Edited news release:
SPRINGFIELD -- On Sunday, Jan. 31, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will induct 15 very deserving individuals, two teams and name the eighth John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award recipient during its 2010 Enshrinement Ceremonies.
Also during the ceremonies, the Hall of Fame will honor a longtime volunteer and an exceptional athlete from Special Olympics of Missouri and call special attention to a host of Sports Achievement Award winners.
The Killian Group of Companies is the presenting sponsor of the annual event, along with associate sponsors, Advertising Plus, Hiland Dairy and Hillyard, Inc.
The festivities will kick off with an afternoon reception sponsored by Hobart Sales & Service on Sunday, Jan. 31, at the Hall of Fame from noon to 2.; hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.
The evening reception will get underway at 5 at University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, followed by the banquet at 6.
Tickets for the Enshrinement are available by calling 417-889-3100. A limited number of tickets are available. Ticket prices are: $150 each or $1,500 for a table of 10. For additional information please contact the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, at (417) 889-3100 or visit the Hall of Fame Web site at www.MoSportsHallOfFame.com.
Here is a detailed list of the Class of 2010:
Marty Schottenheimer – Coach, Kansas City Chiefs After leaving the head coaching job of the Cleveland Browns, where he posted a 44 – 27 record, Martin Edward Schottenheimer spent 10 seasons as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 1989 to 1998 recording an impressive 101-58-1 regular season record (.634). His tenure with the Chiefs included three division titles, seven playoff appearances, and a trip to the AFC Championship game in 1993. After leaving the Chiefs, Schottenheimer served as head coach for the Washington Redskins and later the San Diego Chargers where he posted 8 – 8, and 47 -33 records respectively. Coach Schottenheimer left the coaching ranks after the 2006 season, posting a career record of 200 - 126 -1.
Kellen Winslow Sr. – Tight End, Missouri Tigers, San Diego Chargers Born in St. Louis, Missouri and playing college ball with the Missouri Tigers and professionally with the San Diego Chargers, Winslow is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. An All American at Mizzou, Winslow went on to lead the NFL in receptions in 1980 and 1981, becoming the first tight end ever to lead the league in receptions in back to back seasons. He also exceeded the 1,000 yards receiving milestone in three different seasons. In a 1981 regular season game, Winslow tied an NFL record by catching five touchdown passes. Winslow was elected to the University of Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990.Kellen played in five Pro Bowls, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mark Gubicza – Pitcher, Kansas City Royals Mark Gubicza spent 13 years on the hill for the Royals helping them clinch the 1984 American League Western Division and the 1985 World Series crown. A two-time All Star selection (1988 and 1989), Mark finished his career in 1997 with the Anaheim Angels, leaving baseball with a career record of 132 – 136 and an ERA of 3.96. Gubicza finished 3rd in the voting for the 1988 A.L. Cy Young Award, having a 20–8 win–loss record in 35 games, 8 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 183 strikeouts.
Tom Pagnozzi – Catcher, St. Louis Cardinals After debuting in 1987, Tom Pagnozzi impressed Cardinals manager Joe Torre enough that by 1990 he was named the Cardinals every day catcher. Pagnozzi remained at the position until 1996. While “Pags” had moderate power and was considered an RBI threat, he was primarily regarded for his defense, for which he won gold gloves in 1991, 1992, and 1994. Pagnozzi also made the National League All-Star team in 1992. Pagnozzi retired in 1998 at the age of 36 with a career batting average of .253, with 44 home runs and 320 runs batted in.
Bruce Van Dyke – Guard, Missouri Tigers, Pittsburgh Steelers, A product of Buckner, Missouri, Bruce Van Dyke played college football at the University of Missouri, where he was a two-way starter, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines. As a first-team All-Big Eight Conference defensive tackle in 1965, Van Dyke played on Tiger teams that went a combined 21-8-2 from 1963 to 1965. Van Dyke was drafted in the 12th round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a key player for the Pittsburgh Steelers for seven years. In 2008, Van Dyke was named to the Steelers Legends Team.
Mel Tjeerdsma – Football Coach, Northwest Missouri State University Completing his 15th season at Northwest Missouri State and his 25th as a collegiate head coach, Tjeerdsma is the winningest coach in program history. Tjeerdsma has guided the Bearcats to nine MIAA championships overall, two NCAA national championships and five title game appearances in the last 10 seasons. Tjeerdsma has more postseason victories than any other coach in Division II history. Tjeerdsma has been named MIAA Coach of the Year nine times (1995-2000, 2002, 2006-07). This Saturday, December 12th, Tjeerdsma will once again lead his Bearcats into the National Championship game. This year’s opponent will be the Grand Valley State University Lakers. The contest will take place in Florence, Ala.
John Bryant – Tennis Coach, Southwest Baptist University (Bolivar) Now in his 44th year at SBU, John Bryant serves as the men's and women's varsity tennis coach and an associate professor of mathematics. Bryant served as the director of athletics from 1989 to 1995. From 1967-86, SBU tennis won 18 NAIA District 16 titles, played in 19 consecutive NAIA national tournaments and won the 1984 co-national championship. He was named NAIA District 16 Coach of the Year 18 times. In 1983, he picked up the NAIA National Coach of the Year. When SBU became a member of the NCAA Division II in 1990 Bryant once again garnered the National Coach of the Year honor. The Bearcats have played in the NAIA national championships 19 times and 19 times in NCAA national tournaments.
Roy Green – Basketball Coach, Kickapoo H.S. (Springfield) An excellent high school and college athlete, Roy Green turned his attention to coaching in 1966. Forty-one years later he retired as Springfield’s winningest high school basketball coach, with 558 of his wins coming during his tenure at Kickapoo. Along the way Green picked up two state championships, two state runner-up titles, and three MBCA Coach of the Year Awards, not to mention a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam as a member of the U.S. Army.
Dewey Combs – Football Coach, Joplin Parkwood High School Coaching 29 years at four different high schools, Dewey Combs compiled an impressive overall record of 213 -65 -14. His 19 year tenure with Joplin Parkwood saw him garner his last three State Championships. His first came in 1966 as he and his Trenton Bulldogs were named Class M State Champs by sportswriters.
Father Martin Hagan – Rifle Coach, St. Louis University H.S. (St. Louis) Founder of the high school’s rifle team, Father Hagan coached from 1953 until 1987. In those 34 years his teams went on to 33 Top Ten finishes in the nation, garnering five National Championships along the way. In addition to the championships came three second place finished and three third place finishes. Father Hagan passed away in April 2008 at the age of 89.
Peter Herschend –Cyclist (Branson) The co-owner and co-founder of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation (formerly Silver Dollar City, Inc), Peter F. Herschend is an avid fund raiser on behalf of those with multiple sclerosis. Since 1990 Peter has participated annually in the local MS 150 Bike Tour, generating $1,264,680 during that time. Peter is recognized as the nation’s highest cumulative fund raiser for the MS 150 Bike Tour, and for several years was the event’s top individual fund raiser in the nation.
Leo Harrison III – Trap Shooter, New London Missouri’s premier trap shooter, Harrison dominated the Missouri state shoot this year by winning the Singles, High All-Around and High Over-All. Throughout 2009 he has won non-resident championships in 12 different states. Harrison finished as High Over-All Champion at the 2009 Grand American, held this summer. At the event Leo defeated nearly 3400 competitors by breaking 992 of the 1000 program targets. All totaled, Harrison took home an impressive 22 trophies from this year’s Grand American. The holder of over four dozen Missouri State trap shooting titles, Leo was enshrined in the National Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mark Musso – Sports Executive, Special Olympics, President & CEO (Jefferson City) Mark Musso has been President & CEO of Special Olympics Missouri for 18 years. Mark began his Special Olympics career in 1988 with the International World Games Organizing Committee in Minnesota. He arrived in Missouri in 1991 as the organization's 2nd President, only a few hundred dollars in the bank and around 5,000 athletes. Now nearly two decades later under his leadership Special Olympics Missouri reaches more than 15,000 athletes with an operating budget of $3.9 million.
Ellen Gale Hopkins Green – Swimming (Springfield) One of Missouri’s earliest premier swimmers, Ellen Gale Hopkins Green shattered virtually every swimming record known during her heyday in the 1930s. From 1934 to 1939 won a total on 62 individual titles; her best year 1937 saw her capture 20 individual medals and a National Junior AAU Championship. Most impressive was her 1937 time of 1:06 in the 100 meter freestyle. The gold medalist in the previous year’s Olympics swam it in 1:05.09. Almost certain to be a pick for the U.S. Olympic team, Ellen Gale’s hopes were dashed as the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled due to World War 2. Such was her swimming prowess that, in 1937, Ellen Gale was named Springfield’s Sportsman of the Year.
Irl Robinson – Golf Club Maker, Clinton, MO Clinton, Missouri’s, Irl Allen Robinson II, opened Custom Clubs & Repair in October 1994. A member of the Golf Clubmakers Association (GCA) Irl is a Master Certified Clubmaker by many golf organizations. He is a five-time Missouri State Clubmaker of the Year; a three-time GCA Northern US Regional Clubmaker of the Year, has finished as a GCA Top Ten Worldwide Clubmaker of the Year the past three years, and in 2006/2007 was named the GCA WORLDWIDE Clubmaker of the Year.
Mid State Oil Softball 1974 – 1979 Teams (Jefferson City) In the day when everybody played softball, Mid State Oil distinguished itself as a dynasty in the mid to late 70’s. Playing in the Open Division which included the best teams in the state, Mid State Oil won the state slow pitch softball championship an unprecedented 6 consecutive years. Prior to this no team had ever won even back to back championships. Along the way, the team made four appearances in the National Tournament.
1979 Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) University Women’s Field Hockey Team (Springfield) The 1979 team had the greatest field hockey season in school history. The Bears finished the season with a 28-2-1 record and dominated their opponents in every aspect of the game. For the season, the Bears outscored their opponents by 117 goals, 127 – 10, and hold the school record for most goals scored and fewest goals allowed. Five members of the 1979 team are enshrined in the Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame.
