” on the national college basketball scene. Oldest daughter, Shalin, is an academic All-Big 12 performer at her father’s alma mater, while second daughter, Taber, a McDonald’s All-American, will play her freshman season for legendary coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee. Tanis, Sajel and Taris are the youngest of the Spani’s and are all talented basketball players.
The uncommon coaching – and life – philosophy of Frosty Westering, magnified by phenomenal success on the field, brought both local and national prominence to the former coach and the Lutes program. It also explains several articles in Sports Illustrated. In its 2000 college football preview issue, SI dubbed Frosty’s PLU Lutes as “The Nicest Team in Football.”
Without a doubt, the Westering family is certainly one of “The Nicest Families in Pierce County Sports History.”
Sue Westering, far right, celebrates with her Gig Harbor Tides volleyball team.
Scott is now the head football coach at PLU.
Brad Westering airs it out.
Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall Of Fame
Hall of Fame inductees are recognized for their outstanding sports accomplishments and contributions that have brought significant local and regional acclaim to themselves and to the Tacoma-Pierce County area.
Additional criteria includes:
1. Athletes must be retired from active competition.
Exception: Individuals in such categories as a coach, administrator, official, broadcaster or sportswriter still active at the age of 70 may be nominated for the HOF.
2. Coaches, administrators, broadcasters, sportswriters, officials and support personnel (photographer, trainer, scorekeeper, groundskeeper etc) must demonstrate significant accomplishments/contributions in their field for an extended length of time.
3. Individuals to be considered must be born and raised in Tacoma-Pierce County or must have maintained significant long-term residence in the community. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the TPCHOF committee.
4. Other categories not listed will be considered on an individual basis by the committee. Nominations for future considerations, which should include a detailed description of the individual’s athletic career, are encouraged from the general public.
To submit a nomination, you may submit your information to marc@tacomaathletic.com or write to the Tacoma Athletic Commission, Attn: TPCHOF Committee, P.O. Box 11304, Tacoma, WA 98411 or submit the nomination online by using the following directions:
1. Go to www.tacomasportsmuseum.com
2. Click on Sports Hall of Fames in the menu bar at the top of the page.
3. Click on Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame
4. Click on “On-Line Nomination Form” in red.
5. Complete information and click submit at bottom or form.
A committee of local sportswriters, Tacoma Athletic Commission members, and current HOF inductees will cast ballots to determine the new inductees who will be selected from an impressive list of candidates. Honorees will be recognized at an annual spring function.
2009 INDUCTEES FOR TACOMA-PIERCE COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME
AUTO RACING
Bucky Austin
BASEBALL
Craig Parks-Hilden Jim Nettles
Baseball Tacoma, Inc (1972-1991)— Stan Naccarato (General Manager), Robert Alessandro, Tom Baker, Dr. James Billingsley, Mike Block, Harold Brotman, Morley Brotman, Francis Browne, Bill Cammarano, Sr,, Ray Carlson, Brad Cheney, Warren Chinn, Larry Ghilarducci, Doug Gonyea, Norma Honeysett, Clay Huntington, Dr. Robert Johnson, Bob Kelly, Frank Manley, Carl Miraldi, Gus Paine, Frank Pupo, Frank Ruffo, Jim Topping, Mike Tucci, Sr., Walt Wiklund, Alden Woodworth, John V. Xitco, and E.J. “Jim” Zarelli.
Sister City Cultural Baseball
Exchange (1987-2009)
Tony Anderson, Tak Ikeda, and Joe Kosai.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Bob Angeline
Alan Kollar
Mike Mullen (Coach)
1970-71 Puyallup HS Boys
Basketball State AAA
Championship Team (23-1)
Rich Hammermaster (head coach), Jim Clifton (asst coach), Dave Normile (asst coach), Jerry DeLaurenti (scorekeeper), Merv Borden, Dave Crouch, Randy Dorn, Steve Gervais, Rick Gienger, Bruce Graham, Ron Kitts, Tom Krage, Paul Krippaehne, Lanny Lewis, Dan Picha, Jamie Reno, John Trageser, and Doug Weese. Managers Fred Angelo, Paul Baker, and Tom Drury.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Kate Starbird
BOWLING
Bob Bjorke
BOXING
Dr. Charles P. Larson (Administrator)
George Wright
FOOTBALL
Ed Bemis (Administrator)
Harry Bird Coach)
Gregg Friberg
Billy Parker
Paul Wallrof (Coach)
Jack Walters
GYMNASTICS
Lindsey Lauderdale
SOFTBALL—FASTPITCH
John Rockway (Player/ Administrator)
SOFTBALL-SLOWPITCH
Joyce (Jones) Wolf (Coach)
Bob Young
SWIMMING
Debbie Gratias Williams
TENNIS
Marilyn Kropf Appel
1938 Stadium tennis team—Darrell “Righty”
Eden, Donald “Lefty”
Eden, Bill Guyles, Dick Meyer, and Bill Taylor.
TRACK & FIELD
Joline Staeheli
Andrzejewski
Tom Buckner (Coach)
Cecilia Ley Hankinson
Brian Mittelstaedt
WRESTLING
Terry Dawson
Jesus Villahermosa
SPORTS WRITERS/ BROADCASTERS
Stan Farber
Mike Ingraham
Jack Sareault
TACOMA-PIERCE COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME BY SPORT
ARCHERY
Harry Parker 1971 Archery/Football
Sonny Johns 2005
AUTO RACING
Tom Carstens 2006
Leo Dobry 2006
Pete Lovely 2006
Pat Austin 2007
Dick & Wanda Boness 2007
Jim Crews 2008
Ron Eaton 2008
Bucky Austin 2009
BASEBALL
Bob Johnson 1957
Roy Johnson 1960
Paul Strand 1961
Jack Fournier 1962
George Wise 1963 Baseball/Golf
Cy Neighbors 1964
Marv Rickert 1964
Frank Tobin 1964
Dill Howell 1966
Ben B. Cheney (sponsor) 1968
Jesse Baker 1969
Lou Balsano 1969
Tony Banaszak Sr. 1969
Jimmy Claxton 1969
Dick Greco 1969
Walt Hagedorn 1969
Frank Hermsen 1969
Joe Hermsen 1969
Rick Johnson 1969 Baseball/Basketball
Lee Kierstad 1969
Bill Libke 1969
Cliff Marker 1969
Joey Peterson 1969
Frank Ruffo 1969
Jack Sonntag (coach) 1969
Lou Spadafore 1969
Ole Swinland 1969 Baseball/Basketball
Hal Votaw 1969
Jess Brooks 1971 Baseball/Football
Gordon Brunswick 1971 Baseball/Basketball/ Football
Eddie Carlson 1971
Jimmy Ennis 1971 Baseball/Football
Ocky Haugland 1971
Neil Mazza 1971
Bobby McGuire 1971 Baseball/Basketball/ Football
Vern Morris 1971 Baseball/Basketball/ Football
Jimmy Mosolf 1971
Andy Nelson 1971
Henry “Fat” Williams 1971
Art Berg 1972
Floyd “Lefty” Isekite 1972
Morry Abbott 2005
Ron Cey 2005 Baseball/Football/ Basketball
Cy Greenlaw 2005
Garry Hersey 2005 Baseball/Football
Gordy Hersey 2005
Jack Johnson 2005 Baseball/ FB & BB Official
Bob Maguinez 2005
Lornie Merkle 2005 Baseball/FB/BB Official
Cap Peterson 2005
Marv Scott (coach) 2005
Wes Stock 2005
Ron Storaasli 2005 Baseball/Basketball/
Football
Joe Stortini 2005 Baseball/Football/ Slowpitch Softball
Steve Whitaker 2005
1956 Stanley Shoemen team 2005
Team includes Stan Naccarato, Morley Brotman, Doug McArthur, Tom Montgomery, Jack Johnson, Dale Bloom, Mike Dillon, Manly Mitchell, Max Braman, Dick Montgomery, Dick Schlosstein, Russ Wilkerson, Gordy Hersey, Jim Gallwas, Bob Maguinez, Earl Hyder, Ron Storaasli, Gordy Grubert. Pat Dillon, Ray Spalding, Monte Geiger, George Grant, and Jim Harney.
Rick Austin 2006
Earl Birnel 2006
Dale Bloom 2006
Dick Colombini 2006
Mike Dillon 2006
George Grant 2006
Earl Hyder 2006
Arley Kangas 2006
Earl Kuper 2006
Al Libke Jr. 2006
Bob Lightfoot (coach) 2006
Bill Mullen (coach) 2006
Harry Nygard 2006
Doug Sisk 2006
Mike Blowers 2007
Ed Hardenbrook 2007
John Pregenzer 2007
Pete Sabutis 2007
Bill Hobert 2008
Dave Minnitti 2008 Player/Umpire
Frank Morrone 2008 Player/Umpire
Cliff Schiesz 2008
Craig Parks-Hilden 2009
Jim Nettles 2009
Baseball Tacoma, Inc (1972-1991) 2009
Stan Naccarato (General Manager), Robert Alessandro, Tom Baker, Dr. James Billingsley, Mike Block, Harold Brotman, Morley Brotman, Francis Browne, Bill Cammarano, Sr,, Ray Carlson, Brad Cheney, Warren Chinn, Larry Ghilarducci, Doug Gonyea, Norma Honeysett, Clay Huntington, Dr. Robert Johnson, Bob Kelly, Frank Manley, Carl Miraldi, Gus Paine, Frank Pupo, Frank Ruffo, Jim Topping, Mike Tucci, Sr., Walt Wiklund, Alden Woodworth, John Xitco, and E.J. “Jim Zarelli.
Sister City Cultural Baseball Exchange (1987-2009) 2009
Tony Anderson, Tak Ikeda, and Joe Kosai,.
BASKETBALL
Marv Harshman 1958 Basketball/Football
Frank Wilson 1958
John Kennedy (coach/ref) 1962
Bill Vinson (coach) 1969 Basketball/Football
Vince Hanson 1971
Max Mika 1971 Basketball/Football
Harry Werbisky 1971 Basketball/Baseball/ Football
Don Moseid (player/coach) 2005
Clint Names 2005 Basketball/Golf
Bruce Alexander (player/ref) 2005
Ron Billings (player/coach) 2005 Basketball/Football
Dan Inveen 2005 Basketball/Athletic Administrator/ FB & BB Official
Roger Iverson 2005
Gene Lundgaard (player/coach) 2005
Steve Matzen 2005
Harry McLaughlin2005
Dean Nicholson (coach) 2005
Bob Sprague 2005
Vince Strojan 2005
Jim Van Beek 2005
Tom Whalen 2005
Charlie Williams 2005
Don Zech (coach) 2005
Univ of Puget Sound Men 2005 1976 NCAA DII
National Champions
Team includes Don Zech, Mike Acres, Jim Schuldt, Doug McArthur, Brant Gibler, Rick Walker, Curt Peterson, Tim Evans, Rocky Botts, Mark Wells, A.T. Brown, Mike Hanson, Phil Hiam, Jimmy Stewart, Mike Strand, Matt McCully, Mike Kuntz, Steve Freimuth, and Bill Greenheck.
Wayne Dalesky (coach) 2006
Bob Fincham 2006 (Athlete/Coach)
Jim McKean 2006
Clarence Ramsey 2006
Ron Crowe 2007
Jerry Clyde (coach) 2007
Jerry DeLaurenti (coach) 2007
Rich Hammermaster (coach) 2007 Football (athlete)
Chelle (Flamoe) Miller 2007
Donya Monroe 2007
Clover Park HS Girls 2007 1982 State High School Champions Team includes Rhonda Chachere, Michelle (Clark) Jones, Becky (Davis) Buchanan, Mary Ann Johnson, Alison Lotspeich, Netra McGrew, Donya Monroe, Fifi Robidoux, Ruth (Rufener) Allen, Kathleen Schumock, Darlene Seeman, Kathy (Taylor) Shelby, Karen (Turner) Lee, Jim Angelel (head coach), and Joel Parker (assistant coach)
Jim Clifton 2008 Player/Coach
Steve Anstett 2008 Player/Coach
Bob Angeline 2009 Alan Kollar 2009
Mike Mullen (Coach) 2009
Kate Starbird 2009
1970-71 Puyallup HS Boys
Basketball State AAA
Championship Team (23-1) 2009
Rich Hammermaster (head coach), Jim Clifton (asst coach), Dave Normile (asst coach), Jerry DeLaurenti (scorekeeper), Merv Borden, Dave Crouch, Randy Dorn, Steve Gervais, Rick Gienger, Bruce Graham, Ron Kitts, Tom Krage, Paul Krippaehne, Lanny Lewis, Dan Picha, Jamie Reno, John Trageser, and Doug Weese. Managers Fred Angelo, Paul Baker, and Tom Drury.
BOWLING
Ted Tadich 1962
Earl Anthony 2005
Nadine Fulton 2005
Earl Johnson 2005
Jeff Mattingly 2005
Bertha McCormick 2005
Jeanne Naccarato 2005
Margie (Junge) Oleole 2005
Dave Tuell Jr. 2005
Stella “Babe” Penowich 2006
Jim Stevenson 2006
Jerry Ledbetter 2007
Davey
Dr.
Jack Boyle 2005
Patsy (Hamm) Dillingham 2005
Jerry Fotheringill 2005
Judi (Fotheringill) Fuller 2005
Jimmy Grogan 2005
Pat (Firth) Hansen 2005
John Johnsen (coach) 2005
Lois (Secreto) Schoettler 2005
Al & Iria Beeler 2007 Administrator/Judge
Kathy Casey (coach) 2007
Scott Davis 2008
FOOTBALL
Marv Tommervik (player/ref) 1958 Football/Baseball
Backfield includes Al Malanca, Dean Mellor, Len Kalapus, and Bob McGuire.
Gail Bruce 2006
Phil Carter 2006
Rod Giske 2006
Robert Iverson Sr. 2006
Tim McDonough 2006
Tom Merritt 2006
Jack Newhart 2006
Jerry Thacker 2006
Billy Sewell 2006
Paul Skansi 2006
Jim Vest 2006 Football/Track
Art Viafore 2006
Jerry Williams 2006
1980 PLU Football Team 2006
Mike Agostini, Tom Amos, Eric Anderson, John Bley, Paul Berghuis, Ken Bush, Eric Carlson, Jeff Chandler, Scott Davis, Todd Davis, Dean DeMulling, Eric Dooley, Mike Durrett, Travis Eckert, Guy Ellison, Jim Erickson, Donn Falconer, Greg Farley, John Feldmann, Jay Freisheim, Chris Fritsch, Don Gale, Don Garoutte, Jay Halle, Dan Harkins, Rob Haskin, Dale Holland, Phil Jerde, Joel Johnson, Scott Kessler, Steve Kirk, Dave Knight, Mark Lester, Tim Lusk, Dennis McDonough, Scott McKay, Chris Miller, Eric Monson, Neal Otto, Martin Parkhurst, Mike Peterson, Dave Reep, Brian Rockey, Curt Rodin, Glen Rohr, Greg Rohr, Jeff Rohr, Rocky Ruddy, Jeff Shumake, Kevin Skogen, Rob Speer, Barry Spomer, Dave Turner, Chris Utt, Rich Vjranes, Tim Wahl, Tom Wahl, Kirk Walker, Jeff Walton, Garth Warren, Mark Warren, Mike Warsinske, Chris Weber, Scott Westering, Mike Westmiller, Craig Wright, Frosty Westering (head coach), Paul Hoseth (coach), Mark Clinton (coach), Larry Green (coach), Steve Kienberger (coach), Reid Katzung (coach), and Gary Nicholson( trainer).
John Rockway2 009 Fastpitch Player/ Softball Administrator
Joyce Jones Wolf 2009 Slowpitch Coach
Bob Young 2009 Slowpitch
SWIMMING
Don Duncan (coach) 2005
Janet (Buchan) Elway 2005
Kaye Hall-Greff 2005
Dave Hannula 2005
Dick Hannula Sr. (coach) 2005
Bob Jackson 2005 Swimming/Football
Chuck Richards 2005 Swimming/ Pentathlon
Miriam (Smith) Greenwood 2005
Dick Hannula, Jr. 2006
Dan Hannula 2006
Dan Seelye 2006
Mike Stauffer 2007
Sarah (Rudolph) Cole 2007
Dan Wolfrom (coach)2007
Susan (Lenth) Moffe t2008
Rod Stewart 2008
Mark Smith 2008
Robb Powers 2008
Dana (Powers) Hubbard 2008
1970 Wilson HS Boys Swimming
State Championship Team 2008
Dick Hannula (Head coach), Jim Boettcher (Diving Coach and Assistant Swim Coach), Dave Asahara, Dave Burkey, Tom Dickson,
Jeff Edwards, Jim Gagliardi, Dan Hannula, Dave Hannula, Brent Heisler, Gary Holmquist, Mark Hoffman, Randy Hume, Chuck Johnston, Kevin Kambak, Kurt Knipher, Scot Knowles, Dennis Larsen, Steve Lindeman, Bob Music, Bart Rohrs, Herb Schairbaum, Greg Searles, Brandon Smith, Kelly Smith, Dale Sowell, Bob Tonellato, Rick Unrue, Dave Williams, Hans Wold, and Dave Wright.
Debbie Gratias Williams 2009
TENNIS
Wally Scott 1959
Mike Benson (coach) 2005
Don Flye 2005
Pat Galbraith 2005
Dave Trageser 2005
Sonja Olejar 2006
Marilyn Kropf Appel 2009
1938 Stadium tennis team 2009
Darrell “Righty” Eden, Donald “Lefty” Eden, Bill Guyles, Dick Meyer, and Bill Taylor
TRACK & FIELD
Herman Brix 1961 Shot Put
Gertrude Wilhelmsen 1971 Javelin, Discus
Doris (Severtson) Brown Heritage2005 Running
Casey Carrigan 2005 Pole Vault
Jim Daulley (coach) 2005
Sterling Harshman 2005 Track/Football
Dana LeDuc 2005 Shot Put
Mark Smith 2005 Discus
Chuck Soper 2005 Javelin/Discus
Dan Watson (coach) 2005
Mac Wilkins 2005 Shot Put, Discus
Robert A. “RAB” Young 2005 Race Walking
Mitch Angelel (coach) 2006
Hal Berndt 2006
Bob Ehrenheim (coach) 2006
Jack Fabulich 2006
Ericka Harris 2006
Sam Ring 2006
Darrell Robinson 2006
Rob Webster 2006
Jim Angelel (coach )2007
Donna Dennis 2007
Keith Tinner 2007
Curt Corvin 2008
Michelle (Finnvik) Biden 2008
Warren Logan 2008 Coach
Jim Martinson 2008
Aaron Williams 2008
Burt Wells 2008 Coach
Joline Staeheli Andrzejewski 2009
Tom Buckner 2009 Coach
Cecilia Ley Hankinson 2009
Brian Mittelstaedt
VOLLEYBALL
Lauri (Wetzel) Hayward 2005 Volleyball/Basketball
Sarah (Silvernail) Elliott 2005
Cindy (Pitzinger) Willey 2005
Lisa Beauchene 2006
Lorrie Post Hodge 2006
Karen Goff-Downs 2007
Carla (Reyes) Redhair 2007
Suzanne (Vick) Paulsen 2008
WATER POLO
Jerry Hartley 2008 Coach
WRESTLING
Frank Stojack 1959 Wrestling/Football
Jerry Conine 2005 Wrestling/Football
Bob Hunt 2005 Wrestling/Football/ Track
Jim Meyerhoff 2005
David Olmstead 2005
Jeff Gotcher 2005
Larry Gotcher 2005
Ron Ellis 2006
Bill Stout (athlete/coach) 2006
Vic Eshpeter 2007
Elsworth Finlayson 2007
Kirk White 2008
Terry Dawson 2009
Jesus Villahermosa 2009
SPORTS WRITERS/BROADCASTERS
Elliott Metcalf 1966
Dan Walton 1968
State Of Washington Sports Hall Of Fame
In recognition of the many fine individual contributions to athletics, the Tacoma Athletic Commission established the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 1960. Commissioned by then-governor Albert D. Rosellini and originated by Clay Huntington, longtime Northwest sportscaster and radio station owner, the State Hall of Fame inductions are held annually. These Hall of Fame members are recognized for their outstanding sports accomplishments and contributions that have brought national acclaim to themselves and to the state of Washington. A committee of sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout the state cast ballots to determine the new inductees who are selected from an impressive list of candidates. Guest speakers over the years read like a who’s who of celebrities and have included the likes of Arnold Palmer, Tom Harmon, Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, Joe E. Brown, Joe Namath, Pat Boone, Lenny Wilkens, John Hadl, Hugh O’Brien, Leo Durocher, Andy Devine, Frank Leahy, Buddy Rogers, and Willie Mays.
Nominations for future considerations may be submitted in writing to:
State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame c/o Tacoma Athletic Commission
P.O. Box 11304, Tacoma, WA 98411
For more information contact Clay Huntington, Executive Director at KLAY1180@blarg.net or at 253-581-0324 or Marc Blau, Assistant Executive Director, at 253-848-1360 or marc@tacomaathletic.com.
STATE OF WASHINGTON
SPORTS HALL OF FAME ROSTER 1960-2007
BASEBALL
Earl Averill 1964
Mike Blowers 2005
Ed Brandt 1989
George Burns 1974
Ron Cey 1994
Harlond Clift 1977
Ira Flagstead 2003
Jack Fournier 1979
Vean Gregg 1963
Jeff Heath 1974
Fred Hutchinson 1962
Woody Jensen 1989
Bob Johnson 1964
Earl Johnson 1983
Roy Johnson 1978
Hubert “Hub” Kittle 2003
Amos Rusie 1986
Ryne Sandberg 2003
Ron Santo 1983
Gerry Staley 1977
Wes Stock 1994
Mel Stottlemyre 1989
Earl Torgeson 1969
Edo Vanni 2005
George “Rube” Walberg 1978
Ray Washburn 1979
Joyner “JoJo” White 1980
Sammy White 1980
BASKETBALL
Elgin Baylor 1962
Gale Bishop 1968
Fred Brown 1997
Frank Burgess 2004
Gene Conley 1979
Bobby Galer 1979
Vince Hanson 2007
Marv Harshman 1994
Steve Hawes 2004
Bob Houbregs 1969
Hal Lee 1974
Paul Lindeman 1994
Bill Morris 1983
Jack Nichols 1965
Eddie O’Brien 1967
Johnny O’Brien 1967
Doug Smart 1994
Jack Sikma 1998
BOAT RACING
Bill Muncey 1986
Stan Sayres 1996
Billy Schumacher 1979
BOWLING
Earl Anthony 1994
BOXING
Al Hostak 1965
Freddie Steele 1961
Pat McMurtry 2006
FOOTBALL
Chuck Allen 1983
Morris “Red” Badgro 1967
Sam Baker 1977
Jimmie Cain 1997
Hugh Campbell* 1994
Tony Canadeo 1974
Chuck Carroll 1965
Gail Cogdill 1989
Turk Edwards 1968
Ray Flaherty 1963
Ray Frankowski 1994
Ed Goddard 1983
Mel Hein 1961
Don Heinrich 1974
Steve Largent 1999
Keith Lincoln 1980
Vic Markov 1977
Ray Mansfield 1997
Hugh McElhenny 1963
Butch Meeker 1964
Terry Metcalf 2004
Laurie Niemi 2007
Don Paul 1978
Ahmad Rashad 1996
Rick Redman 1994
George Reed 1983
Bob Schloredt 1996
Paul Schwegler 1986
Ernie Steele 1977
Harland Svare 1969
LaVern Torgeson* 1994
Arnie Weinmeister 1970
Frosty Westering 2007
Jerry Williams* 1994
George Wilson 1960 *denotes outstanding coaching qualifications as well.
GOLF
Joanne Gunderson Carner 1994
Chuck Congdon 1978
Rod Funseth 1999
Harry Givan 1970
Pat Lesser-Harbottle 1999
Anne Quast Sander 1997
Ken Still 1994
Marvin “Bud” Ward 1963
Jack Westland 1983
HANDBALL
Gordy Pfeifer 1994
HOCKEY
Frank Foyston 1986
HORSE RACING
Basil James 1967
SHOOTING
Arnold Reigger 1964
SKIING
Gretchen Kunigk-Fraser 1960
Phil Mahre 1996
Steve Mahre 1996
Olav Ulland 1966
SWIMMING
Kaye Hall Greff 1983
Dick Hannula 1994
Helene Madison 1960
Jack Medica 1962
TENNIS
Tom Gorman 1997
Janet Hopps-Adkisson 1998
“Trish” Bostrom 2006
TRACK & FIELD
Herman Brix 1961
Gerry Lindgren 1979
Mac Wilkins 1999
Brian Sternberg 1980
Doris Severtsen Brown 2005
SPORTSWRITERS & BROADCASTERS
Rod Belcher 1999
Bob Blackburn 2001
Royal Brougham 1968
Clay Huntington 1999
Les Keiter 2001
Leo Lassen 1974
John McCallum 1994
Georg Meyers 2001
Harry Missildine 2001
Dave Niehaus 2004
Vince O’Keefe 1977
Bob Robertson 2007
Milt Woodard 1989
COACHES & ADMINISTRATORS
Enoch Bagshaw, Football Coach 1983
Buck Bailey, Baseball Coach 1966
Fred “Doc” Bohler, Athletic Director, Football and Track Coach 1986
Vincent “Nig” Borleske, Football, Basketball, and Baseball Coach 1960
Rusty Callow, Crew Coach 1964
John Chaplin, Track & Field Coach 2005
Ben B. Cheney, Philanthrophy-Baseball 2004
John Cherberg, Football Coach 2006
Hiram Conibear, Crew Coach 1960
Harry Deegan, Administrator-Horse Breeding 1970
Gil Dobie, Football Coach 1961
Clarence “Hec” Edmundson, Basketball and Track Coach 1966
Jack Friel, Basketball Coach 1978
Joe Gottstein, Administrator—Horse Racing 1977
John Heinrick, Football, Basketball, and Baseball Coach 1969
Babe Hollingbery, Football Coach 1962
Don James, Football Coach 1998
Stan Naccarato, Promoter-General Manager 2004
Bill Nollan, Football, Baseball, Basketball and Track Coach 1978
Jim Owens, Football Coach 1989
Jimmy Phelan, Football Coach 1970
Torchy Torrance, Administrator—Baseball 1989
Al Ulbrickson, Crew Coach 1963
Inductees Into The Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall Of Fame Class Of 2009
Bob Angeline
Bob Angeline, born on July 16, 1923 in Enumclaw, was a guard on the Stadium High School midget team for two years before becoming the varsity team captain as a senior. He also played baseball on the 1939 Stadium High state championship team.
After graduating from Stadium High School in 1942, and after serving his country during World War II, Bob went on to become a basketball standout at the College of Puget Sound, where he started all four years before graduating in 1950. He twice earned all-conference honors, and also led the team in scoring in two of his four seasons. He played in the NAIB national tournament in Kansas City in 1949-50, and in the National VFW Tournament in Mankato, Minn., in 1950.
Following his collegiate career, Bob played in the AAU league at the University of Washington where in 1952 he broke a 15-year-old record by scoring 33 points in a game. Bob also played basketball on teams coached by fellow Tacoma-Pierce County Hall of Fame member Tom Cross.
Bob became a high school and college basketball referee in 1950 and continued in that role that through the 1957 season. He worked the Class B state tournament in 1955 and the Class A state tournament in 1956 and 1957. In 1956, he worked the championship game between Lincoln of Seattle and Anacortes.
Bucky Austin
Drag racer Bucky Austin won over 200 events in NHRA, AHRA, and open match races, including two wins in the famous 64 Funny Cars event. Bucky posted four consecutive Division 6 Championships and in 1994 was inducted into the NHRA Hall of Fame.
In the American Hot Rod Association, Austin won four Funny Car World Championships. Though he won his first national event in 1989, Austin has, to a great extent, been a regional racer. He has 15 National Event wins, including all nationals currently conducted in the west.
As such, he is legendary.
Born in Port Townsend on October 15, 1949, Austin graduated from Lakes High School in 1968. While at Lakes, Austin played linebacker and center for the Lancers football team. He wrestled for Lakes in the 198-pound division.
But it was when Austin turned his attention to racing that he found his calling. Since getting his first national racing win in 1989, and going on to all those victories, Austin has turned his attention to yet another area in recent summers.
For the past two years, Austin has concentrated on vintage drag racing and continued to be at the front of the sport. Bucky was inducted into the Northwest Motor Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Austin also is CEO for Midway Muffler & Radiator, Inc.
Ed Bemis was a Tacoma sports icon for six decades. He was born in Port Angeles on October 17, 1924 and passed away on October 28, 2004. Ed graduated from Lincoln High School – where he played third base in baseball for the Abes and on both sides of the ball in football – in 1943.
When he returned from the Navy, Bemis married Tina Gagliardi who had attended high school with him. They lived in the Puyallup Valley for 48 years where they reared their three children. He also enrolled at the College of Puget Sound following the Navy where he continued to participate in athletics. On the football team he started at right halfback and later was moved to quarterback.
Bemis founded the Pierce County Bengals semi-pro football team in 1973. In 1977 the Bengals won the West Coast Semi-Pro Championship. The Bengals were crowned national champions by Pro Football Weekly in 1979 after defeating San Jose.
Ed was also the driving force and organizer of the Old Jocks Lunch Club in 1994 which gave athletes who played high school and college sports back in the 40s an excuse to renew friendships and remember the “good ole days”.
Ed retired from the Kelley Farquhar Frozen Food Company in Puyallup as general plant manager but his fondest and favorite activities were his founding of the Pierce County Bengals and the Old Jox Lunch Club.
Ed Bemis
Harry Bird
Harry Bird was born in Chicago, Ill., on January 29, 1916. But it was in the Puget Sound where Bird became something of a legend as a football and wrestling coach.
Bird graduated from Lakeside High School in Seattle in 1935. Four years later, Bird graduated from the University of Washington.
When Bird finished a 15-year coaching career in football and wrestling at Wilson High School in Tacoma in 1973, Tacoma News Tribune reporter Ted Pearson wrote of the longtime coach: “There is no way of accurately estimating Harry Bird’s impact on the game of football or on the youth of Tacoma. Harry was first class, a gentleman all the way.”
Bird compiled an 82-40-9 record in football at Wilson, but he began his coaching career many years earlier as an assistant at College of Puget Sound. By 1952, Bird had taken a job with the Tacoma School District and began coaching at Lincoln High.
Bird stayed with the Abes from 1952 to 1957 before moving to Wilson. During his years with the Rams, he won five City League Championships and one AP Poll State Championship and took his undefeated 1970 squad over to Hawaii to play undefeated Punaho. He was inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame after winning five league championships and was inducted into the State Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1987..
Bird’s career, and life, came to an abrupt end doing the thing he had spent most of his adult life doing – coaching. Bird collapsed at halftime of a September football game and died an hour later.
Bob Bjorke
Born October 8, 1948, Bob Bjorke has bowled in competitive adult leagues since 1967, the year he graduated from Franklin Pierce High School. Along the way, he rolled 17 perfect 300 games and passed the 800 mark in a three-game series 10 times. His high series is 856.
Bob is a 10-time member of Greater Tacoma Bowling Association all-star teams. He’s a member of the GTBA Hall of Fame (1995) and the Western Washington Senior Bowling Association Hall of Fame (2005). He was a member of the Tacoma All-Star Traveling League team champion eight times. In three of those seasons, he scored the highest average in the league. In the 200304 season, he rolled his best season average, 234.
He won three Northwest Bowling Association tournaments, six Western Washington Senior Bowling Association titles and three Northwest Senior Tour titles.
In his time away from the alley, Bob lives in Lakewood and works as an electrical inspector for the State of Washington.
Tom Buckner
Tom Buckner credits much of his life’s success to his involvement in athletics, especially track and field. A retired former school teacher, Buckner was born on May 28, 1941 in Seattle. He graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School (Vancouver, WA) in 1959 and Central Washington University in 1966. He participated in track and football in both high school and college.
In 1959, Buckner tied the state record in the 200-yard dash when he ran a time of 21.2 seconds. Buckner won a state title in the 100-yard dash in 1958 and was second in 1959. He also was a state champion as part of the Hudson’s Bay 4x220 relay team.
After graduating from CWU, Buckner began a coaching career at Franklin Pierce High and coached football and track for the Cardinals from 1966 to 1978 before moving across the state to Mead High from 1979 to 1986. While with the Cardinals of Franklin Pierce, Buckner and assistant Jerry Russell won four consecutive state track and field championships--in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977. With a number of top 10 places earned while at Mead, Buckner was an overwhelming selection into the Washington State Coaches Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1998.
Buckner continued his coaching career at Gresham High in Oregon, and most recently in Colorado and in 2009 he serves as the boys and girls track coach at Montbello High in Thornton, Colo.
Buckner also found success on the ski slopes of Washington. He was a ski racer at Crystal Mountain and other places from 1968-88. Buckner also has been an advisor to the U.S. Development Ski Team in the area of mental performance skills.
Dave Tuell, Jr (second from left) and Earl Anthony (center), joined Bob Bjorke (far right) at the ABC tournament in 1987. Lou Moore, under the watchful eye of coach Tom Buckner, became a 7’1” high jumper at Franklin Pierce High School.
Terry Dawson
As a senior at Puyallup High School in 1967, Terry was a state wrestling champion at 154 pounds. His effort on the mat earned him a scholarship to Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake and as a freshman, he was elected co-captain and was unbeaten (12-0-1) in league meets at 152 pounds. The regional success qualified him for the national junior college tournament in Worthington, Minnesota in 1968 where Terry placed fourth. As a sophomore at Big Bend, Terry was again unbeaten against conference opponents, this time at 160 pounds. For the national tournament he decided to move up to the 167pound weight class so that he wouldn’t have diet so much. It was a good move as Terry was crowned the National Junior College Champion in 1969.
“ I remember back in high school, the swim coach, Hall of Famer Jerry Hartley, came to me and said, `Why don’t you turn out for the swim team. I can make you a state champion.’ I felt bad telling him I couldn’t because I was a wrestler. Months later after I won the state championship in wrestling he said, `Congratulations Terry you were right, you are a wrestler.’ So that was my gift.”
Terry, who was born in Tacoma on December 30, 1948, retired after 33 years with the Tacoma Fire Department, and has privately coached and tutored wresters over the years. Along the way, he’s tried to replicate his wrestling success in handball, racquetball, bowling, softball, golf, skiing and mountain climbing (six summits of Mount Rainier).
Stan Farber
One of the area’s top sportswriters for many years, Tacoma native Stan Farber gave much of himself to local sports until he passed away on Sept. 5, 2005.
Stan’s passion for Tacoma sports happenings blossomed in the late 1950s while he was a student at Stadium High School. He served as the school newspaper’s sports editor and as manager of the 1959 state championship basketball team.
After graduating from Stadium in 1959, Stan served as student sports information director at College of Puget Sound before graduating in 1963. Names and numbers of athletes at his two schools never escaped the mind of Farber, whose friends dubbed him “Facts” Farber.
In 1959, the same year that he graduated from high school, Stan started a 27-year career with the Tacoma News Tribune. Stan covered nearly every Tacoma area sport and every team. He was most proud of his coverage of the Tacoma Dome campaign when he championed the effort to build a “Dome of our Own.”
A voting member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Stan was also a big Seattle Mariners fan, particularly enjoying the home games. Prior to the Mariners’ existence, however, he covered the 1969 Seattle Pilots for the News Tribune.
Stan Farber, left, interviews Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn during construction of the Seattle Kingdome as the home of the new American League expansion Seattle Mariners baseball team.
After leaving the local newspaper, Stan formed the Farber News Service, covering local sports for various media around the country. For many years, Stan was an active member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association, helping to produce the souvenir program. During the era when Pacific Lutheran University played the University of Puget Sound in football at the Tacoma Dome, Stan produced the multi-page game program. He also helped establish the Nifty Fifties, an organization that catered to former 1950s-era high school athletes.
And you couldn’t write about Stan Farber without acknowledging that he was the “King of Trivia.” Farber delighted in compiling a long list of local sports trivia questions that invariably would stump his friends and acquaintances.
Gregg Friberg
Gregg Friberg was born on March 2, 1931, in Tacoma. The retired coach, athletic director and teacher graduated from Stadium High School in 1949 and headed off to Pullman to play football for Washington State University.
Gregg played three years of football as a center and linebacker at Stadium and in 1948 he was an All-City and All-State First team selection. He also was named honorary captain that same season when the Mooreheart, Illinois team traveled to Tacoma to play the Tigers. His senior season Greg was selected to the All-State team and competed in the annual State vs. Seattle game.
Friberg played three varsity seasons (1950-52) for the Cougars, starting all three years at linebacker.
In 1951, Friberg was part of a defense that helped WSU win the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division title. After he graduated from WSU, Friberg immediately began his coaching career as an assistant with the Cougars freshman team.
In 1956, Friberg became the football and baseball coach at Gault Junior High. In 1960 and 1961, the Gault football team won Tacoma city championships with undefeated seasons.
Also in 1961, Friberg became the first-ever football coach at Mount Tahoma High School. He spent four seasons on the sidelines before becoming athletic director at Mount Tahoma from 1965-82.
Debbie Gratias Williams
Debbie’s competitive swimming career began as a 9-year-old member of the Fircrest Amateur Swim Team in 1963. Before she graduated from Tacoma’s Wilson High in 1972, her talent and training in the pool elevated her to Top 20 world ranking.
With the coaching of Gary Dyer and Dick Hannula, Debbie’s racing times continually dropped. At 15, in 1969, she qualified for the U.S. National Championship meet in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. She traveled to Long Beach, CA and shared a room with another Tacoma Swim Club great, Kaye Hall, who had won two gold medals at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.
Debbie qualified for the national championships again in 1970, placing sixth in the 100-meter breaststroke. She was also part of the Tacoma Swim Club’s 400-meter medley relay team that placed fourth in the nation in 1970. In 1971, Debbie placed eighth in the 100-meter breaststroke at the national meet. She also competed in the 1972 Olympic Trials in Chicago as an 18-year-old.
Debbie is one of 15 Tacoma Swim Club members who have achieved Top 25 world rankings. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Zoology degree and a teaching certificate.
Craig Parks-Hilden
Craig was a basketball and baseball star at Bellarmine Prep, graduating in 1967. He was selected by the Houston Astros in the third round (46th overall) of the Major League Baseball draft that summer and had a strong minor league career before arm trouble interrupted his path to the majors. A lefty on the mound, Parks-Hilden won 12 games and lost 8 with a 3.20 earned-run average in 36 minor league games, 20 of them as a starter.
As a 17-year-old in the short-season Appalachian League, Craig led the league in wins and strikeouts. He was also 10-for-19 (.526) at the plate that summer. The following year, in the Florida State League, he matched up against future Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer and beat him twice.
A shoulder injury ended his pitching career before surgery became a popular option to extend careers. At the Astros’ spring training camp in 1970, Craig attempted to continue as an outfielder but he couldn’t throw and his baseball career ended.
Parks-Hilden, born October 10, 1949, earned four letters in baseball and basketball at Bellarmine. Under head coach Ron Urquhart, he won the 1967 city scoring title in basketball, averaging 19.5 points and edging out Wilson’s Don Gustafson. His on-the-court talent at the forward position earned him all-city and all-state honors.
On the diamond Craig experienced success at a young age as his Connie Mack teams won state and regional titles and he garnered All Star honors in the 1966 Connie Mack World Series. Coach of that team was former UPS head baseball coach Jack McGee. He subsequently was the pitching coach for the University of Portland Pilots baseball team from 1992-94.
While working as a commercial fisherman out of Gig Harbor for 20 years, Craig found time to compete on the Northwest Racquetball Tour, winning numerous singles and doubles titles from 1982-1992. He now works in golf equipment sales and lives in Gleneden Beach, Oregon.
Mike Ingraham
Mike Ingraham enjoyed a 40-year career in the newspaper industry, including 24 years with daily newspapers and 16 more as the co-owner, editor and publisher of the Western Gambling Journal.
Mike was born on April 10, 1940 in Centralia and graduated from Centralia High School, where he played baseball, in 1958. He went on to attend both Centralia College and Central Washington University before settling into the journalism field.
Mike worked at the Tacoma News Tribune for more than 20 years, covering a variety of sports at different levels – preps for several years and Pacific Lutheran University football and basketball. For three years he covered the Tacoma Tigers of the Pacific Coast League, and he also worked the desk as a copy editor and page editor for 15 years.
Mike truly made his mark, however, as the bowling writer for the News Tribune. Mike covered hundreds of tournaments, including 10 Firestone Tournament of Champions on the professional bowling tour. He reported on a U.S. Open Championship, a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) national doubles championship and more than 20 PBA tournaments in Seattle, Portland and Reno. On the local level, he covered 20 Tacoma Masters and 20 Tacoma-Seattle Inter-City bowling matches as a Tacoma News Tribune reporter.
It should be surprising that, during the 1970s, Mike Ingraham was recognized by the PBA as writing more about professional bowling than any other sports writer in the country.
His knowledge of and experience in the sport led him to a role as a voter for both the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame and the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. He has been inducted into the Greater Tacoma Bowling Association Hall of Fame and the Northwest Bowlers Association Hall of Fame.
During his free time, Mike averaged in the 170s in 25 years of bowling.
Mike ingraham interviews Earl Anthony at the Firestone Tournament of Chanmpions.
Joyce Jones Wolf
Joyce Wolf was born in Ogden, Utah on June 4, 1930. A retired civil servant who worked for the Department of Defense, Wolf graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma in 1949 where she was a competitive swimmer and diver at the school.
While still a Tiger, Wolf began a distinguished local career in softball. As early as 1948, Wolf played second and third base on the Lincoln Electric fastpitch team. Over the next 18 years, Wolf played variously with Pacific Mutual Fuel , the U.S. Army, and Hollywood Boat & Motor.
In 1966, Wolf turned her attention to slowpitch, playing all over the infield for The Gage (1966) and Pizza Pete (1967-1971).
In 1972, Wolf began a stellar coaching career in slowpitch softball with the B&E Tavern, Creekwater Dispensary and BJ’s All-Stars. Over the next 10 years, Wolf’s teams won four regional tournaments and played in three national tournaments.
Maybe Wolf’s most successful run during that time period came at the very beginning. From 1972-74, Wolf’s teams compiled 151 wins and only 19 losses. During that time Wolf’s teams won the Western Washington League every year to qualify for Regionals. The team also won 19 out of 22 tournaments entered and were considered “THE” team to beat throughout Washington and Oregon.
In three national tournament appearances, Wolf’s teams went 3-6. Over the course of her tenure as coach, her teams averaged six all-star awards at tournaments they played in, and her players won at least four MVP awards.
While she made her mark on the softball field for over 35 years, Joyce also coached competitive women’s basketball teams and was a nationally rating basketball referee, working both recreation leagues and well as UPS and PLU collegiate games as well and later on excelled in golf.
Marilyn Kropf Appel
In 1947, with the blessings of coach Art Smith and while a junior attending Lincoln High School, Marilyn Kropf challenged and won a position on the Lincoln boy’s varsity tennis team. She became the first girl in the history of the school to play on an interscholastic boys’ team and to compete against teams from other Cross-State League schools.
The number five man on that team was Jim Beaty, a sophomore, who played on the school hockey team. “I was the low man on the totem pole and that she did beat me in a challenge match. She wasn’t real powerful but no matter what you hit or where, she’d always hit it back.” “Our challenge matches were marathons. The first time she beat me the scores were 4-6, 6-4 and 12-10. The next time she beat me 6-4, 4-6, 8-6. “
“Back then I got my tennis equipment at Dill Howell Sporting Goods, like most people did, and the guys down there felt sorry for me for losing to Marilyn so they chipped in to get me a membership at the Tacoma Lawn & Tennis Club my junior and seniors years which was pretty nice,” he said. When some of the opposing all-boys teams refused to play her, the Associated Press picked up the story and published her picture nationwide. When Lincoln baseball coach Bill Mullen heard what was going on he declared, “if there are any good girl baseball players in school who can beat the boys on the team, I want them to turn out--and now. We can use them!”
Marilyn, who was born in Tacoma on June 29, 1930, won every match for two years and became the first girl to win a varsity letter at the school. Although unsubstantiated, she may very well have been the first female in the United States to play on a boys’ varsity sports team. The Lincoln Letterman’s Club Constitution had to be rewritten to allow a female to participate.
From 1946 to 1948, Marilyn won every Club and City championship. Sponsored by the Tacoma Lawn and Tennis Club, she toured throughout the Northwest and won many titles, among them the Pacific Northwest Junior Women’s Singles Championship in 1948.
After high school, Marilyn attended the University of Washington and became the All-University Women’s Tennis Champion. During her lifetime, Marilyn continued participating in local and national tournaments. In 1974 she won the Women’s “40 and over” National Indoor Doubles Tennis Championship.
While raising the family, Marilyn taught and coached their four daughters-Judy, Jill, Jenny, and Janie--throughout their high school years at Mercer Island high where they were on championship teams from 1970-1980. She then assisted Vic Braden at the Jack Kramer Country Club and later served as a tennis instructor at the Blue Ridge Tennis Club in Seattle for 15 years. Marilyn and husband, Jim Appel, are current members of the Seattle Tennis Club.
Left to Right: Joyce Wolf, superfan Harold Larsen, Sue Vincent and Nancy Craig.
Allan Kollar
Allan Kollar grew up in the Parkland area where he twice earned all-conference honors at Franklin Pierce High School. Allan’s high school coaches included a handful of Pacific Lutheran College graduates – Del Schafer, Eldon Kyllo and Bob Ross – so it was a natural for him to attend PLC.
Allan averaged double figures in scoring in four seasons of men’s basketball at Pacific Lutheran, with a single-season best of 15.9 points per game as a sophomore. He finished his career with 1,285 points in 99 games from 1966-70, an average of 12.9 points per game. His single-game highs of 38 points and 24 rebounds rank him in the top 10 on those Pacific Lutheran men’s basketball lists. At the conclusion of his career, he ranked eighth on the career scoring list, and Allan still ranks 14th almost three decades later. He still holds the school single-game records for consecutive free throws made (15) and for free throws in a game (16), both coming against Western Washington on Dec. 2, 1966.
Not only was Allan an outstanding scorer, he led the Lutes in rebounding each of his final three seasons, averaging at least 11 rebounds per game in two separate seasons. Allan twice earned all-conference first team honors during his Pacific Lutheran career. As a senior, he received NAIA honorable mention All-America and Lutheran College All-America. He also earned NAIA all-district second team recognition during his final three seasons at Pacific Lutheran. Allan was inducted in the Pacific Lutheran University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. After his collegiate career, Allan played AAU basketball and was twice selected to the all-star team for the Seattle region. He is the owner of A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings, specializing in 19th and 20th century American art.
Dr. Charles P. Larson
Dr. Larson started his boxing career in 1927 when he boxed as an amateur and, as the story goes, had a few professional fights which led him to believe that a more academic career in medicine might be a more appropriate choice.
He attended Gonzaga University then medical school at McGill University in Montreal. He became interested in neuropathology which led him to forensic medicine. WWII brought him into the world of war crimes where he spent his time investigating war related deaths in the European theatre. At the end of the war he testified at the Nuremberg trials. Upon return to the states he settled with his wife Margaret in Tacoma.
Larson, who was born in Spokane in 1910, was appointed chairman of the Washington State Athletic Commission in 1957 by Governor Rosellini. His interest in boxing continued with involvement locally in the Golden Gloves and nationally as a ring physician and boxing judge. Many a night was spent at the Larson household watching the Gillette Friday night fight with each member of the family scoring the bout with the 10-point must system.
One of the commission’s first acts was to license 1956 Olympic heavyweight champion Pete Rademacher to make his pro debut against world pro titlist Floyd Patterson in Seattle in 1957.
The idea of pairing an amateur for his first pro bout with the world pro champion was an unusual concept but one that promoter Jack Hurley was willing to try. While some nationally called the match “ridiculous,” Larson responded in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer by saying that if Rademacher won the fight, “we will recognize him as the heavyweight champion of the world in the great sovereign State of Washington.”
Dr. Larson, a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, became interested in the injuries in boxing especially those involving the brain. He designed and lobbied successfully for the padding in the floor mats to prevent head trauma and he was responsible for getting the turn buckles wrapped also preventing head injuries.
In 1961 he was elected the president of the National Boxing Association, the oldest and most prestigious sanctioning organization for boxing. He realized the global nature of boxing and in 1962 became the first president of the newly formed World Boxing Association replacing the NBA.
His strong influence in boxing circles made Tacoma and the Northwest an important boxing venue. The rich history of Tacoma boxing continues to this day as a result of his influence.
Kollar crashed the boards against the UPS Loggers.
Left to Right: Govenor Hugh Rosellini, Larson and Frank Stojack
Lindsey Lauderdale
Lindsey was among the elite gymnasts in the United States at the peak of her career as a 14-year-old in 1992. At the USGAIC national championships in Las Vegas, she was the all-around and floor exercise champion, outperforming future Olympian Elise Ray. Lindsey also earned medals on the vault, bars and balance beam at the national meet.
Working with coach John Smith of NASA Gymnastics, Lindsey was a USA Gymnastics Junior Olympian from 1989 through 1994. During that time, she also won nine Pacific Northwest gold medals, including all-around titles in 1991, 1992 and 1994.
Lindsey was selected to represent the Washington in an all-star competition in 1992 and she led the team to victory in Missoula, Montana. She was the youngest competitor in the meet and she won the all-around and balance beam titles. Her balance beam and floor routines were considered to be ahead of her time in terms of performance, consistency and difficulty.
A 1997 graduate of Mt. Tahoma High School, Lindsey took her acrobatic form to the diving board where she was a three-time league champion and three-time state championship qualifier.
Lindsey, born December 20, 1977, lives in DuPont and is a social worker for the State of Washington.
Cecilia Ley Hankinson
Born in Olympia, Wash on March 26, 1944, Cecilia Ley Hankinson dominance in track and field earned her a place in the record books. A student at the Aquinas Academy in Tacoma, Wash., Hankinson had already made her mark on the sport by the time she graduated in 1962.
On June 4, 1960, Hankinson set a record with the fastest time of any female on the Pacific Coast in the 100 yard dash (11.3 seconds). She also recorded the highest jump of any female in the United States (5’ 1/2”). Her performances earned Outstanding Athlete recognition at the Olympia meet. At the National Junior Olympics the same year, she set a senior division record with a high jump of five feet, two-and-onehalf inches.
In July 1960, Hankinson placed sixth in the high jump at the senior women’s Olympic trials in Abilene, Texas, at only 16 years of age. She broke the record the next year, setting an American girls’ record at the National Junior Championships with a jump of five feet, three-and-one-quarter inches.
Upon graduation from Aquinas, Hankinson enrolled at Olympic Community College. She continued to compete in track and field, taking part in the Invitational Nationals in Los Angeles in 1962. In 1963 Ley competed in the AAU Pentathlon and set a Northwest record pentathlon record consisting of five events--80-meter hurdles, shot put, high jump, broad jump and the 200-meter dash.
1963 Mic Macs Track Team. Front Row Left to Right: Doris Severtson Brown, Nancy Tanskanen. Back Row Left to Right: Bob McQuarrie (coach), Carol Moergeli, Cecilia Ley, Vicki Auch, and Pat Baker
The Olympic Committee chose Hankinson in 1964 to serve as a United States delegate for the Tokyo Olympics. In 1988, she became the first woman inducted into the Bellarmine High School Hall of Fame.
It wasn’t all fame and glory for Cecilia and teammate Doris Severtson, who would go on to become a World Cross Country champion and Olympian better known as Doris Brown Heritage. Equipment for the Mic Macs Track Team under the guidance of coach Robert McQuarrie was primitive and scarce. Opportunities to compete were minimal but McQuarrie stood his ground.
“A large group of people in the Unites States are talking about the poor showing made b our women athletes in a dual track meet held in Moscow, Russia on July 20-21. Talk is cheap and cheap talk will not help our women athletes”, said McQuarrie.
“ Women interested in track receive very little encouragement from the public and they do not have a wellorganized track program like the boys and men. We have tried for years to get track for girls in our schools, and to date we have made very little progress. In this country it took 70 years for women to be accepted in tennis and golf. We are hoping it will not take that long for them to be accepted in track,” concluded McQuarrie.
Brian Mittelstaedt
Middle distance runner Brian Mittelstaedt was born on June 18, 1951 in Tacoma. Currently a chiropractic physician in Port Angeles, Mittelstaedt first made a name for himself as a runner while attending Mount Tahoma High School, from where he graduated in 1969.
While running at Mount Tahoma, Mittelstaedt set school and city records in the one-mile run. He was a state cross country and track participant every year during high school, and was named the Thunderbirds athlete of the year as a senior during the 1968-69 school year.
After high school, Mittelstaedt t attended Stanford University, where he ran track and cross country for three years. He was named the captain of the cross country team as a senior and was an NCAA finalist in the mile in 1973.
His awards while at Stanford included the PACE (given to athlete who maximizes physical potential through excellent mental attitude), the Buck Club Leadership Award, MVP of the cross country team in 1972, and the most competitive point winner for the ’73 track team.
Mike Mullen
Mike Mullen is quite literally a member of a coaching family. Born in Sedro Woolley, Wash., in 1938, Mullen’s father (Bill), uncle (Dan Mullen) and cousin (Dan Mullen) all earned recognition and respect within the coaching ranks for their various sports. Mike’s two sons, Pat and Nick, daughter Molly Schelbert, son-in-law Mark Schelbert, and daughter-in-law Jill Fox-Mullen, all followed in the coaching tradition, becoming successful high school coaches and teachers.
Pat, Molly and Nick had coaching handed down to them not only by their father but also by their mom, Rosanne Ennis Mullen. Her father, Jimmy Ennis, brother Terry and brother-in-law Rick Stubrud were also well-known throughout the coaching ranks.
Mullen graduated from Bellarmine High School in 1956, where he played basketball and ran track. He earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from Seattle University in 1961.
Tacoma’s Stewart Junior High offered him his first basketball coaching experience, from 1961 to 1968. In that time, he compiled an 84-12 record with five league titles. Among his players who went on to have great careers at Lincoln high were Ron Lund, Tim McDonough, Dean Ecklund, Bob Harris and the Womack brothers--Jim, Bob and Joe. From 1969-71, Mullen served as an assistant coach to Jerry Redberg at Curtis High School. The 1970-71 varsity team went 24-0 to win the AA state title and among the players he coached there were Clay Angle, Jim Ball and Mark Wells. When Decatur High School opened in 1971, Mike became the school’s first head cross country, basketball and track coach. He moved to Olympia High School in 1972, compiling a 57-29 record from 1972 to 1976.
Mullen made his mark at Bethel High School, where he coached from 1978 to 1996. In his time at Bethel, he put together a 271-136 record. In 10 State Tournament appearances, he earned a trophy five times. His 1988 team won a district title among his 14 district appearances. He also won four league titles and was named Coach of the Year four times.
In 2000, Mullen was inducted into the Washington State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. In his career, he earned five state trophies in 11 appearances at the tournament, two district titles in 16 appearances, five league titles and five Coach of the Year honors. His total career record between junior high, junior varsity and varsity stands at 487-202.
Mike demonstrates to son, Pat, the art of getting the attention of the officials, of which Mike was a master.
Jim Nettles
Baseball has always been a part of Jim Nettles’ life. Born March 2, 1947, in San Diego, Calif., Nettles played and graduated from San Diego State University and was chosen in the fourth round of the MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins in 1968. Nettles made his MLB debut with the Twins on Sept. 7, 1970, and went on to play 240 Major League games for the Twins, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Oakland A’s.
Jim and his brother Graig earned a distinct spot in the record books on Sept. 14, 1974, when the pair became only the fourth set of brothers in American League history to hit a home run in the same game. The pair ranks fifth all-time among brother combinations with 406 home runs--Jim hit 16 and Graig hit 390.
Nettles had the opportunity to play with current Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel and former Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly as members of the Tacoma Twins teams of the early 70’s.. Once his playing career ended, Nettles took over as a minor league manager from 1983 to 1996. He managed for three different organizations, compiling an overall 792-903 managerial record.
Jim received various honors throughout the course of his career. In 1967, he was named a National Baseball Congress All-American as an outfielder for San Diego State. He was an American Association All Star in 1970, and also had the opportunity to manage the winning team in the 1986 Midwest League All Star Game.
Jim Nettles hit a grand slam for the Minnesota Twins and is greeted at the plate by Tony Oliva (3), Steve Braun (6), and Harmon Killebrew (3).
Currently working as a baseball instructor in Tacoma, Wash., Nettles is the father-in-law of Seattle Mariners’ designated hitter/first baseman Mike Sweeney.
Bill Parker
Born in 1945, Bill Parker was the star athlete who turned down potential fame to stay home and serve his community. A three-sport standout at Wilson High School in the early 1960s. He played baseball for three seasons under legendary coach Marv Scott at Wilson, leading the City League with a .540 batting average as a sophomore in 1961. Parker also made a name for himself in football and basketball while at Wilson, earning all-city and all-league recognition three times in on the gridiron and twice on the basketball court.
Parker was recruited by Arizona State and Brigham Young University to play baseball, but instead chose to attend the University of Washington on a Tyee full-tuition scholarship. In 1965-66, Parker hit better than .400 for the University of Washington baseball team, earning all-Northwest Division accolades. He also led the team in runs scored, runs batted in and home runs. On the gridiron, Parker played running back for three years as a Husky, lettering twice and being named a team captain for several games.
Upon completion of his time at the University of Washington in 1967, the Los Angeles Dodgers offered Parker a contract to play baseball. Instead, Parker chose to attend dental school at the UW, graduating in 1971. After graduating from UW dental school in 1971, Parker spent two years in the Navy as a dentist before opening his own dental practice in Lakewood, Wash., in 1973, which he still runs today.
John Rockway
hurler Gene “Chico”
John Rockway was first an exceptional fastpitch softball pitcher then a long-time ambassador for the sport and other recreational athletics opportunities in Tacoma and Pierce County. In the 1940s, he developed a reputation as an ace with an excellent curve ball. He played for Seaview Tavern, Clothiers, the Teamsters over the years and his biggest thrill was tossing a no-hitter in a dual with the legendary pitching ace Woodrow Red.
John subsequently became the first Metro Tacoma Softball Commissioner and was instrumental in the growth of fastpitch and slowpitch in Pierce County. In 1960, John was elected the president of the Tacoma Athletic
Federation.
John served in leadership roles with the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) for 20 years. He was also a member of the Tacoma Athletic Commission, supporting the Golden Gloves along with its other activities. In 1974, the year of his death, John was honored with the Member of the Year Award from the Tacoma Sports and Recreation Federation.
His leadership also extended to serving as president of Good Shepherd Church, treasurer of Concordia School, and a Bible teacher. In spite of his many civic activities he made sure that his four children were involved in sports from their early childhood and was never too busy to attend their games.
John Rockway (right) presents award to Hall of Fame
Thayer.
Jack Sareault
Jack Sareault was long-time sportswriter for the Tacoma News Tribune, primarily covering golf, college and high school sports from December 1963 until July 1986. After leaving the newspaper, Jack worked as a communications officer for the Washington State Patrol, and for 16 years as a freelance writer for Associated Press, the Seattle Times and other Northwest newspapers.
From 1966 through 2002, Jack was a correspondent for Golf World magazine, and from 1969 through 2002 he was coordinator of the Northwest College Sports Service. Among other things, Jack produced annual Little All-Northwest teams in several sports including football and basketball.
Jack’s involvement in Northwest college sports didn’t end there, however, as he held the position of NAIA District I sports information director for 28 years. His press releases and statistical compilations, produced on a manual typewriter and then mimeographed and mailed to schools and media, still document decades of athletic happenings at the NAIA colleges and universities in Washington, northern Idaho, British Columbia and Alaska.
Additionally, Jack served as Northwest Conference sports information director for 18 years. His service to the conference is annually honored by the presentation of the Jack Sareault Award to a conference sports information director selected by his or her peers. He also received the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) lifetime achievement award in 2004.
Born on Oct. 28, 1935 in Chehalis, Jack attended and graduated from two schools located on the same campus – Saint Martin’s High School and Saint Martin’s College, graduating from the latter in 1957. While in high school, Jack participated in football, basketball and track & field, and he was a four-year athlete for the college track & field team. He also served as co-coach of the Saint Martin’s high school and field team for two seasons.
Jack currently lives in Gig Harbor where he spends some of his time poring over – and thinning out – the countless boxes of media guides, statistics pages and photos that he has accumulated over decades of work in the sports field.
Joline Staeheli Andrzejewski
Joline Staeheli Andrzejewski’s cross country and track and field career has earned her countless honors and accolades. Born in Key West, Florida, in 1973, Andrzejewski was a member of Bellarmine Prep’s class of 1991 before attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Andrzejewski ran long distance events for Bellarmine (198891) and Georgetown (1991-96). She was a state finalist all three years that she competed in cross country at Bellarmine, taking 12th place in 1988, seventh in 1989 and third in 1990. She placed in the top six in state three times in the 800 meter run, and in 1991 earned state championships in both the 1600 and 3200 meter runs.
At Georgetown, Andrzejewski earned cross country AllAmerican honors in 1992 and 1995. In track and field, she earned seven AllAmerican honors, as well as a national championship in the one mile indoor. In 1996, Andrzejewski set a school record with a mile time of 4:36.9. She placed in the top three in 1995 and 1996 in the Outdoor NCAA 3000 meter competitions, earning the Big East championships in that category both years.
Andrzejewski was a three-time Big East Academic All-Star while at Georgetown, earning the Duffey Scholar-Athlete Award and the NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Award. She was an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1500-meter event in 1996, and earned NCAA Woman of the Year honors that same year.
Currently living in Campton Hills, Ill., Andrzejewski works as an executive at the American Marketing & Publishing L.L.C.
Kate Starbird
Kate Starbird is arguably the greatest female basketball player to come out of Pierce County. Kate was born on July 30, 1975 in West Point, N.Y., and first burst onto the local sports scene as a phenom at Lakes High School. During her senior year, she earned Parade All-America and USA Today Player of the Year honors after averaging 29.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Lancers. At Stanford University, Kate was a four-year standout, topped off when she earned Naismith Player of the Year recognition in 1997. Kate’s name is all over the Stanford women’s basketball game, season and career records lists, quite an accomplishment given the success that the Cardinal has enjoyed. Kate was Pac-10 All-Freshman in 1994, All-Pac-10 first team in her final three seasons, and Pac-10 Player of the Year and Kodak All-America first team as a junior and senior. She ranks No. 2 on the all-time Stanford scoring list with 2,215 career points, No. 2 on the single-season scoring list with 753 points, and is tied for the single-game scoring mark of 44 points. More than 10 years after completing her Stanford career, Kate still ranks among the top eight career leaders in such categories as games, points, points per game, steals, assists, free throws made and attempted, free throw percentage, three point field goals made and attempted. Her name is listed twice among the top six players for scoring average per season and three times among the top 25. In a similar vein, her name can be found numerous times on the single-season and single-game records lists.
During Kate’s four seasons at Stanford, the Cardinal made three national tournament semifinal appearances and compiled a 118-14 overall record. Throughout her college career, Kate also participated in national and international basketball events. She played on Olympic Festival teams in 1993 and 1994, was a U.S. Select Team member in 1996, and earned a gold medal as a member of the 1997 U.S. World University Games team.
Not only was Kate a standout on the basketball court, she also excelled in the classroom. Twice she received GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team honors, and three times she was selected to the Pac-10 All-Academic team.
Kate went on to a five-year professional career in the United States, including a stint with the Seattle Reign of the ABL and the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. She also played professionally in Europe, earning second team All-Spain honors in 2006.
Kate currently is working on a PhD at the University of Colorado in Boulders. She recently received a “National Science Foundation Scholarship” for her work on human-computer interaction.
Jesus Villahermosa
Jesus never lost a wrestling match while competing for Lakes High School compiling a 58-0 record enroute to winning state championships in 1976 and 77. Jesus was the 101-pound AAA champion in 1976 when Lakes also won the team title. In 1977, he moved up to become the 108-pound champion and Lakes finished in fourth place. Jesus competed at the Junior National Championships in Iowa in 1977 placing seventh. He earned honorable mention All-American recognition from Wrestling USA Magazine.
The Tacoma Athletic Commission named Jesus its Pierce County male athlete of the year in 1977. Jesus also wrestled on a Washington State all-star team vs. the Japanese national team and pinned his opponent in the first round.
Jesus, who was born in Puerto Rico on August 13, 1959, credits his wresting background for much of his career success. He became the first Certified Defensive Tactics instructor for law enforcement personnel in Washington and has been a member of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department since 1981. He is also the founder and lead instructor of Crisis Reality Training.
Paul “Big Wally” Wallrof
Paul “Big Wally” Wallrof inspired a generation of University of Puget Sound football players as an integral member of the coaching staff for 19 seasons from 1966-85. As head football coach from 1973-77, Wallrof posted a 31-18-1 record. He won the Gold Helmet Award for community service from Washington High School Coaches Association and was a founder and past President of the Tacoma/Pierce County Chapter of the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete awards. He was inducted into the University of Puget Sound Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Paul was born on July 10, 1932 in Seattle and graduated from Cleveland High School in 1950. After playing football at Everett Junior College, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1952, and he played for Marine football teams in California and Japan.
Following the end of the Korean War, Paul made the University of Washington football team as a tackle. He graduated from the UW in 1958 and taught and coached football and basketball at his alma mater, Cleveland High, for seven years before getting a call to coach at the University of Puget Sound. Football players at the school fondly remember and cherish their years under his guidance. One of those players, Ed Raisl, called Wallrof “extraordinarily loyal and exceedingly sincere.”
Doug McArthur, former athletic director at Puget Sound, wrote the following of Wallrof in support of his nomination to the UPS Athletic Hall of Fame: “I have been involved with CPS and UPS coaches since the 1940s, and no coach has been as cherished by his players as Wallrof. John Heinrick was a legend, Bob Ryan was highly respected. Wallrof was loved.”
Following his retirement, Paul coached youth football on Vashon Island, including leading two McMurray Middle School teams to league cochampionships.
Jack Walters
Jack Walters was born on January 23, 1936. He was a three-sport star at Lincoln High School before earning a scholarship to play football and baseball at the University of Washington.
A co-captain for league-champion football and baseball teams at Lincoln, Walters was selected to the East-West all-state all-star baseball team as a catcher for the Abes during his senior year of 1954. His .350 batting average was accomplished as part of a three-man rotation hitting in the 3, 4 and 5 spots with teammates Duane Lowell and Luther Carr.
As a guard and linebacker on the football, he was an AllCity League selection also as a senior. That same school year, the Washington sports writers voted Lincoln as the best football team in the state.
Walters won three varsity letters in football and one in baseball while playing for the Huskies. Washington won the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division baseball title in 1959...the first such title in some 20 years, and they fell just a game shy of playing in the College World Series that season.
In the fall of 1959, the Huskies football team won the Pac-8 title and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, 44-8, marking the Pac-8’s first win over the Big 10 in the bowl since before World War II.
Both 1959 UW teams have since been inducted into the University of Washington’s Sports Hall of Fame.
George Wright
Born on April 17, 1935 in Savannah, Ga., George Wright’s family moved to New York City at a young age. Wright began boxing in New York as a youngster, but the Army brought him out west to Fort Lewis.
By the time Wright arrived in Washington, he had given up boxing. But Wright was encouraged by Stan Naccarato to start back up. Bob Richards was his first manager and trainer, and he was later managed by Jack Connor and trained by Henry Woods.
During Wright’s boxing career, he worked at Nalley’s Foods. The company was understanding and generous in allowing Wright a flexible schedule to train. During the week of a fight, Nalley’s would give him time off with pay.
“The folks at Nalley’s were very understanding and generous with me during my boxing career,” Wright once recalled.
Wright’s first professional fight was in Tacoma on August 18, 1961, and was held in Cheney Stadium, home to the Tacoma Giants baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League.
The 6-foot-1 Wright defeated Johnny Osborne with a fourth round TKO. He went on to win the next seven fights in a row and in 1962 he attained his highest ranking as the reigning State Middleweight Champion.
His pro career record ended with 19 wins (16 by KO), 3 losses, and 2 draws.
Wright retired from the ring following a loss to Frank “Snakebit” Niblett on May 17, 1967, a fight promoted by Promotions Northwest, a group of local Tacomans which included Stan Naccarato, Clay Huntington, Bill Rohrs, and Joe Macaluso.
George decided to retire because, “My wife, Norma, said that I didn’t have anything more to prove and that I had had a good career and it was time to move on. That was pretty good advice. I met many great people in boxing such as Stan and Clay and others. The Lord has been good to me and so I was comfortable with the decision.”
Bob Young
Tacoma native Bob Young has enjoyed a long and successful career in the men’s slowpitch softball ranks. Born on Oct. 17, 1939, Young was a 1957 Lincoln high graduate who later earned his degree in business from the University of Puget Sound in 1976.
Young started his slow-pitch career in 1964 with the Pine Tavern and then with the Players Tavern in 1965-66. He was a standout on the powerful Heidelberg slow-pitch team from 1967-1975 and developed a reputation as one of the states’ top pitchers. Heidelberg won seven Northwest Regional Championships and competed in seven consecutive national tournaments. In 1968, Bob earned All-American honors at the 1968 national tournament in Jones Beach, N.Y., after Heidelberg finished in fifth place, losing their final two games by a total of three runs.
Young began playing Senior Softball in 1996 and since then has participated on six national championship teams in the 55+, 60+ and 65+ age group divisions. Among the highlights: In 1996, he hit .700 to help the Ruth Realty 55+ team to the ISA national title; in 1999, he hit .836 to help the Sea-Tac Giants 60+ to a third place finish at nationals; in 2005, he hit .822 and was an all-tournament selection as First American Title won the 65+ national title. In 2005 and in 2006 he was a key figure in First American Title’s victories at Winter Worlds. At the 2006 Winter Worlds he hit .909 (20-for-22) with 19 consecutive hits. He hit for the cycle and drove in eight runs in the team’s semifinal loss.
When he was named to the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame in 2007, he became the first senior softball player from Pierce County and only the second individual from the State of Washington to be so honored. In addition to pitching, Young also played outfield and all of the infield positions during his slow-pitch career.
In addition softball, Young played basketball and A classification handball, and he also served as a high school and college basketball (1965-81) and football (1966-76) official.
Bob Young (third from right) with family members at his induction into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame.
1970-71 Puyallup HS Boys Basketball
State AAA Championship Team (23-1)
The 1970-71 Viking basketball team was the most successful in Puyallup’s athletic history, winning the Class AAA State championship by whipping Pasco 54-41 in the state title game. Enroute to the State Finals at the University of Washington, the Vikings edged Lincoln, 66-65, and clipped Auburn, 44-43, to capture the Region III title.
In regular season play, Puyallup displayed a tenacious defensive game and an exploding offense. The Viks punished many of their opponents by margins in double figures, and achieved an average of 67.9 points per game while limiting their opponents to just 49.5 point per game.
A number of school records were broken along the way: The 95 points against Lakes was the highest point total ever scored in a single game; the season record of 23-1 was the greatest number of victories ever compiled; and in the South Puget Sound League, the Viks set a new league record with 16 wins and no losses.
The only Viking defeat during the season was at the hands of AP Poll Champ Lincoln, 65-59, who featured Clarence Ramsey, Ron Lund, and Joe Womack and were coached by Ron Billings.
Head Coach Rich Hammermaster’s record at that point, in the past five years, was 91-15 with five SPSL titles and one state crown. Leading the Vikings’ defense were seniors Dave Crouch and John Trageser. The offense was led by two juniors- center Doug Weese (13.4 ppg) and guard Steve Gervais (12.2 ppg). They were followed closely by senior and captain Dave Crouch (11.7 ppg) and junior forward Rick Gienger (10.9 ppg).
At the conclusion of the season, award winners included: Randy Dorn (Inspiration), John Trageser (Coaches and Most Improved Player), and Dave Crouch (Outstanding PlayerVoted by Team).
Missing: Dave Normile (assistant coach) and Jerry DeLaurenti (scorekeeper).
Fred Angelo has always stayed active. Born in Puyallup in December 1952, Angelo participated in track, cross country and basketball while attending Puyallup High School from 1968-71. He attended the University of Idaho, graduating in 1978, and now works as an architect in Tacoma, Wash. Angelo coached for the Norpoint Soccer Club from 1991-2004. He served as the Games Chairman for the Norpoint Soccer Club from 1999-2004. While at Puyallup, he was a distance runner in track, and a member of the 1971 AAA State basketball champions. He has also participated in mountain climbing and bicycling.
Paul Baker—Born in Sedro Woolley, Wash., in 1954, Paul Baker graduated from Puyallup High School in 1972. He attended Western Washington University until 1977 and now works as a lead project analyst for Qwest Communications in Renton, Wash.
While at Puyallup High School, Baker participated in both football and basketball as a team manager. In 1970, he worked as the team manager for both sports’ junior varsity teams, before moving up to the varsity squads from 1971-72.
Merv Borden was born in Tacoma, Wash., on July 25, 1952. He was a part of Puyallup High School’s Class of 1971, and graduated from Fort Steilacoom college in 1973. Borden now lives in Puyallup, Wash., and works as a machine operator at Fred Tebb and Sons.
During his high school and collegiate years, Borden participated in football, basketball and tennis. A defensive back on the gridiron, he was a guard on the basketball court and a doubles player in tennis. Borden was a member of the 1971 Puyallup High School Boys’ Basketball State AAA Championship team that compiled a record of 23-1.
Jim Clifton was a star athlete and tremendous basketball coach for Puyallup High School. Born in Puyallup, Wash., in 1942, Clifton graduated from Puyallup High School in 1960, but not before lettering eight times in three different sports. Clifton lettered three times each in football and baseball and twice in basketball. He played quarterback and punter on the gridiron, guard on the hardwood and pitcher on the baseball diamond.
At Central Washington University, Jim earned four letters each in basketball and baseball, and was inducted into the CWU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. In four years at Central, he scored 1160 points and shot 78.4 percent from the charity stripe. He scored 23 points in a 1965 NAIA National Tournament opening game after helping lead his team to the Evergreen Conference championship. He earned All-Evergreen Conference first-team honors in 1964 for his work on the pitching mound, compiling a 1.88 earned run average and leading the league in strikeouts.
After his playing career ended, Clifton embarked on a 39-year coaching run that left him as the winningest coach in Puyallup High School history. He won 271 games at PHS, leading the team to eight state tournaments and 15 winning seasons in 19 years. He spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Puget Sound and finished his coaching career as an assistant at Life Christian Academy in Tacoma, Wash. In August of 2008, Clifton officially retired as the athletic director at Life Christian.
David Crouch—Born in Edgewood, Wash. on Oct. 5, 1953, David Crouch graduated from Puyallup High School in 1971. He proceeded to attend the University of Washington, graduating from dental school in 1978, and now works as an orthodontist.
Crouch played forward for the PHS basketball team from 1969-71. His greatest athletic achievement came during the 1971 Puyallup AAA state championship run. Crouch served as team captain and earned Most Valuable Player honors and second-team all-South Puget Sound League that season.
Jerry DeLaurenti was born in Seattle on Oct. 29, 1942. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1960. After graduation, he attended Olympic College and transferred to the University of Washington.
DeLaurenti was a three-sport athlete in high school, playing football, basketball and baseball. From 1959-60, he also played for the Clark Coal/Oil Connie Mack team that won the 1960 national championship.
After graduating from the University of Washington in 1966, DeLaurenti coached football, baseball and girls’ basketball at Puyallup High School from 1967-94. From 1994-98, he coached boys’ basketball at Orting High School.
Randy Dorn was born in Puyallup, Wash., on Sept. 10, 1953. After graduating from Puyallup High School in 1971, Dorn attended Olympic Community College and the University of Idaho until 1975. He now lives in Eatonville, Wash., working as Washington State’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Dorn played basketball and football at Puyallup High School. He played forward and guard on the hardwood from 1969-71, and was a member of the 1971 AAA state championship team. On the gridiron, Dorn played linebacker and center from 1968-71. He continued to play football at Olympic Community College in 1971-72 and at the University of Idaho from 1973-74.
Dorn earned all-SPSL honors as a linebacker in 1970, and was a captain at the Shrine All-Star Game. After his playing career ended, Dorn coached football at Eatonville High School from 1985 to 1987.
Steve Gervais has definitely made a name for himself as a football coach at Eatonville and Skyline High School. Born in Yakima, Wash., in 1953, Gervais was a 1972 graduate of Puyallup High School. He went on to attend Oregon State University, graduating in 1976.
Gervais played football and basketball for Puyallup from 1969-71, and was a member of the 1971 Puyallup HS AAA state basketball championship team. He played football all four years at Oregon State, and began coaching at Eatonville in 1976.
In a football coaching career that spans more than 30 years, Gervais has compiled a 244-83 record with six state championships. His first three championships came at Eatonville High School in the 1985, 1990 and 1992 seasons. More recently, Gervais won three championships at Skyline in 2000, 2005 and 2007. He has earned League Coach of the Year honors 11 times, and has been named Seattle Times Coach of the Year three times.
Gervais was inducted into the Washington State Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005. He was named to the John Wooden Wall of Honor in 2006 for Professional Athletes Outreach, and earned National Football Foundation Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2007.
Rick Gienger—No bio submitted.
Bruce Graham—No bio submitted.
Rich Hammermaster served as boys basketball coach from 1964 to 1978 at his alma mater, Puyallup High School. Hammermaster compiled a 14-year record of 174-113 while leading PHS to six straight league championships in the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. During that six-year run, the Vikings put together a 76-4 record in league play with a 111-17 overall mark. Hammermaster’s 1971 Puyallup team won the AAA state championship, earning Hammermaster the State Coach of the Year honor.
Born Nov. 19, 1935, in Tacoma, Wash., Hammermaster earned two letters each in football, basketball and tennis during his time as a student at Puyallup High School. Rich was an honorable mention All-American football player at the College of Puget Sound after graduating from Puyallup.
Hammermaster returned to his alma mater as a teacher and a coach, serving also as an assistant to PHS football coaching legend Bob Ryan and as head coach of both boys and girls tennis from 1962-71. He worked as a football official from 1965-99, working games from the junior high to college level.
Ron Kitts was born in Puyallup, Wash., on Sept. 16, 1954. Kitts attended Puyallup High School as a member of the Class of 1972, and graduated from Central Washington University in 1976. He currently works in sales at Larson Chrysler Dodge.
At Puyallup, Kitts participated in basketball as a guard and baseball as a third baseman. He played on the varsity team his final two years, 1971-72, and was a member of the 1971 AAA state championship boys basketball team at Puyallup.
Tom Krage was born in Puyallup, Wash., on May 15, 1953. He graduated from Puyallup High School in 1971, and now works at Charlie’s Produce Co. in Des Moines, Wash., as a wholesale fruit ripener.
While at Puyallup High School, Krage played center and forward on the 1971 varsity basketball team that won the AAA state championship. Since then, he has coached for 15 years in the Premiere Soccer League and officiated soccer competitions for 10 years. He would like to thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for renewing his life.
Lanny Lewis—No bio submitted.
Paul Krippaehne was born on November 26, 1953, in Puyallup, Wash. He graduated Puyallup High School in 1972 and attended the University of Washington. He currently lives in Edgewood, Wash., working as a construction consultant.
While at Puyallup High School, Krippaehne played forward for the basketball team. He was a member of the 1971 AAA boys basketball state championship team at Puyallup, and also won the state WRBF AA basketball championship in 1977 with a team that included many of the players from Puyallup’s 1971 squad.
Dan Picha—Dan attended Colorado State University on a football scholarship and received a degree in History with a minor in coaching. Later on he earned a Masters degree in Education Technology from City University. Dan currently teaches at Puyallup High School where he is the head girl’s basketball coach and had the pleasure of coaching his twin daughters-Regen and Lauren. He has been coaching basketball for over 30 years but has also coached football, golf and volleyball over the years. Outside of the education setting he co-owns and operates the family business, Picha Farms, with brother Russ.
David Normile was born in Pasco, Wash., on December 30, 1944. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle in 1963, and spent the next four years at the University of Puget Sound. From 1967 to 1992, Normile served as a teacher and coach at Puyallup High School.
At both Roosevelt and Puget Sound, Normile played basketball and baseball. He earned all-city honors in both sports while at Roosevelt, and played on the 1963 Roosevelt boys’ basketball team that won the North Division Championship and advanced to the state tournament.
From 1969 to 1976, Normile coached the Puyallup High School sophomore and junior varsity boys’ basketball teams. He took over the girls’ junior varsity basketball team from 1976 to 1984, and coached boys’ golf from 1986 to 1992. In his first season as sophomore boys’ basketball coach, Normile led the “Baby Viks” to a perfect 16-0 season.
Jamie Reno was born in Puyallup, Wash., on December 11, 1952. He graduated from Puyallup High School in 1971 and earned a degree in Psychology from Western Washington University in 1977. He now lives in Honokaa, Hawaii, working as a teacher and musician.
At Puyallup High School, Reno participated in football, basketball and track. He was a two-sport, two-year letterman from 1969-71. He played on the 1970 SPSL Championship basketball team, and suffered a devastating knee injury during his senior year. The injury required a total of six operations, including a total knee replacement in 2006.
John Trageser was born on March 25, 1953, in Puyallup, Wash. He graduated from Puyallup High School in 1971, and now works as an assemblyman and business owner in Edgewood, Wash.
Trageser participated in basketball and tennis while attending Puyallup High School. He was a guard on the hardwood and played both singles and doubles for the tennis team from 1969-71. He also played basketball at Fort Steilacoom Community College from 1971-73.
Trageser earned a coach’s award, most improved player award and an assists award during his basketball career. He was a member of the 1971 AAA boys basketball state championship team at Puyallup High School.
Doug Weese graduated from Puyallup High School in 1972 and attended the University of Washington on a football scholarship. Weese now lives in Poulsbo, Wash., working as a freelance writer and a communications consultant.
His 1971 PHS football team earned a conference championship with a 9-1 record, ranked seventh in the state. He was a two-time all-SPSL tight end, earning all-conference honors once as a linebacker. He earned all-state and All-American honors his senior year on the gridiron.
On the hardwood, Weese was a two-time all-SPSL center, earning all-state and All-American honors as well. He was a member of three conference championship teams from 1970-72, including the 1971 AAA state championship team.
BASEBALL TACOMA INC (1971-1991)
Less than a month after the end of the 1971 Pacific Coast League season, the Chicago Cubs terminated their relationship with Tacoma and headed off to Wichita. When Stan Naccarato got the news the next day he was stunned as was the entire community. A man of action, Stan quickly placed phone calls to longtime supporters in the community and in two days put together a group of 22 investors, each putting up $5,000, to form a partnership to acquire a new team. Two months later Baseball Tacoma Inc was the proud owner of the Tacoma Twins who stayed around for six seasons. Twenty years later which included the Tacoma Yankees, Tugs and Tigers the team was sold to George Foster, thus completing the mission of not only keeping Triple A baseball in Tacoma but building a strong relationship between the team, the fans and the community as a whole. It was an unprecedented move and likely one that only “Stan the Man” could accomplish.
But, let’s give credit to the original investors and those that came along later and stepped up to the plate. They include: Robert Alessandro, Tom Baker, Dr. James Billingsley, Mike Block, David Block, Harold Brotman, Morley Brotman, Francis Browne, Bill Cammarano, Sr,, Ray Carlson, Brad Cheney, Warren Chinn, Larry Ghilarducci Sr., Larry Ghilarducci, Jr., , Doug Gonyea, Norma Honeysett, Clay Huntington, Dr. Robert Johnson, Bob Kelly, Frank Manley, Terry Manley, Carl Miraldi, Gus Paine, Frank Pupo, Frank Ruffo, Jim Topping, Brad & Mark Topping, Mike Tucci, Sr., Mike Tucci, Jr., Walt Wiklund, Alden Woodworth, John Woodworth, John Xitco, and E.J. “Jimmy” Zarelli.
In 1975, Stan Naccarato was General Manager of the Year, was awarded the Charley McPhail Promotional Trophy, and “The Sporting News” General Manager of the Year award. At that time, no one in the 77-year history of the national association had won all three major awards in one year.
And a tip of the hat to longtime staffers who made Cheney Stadium their home away from home including Frank Colarusso, and Ron Zollo, Assistant General Managers; Mo Mayo, Office Manager; Jan Plein, receptionist; ticket manager Betty Howes; head groundskeeper Bob Christofferson; grounds crew members Dave Grisaffi and Tim Silcott; concession manager Leo Liebert; Rick Randahl, Director of Marketing; broadcasters Art Popham and Bob Robertson; clubhouse manager Ken Higdon; usher Nick Tucci; and official scorekeepers Gordy and Steve Spry.
In life we take things for granted all the time. Imagine what the landscape of Tacoma would look like today had professional baseball left in 1971--38 years ago. It’s a scary thought and one that, thanks to Baseball Tacoma Inc and their foresight and financial acumen, we haven’t had to worry about.
*STAN NACCARATO
Stan Naccarato may have asked more Tacomans for more sponsorship dollars than anyone in history, and rarely did he experience a refusal.
What Naccarato has said he considers his most important contribution to local sports began “in the dead of night” in 1971, when the Chicago Cubs organization moved its Class AAA franchise from Tacoma to Wichita, Kan.
Naccarato was the driving force behind Baseball Tacoma, Inc., the group of business leaders that saved baseball for the city in the aftermath of that move. In 16 hours, he and 19 other investors raised $100,000 to keep the Tacoma franchise alive.
For the next 20 years, Stan served as president and general manager of the Tacoma baseball club, in the process winning “every award there was to win” in the national association.
In 1975, for example, he was General Manager of the Year, was awarded the Charley McPhail Promotional Trophy, and “The Sporting News” General Manager of the Year award. At that time, no one in the 77-year history of the national association had won all three major awards in one year.
Naccarato was born in Tacoma in 1928, and grew up in Spanaway. His interest in sports began simply by playing catch in the yard with his father. By the time he graduated from Clover Park High School in 1946, he had already spent four years playing on a semi-pro baseball team sponsored by Western State Hospital.
He showed great promise when, in 1946, the Cincinnati Reds signed him on as a pitcher for the Ogden Reds of the Pioneer League. During three years of minor league play he notched a 33-10 record, but his career came to a quick end due to an injury in his right shoulder.
It is practically impossible to list everything that Naccarato has done on behalf of Tacoma.
Joined by Doug McArthur, Stan was a driving force behind the campaign to build the Tacoma Dome. He twice has chaired the Tacoma Athletic Commission. For years he was Master of Ceremonies and chairman of the Golden Gloves tournaments.
Over a 25-year period he served five governors as a Washington State Athletic Commissioner and chairman governing Professional Boxing and Wrestling. He has helped raise money for countless organizations and causes ranging from turf on the Stadium Bowl field, to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, to the treatment and prevention of leukemia, diabetes and heart disease.
*BOB ALESSANDRO
Born June 17, 1934, Bob is native Tacoman. He graduated from Stadium High School in 1952 and WSU in 1957., bob played second base at Stadium for two seasons, as well as for the local American Legion program.
His softball playing experience included several seasons with Ray Ridge Motors, O’Brien’s and the Tacoma Smelter club. Bob is a stock broker for Smith Barney.
*TOM BAKER
Tom Baker, born July 22, 1932, graduated from Stadium High School in 1950, and spent several years at College of Puget Sound and the UW. He received his law degree in 1961 from Gonzaga University. Baker played baseball, fastpitch and slowpitch over the years, including during his time spent in the Air Force.
Tom coached baseball for Charles Wright Academy’s middle school program for six seasons; organized the Charles Wright Sports Booster Club and was President of the University of Puget Sound’s “Toppers” Booster Club.. He served in several capacities on the Board of Directors for Baseball Tacoma Inc and is proud of his hole-in-one accomplishments.
*JAMES G. BILLINGSLEY, MD
Dr. James Billingsley and his family moved from Denver, Colo., to the Northwest in 1962. Billingsley began his medical practice, which soon led him to Allenmore Medical Center in a solo association with Dr. Clarence Anderson.
Jim was Medical Director and Vice President of St. Joseph Hospital during some exciting developments in medicine. He retired from the hospital 30 years later but continues to work with the Tacoma Fire Department with paramedic training and support. He also provides Aviation Medical Examinations for professional aircrew members.
It was, however, during those first years in Tacoma that the Billingsleys’ first purchased season tickets for the Tacoma Cubs. To this day, Billingsley’s family still enjoys the opportunity to watch professional baseball at Cheney Stadium.
The Billingsleys’ are able to do so in part thanks to fans like Billingsley himself,. He was one of those fortunate enough to attend the annual Winter baseball meetings with what he called “the big guys,” the first year Tacoma Baseball was launched in 1972.
*MIKE BLOCK
Mike Block and wife, Becky, started up Block’s Furniture in the late 1940’s and it remained a Tacoma institution until its closing in 1990. A major shareholder in the Bank of Tacoma, Mike’s love of sports and strong values toward his community made it an easy decision to help keep baseball in Tacoma as one of the original investors of Baseball Tacoma Inc. His son David succeeded him on the board of Baseball Tacoma and is a community advocate for several organizations.
*MORLEY BROTMAN
Morley, Bernie and Harold Brotman were often referred to as “The Busy Bees” and that certainly fit Morley to a “T.” He was a longtime photographer in Tacoma, much of it related to sports. But, Morley was dedicated to the city of Tacoma and as far back as the mid-50’s was championing the cause for a civic center in downtown Tacoma for the public to rally around. His vision was years ahead of what eventually would become the Tacoma Dome.
In 1955, Stan Naccarato convinced Morley, his partner in Stanley’s Shoes, that a powerful baseball team, coached by Doug McArthur, was in need of a sponsor in order to participate in post-season play. Morley was happy to help out and a year later the Stanley Shoemen had won the AABC national championship. Morley’s love of sports was genuine.
*FRANCIS BROWNE
Francis Browne was born in Spokane, WA in 1916 and moved to Tacoma in 1920. Browne was the valedictorian of his Bellarmine Prep graduating class in 1935, where he lettered in football.
Browne entered the U.S. Army in 1943, and served during WWII until 1946. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Francis became a very successful businessman in Tacoma, dabbling in commercial real estate but was perhaps best known for his restaurant on K Street--Browne’s Star Grill.
Whether he was creating fundraising opportunities for Bellarmine Prep with car auctions and raffles, or serving on many local committees like the Daffodillians, Browne was involved in Tacoma. It was no surprise that he was one of the original businessmen who stepped forward to save Triple A baseball.
*BILL CAMMARANO, SR.
Bill Cammarano, Sr. was born January 6, 1896, in Jesup, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma, where he was a wrestler in 1915.
The Whistle Bottling Company was started by brothers Bill, Phil, Jim and Ed Cammarano on May 31, 1921, as a beverage bottler and beer wholesaler. Three years later the name was changed to Cammarano Brothers..
With his business, he loved baseball and sponsored many City League teams during the 1930s and 40s. When the prospect of Tacoma losing its Triple-A team became a reality in 1971, Cammarano was an easy choice to help form Baseball Tacoma, Inc.
BRAD CHENEY
Born December 4, 1958, in Tacoma, Cheney is a 1977 graduate of Charles Wright Academy. He then attended the University of Puget Sound.
Cheney played high school baseball and coached at his alma mater from 1978 to 1984. He was instrumental in starting the BMW NW American Legion team. He was the head coach and general manager from 1983-89.
In 1985 he became the Fort Steilacoom Community College baseball coach. He returned to the University of Puget Sound as head baseball coach from 1986-1991.
He was the General Manager of the Tacoma Timbers semi-pro team from 1994-1998. The Timbers qualified for the NBC World Series four out of five seasons; placing in each of those tournaments.The Timbers lost the National Championship game in 1996.
Brad currently serves as the President and Executive Director of the Ben B. Cheney Foundation and is the President of Cheney Capital Investments, Inc. He is active in the Greater Tacoma community serving on boards for several organizations, including the University of Puget Sound and Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Commission.
Currently he is President of the Job Carr Cabin Museum and serves on the Philanthropy Northwest board as the Governance Committee Chair and as Finance Committee of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. He is also serving as the Campaign Chairman for the Boys & Girls Club of South Puget Sound’s One Campaign. He currently is involved in coaching his son’s Little League and select baseball teams.
WARREN CHINN
A longtime sportsman in the community, Warren Chinn is most famous for his popular restaurant, The Dynasties, that was located in Tacoma, Federal Way and Renton. He served on the Washington State Racing Commission, a position that was appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington. Warren is still active in the community and works for the Emerald Queen Casino in Fife.
*RAY CARLSON
Ray Carlson was born in 1926 in Duluth, Minnesota., and graduated from Washington High School in that city.
Growing up, he loved baseball and wrote that he “was helped along by men who coached Little League teams.” He never forgot that youthful love of the game and sponsored numerous Boys Club teams.
Carlson was an owner/partner in Meyer Floor Covering and was an original member of Baseball Tacoma, Inc. Ray was an avid bowler and was in many leagues in Tacoma at the New Frontier Lanes. He was also member of Fircrest Golf Club. Ray passed away in December of 2008.
*LARRY GHILARDUCCI, SR.
Larry was born December 20, 1910 in Tacoma, graduated from Stadium High School in 1928 and the University of Washington in 1932. He swam the 50-yard and 100-yard sprints throughout his high school and collegiate years. Larry owned and operated Ghilarducci Florists in Tacoma for years.
He passed along his interest in Tacoma and baseball to his three sons--Larry, Jr., George and Joe with Larry, Jr. representing the family interest on the Board of Directors.
*DOUG GONYEA
Doug was born February 18, 1917 and was a Stadium High School graduate. He attended the UPS business school, and graduated from the University of Washington. He started as a salesman at Northwest Door and subsequently went on to run the company. He owned lumber mills in Canada and Wyoming and with father, Joseph, they purchased the Service Tobacco Company.
In 1979, Doug started developing the Canterwood Golf & Country Club in the Gig Harbor. He served on the boards of Puget Sound National Bank and United Pacific Insurance and served as president of the Tacoma Golf & Country Club. In the early 1970s, he donated the family home to Pacific Lutheran University to be used as the college president’s residence. “The Gonyea House” is considered a Spanaway Landmark. A big supporter, locally and nationally, of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a local branch is named in his honor. Doug passed away on May 4, 1999.
NORMA HONEYSETT
Norma Honeysett, 67, is the wife of William Honeysett. While living in Sacramento from 19911997, Norma served on the board of the Sacramento Theater Company.
Prior to moving to Sacramento, Norma was very active in Tacoma. She was a board member of Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Pantages Center), a member of the steering committee for the creation of the theater district (Broadway Center for the Performing Arts), and a stockholder and board member of Tacoma Tigers (AAA baseball team affiliated with Oakland A’s), among others.
The Honeysetts returned to Tacoma after William’s retirement. Norma enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, and golfing.
*CLAY HUNTINGTON
Clay Huntington has experienced it all as a sports journalist and announcer. He’s done more, however, than just broadcasting, for he led various efforts to make sure that the county had the facilities needed for local sports.
Huntington, who was born April 21, 1921 in Tacoma, helped to find funding for the construction of Cheney Stadium in 1960 and bring Triple-A baseball back to Tacoma. His is rightfully proud of his effort, one that has led to celebrating in 2009 with the 50th season of Pacific Coast League baseball at Cheney Stadium.
His contributions to the community also include the promotion of sports history. He initiated the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame in the 1957, and in 1960 expanded this honor roll to include the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. Clay also was instrumental in the creation of the Shanaman Sports Museum of Tacoma-Pierce County.
This city’s sports treasure continues his broadcasting career through his own radio station-KLAY, one that continues to provide coverage of local high school, college, or professional sports.
*DR. ROBERT C. JOHNSON
Dr. Robert C. Johnson served as team physician at the University of Puget Sound for all sports from 1957 to 1980. During this time period he donated thousands of hours staffing home and away events and caring for injured and ill athletes.
He helped establish the present day athletic training program at UPS. The Robert C. Johnson Award for the outstanding student trainer has been instituted to recognize his enormous contribution. He was inducted into the UPS Hall of Fame in 1988. Bob was long-time member of Fircrest Golf Club.
ROBERT KELLY
In 1980, Robert Kelly moved from Sacramento, Calif., to Tacoma to begin his second career – in broadcasting. Kelly came north to build KCPQ-TV, Channel 13, into a quality station serving Puget Sound.
On the wall above his desk, Robert hung a framed photograph of one of his childhood sports heroes, baseball legend Satchel Paige. Under a picture of Paige throwing the ball were listed six quotations, which Robert labeled “Satchel’s Master Maxims.”
For 17 years, Robert used the advice of those maxims to help train and guide the young, green staff as together they transformed an archaic, dilapidated television station into the first all digital broadcasting facility in the world. When the new Q-13 moved from Clover Park Vocational Tech in Tacoma to Lake Union in Seattle, one employee lounge was named the Satchel Paige Room in honor of the station’s patron saint.
Robert himself was inspired by Satchel’s sage advice, especially to not live in the past, dwelling on mistakes or glory, but to keep one’s eyes on the present.
*FRANK MANLEY
Frank Manley was born August 15, 1915 in Tacoma and graduated from Bellarmine Prep in 1935, where he participated in basketball and track. He operated Manley’s Supermarkets for 40 years in the community, was a member of the Fircrest Golf Club for over 50 years. Hewas also a proud member of the National Association of Lefthanded Golfers.
*CARL MIRALDI
Carl A. Miraldi was born April 3, 1918. A lifetime resident of Tacoma, he graduated from Stadium High School in 1937. He served as a Merchant Marine, then became a welder at the Todd Shipyards in Tacoma. He also taught welding at Bates Vocational School.
Carl started Miraldi Welding and Medical Supplies in 1952 and over the 40 years in business he was an upstanding community participant. Carl was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club and the Tacoma Athletic Commission. He passed away on May 3, 1996 at the age of 78.
*GUS PAINE
Gus Paine played his high school baseball for coach John Heinrick at Bellarmine Prep from 1928-30. During his high school years and into the 1930s, Paine played in the Industrial, Timber and Northwest Leagues. From 1936-41 he caught for and managed Cammarano Brothers, called by sportswriter Ed Honeywell “the best baseball team of that era.”
Paine played for the House of David for two years in the 1930s, barnstorming up and down the West Coast with the Satchel Paige Negro League All-Stars. When the All-Stars’ catcher got hurt, Paine donned a Kansas City Monarchs uniform and caught Paige for three games.
After World War II, Paine was a key figure in the creation of the City League. Teams in the league included K Street, McKinley Hill, 38th Street, Proctor and South Tacoma. The City League at that time was very popular and outdrew the Tacoma Tigers in attendance. Games were played in Lincoln Bowl and the hat was passed among the crowd for the teams to meet their expenses.
When professional baseball came to Tacoma and Cheney Stadium, Paine became one of the team’s owners and rarely missed a game. After Paine died in 1983, Tacoma sportswriter Earl Luebker wrote this about him: “He was an important part of the Tacoma baseball scene, as a player, as a manager and as an owner and a fan. … He was a baseball man through and through.”
*FRANK PUPO
Born May 10, 1937 in Tacoma, Frank Pupo is a 1955 graduate of Puyallup High School. He started working at Sam’s Tire Service in downtown Tacoma at the age of 13, the company his father Sam Pupo founded in 1940. Following his father’s death, Frank took over the business in 1962, at the age of 25 and operated the business into the 1990’s.
Sam’sTires was a supporter of many of the professional teams in the area,including the Tacoma Twins, Tugs, Yankees, Tigers and the Tacoma Stars Soccer Club. Frank was an owner of the Tacoma Stars Soccer Club. Sam’s Tires promoted the famous “Home Run Tire” at Cheney Stadium for more than 20 years. No player ever hit a home run through the tire. Frank has been a member of Fircrest Golf Club for many years and has a couple of holes-in-one.
*FRANK RUFFO, SR.
Frank A. Ruffo, Sr., was born in Tacomaon June 12, 1912. He attended Stadium High School and Bellarmine Prep before moving on to Santa Clara University.
Ruffo’s baseball career led him to stints in the Boston Red Sox organization, and with the Hollywood Stars and Kansas City. Ruffo, one of the original partners of Tacoma Baseball, Inc., came home to play for several prominent local teams.
In addition to teams sponsored by Cammarano Brothers, Ruffo was a member of the 1937 Johnson Painters. Coached by John Heinrick, the Painters were the first-ever team from Tacoma to travel to a national tournament beyond the West Coast when they finished fifth in a tourney in Wichita, Kan. Frank played in the exhibition game at Stadium High School when Babe Ruth came to Tacoma.
*JIM TOPPING
Jim Topping born in Tacoma in on November 24,1926, and attended Lincoln High School. He used to joke that he attended the college of “Hard Knocks,” but there can be no denying that he had great success as a car dealer with Topping Motors.
Topping was among the original group of investors in Baseball Tacoma, Inc., An avid sports fan, Jim sponsored many teams, and he and his wife often were found watching baseball games at Cheney Stadium or watching their children participate in sports throughout the community.
*MIKE TUCCI, SR.
Mike Tucci Sr. graduated from Bellarmine in 1930 and Gonzaga in 1935 where he was selected to the All-Coast football team for the Bulldogs. He founded Tucci & Sons in 1958 and was an original Baseball Tacoma Inc investor. Following his passing in 1973, son Mike Jr. served on the Board of Directors. Mike, Jr. became the Chairman of the Board of Baseball Tacoma, Inc when Jim Zarelli passed away in 1985. His family are among the philanthropic leaders in Tacoma-Pierce Count.
*WALT
WIKLUND
Walt Wiklund, a 1936 graduate of Kapowsin High School in Spanaway, was born October 23, 1919. He was a self-employed as an electrical contractor and owned his own company, McWik Electric. He enjoyed golf as an active member of Fircrest Golf Club. He played baseball and football in high school, and as a community supporter was quick to say “yes” as an original Baseball Tacoma Inc. member.
*ALDEN WOODWORTH
A community leader who cared about baseball, Alden Woodworth sponsored the Woodworth Contractors, among the finest teams ever produced in Tacoma. Alden’s 1956 team won the City League championship, and Marv Scott’s 1957 Contractors lost the national title game 1-0 in Battle Creek, Michigan. Woodworth also sponsored several youth teams. Alden’s son John, now the Chairman of the Board, was a batboy for the ‘56 and ‘57 teams. Alden’s grandson, Jeff, is now President of Woodworth, Inc. One of the owners of KTAC radio, Alden Woodworth was active in civic affairs and loyal to his city and the people who worked and lived here. Metro Parks saluted him in 1957 by naming fields at Heidelberg Park in his honor.
JOHN V. XITCO
John Xitco became an owner in the 1990’s when he was affiliated with Tucci & Sons. He is a native of California and has lived in the community since the mid-1970’s. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University. John has been a long-time developer and business leader in Tacoma Pierce County community. His son’s John and Luke are community leaders and supporters of many organizations.
* E. J. “JIMMY” ZARELLI
Jimmy Zarelli was born in Tacoma on May 16, 1909 and attended Stadium High School. A self-employed businessman, Zarelli’s passion for sports was obvious as he was one of the driving forces behind the group of Tacomans who invested money and time in an effort to keep Triple-A baseball in Tacoma in 1971.
Zarelli’s work as president of Baseball Tacoma, from its inception until his death in August 1985, paid huge dividends when the Minnesota Twins decided to move their Pacific Coast League team to Tacoma for the start of the 1972 season. Fortunately for our community, Triple-A baseball lives to this day in Tacoma with the Tacoma Rainiers.
1982 President’s Trophy presented by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues to the Tacoma Tigers and accepted on behalf of the ball club by Chairman, E.J. “Jimmy” Zarelli. L. to R.: Bill Cutler, PCL President: Jimmy Zarelli; and Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner of Baseball.
As a proponent for the concept of the Tacoma Dome, when the city of Tacoma advertised for RFPs for the Dome, Jim took the leadership role to form a team comprised of Merit Company, Pease & Sons, Totem Electric and Tucci & Sons to make the Dome a reality. They were successful in getting Western Wood Structures to commit to the project and to provide the engineering, materials and erection of the roof structure. Zarelli and Merit Company managed the joint venture and the project construction.
Unlike most sports facilities built around the nation, this one was built within budget and on schedule. Someone wrote at the time that, “if the Dome had a father, it would be Mr. Zarelli,” and that moniker fit him well.
SPORTSOFFICIALS
if inTERESTED ConTaCT:
Sports Officials Wanted To Youth And Adult Recreation League And Interscholastic Athletic Games. Training Provided. Earn Money And Provide A Much Needed Service To The Youth Of The Tacoma-pierce County Community.
Baseball Steve Liptrap 253-589-8519 wwbua@aol.com
Boy’s Basketball Steve Brown 253-566-5272 www.wwboa.com www.wwboa.org
Girl’s Basketball Al Perez 253-310-3023 al.perez2@netzero.com
Football Jan Wolcott 253-826-2460 jswol@comcast.net
Soccer Mike Schmitt 253-638-2800 scschmittm2@comcast.net
Fastpitch Softball Ken Laase 253-539-9575 laasesd@cs.com
Volleyball Marc Blau 253-848-1360 blaumarc@qwest.net www.tpcvob.com
Wrestling Daryl Eygabroad 206-300-7660 sweathog300@hotmail.com
SISTER CITY CULTURAL BASEBALL EXCHANGE (1987-2009)
The Sister City Cultural Baseball Exchange between Tacoma, Wash., and Kitakyushu, Japan, came to fruition when Takeshi Ikeda and Hiroshi Yaskawa came to a mutual agreement to form the exchange in 1987. Since then over 800 Young Ambassadors have enriched their lives with the opportunity to play international baseball and gain a greater cultural understanding of each other.
The Sister City mission statement of “promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, one individual, one community at a time,” clearly states the goal of the exchange program. Since its formation, Takeshi Ikeda, Tony Anderson and Joe Kosai have all served to promote the exchange and its cultural benefits.
Tak, as he was known to his friends, believed that through sports we could improve our understanding between the Japanese and American cultures. Born in 1923 in Japan before sailing to America with his mother one year later, Tak became a naturalized citizen in 1953 and devoted much of his life to promoting Japanese/American relations. He served as co-chairman of the Sister City program for 20 years until his death in 2008.
Tony Anderson has served with the baseball exchange since 1991, working as the chairperson since 1994. Born in 1957, Anderson wrestled, played football and excelled at baseball at White River High School. Taki Ikeda asked Anderson to participate in the program in 1991, and Tony has not looked back since.
Joe Kosai was born in Tacoma in 1934 before his family was evacuated to internment camps in California and Idaho. Kosai and his family eventually settled in Ontario, Ore., where he graduation from high school in 1952. In 1988, Kosai took the first high school baseball team to Kitakyushu as a group leader to begin the program that still continues today. In honor of his dedication to the exchange, Kosai received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosettes award from the Japanese government in 2005.
Over the years many individuals have left their imprint on the Sister City baseball games including Bob Maguinez, Harry Taniguchi, umpire Rob Ruth, trainer David Grisaffi, and coaches Tom Shearer, Roy Young, Joe Keller, Bob Maguinez, Dave Tate, Bob Lightfoot, Shawn McDougall, Phil Misley, Marc Wiese, George Bender, Rick Barnhart, Mike Moeller, D.J. Ostrander, Brian Viafore, and Pete Jansen. Other key volunteers include Jerry Plancich, George Nordi, Scott Nordi, Dan Gurash, and Dan Murphy. Today, the Sister City Cultural Baseball Exchange continues to offer young athletes the opportunity to broaden their minds and discover firsthand how similar people are all over the world, all while allowing them to experience international baseball. And, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Sister City program with Kitakyushu, a 22-member delegation will travel to Japan in August to hear the cry of, “Play Ball,” one final time.
Tak Ikeda
Joe Kosai
Tony Anderson
1938 Stadium HS State Champions Team—
Darrell “Righty” Eden, Donald “Lefty” Eden, Bill Guyles, Bill Taylor, and Dick Meyer.
Stadium 1938 Boy’s Tennis Team
With over a century of talented student athletes and teams, Tacoma’s Stadium High School has a deep history of exceptional performers. Any discussion of the best teams in the school’s history would have to include the boy’s tennis team of 1938.
The varsity team of Donald “Lefty” Eden, Darrell “Righty” Eden, Dick Meyer, Bill Guyles and Bill Taylor was unbeaten and won the University of Washington interscholastic tournament which was the equivalent of the state tournament at the time.
Stadium’s tennis team dominated local competition for decades and this group was the best of them all. The team was so deep that the Eden’s, Meyer, Guyles and Taylor were considered the best five players in the area.
In The Tacoma Times, a season preview article indicated that: “Each of the Bengal players is a star in his own right. There is not a lot of difference between the first man and the last on the team. They are all above average for high school players in this section of the nation and there is considerable rivalry among them for playing positions.”
The team went 12-0 to earn recognition as the best in state. Stadium defeated the UW freshman team twice (8-1 and 6-3), a feat which hadn’t been accomplished by a high school team. The unbeaten season also included two wins over Seattle’s Franklin High. Franklin had two players considered to be among the best in the Northwest. It was the first time in many years that Seattle teams were allowed to play outside of the city league but boys from Stadium cruised by Franklin to earn widespread recognition as the best team in the state.
At the interscholastic tournament Lefty Eden played his twin brother Righty Eden for the singles tournament championship. After a tough start, Lefty battled back to win the match 0-6, 8-6, 7-5, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. With very little rest after their long duel, the Eden’s took the court together and claimed the doubles championship, beating the Aberdeen netters 6-4, 6-1, 9-11, 9-7.
The Eden twins’ impact on local tennis extended well beyond their Stadium High success. After winning the Washington interscholastic title, they traveled to Haverford, Pennsylvania for the National Interscholastic Tournament.
The Eden Twins--Righty and Lefty—Righty and Lefty continued their success at the University of Washington, leading UW to the Pacific Northwest No. 1 ranking in 1943. They won the conference doubles title and Righty won the singles championship. World War II interrupted their competitive tennis careers as they served together in the military, even sharing the same fox hole at Iwo Jima. They did play tennis whenever they could in the service winning military tournaments.
Upon their return to Tacoma, the Eden’s dominated double tennis in the region collecting hundreds of trophies over the years. They never lost an age-division match from the 35s to the 55s. At one point, they competed for the U.S. in the Gordon Trophy series between U.S. and Canadian players.
Righty held leadership roles within the U.S. Tennis Association and helped organize the 1984 U.S. Olympic tennis team. He was inducted in the USTA Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame in 2001.
Dick Meyer—Meyer was the only junior among the five. He returned in 1939 and won the state singles championship. He later won the Tacoma city tournament in 1945, his second trip to the finals. World War II interrupted his athletic endeavors but Dick got back into tennis in the early ‘60s. He teamed with Thayer Bliss for many doubles tournament titles throughout the region. Dick was also an accomplished badminton player, winning state and regional championships in the 1940s.
Bill Guyles—Bill was born September 14, 1920 and graduated from Stadium high in 1938 where he played on the tennis and baseball teams. Guyles’ success on the tennis court began before the 1938 season. In 1936 he won the boy’s 15 years and younger singles title at the Tacoma Lawn Tennis Club. He was a member of the TLTC for many years. An insurance broker for Raleigh, Mann & Powell in Tacoma, Bill continued his involvement in sports playing fastpitch, bowling for the YMBC teams, and coaching neighborhood teams.
