2009 CLASS INDUCTED ON OCT. 10, 2009
Five former Eastern Washington University student-athletes and the
school's 1989 volleyball team comprise the ninth class of inductees
into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame. They were honored in
ceremonies that took place on Oct. 10, 2009, in Cheney, Wash.
The new inductees include a quartet of former Eastern student-athletes who went on to illustrious coaching careers -- Curt Byrnes, Ed Fisher, George Gablehouse and Tracy Walters. Combined, that foursome has already been inducted into seven halls of fame after winning numerous league, state and national championships as coaches.
The other individual inductee is national collegiate wrestling champion Mike Reed, who also won a State title at nearby West Valley High School in Spokane.
The 1989 volleyball team, led by previous individual inductees Pamela Parks (coach) and Juli Argotow (player), was inducted on the 20th anniversary of its 25-7 finish. The Eagles won Big Sky Conference (then Mountain West Conference) regular season and tournament titles, and made the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
Established in 1996, this year's inductees bring the total number of individuals in the Hall of Fame to 49. Six teams will have also been inducted.
In addition, Jim Wasem Sr., who coached in more than 900 collegiate baseball games in a 23-year head coaching career, received the Eastern Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award.
For more information on the inductees, including bios, go
to:
http://www.goeags.com/genrel/releases/09HallofFameRelease
For more information on Jim Wasem Sr. receiving the Service
and Contribution Award, go to:
http://www.goeags.com/genrel/releases/09HallofFameReleaseService-Contribution.doc
ABOUT THE EWU ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
As a way of honoring former athletes, coaches, contributors and
teams, the Eastern Washington University Athletic Hall of Fame was
established in 1996. Currently, there are 41 individuals and five
teams in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is located on the East
End of the Special Events Pavilion. A plaque permanently honoring
each inductee is displayed. A 15-member Hall of Fame Selection
Committee vote on a list of nominated candidates presented by the
Hall of Fame Executive Committee. Inductees must receive a
two-thirds vote of all selection committee members, with the final
decision made by the executive committee. Nominations can be
received at any time. For more information, call 509-359-6334 or
1-800-648-7697, or e-mail Dave Cook (dcook@mail.ewu.edu). Below is
a list of nominating criteria:
Athletes: Must have completed intercollegiate
eligibility at least five years prior to selection, with at least
two years of competition at EWU. The athlete should also be a
graduate of Eastern, but the requirement may be waived on a
case-by-case basis. Desirable qualifications include: All-America
recognition, NCAA champion, NAIA champion, AIAW champion, Olympic
participant, world or conference record-setter, all-conference
first team, scholar-athlete achievement, amateur athletic
achievement and/or continuing contributions to EWU.
Coaches: Must have coached at least 10 years with
no previous connection to EWU. The 10-year minimum is waived if the
coach graduated from EWU or completed their last two years of
athletic eligibility at EWU. Won-loss records, national
championships, contribution to sports and achievement in public
life are desirable qualifications. Coaches currently on staff are
not eligible.
Contributor: EWU graduates with at least two years
at EWU as an undergraduate gives automatic eligibility. Others must
have at least 15 years of service to EWU. Desirable qualifications
include contributions to the field of intercollegiate,
interscholastic or professional sports, and achievement in public
life.
Team: Starting in 2001, one Eastern team will be
selected in each class for induction into the Hall of Fame. There
will be three eras -- pre-1960's (pre-NAIA and NAIA), 1960-83 (NAIA
and NCAA Division II) and 1984-present (NCAA Division I). Each era
will be represented once every three induction classes by adjusting
voting lists on a three-class cycle (starting in 2003). In the
interest of pre-planning, the executive committee may utilize prior
voting results and/or select natural anniversary dates (i.e. 20th,
25th, etc.) to select teams for induction.
Service & Contribution Award: This award has
been created to recognize extraordinary achievements and
contributions by individuals with a past association with the
Eastern athletic department. This honor is selected by the Eastern
Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Committee and seeks to honor
individuals who have contributed not only to EWU, but to other
outside endeavors such as education, community service and
coaching.
Commemorating the 100th year of football at Eastern, the athletic department named 100 of the top players in school history to the "100 for 100" All-Time Football Team in the summer of 2008. The "100 for 100" list is by no means intended to be a list of the top 100 football players in school history. But it's certainly an impressive group of 100 of the most-honored and highly-regarded players in 100 years of football on the Eastern campus in Cheney, Wash. View the list in its entirety here.
CURRENT MEMBERS
Individuals (total of 49)
Jo Anderson
McDonald (Athlete & Contributor/Gymnastics . .
. Inducted Oct. 1, 2005)
Juli
Argotow (Athlete/Volleyball . . . Inducted Sept.
22, 2001)
Jack
Benson (Athlete & Coach/Gymnastics &
Contributor . . . Inducted Sept. 27, 2008)
Curt Byrnes (Coach/Wrestling &
Athlete/Football . . . Inducted Oct. 10, 2009)
Carpine
Family . . . Vic Carpine
(Athlete/Track - 1938-40), Tony Carpine
(Athlete/Track - 1947-50 & Contributor), Fred
Carpine (Athlete/Track - 1948-51) . . . Inducted Oct.
1, 2005
Ron
Chadwick (Athlete/Track-Football . . . Inducted
Sept. 25, 1999)
Ed
Chissus (Coach/Baseball-Football,
Athlete/Football-Track . . . Inducted Sept. 25, 1999)
Lisa
Comstock-Schultz (Athlete/Basketball &
Contributor . . . Inducted Sept. 27, 2003)
Ron Cox
(Athlete/Basketball . . . Inducted Feb. 21, 1998)
Lanny
Davidson (Athlete/Wrestling . . . Inducted in
inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Maxine
Davis (Coach/Gymnastics . . . Inducted Sept. 27,
2008)
Bill Diedrick
Jr. (Athlete/Football & Contributor . . .
Inducted Oct. 28, 2006)
Dick
Edwards (Athlete/Basketball . . . Inducted Oct. 1,
2005)
Dick
Eicher (Athlete/Basketball . . . Inducted Feb. 21,
1998)
Kim
Exner (Athlete/Volleyball . . . Inducted Sept. 29,
2007)
Ed Fisher (Athlete/Football-Track & Contributor . . . Inducted Oct. 10, 2009)
George Gablehouse (Athlete/Basketball
& Contributor . . . Inducted Oct. 10, 2009)
C. Peggy
Gazette (Contributor . . . Inducted Feb. 21,
1998)
Wayne
Gilman (Athlete/Basketball & Contributor . . .
Inducted Sept. 27, 2003)
Dave
Holmes (Coach/Football . . . Inducted in inaugural
class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Wanda
Jewell (Athlete/Shooting & Contributor . . .
Inducted Sept. 27, 2003)
Jerry
Krause (Coach/Basketball & Contributor) . . .
Inducted Oct. 1, 2005)
Irv
Leifer (Athlete/Basketball . . . Inducted in
inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Maria Loos
Lefler (Athlete/Basketball . . . Inducted Sept.
25, 1999)
Gary
Lindeblad (Athlete/Golf & Contributor . . .
Inducted Sept. 27, 2008)
Bob
Maplestone (Athlete/Track-Cross Country . . .
Inducted in inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Jerry
Martin (Coach/Track-Cross Country &
Contributor . . . Inducted Sept. 22, 2001)
Kari
McKay (Athlete/Track & Cross Country . . .
Inducted Sept. 29, 2007)
Launi
Meili (Athlete/Shooting . . . Inducted in
inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Meriel
Michelson (Athlete/Football . . . Inducted Sept.
29, 2007)
Pamela
Parks (Coach/Volleyball, Athlete & Contributor
. . . Inducted Sept. 29, 2007)
Herm
Pein (Athlete/Boxing-Football . . . Inducted Feb.
21, 1998)
Bob
Picard (Athlete/Football-Basketball . . . Inducted
Sept. 27, 2003)
Ron
Raver (Contributor & Coach/Tennis-Basketball .
. . Inducted Sept. 22, 2001)
Mike Reed (Athlete/Wrestling . . .
Inducted Oct. 10, 2009)
Red
Reese (Coach/Basketball-Football-Track . . .
Inducted in inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Kevin
Sargent (Athlete/Football . . . Inducted Sept. 27,
2008)
Kurt
Schulz (Athlete/Football . . . Inducted Feb. 21,
1998)
Ed
Simmons (Athlete/Football . . . Inducted in
inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996)
Brenda
Souther (Athlete/Basketball . . . Inducted Feb.
21, 1998)
Mel
Stanton (Athlete/Football . . . Inducted Sept. 25,
1999)
Dave
Svendsen (Athlete/Football . . . Inducted Sept.
22, 2001)
Thorne
Tibbitts (Contributor & Coach/Gymnastics . . .
Inducted Sept. 29, 2007)
Patsy
Utter (Contributor . . . Inducted Sept. 25,
1999)
Tracy Walters (Athlete/Track &
Contributor . . . Inducted Oct. 10, 2009)
Pat
Whitehill (Athlete/Basketball-Track &
Contributor . . . Inducted Sept. 22, 2001)
Dick
Zornes (Coach/Football, Athlete/Football &
Contributor . . . Inducted Sept. 25, 1999)
Teams (total of 6)
1967
Football (11-1; Coach Dave Holmes . . . Inducted
Sept. 22, 2001)
NAIA runner-up after losing 28-21 to Fairmont State in the
championship game
1945-46
Men's Basketball (31-4; Coach Red Reese . . .
Inducted Sept. 27, 2003)
Led by All-American Irv Leifer, Eastern advanced to the
quarterfinals of the NAIA Tournament and had a school-record 31
wins
1985
Football (9-3; Coach Dick Zornes . . . Inducted
Oct. 1, 2005)
Defeated Idaho 42-38 in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA
Playoffs before falling to Northern Iowa 17-14 in the
quarterfinals. The success that year included wins over six members
of the Big Sky Conference, ultimately helping Eastern become league
members starting in the 1987-88 school year.
1982
Cross Country (NCAA Division II Champions; Coach
Jerry Martin . . . Inducted Sept. 29, 2007)
1977
Wrestling (NAIA Champions; Coach Curt Byrnes . . .
Inducted Sept. 29, 2007)
1989 Volleyball (25-7; Coach Pamela Parks .
. . Inducted Oct. 10, 2009)
Service and Contribution Award (total of 3)
John
Lothspeich (Honored Sept. 29, 2007)
Chuck
Randall (Honored Sept. 27, 2008)
Jim Wasem Sr. (Honored Oct. 10, 2009)
HISTORY OF INDUCTION CLASSES
The inaugural class was honored with an induction
ceremony on Oct. 5, 1996, in conjunction with Eastern's regionally
televised football game against Montana State. Here is a complete
list of the induction classes:
1996 -
Lanny Davidson, Dave Holmes,
Irv Leifer, Bob Maplestone,
Launi Meili, Red Reese,
Ed Simmons
(Oct. 5, 1996 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
against Montana State)
1998 -
Ron Cox, Dick Eicher, C.
Peggy Gazette, Herm Pein, Kurt
Schulz, Brenda Souther
(Feb. 21, 1998 in conjunction with Eastern's men's basketball
game against Montana)
1999 -
Ron Chadwick, Ed Chissus,
Maria Loos Lefler, Mel Stanton,
Patsy Utter, Dick Zornes
(Sept. 25, 1999 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
versus Cal State Northridge)
2001 -
Juli Argotow, Jerry Martin,
Ron Raver, Dave Svendsen,
Pat Whitehill, 1967 Football
(Sept. 22, 2001 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
versus Weber State)
2003 -
Lisa Comstock-Schultz, Wayne
Gilman, Wanda Jewell, Bob
Picard, 1945-46 Basketball
(Sept. 27, 2003 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
against Weber State)
2005 -
Jo Anderson-McDonald, Carpine
Family, Dick Edwards, Jerry
Krause, 1985 Football
(Oct. 1, 2005 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
against Portland State)
2006 -
Bill Diedrick
(Oct. 28, 2006 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
against Northern Arizona)
2007 -
Kim Exner, Kari McKay,
Meriel Michelson, Pamela Parks,
Thorne Tibbitts, 1982 Cross
Country, 1977 Wrestling. John
Lothspeich also honored with the first-ever Eastern Athletics Hall
of Fame Service and Contribution Award.
(Sept. 29, 2007 in conjunction with Eastern's football game
against Portland State).
2008 -
Jack Benson, Maxine Davis, Gary Lindeblad, Kevin
Sargent. Chuck Randall also honored with the
Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award.
(Sept. 27, 2008 in conjunction with Eastern's football
game against Idaho State).
2009 -
Curt Byrnes, Ed Fisher, George Gablehouse, Mike Reed, Tracy
Walters, 1989 Volleyball. Jim
Wasem Sr. also honored with the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame
Service and Contribution Award.
(Oct. 10, 2009 in conjunction with Eastern's football
game against Weber State).
