TAC Distinguished Achievement Awards
Thursday, January 11th, 2018
Connelly Campus Center—Bellarmine Prep
AWARD PRESENTATIONS
CONNELLY LAW OFFICES EXCELLENCE IN OFFICIATING AWARD
Tom Purchase, Baseball • Randy Black, Boy’s Basketball • Alberto Perez, Girl’s Basketball
Dan Stivers, Football • Ken Laase, Softball • Dana Reinhart, Soccer
John Wohn, Volleyball • Glen Kuhn, Wrestling
FROSTY WESTERING EXCELLENCE IN COACHING AWARD
Mark Bender-Girl’s Golf, Bellarmine Prep • Mark Lovelady-Boy’s Basketball, Life Christian Academy
FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD
The Beauchene Family-Paul, Janice, Angie, Suzanne, Renee and Lisa
GOLDEN WHISTLE AWARD
Merle Hagbo • Clarence Leingang • Darron Nelson • Jan Wolcott
DOUG MCARTHUR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Angie Eichholtz
DICK HANNULA MALE & FEMALE AMATEUR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Kate Landau, Distance Running • Sefo Liufau, Football
The TAC…“best athletic organization in Puget Sound” —Tacoma Weekly says so!
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS & EVENTS
Jan. 27
7 p.m. Golden Gloves at UPS Fieldhouse
Feb. 8
12 noon Monthly Meeting at Tower Lanes, 6323 Sixth Avenue
Mar. 8
12 noon Monthly Meeting at Tower Lanes
Mar. 15
12 noon Winter Sports Athlete of the Year— Star Center
Apr. 12
12 noon Monthly Meeting at Tower Lanes
May 10
12 noon Monthly Meeting at Tower Lanes
Jun. 14
12 noon Monthly Meeting at Tower Lanes
June 18
6 p.m. Tom Names Salute to Sports— LeMay Museum
July 17
3 p.m. TAC Celebrity Classic golf tournament— Highlands
Meetings resume on Sept. 13 at Tower Lanes
Justin Gimse, the sports editor of the Tacoma Weekly, joined the Tacoma Athletic Commission in recent weeks and his first words were these: “It’s hard to imagine Tacoma athletics without these fine folks.”
If you have any interest in Tacoma or Pierce County athletics, maybe it’s time you gave the TAC a little thought. Once you get to meet some of these men and women, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t taken the step a long time ago.” Okay, you have his word, why not join now?
Go on line at www.tacomaathletic.com for an application or call 253-759-1124 and they will get one to you.
206.498.3583
Weddings
Family Portraits
Photos of the Distinguished Achievement Awards event may be viewed and purchased by visiting https://sagephoto.smugmug.com
The TAC currently is celebrating its 75th anniversary and they would welcome your membership. As sure as the Tacoma Dome stands by the freeway, the TAC has been the leading supporter of youth and sports in Pierce County. Yes, it was the TAC which raised every penny and conducted the entire campaign to build that “Dome of our Own” in 1980. Toss in $6 million of financial help it has given to our local sports and $50,000 annually in college scholarships they provide for our youth…and that pretty much tells the TAC story of dedication the 250+ members have so clearly demonstrated since the last day of December of 1942
JOIN THE TAC TODAY!
COMMITTEE
Marc Blau
Chairman
Colleen Barta & Don Gustafson & Teri Wood Honoree Arrangements
Laina Sobczak Awards
Gary Brooks, Arnold Lytle. Kevin Manning, Todd Milles, Nick Dawson, Tyler Scott and Marc Blau
Publicity & Souvenir Program
Shannon Heinrick, Karen Hurdelbrink, Mollie Robertson and Linda Shelton Registration
Jeff Beha, Ed Menotti, Laina Sobeczak Ushers
Michael Sage Photography Photos
Shelli Williams Ticketing
Kellie Ham Program Layout & Design
ORDER OF EVENTS
Welcome
Rob Tillotson, TAC President
Welcome Jay Stricherz, Referee/MC
Bellarmine Preparatory School Student Jazz Combo
National Anthem
75th Anniversary Recap
NFHS Award Citation received by Wendy Malich
Connelly Law Offices Excellence in Officiating Award
Belle Hendrickson, Sophomore at Life Christian Academy
Bill Baarsma, Chairman
Rob Tillotson
AWARD PRESENTATIONS
Jack Connelly
Tom Purchase, Baseball
Randy Black, Boy’s Basketball
Alberto Perez, Girl’s Basketball
Dan Stivers, Football
Ken Laase, Softball
Dana Reinhart, Soccer
John Wohn, Volleyball
Glen Kuhn, Wrestling
Frosty Westering Excellence in Coaching Award
Holly Westering Johnson
Mark Bender-Girl’s Golf, Bellarmine Prep
Mark Lovelady-Boy’s Basketball, Life Christian Academy
First Family of Sports Award .....................................................
Nick Mullen
The Beauchene Family
Paul, Janice, Angie, Suzanne, Renee and Lisa
Golden Whistle Award
Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award
John McCarthy
Merle Hagbo
Clarence Leingang
Darron Nelson
Jan Wolcott
Doug McArthur
Angie Eichholtz
Dick
Kate
Sefo
Video Presentation: Celebrating 75 Years of the TAC
Closing
Jay Stricherz, MC
Hannula Male & Female Amateur Athlete of the Year Award
Hannula
Landau, Running
Liufau, Football
TAC Celebrates Eight (count ‘em—8) Decades of Sports in Pierce County
It’s the 75th anniversary year for the Tacoma Athletic Commission and the celebration includes memories of great athletes, great teams, great coaches and great games from days gone by, beginning with the 1940s.
The TAC was formed in December of ’42 and the first event on its schedule was an early January basketball game in the Tacoma Armory between the Fort Lewis Rangers and the Harlem Globetrotters. Would you believe that Fort Lewis won? Well, they did.
Recent TAC meetings have been devoted to saluting the 40s and the 50s and our February meeting will feature some of the sports stars of the 60s with Jay Stricherz officiating on “memory lane.” Every month thereafter we will remember what happened in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and the present (since 2000). If you would enjoy hearing about “the good old days”… think about attending one of our TAC meetings
as our guest.
To date we have heard about the legendary Marv Harshman and Marv Tommervik of PLU fame (from their sons), the state championship Thanksgiving Day game of ’44 between Lincoln and Stadium (both unbeaten going in) by Len Kalapus (who scored the winning and ONLY touchdown on a pass from Dean Mellor), plus the great PLU basketball teams of the 50s and Roger Iverson (named to the national all-time NAIA all-star team).
We also enjoyed the recollections from two of the stars from the national amateur baseball champion Stanley’s Shoemen of ’56, Dale Bloom and Earl Hyder. Bloom was the winning pitcher in state, regional and national championship
games. Hyder was one of the team’s leading hitters and a few years later hammered a homerun in the national championship game for the Cheney Studs, a 1–0 winner of that same title. Those are just some of the stars of “yesteryear” who’ve been featured. So stay tuned. There are many more from the 60s and on…and they are still to come. For information about the TAC, go on line on your computer at tacomaathletic.com.
Front row l. to r.: Pat Dillon, Max Braman, Ray Spaulding, Stan Naccarato, Doug McArthur, Earl Hyder, and Manly Mitchell. Missing: Russ Wilkerson. Back row l. to r.: Dick Montgomery, Mike Dillon, Jim Gallwas, Ron Storaasli, Dale Bloom, Gordy Hersey, Gordy Grubert, Bob Maguinez, and Dick Schlosstein.
The Marvelous Marv’s---Marv Harshman (#33) and Marv Tommervik (#44)—led Tacoma’s first pro football team, the Tacoma Indians, in 1946.
1957–58 Pacific Lutheran College Basketball team, under the guidance of Coach Marv Harshman, finished with a 29–7 record, falling 71–70 to Tennessee State in the NAIA National Championships. Team members l. to r.: Lute Jerstand, Bob Roiko, Tom Sahli, Marv Harshman, Chuck Curtis, Jim VanBeek and Roger Iverson.
TAC HAS HALL OF FAMES; HONORS
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
The TAC, upon the recommendation and coordination of charter member Clay Huntington, introduced the first Sports Hall of Fame banquet in 1957 to honor the all-time great athletes and coaches of Tacoma and Pierce County. That was followed up in 1960 with the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame, another brainchild of Clay’s.
From 1993–2014 the Athlete of the Year banquet was held to honor the top student-athletes from the 33 high schools in Tacoma-Pierce County. Beginning in 2015, donations from the Scott Names family, the Tom Names family, and the Clint Names family as well as their respective family foundations have provided $80,000 annually toward TAC scholarships and the related awards events.
For more information about these events and the honorees please visit:
www.tacomaathletic.com www.tacomasportsmuseum.com www.washingtonsportshof.com
WENDY MALICH RECEIVES NFHS AWARD CITATION
Wendy Malich, Athletic Director for the Franklin Pierce School District, was one of eight high school athletic directors in the country to be awarded an NFHS Citation last week at the 48th annual National Athletic Directors Conference sponsored jointly by the NFHS and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
NFHS Citations are presented annually to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastixc athletics at the local, state and national levels. State associations nominate athletic directors for NFHS Citations, and the NFHS Board of Directors approves recipients.
Wendy Malich has served the students of the Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma, Washington, for 30 years, and has become a leader of athletic administration in the state of Washington. After joining the Franklin Pierce School District in 1987, Malich became the first district-wide athletic director in 2004, a position she holds today.
At the local level, Malich created a district-wide captain’s council and is the sportsmanship facilitator for 16 schools in the South Puget Sound League (SPSL). In addition to serving as SPSL president in 2009–10, Malich is also the League’s commissioner for volleyball, spirit, sportsmanship and bowling. Since 2000, Malich has been a member of the Washington Secondary Schools Athletic Administrators Association (WSSAAA) Executive Board, and, in 2006–07, served as board president. She was chair of the WSSAAA State Conference in 2005–06 and has been a frequent instructor of Leadership Training courses at the conference. In 2006, Malich was named WSSAAA Athletic Director of the Year.
Malich is equally involved with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). She currently serves on the WIAA Executive Board and was its president in 2014–15. Among her committee assignments, she was a Strategic Planning Team member and was chair of the Calendar and Culminating Events Committee on two occasions.
For the NIAAA, Malich has served as the State Awards Chair since 2011 and is on the national faculty for LTC 625 and LTC 715. She was also a member of the second Strategic Planning Committee, was Washington’s representative to the NIAAA Delegate Assembly in 2008 and participated in the Blue Ribbon Panel in 2007. Among her honors, Malich earned the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2007.
SPORTS WEBSITES TO KEEP INFORMED
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 South Sound Sports www.tacomasports.org
Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club www.tacomarainiers.com
West Central District III www.wcd3.org
WIAA www.wiaa.com
The “EXCELLENCE IN OFFICIATING AWARD”—Presented by Connelly Law Offices
By Kevin Manning & Tyler Scott
The “EXCELLENCE IN OFFICIATING AWARD”
THE “EXCELLENCE IN OFFICIATING AWARD” is presented to collectively honor officials previously recognized for their leadership, dedication and high standard of professionalism displayed on and off the “field of play.” Their efforts are acknowledged for laying a foundation of excellence as officiating pioneers.
Presented annually to a currently active official in Tacoma-Pierce County who has made a significant contribution to the betterment of officiating. Factors used in the selection of this individual include, but are not limited to, the following:
-Respect for the Spirit and the Letter of the “Laws of the Games.”
-Integrity and ethics.
-Exhibits a “service above self” attitude.
-Has a motivating effect on others and/or strong community involvement.
-Excellence in officiating
-Years of service and positions held in Local, State and National Official’s organizations.
-Awards received from these organizations.
-A member in good standing of the Washinton Officials Association, if applicable.
TOM PURCHASE —Baseball
A 1976 graduate of Pasco High School where he played baseball and football, Tom Purchase graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1980 with a Biology Sciences degree.
What started out as a casual interest in helping out the Gig Harbor Little League in 2000 resulted in Tom joining the Western Washington Baseball Umpires Association where he has been umpiring middle school and high school games since 2003.
During that time Purchase has umpired three state championship games and the Washington State American Legion (Jr.) state championships twice. He also umpires collegiate games as a member of the Northwest Collegiate Umpires Association.
Purchase spent 12 yeas as a pilot for the U.S. Marine Corps and now flies a Boeing 777F for FedEx. Tom and Constance have been married for 35 years and have one son who is also a pilot.
ficial of the Year in 2014. Randy and Tina have been married for 36 years and have two daughters. Professionally, Black has worked for the Lakewood Water District for 32 years, the last 22 as General Manager.
ALBERTO PEREZ— Girl’s Basketball
Alberto Perez has spent a lifetime committed to serving others. From his 30 years of military service with the U.S. Army, or his 40 years as a basketball official running camps and clinics. Perez has helped countless others become accomplished officials in Tacoma-Pierce County.
After graduating in 1971 from Central High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Al played two years of baseball, he joined the U.S. Army and was a service member until his retirement in 2003.
In 1977, Perez joined the International Association of Approved Basketball Official (IAABO), and over the next 41 years he officiated multiple levels of men’s basketball in six states as well as in South Korea and Germany.
RANDY BLACK— Boy’s Basketball
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on November 5, 1961, Randall Black attended Decatur High School where was a forward on the Gators basketball team before graduating in 1980.
For the last 21 years, Randall has been a member of the Western Washington Basketball Officials Association where he has refereed district and regional games, two state tournaments, and the finals for the 3A state championships in 2014. He has also officiated community college games in the NWAC conference.
Black served as president of the WWBOA in 2007 and 2008 and was named the Dave Kerrone Of-
Since 1997, Al has been a member of the Tacoma Basketball Board and Washington Official Association where he’s officiated nine state tournaments and three finals. Al is also the Assigning Secretary for the TBB which provides officials for girl’s basketball games in Pierce County.
Al and wife Yong have been married for 33 years and have three daughters and 10 grandchildren.
AWARD
DAN STIVERS—Football
Dan Stivers has spent more than 20 years as a football official, establishing a career worthy of recognition. A two-sport letter winner in high school, Stivers played tight end at Moscow High School in Idaho before attending University of Idaho.
Stivers began officiating football with the Western Washington Football Officials Association in 1996. He has served as a board member from 2011–14 and in 2016. During his time with the WWFOA, he has officiated four state finals: serving as umpire in the 2007 1B, 2010 3A, 2013 4A and 2015 2A contests. He received the WOA Meritorious Service Award in 2011 and the Tom Cross Award in 2012.
field helped the men’s, women’s, and coed programs flourish. This led to being awarded the State Directors Award in 1990 election into the USSSA Hall of Fame in 1995.
During his career, Laase has umpired in eleven national softball tournaments, seventeen regional tournaments and countless number of Washington state tournaments. Since 1996 Ken has served as the assigning secretary for the Western Washington Umpires Association which provides umpires for 37 high schools, 45 middle schools and six parks and recreation departments in the Tacoma-Pierce County and surrounding area.
DANA REINHART—Soccer
In recent years, Stivers has also worked collegiate contests. He began working with the Northwest Intercollegiate Football Officials Association in 2011 and is currently an executive board member. He served as a line judge in the NAIA first-round playoffs in 2014 and was an alternate in the 2016 NCAA Div. II first round, quarterfinals and national championship. Stivers has also worked three years in the Arena Football League. He considers the highlight of his officiating career “the opportunity to work with a number of excellent men who share a passion for the sport, kids and community. To be part of the action on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon has made the journey fulfilling.”
Dana Reinhart built one of the most impressive soccer officiating careers the Pacific Northwest has seen. After playing for the US Coast Guard Academy, he began officiating youth, high school, college and some upper division state league games. By 1984, Reinhart owned a resume of more than 600 games officiated and earned a promotion to State 2 Referee. From 1994 until 2010, he averaged more than 200 games officiated per year.
One of the most memorable games Reinhart officiated came as a unique opportunity. The Canadian Men’s Team became stranded in Tacoma due to heavy
2017 RECIPIENTS
Baseball Tom Purchase
Boys Basketball Randy Black
KEN LAASE—Softball
Born April 27, 1943 in Bellingham, Ken Laase graduated from Ballard High School in 1961 where he helped the Beavers’ basketball team to a second-place finish at state his senior year and earned second-team all-state honors as a guard. At Seattle Pacific University he played another two years of basketball and four seasons on the baseball diamond.
A member of the powerful Heidelberg slowpitch team in the late 60s and 70s, Ken honed his skills and rules knowledge on the field that led to a highly successful umpiring career that spanned well over 30 years.
An one of the eight original umpires in Washington to help the USSSA organization get off the ground in 1980, Ken’s leadership on and off the
Girls Basketball Alberto Perez
Fastpitch Softball Ken Laase
Football Dan Stivers
Soccer Dana Reinhart
Volleyball John Wohn
Wrestling Glen Kuhn
2016 RECIPIENTS
Baseball Phil Taylor
Boys Basketball Tony Schoeler
Girls Basketball Kevin Walk
Fastpitch Softball Bruce Ledbetter
Football Ron Anderson
Soccer Cy Palmer
Track Cathy Sanderson
Volleyball Lenny Llanos
Wrestling Randy Holberg
2015 RECIPIENTS
Baseball Dave Williams
Boys Basketball Ed Rounds
Girls Basketball Frank Manowski
Fastpitch Softball Ken Cheslik
Football Dennis Mullens
Track and Field Ed Viering
Volleyball Walt Gogan
Wrestling Daryl Eygabroad
2014 RECIPIENTS
Boys Basketball Larry Stevens
Girls Basketball Bill Weatherby
Fastpitch Softball Greg Farias
Football Clarence Leingang
Soccer Joe Tompkins
Volleyball Paul Jensen
Wrestling Hugh Birgenheier
2013 RECIPIENTS
Boys Baseball Rob Ruth
Boys Basketball Mark Stricherz
Girls Basketball Ross Parker
Fastpitch Softball John Everett
Football Rich Salstrom
Lacrosse Keith MacFie
Volleyball Tina Preece
Wrestling Bruce Osborne
2012 RECIPIENTS
Boys Basketball Lee Gregory
Girls Basketball Ron Rosi
Fastpitch Softball Bill Rudd
Football John Dively
Swimming/Track Dick Unrue
Volleyball Teri Wood
Wrestling Eric Davis
2011 RECIPIENTS
Boys Basketball Paul Guetle
Girls Basketball Mandel Scott
Fastpitch Softball Jack Stonestreet
Football Ken Wood
Volleyball Robyn Buck
Wrestling Brian Dunbar
2010 RECIPIENTS
Baseball Ron Shaw
Boys Basketball Steve Wusterbarth
Girls Basketball Wayne Agness
Fastpitch Softball Dick Hassan
Football Terry Keister
Volleyball Earl Powell
Wrestling Terry Beckstead
EXCELLENCE IN OFFICIATING AWARD (continued)
snow in Oregon and scheduled a lastminute friendly with a group of local professional players who called themselves the Washington All Stars. Joey Waters captained the Washington team, while Bob Lenarduzzi captained the Canadian team, and Dana worked the center of that game, played at Meeker Middle School.
A significant heart attack in 1997 reduced Reinhart’s heart’s pumping capacity by 60 percent. However, that couldn’t keep him off the pitch. He used medicine and an implanted defibrillator and maintained his rigid referee schedule.
Reinhart officiated the USA Cup from 1993 through 2014, missing only one year in that span and refereeing at least 350 matches there. The tournament is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, taking place in Blaine, Minnesota, the largest soccer complex in the United States. That opportunity led to the chance to work 14 games with FIFA referees.
to 48 high schools, 81 middle schools, 11 colleges and five recreation departments.
John enthusiastically assists in the training of new officials with the goal of helping them get better whether it is for school or rec ball games. He also devotes an inordinate amount of time making sure that notebooks are updated notebooks and that rulebooks, badges and other supplies are distributed in a timely manner. He helps keep the website updated and will drop whatever he is doing (it helps to be retired) to cover a match at the last minute when a problem occurs.
John is perhaps the single most dependable ref we have and never cancels a match he has already accepted. If he needs to drive to Issaquah he will and he never questions assignments. He just says “yes, I can do it.”
Over the past decade, Kuhn has become a rising star with the WWWOA. He received his first Regional Tournament assignment in only his second year and has now officiated seven straight Regional Tournaments. In his third year, he was voted onto the WWWOA Executive Board and has served for six consecutive years. He has taken on the very influential role of trainer and mentor to new officials and drops everything to help make them better.
Reinhart worked with the Pierce County Soccer Referee Association from 1993 to 2014, serving several times as Director at Large on the Board of Directors. He closed out his career at the USA Cup in 2014, working 11 smallsided games in one day. He finished his career as the oldest active referee in Pierce County, earning a Grade 15 (Emeritus State 1) with lifetime totals of 3,404 centers and 5,402 games.
JOHN WOHN— Volleyball
Ever since becoming a volleyball referee in 1988, John Wohn has been active as a referee, scorekeeper and certified college line judge. Not only that but John has also served as Secretary, Treasurer and currently as an Administrative Assistant for the organization. That is no small feat working for an organization that is the second largest volleyball official’s Board in Washington providing services
A U.S. Navy veteran and past President of the University of Puget Sound Loggers Club, Wohn received the City of Destiny Award “Adult Sustained Service from the City of Tacoma in 2006. He is also an original member of the Shanaman Sports Museum’s Board of Directors and active with the Tacoma Badminton Club and the Tacoma Athletic Commission. John and wife Jackie are passionate about UPS sports and rarely miss football, volleyball or men’s and women’s basketball games, host teams at their home for dinners and are often found taking tickets or maintaining the shot clock.
GLEN KUHN— Wrestling
Glen Kuhn’s impact on the wrestling match began with his own competitive career and continues today in his role as an official. Kuhn had a stellar prep career at Curtis High School, helping lead the team to a second-place finish at the AAA State Tournament before graduating in 1977. He coached youth wrestling for many years and helped the Auburn A Team become the first to dethrone the Bethel All Stars in 1991. He later helped coach those same kids to a AAAA State Championship at Auburn High School in 1996.
His growth as an official has been reflected in his assignments over the past year. He was assigned as Head Official to arguably the most competitive matches and challenging sub-regionals. He was also selected to officiate one of the most competitive Regionals in the state and was chosen as Alternate to the state tournament.
Kuhn’s impact continues both in his own work on the mat and the work of those he’s worked with. He’s said that his greatest accomplishment “is seeing the kids I coached and influenced go on and become state placers and champions, as well as coaches, but even more than that, become role models and positive contributors in their communities and to the kids in the sport of wrestling.”
SPORTS
IF INTERESTED CONTACT:
Baseball Mark Heavey
Boy’s Basketball Steve Brown
Girl’s Basketball Al Perez
Sports Officials Wanted For 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.
253-468-5307 assignor@wwbua.net
253-405-6977 wwboa@me.com Facebook.com/wwboa
253-223-5800 al.perez2@netzero.net http://tbbofficials.com
Football Jan Wolcott 253-826-2460 jswol@comcast.net www.wwfoa.com
Lacrosse Keith MacFie 253-229-7364 linesref53@gmail.com
Soccer Scott Webster 253-792-9103 scottwebster1982@comcast.com
Softball Ken Laase 253-380-1840 kenlaase@yahoo.com
Track & Field Cathy Sanderson 253-495-2886 crssped@net-venture.com
Volleyball Marc Blau 253-677-2872 mhblau@comcast.net www.tpcvob.com
Water Polo Marvel Shoen 206-390-2945 WApoloRefs@msn.com
Wrestling Daryl Eygabroad 253-222-6721 deygabroad@gmail.com
NOTE: Officiating can be a great part-time job for high school and college students as many assignments are in the afternoon. With proper training, you can officiate two afternoons a week and earn $100. Don’t wait—call us now!!
The Frosty Westering Excellence In Coaching Award—Mark Bender
By Gary Brooks
The Frosty Westering Excellence In
Coaching Award
This award was established to honor a legendary coach, Frosty Westering, and to inspire and recognize those who follow in his footsteps. Frosty emphasized a double-win theme: victory on the scoreboard and the satisfaction of playing to one’s personal potential. He instilled a love of teamwork and competition, and stressed “service above self.” For 40 years his players responded by portraying excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award is presented to a local coach in recognition of their commitment to excellence and devotion to the personal growth
MARK BENDER
Mark Bender graduated from Tacoma’s Wilson High School in 1967. That was early in the Rams’ 24-year streak of state boys swimming championships that were coached by Dick Hannula. Fifty years later, Bender built an unfathomable success streak of his own. The Bellarmine Prep girls golf team has won the past eight 4A state championships under Bender’s guidance.
The exceptional dominance of the state golf scene has earned Bender national coach of the year honors twice—from USA Today in 2016 and the National High School Coaches Association in 2017. This is Bender’s second stint as Bellarmine’s coach. He also coached the Lions girls to the state title in 2000 giving him nine total state championships. When he took a break from coaching (2003–2007), his daughter Hailey—once a standout Bellarmine and UW golfer—coached the Lions to two state titles in four years.
It would be one thing to teach kids exceptional technique and shot-making ability but for Bender, coaching is as much about development of the person as development of the swing.
“I do this to help kids grow and make them better people and help them figure out what golf and life are all about —even for the girls that aren’t going to play NCAA Division I golf,” Bender told The News Tribune for a story about his national honors. “They’ve all become such great friends. That’s what I love. That camaraderie they have keeps me young and it keeps me exited to coach. I love watching them grow from coming in as freshmen and seeing how they are as seniors, and we’ve always tried to create this bond and this team because one player doesn’t make a team. We’ve always built this from the bottom up and not the top down, and that’s been the key to our success.”
That success has equated to 14 state appearances over his two stints coaching the Bellarmine girls.
PAST RECIPIENTS
2017 Mark Bender Girls Golf Bellarmine
Mark Lovelady Boys Basketball Life Christian
2016 Kevin Aoki Volleyball Pacific Lutheran
2015 Randy Davis Football Cascade Christian
2014 Gary Wusterbarth Boys Basketball Steilacoom
The 2017 season was the sixth year in a row that Bellarmine’s top six golfers all placed in the top 40 at the state championships. It was the first year that eight Bellarmine golfers finished in the top 40 after Bender successfully negotiated a WIAA rule change that allowed more individual qualifiers from one school to be allowed. Bender lobbied that it was unfair that he would have to leave golfers out of the state tournament who would have been state qualifiers if they were on another team.
A longtime supporter of Bellarmine athletics, Bender and his wife Terry, have three adult children; Hailey Bender-Dawson, Katie Bender-Pardee who also golfed at Bellarmine and Western Washington University and Bryan Bender who golfed at Bellarmine. There are also six grandchildren to teach golf over the next several years.
2017 Bellarmine Prep Golf Team l. to r.: Coach Mark Bender, Haley Cooke, Jessica Zelasko, Morgan Bentley, Julia Bordeaux, Elle Ferreira, Anna Andrade, Montgomery Ferreira, and Terry Bender.
The Frosty Westering Excellence In Coaching Award (continued)—Mark Lovelady
By Gary Brooks
MARK LOVELADY
Mark Lovelady receives the Frosty Westering Excellence in Coaching Award for his basketball coaching career but his contribution to Life Christian Academy and the Tacoma area in general both exhibit far broader reach that just the court.
Entering the 2017–18 season, Lovelady’s LCA teams had won 363 games, seven league titles and made 12 state tournament appearances. In recognition of his first state tournament appearance, based on a challenge he had made with his team, Lovelady skateboarded from LCA to the Tacoma Dome down 19th street.
Last season, the Eagles placed third at the Class 2B state tournament.
A seven-time league coach of the year, Lovelady is one of three current coaches in Washington who have coached at the same school for 25 years. His alumni have gone on to compete at Washington State University, Seattle Pacific University, PLU, Pepperdine, San Jose State, Hawaii Hilo, and various community colleges.
Beyond the court, he has been a central figure at Life Christian as a teacher, principal, athletic director and dean of students. Lovelady has been instrumental in a variety of youth programs as a mentor, assistant youth pastor and soccer coach. Hundreds of his Friday nights have been filled with volunteer activity to help kids build character and life skills. Much of his lessons come through athletics.
Lovelady was a standout athlete himself at Steilacoom High School (’87). He played two seasons of varsity basketball. The Sentinels made it to state both years. But it was his running legs that were even more impressive. He was a four-year varsity letter-winner in both cross country and track. He was a twotime district cross country champion and ran at the state meet all four years. On the track, he placed in the mile at state and Steilacoom won the state title three of his four years. He ran cross country at Highline CC and placed 10th in the NWACC.
He has been married to Jennifer for 23 years and has four children: daughter Alexis, son Luke (the state 2B player of the year for 2016–17 and now playing basketball at Point Loma Nazarene), daughter Landyn (a sophomore three-sport athlete at LCA), and 6th grader Ashton.
The Lovelady family: Front to back: —Daughter Landyn, wife Jen, Mark and son Luke. Peter Haley, photographer— The News Tribune.
Mark Francis photography.
The 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.
THE FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD
THE BEAUCHENE FAMILY
By Todd Milles
No creature, dead or alive, could corroborate the Beauchenes’ legendary tales of athleticism better than an agitated outdoor pet.
The Beauchenes—father, Paul; mother, Janice; and daughters, Angie, Suzanne, Renee and Lisa —lived on five acres of property up the hill from Milton. They had a pasture full of horses, cows, goats, chickens—and one powerful, ornery bull.
“We had to go through the field to get to our friends’ house,” Suzanne said. “We had to look around to see where that bull was. We had to be careful.”
Many times, that bull spotted the girls in plain view, and took off after them.
Never, did it catch them.
They were too quick, too robust—too keen in their instincts.
The Beauchenes are this year’s “First Family of Sports,” selected by the Tacoma Athletic Commission.
Paul was a multiple-sport standout at Marquette High School in Yakima, and was part of that school’s sweep in 1964–65—an undefeated run to the state football championship, and an unblemished ride to the state boy’s basketball crown.
A graduate of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Janice was a member of the school’s prestigious Hi-Lassie march unit that filled halftime shows and weekend parades throughout the area.
FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD RECIPIENTS
2017 The Beauchene Family—Paul, Janice, Angie, Suzanne, Renee and Lisa
2016 The Mullen Family—Mike, Rosanne, Pat, Molly and Nick
2015 The Carrigan Family—Paul, Jean, Andy, Mike, Casey, Tim and Clancy
2014 The Shelton Family—Al, Shari, Aaron, Aubrey, Ben, Austin, Karina and Kaleb
2013 The Clark Family—Bob, Pat, Jackie, Denise, Robyn, Lori and Michele
2012 The Medved Family—Bob, Shirley, Ron, Judy, John, Susie, Michael, Pat, Tom, Tim, Karen, Kevin, Jim and Jerry
2011 The Tingstad Family—Ed, Darlene, David, Mark and Ed
2010 The Huard Family---Mike, Peggy, Damon, Brock and Luke
2009 The Westering Family—Frosty, Donna, Holly, Sue, Brad, Scott and Stacey
2008 The Hannula Family—Dick, Sylvia, Dan, Dave, Dick and Debby
2007 The Names Family—Scott, Sis, Tom, Clint, and Paula
2006 The Williams Family—Joe, Cleo, Joe, Jerry, Dave, Susan, John, Jordan, and Jennifer.
Of course, folks around here should be familiar with all the serves, spikes and digs made by the four daughters, who played for legendary Fife High
Left to Right: Angie, Renee, Paul, Janice, Suzanne and Lisa
Left to Right: Renee, Paul, Janice, Angie, Lisa (in front) and Suzanne.
Angie Beauchene
Paul and Janice.
THE FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD (continued)
School girls volleyball coach Jan Kirk.
All were all-state performers who were part of Kirk’s four state championship squads (1992, 1995, 1996, 1999). All of them went on to play in college.
“The Beauchene girls were a huge part of the Fife volleyball program in the 1990s,” Kirk said. “Angie was respected. Renee was looked to up to. Suzanne was loved. And Lisa was admired.
“I enjoyed coaching all of the girls, and was thankful for the support of Paul and Jan Beauchene.”
Anybody who has seen a Beauchene in action, or walked next to one of them, it is easy to spot the most visible common denominator— height. All stand near or exceed 6 feet tall.
“Most of that height comes from my wife’s side,” Paul said.
At 6-4, Paul was no slouch at Marquette, a small all-boys Jesuit school. But he did not stand out as much as you’d think.
“In football, I played both ways, mostly at defensive end and offensive (tackle),” Paul said. “The incredible part of it was that I was the smallest guy.”
In the fall of 1964, Marquette went 9–0 to win the Class A title, which in those days was awarded through a poll.
A few months later, the school won all 26 games, and captured the ‘A’ basketball championship at UPS’s Memorial Fieldhouse in Tacoma. Paul was an all-state post player on that team.
Up the road northeast a couple hundred miles, sports options for girls in the 1960s at Shadle Park were limited. But the march team was very popular.
“It was a big deal to try out for the ‘Hi-Lassies,’” Janice said. “I did that as a junior. Friends of mine were doing it.”
One-hundred girls were selected by a judging panel out of thousands who auditioned. Janice was one of them, performing “fancy patterns on the football field” at high school stadiums, even at Eastern Washington University.
After Paul served a stint in the U.S. Coast Guard, playing in adult basketball leagues throughout Alaska, he returned to Yakima Valley Community College where he met Janice, who was part of the school’s applied science in nursing program.
The two wed in 1972, and moved to Tacoma —both working at Tacoma General Hospital where Janice was a nurse, and Paul was the facilities superintendent.
As their family grew, their priorities shifted to coaching youth basketball and track and field.
In 1989, Kirk and her son, Kelly, the volleyball coach at Jefferson High School, were interested in starting up a club volleyball program in the area—Puget Sound Volleyball. They asked the Beauchenes to become charter members.
“Initially, (the Kirks’) interest was in the girls’ height,” Paul said. “After that, it became more about talent.”
Over the next decade, the Beauchenes traveled all around the West Region in their motor home for club volleyball tournaments in Oregon and California, and cross country meets with the Fife/Milton Streakers in Nevada and British Columbia.
“I literally kept a calendar on the wall to write
Suzanne Beauchene
Suzanne Beauchene
Suzanne, crouched down in the middle, and Renee (#11) played together at PLU.
Angie Beauchene
THE FIRST FAMILY OF SPORTS AWARD (continued)
things on…for every sport,” Janice said. “Literally, almost every square on that calendar was full with something.”
Angie (Wilson) Beauchene set the standard for her sisters. She grew up playing volleyball, basketball, track and field, gymnastics, swimming and cross country.
By the time she was a junior at Fife High School in 1992–93, she was one of the top two-sport athletes in the state. She led the Trojans to their first Class 2A volleyball crown, defeating Kennedy Catholic in the finals.
And a few months later, Fife battled Prairie
in the state girls basketball title game, falling 46-44. Beauchene was voted to the all-tournament team.
“Quickness and speed—she just kind of had it,” Paul said. “It came to her early.”
Angie was an all-state performer in volleyball as a senior, and received a full-ride scholarship to play at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho, helping the university to a pair of NAIA national-tournament berths. She also played one season of women’s basketball.
“I remember her always doing what was asked of her, and she never complained about it,” Suzanne said. “And she was always happy playing sports. There is a lot of stress in sports sometimes, and you could not see it in her.”
Predictably, Suzanne (Heiberg) Beauchene tried to imitate her older sister, and followed suit at Fife by playing basketball and volleyball—and also one season of girls golf.
As an all-state performing senior in 1995–96, she guided the Trojans to another Class 2A volleyball championship. Again, Fife defeated
Kennedy Catholic for the title.
Suzanne accepted a scholarship offer to play volleyball at Seattle Pacific University, but eventually transferred to Pacific Lutheran University where she enrolled in the nursing program. That is where she finished her career, and was voted an all-Northwest Conference first teamer.
And she was about to have a younger sister join her at PLU.
But first, Renee (Lunt) Beauchene had her own business to take care of at Fife. As a junior in 1996, she was part of the Trojans’ third state volleyball championship squad, this time teaming up with her younger sister, Lisa, to beat Selah for the crown.
Because of his daughter’s low-key nature, Paul said she often displayed “silent talent” in sports, which also including basketball and running the 300-meter hurdles in track and field.
Also an all-state volleyball performer, Renee eventually played at PLU for three seasons, enjoying a run in the 1999 NCAA Division III tournament.
Renee Beauchene spikes the ball over two blockers.
Renee Beauchene
Renee Beauchene with coach Jan Kirk.
been a longtime college assistant coach at New Mexico.
“I had the biggest advantage, because I was a spectator to my sisters for so many years,” Lisa said. “Whether I was the best athlete, that is debatable.”
And with that, she laughed.
For the Beauchenes, athletics went beyond individual glory. They were always more concerned about the collective cause.
And they did everything together, as a close-knit family.
And finally, the final sister came through—Lisa (Lawson) Beauchene.
“She was probably our best athlete,” Paul said.
Lisa was a natural at everything, winning her first 50-yard dash at an Oregon indoor meet as a 9-year-old. She eventually threw the javelin and the discus in high school.
But much like her other siblings, volleyball was her true love.
But unlike her other sisters, she starred at a different position— setter.
While at Fife from 1996–2000, the Trojans won three Pierce County League volleyball titles, four West Central District championships— and two state crowns in 1996 and 1999.
Lisa also went off to the highest-profile volleyball program—Sacramento State where she was a three-time Big Sky selection, including the player of the year in 2003.
Three years later, she was inducted into the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame for her illustrious playing career. She has also
“The thing I am most proud of with my daughters is that they are good people,” Janice said. “They’ve accomplished more in their lives than just what they set out to do. Whatever their goals were, they just seemed to attain them.”
1999 Fife HS Volleyball Team-State Tournament Back Row l. to r.: Coach Jim Amsbury, Jeni Brown, Sarah Freeman, Darcy Scheidt, Jenny Lloyd, Lisa Beauchene, Candice Carpenter, Kim Lee and Coach Dan Hunter. Front Row l. to r.: Coach Lenny Llanos, Valerie Gilbert, Alicia Kenyon, Lindsey Aspelund, Nicole Stoltey, Necia Luce and Coach Jan Kirk.
Lisa Beauchene
Lisa Beauchene
The Golden Whistle Award
The Golen Whistle Award was established to honor 50 years of service as a football official representing the Western Washington Football Official’s Association. The award recognizes an individual who has served the “football community” and has experienced a successful
THE GOLDEN WHISTLE AWARD
By Arnold Lytle
Year in 1972 and 1973 and the Washington State High School Coach of the Year in 1973.
MERLE HAGBO
Merle Hagbo, born in Tacoma in 1934, graduated from Lincoln High School in 1952 and played second base, third base and outfield on numerous city and county teams, including the American Legion Post 138 team in 1950 and 1951. He made his biggest mark as a prep football player, however, and was the quarterback at Humboldt State in 1954 and 1955. He graduated from the school in 1957.
He came back to the area to teach and coach and had a successful baseball coaching career from 1963–96 at Clover Park High School. His teams won three South Puget Sound League championships and his 1973 squad placed second at the state tournament. He was named District 8 Coach of the
In addition to coaching high school baseball, Hagbo coached the Lakewood Rotary Connie Mack team from 1971–74 and the Lakewood Legion from 1974–77. His 1972 club were State and Pacific NW Regional champions.
Merle also has a long history as a football official, wearing the striped shirt on the gridiron for 50 years, including 27 at the Division II, III and NAIA college level. He was selected to work in 15 high school state championship games, in addition to numerous semifinal contests, and in 10 college playoffs, including the 1995 NAIA title contest at the Tacoma Dome when Central Washington University and Findlay University of Ohio battled to a 21–21 tie.
Merle received the Outstanding Official Award for District 8 from the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association in 1998. He was also inducted into the Washington State High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1988.
In 2010 Merle received the Marv Scott Coaches Award from the Tacoma-Pierce County Baseball-Softball Oldtimers Association and in 2014 Hagbo received the Jack Johnson Meritorious Award for Lifetime Football Officiating presented by the Paul Wallrof Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter of the National Football Foundation. He is also a member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame.
CLARENCE LEINGANG
Clarence Leingangs long involvement in officiating has taken him from Tacoma’s Lincoln High School as a member of the class of 1952, to 46 years of officiating high school football games in Washington, to working the old King Bowl (state high school football championships at the Kingdome), to operating the game clock for high school championship games at the Tacoma Dome, to serving in the same role for the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium.
Along the way he won the Kurt Gegner Community Service Award given by the Pierce County chapter of the National Football Foundation (where he was treasurer) in 2000, the 1997 service award from the Washington Officials Association, both the President Award (1979) and the Tom Cross Award (1986) from the Tacoma Sports Recreation Federation and the NFIOA service award in 1994 for his college football work.
A native of Mandan, N.D., and a 1956 graduate of Seattle University, Leingang in 2006 received the Mike Burton Faithful Service Award from the Western Washington Football and Basketball Officials Association.
As a basketball official for 37 years Leingang pioneered the move of the Class A state championships to the Tacoma Dome by working the first game, between Woodland and Cashmere.
After a banking career at Puget Sound National Bank and years of service as an official, Clarence Leingang earned friendships that continue today with Tuesday morning breakfast gatherings of retired officials.
THE GOLDEN WHISTLE AWARD (continued)
DARRON NELSON
Darron Nelson is a native of Dayton, Wash., who was an all-around athlete at Federal Way High School (class of 1956) before continuing his athletic activities as a star hitter in fastpitch softball and an official of 50-plus years in the Western Washington Football Officials Association.
Under the guidance of WWFOA commissioner Tom Cross, Nelson gained increasing responsibility in high school football officiating starting in 1965. He started working Northwest small college football games about five years later and continued for 33 years.
Nelson, an advertising salesman for the Tacoma News Tribune, sometimes spent his weekends working multiple games that required four-hour drives each way. Typically, he would get home from a high school game at 11 p.m. Friday and be on the road at 7 a.m. Saturday for a college game. He observed that it was “sometimes a little brutal but mostly it was fun.”
“I loved it,” Nelson said. “I got to work high school football with a good group of guys, and I got paid for doing something I loved.”
Nelson’s experience and enthusiasm led to several playoff games at the Tacoma Dome and three terms on the board of directors of the WWFOA.
When he wasn’t busy officiating football games, Nelson played fastpitch softball for various local teams, including first base and outfield and batting a league-leading .360 for the Manke Lumber team that reached the national championship tournament in Clearwater, Fla., in 1974. He also coached the highly competitive Plywood Tacoma basketball team (1974–1990) and was named The News Tribune’s amateur coach of the year in 1974.
JAN WOLCOTT
Bonney Lake’s Jan Wolcott has been assigning officials to Western Washington high school football games since 1978. He must have done a good job.
The Washington Officials Association gave him its Meritorious Service Award in 1997 and the Tacoma-Pierce County Football Foundation gave him its Kurt Gegner Award in 2006 and its Jack Johnson Meritorious Award in 2012.
In more than 50 years in the Western Washington Football and Basketball Officials Association, Jan worked three state championship football games, three state football semifinals and three state high school basketball tournaments. He also officiated college football and basketball from 1972 to 1996 and he was a Pac-10 Conference basketball official from 1983 to 1987.
A native of Leavenworth, Kan., he played high school football and basketball at White River in Buckley, graduating in 1959, and college basketball at Saint Martin’s College in Lacey, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1964.
Professionally he spent five years with the State of Washington before he served 35 years at Pierce County Parks and Recreation, first as superintendent of recreation and later as director of parks and recreation. He earned a Master’s degree in public administration from Pacific Lutheran University in 1983 and has taught part time at PLU and Fort Steilacoom Community College.
Wolcott has been an avid slowpitch softball infielder since his college days, including senior softball since 1991. He has often served as coach or manager of his team and retirement in 2006 gave him more time to play softball.
Jan and Shirley, his wife of 43 years, have four children and 10 grandchildren. They enjoy hiking, bike riding and family activities.
Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award
The Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who captures the true passion for athletics. This passion can be demonstrated through participation, promotion and organization.
Athletics brings out the best of us as individuals as well as collectively as a team. It challenges us both physically and mentally. It brings out our best in moments when our best is required. This competitive spirit shows itself in a variety of ways over the course of a lifetime. It is not about winning but about competing. It is about sustainability and perseverance. It is about bringing out the best in yourself and others, through ability, effort and attitude. When one does that, it leaves a legacy, a road map of courage, for others to follow.
This award recognizes all of the above and the Tacoma Athletic Commission is proud to honor Angie Eichholtz as the 2017 recipient of the Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award.
2017 Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award — ANGIE EICHHOLTZ
By Tyler Scott
When we look at the all-encompassing world of sports in 2017, it can be easy to forget things haven’t always been this way. It took the hard work, dedication and perseverance of a great number of pioneers to bring us to where we are today.
Angie Eichholtz is one of those pioneers. Growing up pre-Title IX, she attended Ford Junior High and Peninsula High School. At each of those schools, she remembers playing a very primitive form of basketball through Pierce County Parks, with half-court rules, three players on the court per team and only two dribbles allowed.
Eichholtz found her way into a variety of sports, including track and field meets at Lincoln Bowl
hosted by Metro Parks, synchronized swimming and field hockey at Pacific Lutheran University. Her passion for sports—and the fact that fellow Tacoma-native Kaye Hall was competing—prompted her to travel to Mexico for the 1968 Olympics. There she became a huge volleyball fan, adding yet another sport to her lengthy resume of involvement.
After graduating from PLU with a Health and Physical Education degree in 1969, Eichholtz took a job at Peninsula teaching swimming and PE and coaching track and swimming. Due to the condemned status of the gymnasium, she taught her PE classes in the old bus garage, yet another example of how hindrances never seemed to hold her back.
PAST RECIPIENTS
2017 Angie Eichholtz
2016 Dick Hannula
2015 Stan Naccarato & Ken Still
2014 Bob Robertson
2013 Joe Stortini
2012 Ruggles Larson
2017 Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award (continued)
Eichholtz proceeded to coach swimming, volleyball, track and field and basketball at a variety of schools, all while raising a family. She also found time to become a certified track and field official, helping form the TPCT&F Officials Association and acting as the assigning secretary for eight years. And we can’t forget that she also served as meet director for all high school and middle school track meets at Lincoln Bowl during that same period in the 1980s and served as co-meet director of Star Track WSHS Track & Field meets.
Eichholtz’s resume in any one sport would stand out, but somehow she found the time to contribute pretty much everywhere. She became the first female member of the Tacoma Athletic Commission in 1986 and helped organize the Goodwill Games in 1990. She continued to teach at various schools, including a stint as a counselor at Bates Technical College, before taking over as a part-time bookkeeper at New Lumber & Hardware in Federal Way. In 2009 she made even more history with the Tacoma Athletic Commission as its first female president.
Eichholtz’s contributions to South Sound athletics over the past 40-plus years would stretch pages and pages, but she has a few highlights. Perhaps the top one was the trip to the 1968
Olympics and witnessing Kaye Hall win gold and break the 100-yard backstroke record. All of her other highlights include coaching and creating new events and opportunities in sports: STAR TRACK, Double Dribble, Goodwill Games, etc.
If you go looking through the history of athletics at numerous local schools and events, it’s a safe bet you’ll find Eichholtz’s name without digging too far. The
Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who capture the true passion for athletics, as demonstrated through participation, promotion or organization. Eichholtz excelled in all three areas as a true pioneer of local sports, and her legacy continues to grow today as a very deserving recipient of the Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award.
Angie Eichholtz (far left) with track officials at the 1988 State High School Track & Field Championships.
2017 Dick Hannula Amateur Athlete of the Year Award Recipients
Dick Hannula Amateur Athlete of the
Year Award
The Dick Hannula Award is given to the top male and female amateur athletes in or from 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 worldclass swimmers such as Kaye Hall-Greff, Janet Buchan Elway, Barbara Mitchell, Chuck Richards, Dick, David and Dan Hannula, Miriam Smith, and Sarah Rudolph.
Male Amateur Athlete of the Year —SEFO LIUFAU, Bellarmine Prep/University of Colorado
By Nick Dawson
University of Colorado football has a long and storied history, including a national championship under Bill McCartney in 1990 and numerous All-Americans and a Heisman Trophy winner in the late Rashan Salaam.
A total of 24 Colorado Buffaloes have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and many Colorado alumni have gone on to stardom in the National Football League, including current Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson.
Among the best to ever grace Folsom Field on the Boulder, Colo., campus was Tacoma’s Sefo Liufau, a Bellarmine Prep School standout whose outstanding career reached the century mark in terms of records.
After completing his playing career at Colorado, Liufau signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was waived on Sept. 2, 2017, and reached an injury settlement (knee) with the Buccaneers just prior to the start of the season, and he remains a free agent.
Liufau was just the second player in Colorado football program history—and the first in more than 100 years—to serve as a three-year team captain (2014–16), and he started in 40 of the 42 games in which he played.
The 6-4, 230-pounder wrapped up his four-year playing career as the owner of 100 school records (84 outright, 15 shared), including 65 passing, 24 total offense and 11 others. Among his career records are total offensive yards (10,509), passing yards (9,568), 300-yard passing games (10) and completion percentage (62.9). His single-season and game records run the gamut, including season passing percentage (65.3) and throwing 152 consecutive passes without an interception.
During his senior season, Liufau was the only Pac-12 offensive player to twice win the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week award. His first award came in a victory over state rival Colorado State, and the second after a highlightreel performance against Washington State.
Against Washington State, Liufau became just the second Colorado quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a single game. He finished with 345 passing yards and 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns, a career personal best.
He eventually led Colorado to the Pac-12 Southern Division title and a berth in the conference championship game opposite the University of Washington. After losing to the Huskies, Liufau and the Buffaloes played in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
At Bellarmine Prep, Liufau led the Lions to an overall record of 34–5, including a runner-up finish to Skyline in the 2011 Class 4A state championship game. Liufau had arguably his greatest game as a prep quarterback against Skyline, going 33-for-45 for 373 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Over his career at Bellarmine, Liufau was 522-for-838 for 7,297 yards and 68 touchdowns and only 20 interceptions. He led the Lions to three consecutive state playoff appearances, including a trip to the title game, a berth in the semifinals when he was a sophomore, and a berth in the quarterfinals during his junior season.
Liufau was also a basketball standout at Bellarmine, twice receiving All-Narrows League first team recognition, in addition to earning all-star honors at the state tournament after performances that included a 20-point, 22-rebound, sevenassist effort against Mount Rainier in the state quarterfinals.
Female Amateur Athlete of the Year —KATE LANDAU, Tri-Valley High School/Georgetown University
By Nick Dawson
Kate Landau is more than several years removed from multiple high school cross country championships in her home state of New York.
But the former Tri-Valley High School and later Georgetown University star is now making a name for herself in local long distance running circles with course-record-setting performances.
It all started locally for Landau in 2014 with a record-setting 1:21:12 in the Santa Runs Tacoma, and a year later she set the Tacoma Narrow Half Marathon course record with a time of 1:18:21.
She really broke out in 2016 with a victory in the Tacoma City Marathon in 2:43 and the St. Paddy’s Day Run in 1:19:44, both race records. Additionally, she added a victory in the 2016 Portland Marathon in a personal record 2:38:45.
The 2017 season has been a continuation of her running success: Landau was the Boston Marathon women’s master’s runner-up in a time of 2:40:02, which also earned her a 21st place finish overall. She won the women’s division in the Sound to Narrows 12-kilometer race, took first in the Independence Day 5K, and added a victory in the 2017 Seattle Hot Chocolate 15K in which she set another course record.
Her three marathon finishes, “have been the highlight of my athletic career,” Landau said. “I never dreamed that I would be able to run a marathon after struggling with many injuries in college.”
She was a high school phenom, winning four New York state cross country championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s in addition and to a national two-mile title a third-place finish at the prestigious Kinney/Footlocker cross country race in 1991.
DICK HANNULA AMATEUR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Award (continued)
Dick Hannula
Amateur Athlete of the Year Award Recipients
2017 Kate Landau Tri-Valley HS (NY)/Georgetown University
Sefo Liufau Bellarmine Prep/University of Colorado
2016 Jenna Mullen Emerald Ridge HS/Portland State University
Morgan Weaver Curtis HS/Washington State University
Josh Garnett Puyallup HS/Stanford University
2015 DaVonte Lacy Curtis HS/Washington State University
2015 Whitney Conder Puyallup HS/Northern Michigan University
2014 Scott Crichton Foss HS/Oregon State University
2014 Courtney Schwan Bellarmine Prep HS/University of Washington
2013 Andrea Geubelle Curtis HS/University of Kansas
2013 Taylor Meeks Orting HS/Oregon State University
2012 Andrea Geubelle Curtis HS/University of Kansas
2012 Austin Seferian-Jenkins Gig Harbor HS/University of Washington
2012 Kaleb Shelton-Johnson Lincoln HS/University of Puget Sound
2011 Alex Montgomery Lincoln HS/George Tech University
2011 Andrew Putnam Life Christian Academy HS/Pepperdine University
2010 Brie Felnagle Bellarmine Prep HS/University of North Carolina
2010 Isaiah Thomas Curtis HS/ University of Washington
2009 Melanie Roach 2008 Summer Olympic Games
2009 Johnny Spevak Puyallup HS/Central Washington University
2008 Christal Morrison Puyallup HS/University of Washington
2008 Brandon Gibson Rogers HS/ Washington State University
2007 Megan Quann Jendrick Emerald Ridge HS/Pacific Lutheran University
2007 Kellen Harkness Cascade Christian HS/Ohio State University
2006 Christal Morrison Puyallup HS/University of Washington
2006 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 HS
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 HS/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
Landau moved on to Georgetown, where she was a two-time All-American in cross country (1997 and 1998) and three-time All-American in track & field.
Landau’s distance double All-America finishes at the 1996 NCAA Division I outdoor championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.—she was national runner-up in the 10,000 and sixth in the 5000-meter race—was a testament to her resolve. Add a preliminary in the 5000 to the two finals and Landau ran 20,000 meters over the course of a handful of days. It was, she said, “such a great experience after struggling with injury after injury from 1993 until December of 1995 when I was finally able to run again.”
A year later, Landau finished third in the 5000 at the NCAA indoor national meet.
All through high school and college, however, Landau suffered from a significant eating disorder. She gave up running after graduating from Georgetown in 1999, earning a Masters of Physician Assistant from Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, Calif., in 2002.
Still suffering the physical and emotional trauma of two decades of an eating disorder, as documented in a September 2016 article in www.runnersworld.com, Landau started her slow road back to health and fitness, including road cycling from 2008-10.
With an infant daughter in tow, it wasn’t until moving to Tacoma in 2013 that Landau truly returned to a healthy lifestyle, which led to her returning to distance running with vigor and a new outlook.
Landau loves being a mom to her 5-year-old daughter, Grace, and lists hikes with her daughter and dog and “jumping on the trampoline” as some of her favorite activities.
Employed since 2013 by MultiCare Health System and Pulse Cardiovascular Institute as a physician assistant in vascular surgery, Landau recently was a speaker at Discovery Church Sports Camp and volunteer at the Pierce County Youth Cross Country Meet.
NOTE: On December 3rd Landau qualified to run the marathon in the 2020 Olympic Trials.
She is scheduled to run another marathon in Phoenix, AZ on January 14, 2018.
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