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2008 induction class

LINCOLN – Eleven athletes, five coaches, two contributors and an official will be inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Lied Center in Lincoln on Sept. 28, 2008

Tickets to the ceremony are $25 for adults and $10 for high school and elementary students. Pre-school children are admitted free. Doors open at noon with the program beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets are available by contacting the Nebraska Sports Council at P.O. Box 29366, Lincoln, NE., 68529, or by calling 1-402-471-2544 or, in Nebraska, 1-800-304-2637.

This will be the 14th Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This year’s induction class brings the total number of inductees to 323.

This year’s list of inductees:
--Charles Bryant, athlete, Omaha South (1950): An all-state selection in football and a letterman in wrestling, Bryant starred in college where he was All-Big Seven in football and a Big Seven wrestling champion at Nebraska.
--Tom Haase, athlete, Aurora (1987):. The Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star Athlete of the Year in 1987 was all-state in football and basketball and posted the third-best long jump in Nebraska history (24 feet, 6 ½ inches).
--Kurt Lauer, athlete, Gibbon (1964): Holds the state record with 956 points in the 1963-64 basketball season. He had 59 points in a single game, scored more than 50 points in five games that year and had six more games of 40 or more points. He played for Nebraska at Hastings College.
--Dave Lebsack, athlete, Lincoln Northeast (1962). The 1962 Athlete of the Year in both statewide papers earned nine letters in football, basketball and baseball at Lincoln Northeast. He was all-state in football and basketball. The Rockets were 9-0 and the state ratings champion in football in 1961 and won the Class A state basketball title in 1962.
--Paul Mohr, athlete, Scottsbluff (1950). A two-time All-Southwest Conference first baseman at the University of Texas, he was on the All-America second team as a senior on on the roster for the 1952 College World Series. He led the Scottsbluff American Legion team to a runner-up finish in 1949, played football for the Bearcats and was the leading scorer on the 1950 state basketball team when Scottsbluff was the Class A runner-up.
--Joe Scarpello, athlete, Omaha Central (1942). A three-time state high school wrestling champion helped the eagles win four consecutive team titles. He was never taken down in his career. In college, he was a four-time Big 10 champion at Iowa, winning the 1947 and 1950 NCAA championships. He wrestled professionally for 27 years.
--Cory Schlesinger, athlete, Columbus (1990): The Omaha World-Herald Boy Athlete of the Year in 1990 was all-state in football and a two-time state wrestling champion with a combined record of 64-3. At Nebraska, he started for two years, scoring two touchdowns in the Huskers’ 27-17 win over Miami the sealed the 1995 national championship. He played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions for 12 years.
--Russ Snyder, athlete, (1952): A starting outfielder for the 1966 World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles, he played in the major leagues from 1959-1970. A three-sport standout at Nelson High School, he earned all-conference honors in football and basketball. In 1952 he qualified for the state track meet in five events, finishing third in the hurdles, fourth in the 100 and sixth in the “seletctive pentathlon.”
--Teri Steer-Cantwell, athlete, Crete (1993): The 1993 Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star Female Athlete of the Year, Steer was a bronze medalist at the 1999 World Championships. At Southern Methodist University, she set the Western Athletic Conference record in the discus and was a two-time national champion in the shot put. At Crete she was a three-time gold medalist in the shot put and swept the Class B shot put and discus titles in her four seasons. She was fourth in the Class B long jump as a junior. She earned Class B all-state honors in basketball all-conference honors in volleyball while earning 12 varsity sports letters.
--Nikki (Stricker) Best, athlete, Lincoln East (1990): Lincoln’s second female to earn 12 letters, she was the World-Herald and Journal Star Athlete of the Year in 1990. She earned all-state honors in volleyball and basketball and Mizuno All-America honors in volleyball. At Nebraska, she was the Big Eight volleyball player of the year in 1993 and was two-time all-conference.
--Larry Vlasin, athlete, Madrid (1965): The first Class D athlete named the Lincoln Journal Star’s Athlete of the Year, Vlasin earned all-state honors playing for Madrid’s undefeated eight-man football teams of 1963 and ’64. He holds the national eight-man rushing record averaging 338.9 yards per game. He also earned all-state honors in basketball his junior and senior years and qualified for the state track meet in four events.
--Harold “Mac” Maciejewski, coach, Wayne. In 31 years at Wayne, his teams compiled a 76-44-7 record in football and 245-81 record in basketball. His teams won Class B basketball title in 1956 and the state golf title in 1985. He also coached at Loup City and Manila, Ark.
--Jim Morrison, coach, Howells. In 41 years at Howells, he coached the Bobcats to five state championships in six finals appearances. He compiled a 594-326 record, including three years at Dodge.
--Gail Peterson, coach, Crofton: His cross country teams won 15 state championships — nine girls and six boys — and were runners-up eight times. He coached 40 years at Crofton and two years at Cortland.
--John Reta, coach, Lincoln Southeast: Led the Knights to eight consecutive boys state swimming championships from 1959-66. The Knights won 59 consecutive meets. His swimmers won 11 individual titles and set 18 state records. Reta became the Nebraska swimming and diving team from 1966 to 1977.
--Larry Ribble, coach, Millard South: His boys basketball teams won seven state titles, two in Class C at Pawnee City and five at Millard South, in eight finals appearances. He coached at Millard/Millard South from 1977 until 2004 to complete a 509-280 record. He also coached track for 22 years at Millard South, the last 12 as head coach.
--Con Marshall, contributor, Chadron. Marshall was the Sports Information Director at Chadron State College from 1969 until his recent retirement, Marshall compiled football records for the high school teams in the 11 Panhandle counties, and basketball and track records for the high schools in northwest Nebraska.
--Wally McNaught, contributor, Lincoln Southeast: The retired coach and athletic director from Lincoln Southeast was involved in high school sports for more than 45 years. He coached football, basketball and track while at Harvard, Crete, Omaha Bryan and Southeast. He’s won several professional awards and honors and has been a member of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors since 1997, serving as president from 2005 to 2007.
--Rudy Stoehr, official, Lincoln: An outstanding basketball and baseball player at Lincoln Northeast and Nebraska Wesleyan, Stoehr played minor league baseball before becoming perhaps Nebraska’s most-recognized basketball referee. He officiated Nebraska high school basketball from 1963-89, working more than 1,000 games. He officiated 16 state tournaments and worked in the Big Eight for six years.

In addition to the inductees, the Hall will honor people and teams for their contributions to high school sports. This year’s honorees are:
--Great Moment in High School Sports: Alliance girls basketball team making 27 straight free throws in the title game at the 2007 state tournament.
--Great Moment in High School Sports: Randal Carter’s 7-foot, 4-inch high jump at the 2007 state track meet.
--Ron Gustafson Inspiration Award: Former Omaha Northwest swimmer Staci Perrigo-Venneman. A 1991 graduate of Omaha Northwest, Venneman was born without a right arm below the elbow. A competitive swimmer from the age of 8, she set an amputee world record in the 50-meter freestyle and was named the 1991 U.S. Female Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Amputee Athletic Association. She swam on a state-meet qualifying relay for Omaha Northwest, played on the soccer team and was a cheerleader.
--Golden Anniversary Team: Lincoln High boys basketball 1958-59.
--Golden Anniversary Team: McCook Red Willow football, basketball and track of 1958-59.
--Silver Anniversary Team: Crofton boys and girls cross country, 1983-84.
--Silver Anniversary Team: Henderson football and boys basketball, 1983-84.
--Silver Anniversary Team: Omaha Central girls basketball, 1983-84.
--Fischer Family Award: Victor and Ann Borer family of Albion.

Read Randy Cordes' History of the Hall of Fame Foundation
CLICK HERE
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ONLINE DONATIONS coming soon.
A system where contributions to the Hall of Fame can be made online is being developed. Check back in a few weeks.  In the meantime, check out the site and look at all our award winners.

AL BAHE

Holl of Fame Coach Al Bahe diied 5/3 in Fremont. Visitation will be Monday in Fremont at Lattin Dugan 751 N. Lincoln (across from YMCA just off Military)  6-8 PM. The funeral will be at Salem Lutheran at 401 E. Military  Tuesday at 11:00 AM.


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What We're About
 
The Hall of Fame Foundation is a non-profit organization operating for more than 10 years with the idea of preserving the history of high school sports. It makes several awards annually honoring individuals and teams and has inducted more than 240 athletes, coaches and/or contributors, including some of the great names in Nebraska sports such as Gale Sayers, Johnny Rodgers, Carol Frost, the Fischer family, Tom Kropp, Nancy Kindig-Malone, Bob Gibson, Bob Boozer, Amy Stephens and Tom Osborne.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DICK BEECHNER
3214 20th Ave. Kearney, 68845,
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PRESIDENT
ROBERT WHITEHOUSE
Papillion

VICE PRESIDENT
JACK GUGGENMOS
Waverly

TREASURER
DENNIS SMITH
1123 Delmar, Papillion, 68046

SECRETARY
NANCY BECKER
 6434 Rolling Hills Blvd, Lincoln  68512

PAST PRESIDENT
WALLY McNAUGHT
21901 Woodland Hills Cr, Eagle 68347

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The Hall of Fame is pleased that the Nebraska Sports Council has offered to handle the sale and distribution of the tickets to our annual awards banquet.
Nebraska Sports Council is at PO Box 29366, Lincoln, NE 68529.The Nebraska Sports Council long has been a supporter of high school sports, and is best known for its annual Cornhusker State Games.

 They  direct the following programs:
N-Lighten Nebraska
& N-Lighten Kids

   www.n-lightennebraska.com
Cornhusker State Games
www.cornhuskerstategames.com

 Web hosting by
Sterling Digital Networks

 
www.SterlingDigitalNetworks.com'

OUR MISSION: The purpose of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation is to honor:
Athletes for outstanding high school careers.
Administrators, coaches, officials and community members who have made significant contributions to high school athletes.
Athletes who have had a significant impact on their chosen field or in our society following completion of their high school careers.
OUR GOALS:
1. Establish a Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame facility that will preserve the rich heritage of Nebraska high school athletics and serve as a repository for all memorabilia acquired.
2. Develop and implement programs and services consistent with the intent and purpose of the Hall of Fame.