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STILLWATER, Oklahoma – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that the Class of 2022 is Distinguished Members Clarissa Chun, Sara McMann, Andy Rein and Jake Varner, Meritorious Official Tom Clark (posthumously), Order of Merit Recipient Mike Moyer, and Medal of Courage recipient Melissa Simmons.

“Following an extensive screening and selection process, I am excited to announce such a notable and deserving group of honorees for 2022,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “We are fortunate to be able to spotlight these inductees who have transcended our sport’s heritage over the past 40 years. It is also a class that represents the positive transformational impact females are realizing in wrestling, with two female Distinguished Members and our first female Medal of Courage recipient.”

The Hall of Fame Board of Governors approved the selections at their meeting in Waterloo, Iowa on October 25.

The Hall of Fame will announce its Outstanding American honoree at a later date.

The induction ceremony will be held at the 45th Honors Weekend on June 3-4, 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information on Honors Weekend, please telephone (405) 377-5243.

Chun, McMann and Varner were chosen as Distinguished Members for the Modern Era while Rein was selected by the Veterans Committee. The newest honorees will bring the number of Distinguished Members to 204, since the Hall of Fame began in 1976.

It is the first time that more than one female Distinguished Member has been selected and Chun and McMann become the third and fourth female Distinguished Members, joining Tricia Saunders (2006) and Kristie Davis (2018).

Simmons is the first female selected to receive the Medal of Courage while three females being honored equals the largest number of females in a single year. The Class of 1998 included Sandy Stevens receiving the Order of Merit and Sue Siar and Sally Stanford being honored as Meritorious Officials.

Rein becomes the 10th and final member of the 1984 United States Olympic freestyle team to be honored as a Distinguished Member, making it the only Olympic team to have every team member recognized. Other team members were Ed Banach (1993), Lou Banach (1994), Bruce Baumgartner (2002), Barry Davis (2007), Joe Gonzales (2015), Randy Lewis (1998), Dave Schultz (1997), Mark Schultz (1995), and Bobby Weaver (2008). It is the only Olympic team where every member has been recognized as a Distinguished Member. Every member of the coaching staff from 1984 is also a Distinguished Member with head coach Dan Gable (1980) and assistant coaches Bobby Douglas (1987), Stan Dziedzic (1996), J Robinson (2005) and Bill Weick (2007).

Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. Wrestlers must have been retired from active competition for a period of five years to be eligible for consideration as a Distinguished Member.

Clarissa Chun won the world championships in 2008 and captured a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2012. A four-time U.S. Open champion, she competed in five world championships and two Olympics, finishing fifth in 2008 when she was the first wrestler from Hawaii to qualify for the Olympics. Chun also won four Pan American Championships and was a silver medalist at the Pan American Games in 2011. She was a four-time Sunkist Kids International Open champion and also captured championships at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, Poland Open, Open Cup of Russia, New York AC International, Vehbi Emre Golden Grand Prix, and Klippan Ladies Open. She was a two-time Hawaii girls state high school wrestling champion for Roosevelt High School and placed third in the 1999 USGWA High School Nationals. Chun made history when she won the first Hawaii state title in the first year that the state held an officially sanctioned tournament for girls. She also qualified for state in swimming and bowling and competed in judo and water polo. She competed for Missouri Valley College, where she was a star on one of the pioneer women’s college wrestling team programs. Chun made the Senior Women’s National Team while still a student at Missouri Valley. Chun was a two-time University Nationals champion and placed fourth at the University World Championships in 2004. She placed fifth at the 2001 Junior World Championships, after finishing eighth in 2000, and was the 2000-01 FILA Junior Nationals champion. Since 2017, she has been Assistant National Women’s Coach for USA Wrestling, during which American women have won six gold medals, four silver medals and five bronze medals at the world championships and a gold, a silver and two bronze at the 2020 Olympics. Chun received her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Sara McMann was a member of the first United States Olympic women’s wrestling team in 2004 and the first American woman to reach the Olympic finals, defeating a world champion and a world bronze medalist. In the finals she lost to Kaori Icho of Japan, who would repeat as Olympic champion in 2008, 2012 and 2016 while also capturing 10 world titles from 2002 to 2015. She competed in seven world championships, earning a silver medal in 2003 and bronze medals in 2005 and 2007. McMann won Pan American Games in 2003 and 2007 and was the Klippan Lady Open champion in 2003. She was a six-time U.S. Nationals champion, capturing titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2007. A member of the boys wrestling team at McDowell High School in Marion, North Carolina, McMann competed at the University of Minnesota Morris, the first varsity program for women’s wrestling. While competing for UMM, she competed in the 1999 and 2000 Junior World Championships, placing in the top six both times, and competed in her first Senior World Championships, placing ninth in 2000. McMann transferred to Lock Haven University and competed on the men’s varsity team. She was inducted into the Lock Haven Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. She transitioned into a fighting career in 2010 and has become one of the top-ranked mixed martial arts fighters in the UFC. She lost to Ronda Rousey in the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in 2014 and has a career record of 12-6.

Andy Rein was a silver medalist at the Olympics in 1984 after being an alternate for the 1980 Olympics. He captured a gold medal at the prestigious Tbilisi International Tournament in 1983 and was a silver medalist at the Super Champion Title Tournament in Tokyo in 1985. The four-time National Freestyle champion won a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in 1979 while finishing fourth at the world championships in 1981 and earning a silver medal at the World Cup in 1982. He was an NCAA champion and two-time finalist for Wisconsin, capturing the national title at 150 pounds in 1980. Rein was a three-time All-American and a two-time Big Ten champion while also winning three Midlands Tournament titles. He was a two-time East-West All-Star Meet champion and had a career record of 119-13-1. Rein was a two-time Wisconsin high school state champion for Stoughton High School while also capturing state and national AAU titles in Greco-Roman and freestyle. He was head coach for Wisconsin for seven seasons, leading the Badgers to Top 15 finishes at the NCAA Division I Championships six times. Rein coached three national champions and 14 All-Americans while compiling a career record of 81-41-3. He was NCAA Rookie Coach of the Year in 1987 and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1992. He was a National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Team coach in 1993 and was a member of USA Wrestling’s national freestyle coaching staff. Rein was named University of Wisconsin Athlete of the Century and was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. He received the Area Sportsperson of the Year Award in 1976 and 1980 from the Madison Sports Hall of Fame. Rein is a member of the Midlands Hall of Fame, the George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame and received the Badger Legend Award.

Jake Varner won Olympic gold in 2012, concluding a stellar year that saw him also win gold at the Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial International. He competed in three world championships, winning a bronze medal in 2011 and finishing ninth in 2009. He was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion and a four-time finalist for Iowa State. The 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up behind eventual Olympic champion Kyle Snyder, Varner won national titles at 197 pounds in 2009 and 2010 after finishing second at 184 pounds in 2007 and 2008. Varner was a two-time high school state champion and four-time state qualifier in one-class California, compiling a career record of 159-10 with 132 falls. Named Outstanding Wrestler in 2005, he was only wrestler in California history to pin all six opponents in the state tournament. Varner was the California winner of the Hall of Fame’s Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2005. He competed in the FILA Junior World Freestyle Championships in 2005 and was the 2005 recipient of the Wade Schalles Award. A two-time champion at the Reno Tournament of Champions, he was the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2004 Brute Nationals. Varner, who received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Iowa State, has been an assistant wrestling coach at Penn State University since 2016.

The Medal of Courage recipient is a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, providing inspiration to others.

Melissa Simmons was in a car accident when she was 18 years old. She suffered from a fractured eye socket and retina damage due to her face colliding with the steering wheel. After several surgeries and an orbital implant, doctors feared she would never be able to open her eye and never be able to wrestle again. Later that year, Simmons, with a face mask she had designed to protect her, returned to the wrestling mat. Wrestling for Oklahoma City University, she had a career record of 73-18 with 42 falls, winning a national championship in 2008 while finishing second in 2010 and third in 2011. Simmons helped OCU capture three team national championships and three National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals titles. Originally from Ridgefield, Washington, she began competing in wrestling in elementary school and won seven national titles and All-American honors as a youth. In 2005, she dropped out of high school with the blessing of her parents, completed her GED and enrolled as a freshman at Northern Michigan University to begin training at the U.S. Olympic Education Center. In her second week of practice, Simmons tore her ACL and two months later her teammate and best friend, Toni Copeland, drowned in Lake Superior. The following year, Simmons returned to Washington and continued to take classes at an area college and train with her local club team, Southwest Washington Wrestling Club. Her car accident occurred three weeks after her return and on the one-year anniversary of Copeland’s death. Simmons graduated from Oklahoma City University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science. She worked as an assistant coach for OCU and as the director of operations for North Carolina State’s wrestling program. While at NCSU she earned her master’s degree in parks recreation, tourism and sport management, in addition to a degree in sports & entertainment venue management. Simmons also served as coach for several USA Wrestling teams including University Worlds, Junior Worlds, Pan Am Championships and was the first women’s director for the state of North Carolina. In 2019 Simmons returned to Oklahoma and accepted her current position as director of operations for the University of Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team.

The Order of Merit is presented to an individual that has made a significant contribution to the sport of wrestling, but who is not an athlete or a coach.

Mike Moyer has been executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association since 1999. Under his leadership, NWCA membership has grown from 1,700 to more than 10,000 and the organization has established 260 new intercollegiate wrestling programs, including more than 90 women’s teams, in the last decade. Moyer established the NWCA CEO Leadership Program that has trained over 700 college coaches and more than 1,300 high school coaches on best practices. He has also overseen and facilitated fundraising initiatives that helped establish several Division I men’s and women’s programs, creating hundreds of coaching opportunities for men and women. Moyer has spearheaded establishing new chapters for Wrestlers In Business Network, an organization that connects wrestlers and provides career opportunities for college wrestling graduates. He also oversees a vast majority of NWCA committees that function for the purpose of strengthening high school and college wrestling for males and females. He expanded the NWCA National Duals from a 16-team event to more than 100 schools representing men’s and women’s team at all collegiate divisions. He competed in three NCAA Division I Championships for West Chester State College, now West Chester University, and received his bachelor’s degree in health/physical education in 1983. Served as a graduate assistant at James Madison University for one year and earned his master’s degree in athletic administration. Coached by his father, William Moyer, he competed in three Pennsylvania state wrestling tournaments and had a career record of 89-14-2 for Wilson High School in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. Moyer was head coach at Chowan Junior College in 1984-85 and advanced three wrestlers to the NJCAA Championships. He was head coach at George Mason University from 1985 to 1995 and led his team to three Virginia Intercollegiate League team titles, two Colonial Athletic Association team championships, and an East Regional team title while compiling a career record of 126-29-2. Twenty-seven GMU wrestlers competed in the NCAA Division I Championships with four earning All-American honors, including a two-time All-American. Moyer was executive director of the GMU Patriot Club from 1995 to 1999 and served as chairman of the NCAA Wrestling Committee from 1997 to 1999. He received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Virginia Chapter in 2010 and serves on the USA Wrestling and National Wrestling Hall of Fame boards.

The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge, or pairing official.

Tom Clark, who passed away in 2017 at 58 years old, officiated for 35 years, beginning while attending Ohio State and continuing in Indiana. The Bluffton, Ohio native was selected as a referee for the Olympics in 2008 and worked dozens of World Championships and major international competitions at the senior level. Named Official of the Year by USA Wrestling in 1988, Clark retired after the Olympics to open up opportunities at the highest level for young, talented officials. A top high school wrestling official, he received the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Officials Association Award for excellence in wrestling in 2007 and was the Indiana Wrestling Association Official of the Year in 2005. Clark served as a board member for the U.S. Wrestling Officials Association and was vice president of the organization at the time of his death. His commitment to wrestling was at every level, from youth to high school and on to the international level.

Greetings from Cooperstown, I hope this note finds you well as the 2021 World Series kicks off this week!

I am excited to share that the 2022 Steele Internship Program applications are open on our website at www.baseballhall.org/intern!  After the pandemic canceled the program in 2020 and 2021, we look forward to having Steele Interns in Cooperstown again next summer.

As you know, our nearly 400 Steele Intern Alumni are our best advocates for the program!  We are searching for 19 students to spend their summer in Cooperstown working alongside Museum staff.  Please feel free to share the Steele Internship Program with your alma mater, colleagues, friends and families.   The application deadline is January 31, 2022.

I am also passing along a position available to join our team in Cooperstown!  The Museum currently has a Reference Librarian position available.  If you are interested, please apply online or contact Cassidy Lent at [email protected].

I hope you all have a great fall and enjoy the World Series!

Stephanie Hazzard
Director of Education
National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum

The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame will be honouring the 2021 inductee class on Saturday, November 20 at the Halifax Convention Centre. Four athletes, one team and two builders will be celebrated for their outstanding contributions to Nova Scotia sport.

These inductees include two Olympians, two stand-out players from legendary teams, two beloved builders who both made a difference for athletes of different abilities, and one team that won an iconic Canadian championship.

The athletes who will be enshrined are Olympic paddler and three-time World Championship bronze medallist Richard Dalton; three-time Olympian and Commonwealth silver-medallist rower Todd Hallett; star pitcher and four-time National Senior Men’s Fastball medal-winner Robert Putnam; and, Two-time All-Canadian and CIAU basketball scoring and rebounding champion Ted Upshaw. The Hall will also welcome Mark Dacey’s 2004 Brier-winning curling team. In the builder category, Special Olympics coach, team manager and mission staff member Cathy Mason, along with Olympic and Paralympic sailing coach Brian Todd, will also be inducted.

Due to the unprecedented circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the Hall of Fame postponed Induction Night after announcing this class of inductees in Spring 2020, choosing to forego a virtual induction and wait until a ceremony befitting of the inductees could be delivered in person. The Hall is confident that, working with the Halifax Convention Centre, it can ensure a safe event that follows all public health guidelines.

Induction Night 2021 will be hosted by long-time event emcee, Hall of Fame CEO and CBC broadcaster Bruce Rainnie, and, thanks to an exciting partnership with Eastlink Community TV, the ceremony will again be broadcast live.

The event has a new start time of 8pm. Tickets are available for purchase online through Eventbrite and nsshf.com— $40 for adults, $10 for students, and children 12 and under are free.

Here is a closer look at the Nova Scotia sport heroes who make up the new class:

Athletes

Richard Dalton, Paddling, Cork, Ireland: Dalton made it to the podium at national and international sprint canoe events an impressive number of times. In a career spanning two decades, he won gold at the national senior men’s championships 24 times, and placed first on the World Cup circuit 9 times. A competitor at the 2004 Olympics and gold medallist at the 2011 Pan American Games, he represented Canada at the Senior World Championships nine times, bringing home three bronze medals.

Todd Hallett, Rowing, Shelburne: A champion in both the men’s single and double sculls rowing events, Hallett competed at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. He also won bronze at the 1991 Pan American Games, and expanded his rowing repertoire to bring home silver with the “Men’s Eight with Coxswain” team at the 1994 Commonwealth Rowing Championships. He represented Canada at the World Rowing Championships five times, and is a three-time recipient of the Sport Nova Scotia Outstanding Achievement Award.

Robert Putnam, Softball, Brookfield: Putnam was the winning pitcher (and scored a run) in the 1980 National Senior Men’s Fastball Championship game, helping the Brookfield Elks win a gold medal—the first ever for a team east of Ontario. He won eight NS Senior Fastball Championships, six of them consecutively, in a sixteen-year span. He also won four medals at the National Senior Men’s Fastball Championships—one gold, one silver and two bronze. A talented hockey player and golfer as well, he was named Nova Scotia Male Athlete of the Year in 1980.

Ted Upshaw, Basketball, Three Mile Plains: Inducted to the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame with the 1977 Acadia Axemen National Championship men’s basketball team, Upshaw is also an outstanding individual athlete. He still holds the record at Acadia for the most regular season points (1,563) and field goals (664). AUAA MVP in 1981, he was also a three-time AUAA All-Star, two-time All-Canadian, and led the CIAU in scoring AND rebounding in 1981 with 29.1 ppg and 10.2 rpg. He was a member of Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team program from 1976 to 1980.

Mark Dacey 2004 Brier Curling Team: The Mark Dacey team defeated Team Alberta 10-9 to win the Brier in 2004, with impressive three-point scores in both the 8th and 10th ends. The team went on to place third in the World Championships. Their Brier win also earned them berths in the 2004 Continental Cup, 2005 Strauss Canada Cup and the M&M Skins game. The team also finished second in the Brier in 2003 and third in 2006. Team Members: Mark Dacey (skip), Andrew Gibson (lead), Matt Harris (fifth), Rob Harris (second), Bruce Lohnes (third), and Peter Corkum (coach).

Builders

Cathy Mason, Special Olympics, Stellarton: Mason has been involved with Special Olympics for 28 years, beginning her involvement in 1992 and serving as the volunteer regional coordinator for Pictou county since 1996. She has been a mission staff member and team manager for Special Olympics Canada at five World Games events, and served in some capacity at ten National Games. In 2018 she was the Chef de Mission for Team NS at the Special Olympics National Summer Games, becoming the first non-staff member to fill this role. She has been the recipient of the Special Olympics Canada Jim Thompson Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Brian Todd, Sailing and Para-Sailing, Halifax: The head coach and technical director at Sail Nova Scotia from 1991 to 1999, Todd has coached athletes at 50 National Championships, 29 World Championships, 29 North American Championships, 2 Paralympic Games and 1 Olympic Games. He has also coached at the Canada Games and Pan American Games, and served as coach for the Canadian windsurfing team, and head coach for the Canadian Youth Sailing Team. A long-time member of the Sail Canada Learn to Sail Committee and current board member of the Para World Sailing Committee, Todd was recognized in 2004 when Sail NS created the Brian Todd Youth Sailor of the Year Award in his honour.

Contact:

Katie Tanner
Museum & Communications Coordinator
Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
(902) 404-3343 [o] / 902-293-5380 [c] [email protected]

DENVER — The Selection Committee of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame voted six individuals — including Ed McCaffrey, Carol Callan and Chuck Williams — to be inducted at the 57th annual banquet, set for May 4 at the Hilton Denver City Center (1701 California St.).

Joining three-time Super Bowl-winning receiver McCaffrey, longtime USA Basketball women’s national team director Callan, and former University of Colorado and Denver East standout basketball player Williams as May inductees were high school athlete extraordinaire Darnell McDonald, key Colorado sports facilitator Roger Kinney, and boxer DaVarryl Williamson when the Class of 2022 was selected today. The Selection Committee will pick the 2021 Athletes of the Year at a January 2022 meeting as the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame recognizes collegiate, high school and Olympic/Pro athletes at the Hilton Denver City Center banquet.

Ed McCaffrey has been a fixture on the Colorado sports scene for most of the last quarter-century, first helping the Broncos win two Super Bowls in the late 1990s, then as a head coach at Valor Christian and now at the University of Northern Colorado.

McCaffrey played nine seasons for the Broncos (1995-2003) and 13 overall in the NFL. After winning one Super Bowl ring with the San Francisco 49ers, he earned two in Denver, including Super Bowl XXXIII, when he caught five passes for 72 yards. Overall for his NFL career, he had 565 receptions for 7,422 yards and 55 touchdowns, with 462 receptions, 6,200 yards and 46 TDs coming with the Broncos. He was selected a Pro Bowler in 1998 and was named to the Broncos 50th anniversary team.

After his playing career, McCaffrey has long run a summer football camp, coached Valor Christian to the 5A state high school title in 2018, then was named head coach at UNC in December 2019. Ed and Lisa McCaffrey’s four sons have all been football standouts, including Christian McCaffrey, a mainstay of the Carolina Panthers’ offense since 2017.

Carol Callan recently concluded her stellar 25-year run as women’s national team director, fittingly as the Americans won the gold medal at the Olympics in Tokyo. It was the seventh Olympic gold medal — to go along with five world championships — with Callan steering the ship. The gold-clinching 90-75 victory over Japan marked the 55th consecutive win in Olympic competition for the Americans.

Though Callan has stepped down as team director, she remains president of FIBA Americas. “She’s been the heart and soul of the women’s national team,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said. “She’s a selfless person with no ego. She’s been a great mentor and leader and example for women’s basketball. She has a great passion for it. She makes it so that the players just have to play and the coaches just have to coach and that’s where the selflessness comes in. That’s why she’s been so successful.”

Callan is a former girls basketball coach and athletic director at Fairview High School, leading the Knights to a state title as a coach. She’s also long served as an analyst on radio for University of Colorado women’s basketball.

Callan recently was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Chuck Williams was a standout athlete in basketball, football and track at Denver East and helped the Angels win state titles in basketball (1964) and football (1963). He stayed in state to play basketball at CU, earning three letters (1965-68). As a Buff, he averaged 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds, upping his norm to 18 points per game as a senior, when he earned All-Big Eight honorable mention honors.

Williams has been inducted into the Halls of Fame for CU athletics, the Colorado High School Activities Association and Denver East.

After being selected in the sixth round of the 1968 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers — but beginning his pro career in the ABA — Williams played eight seasons in the ABA/NBA, being named an ABA All-Star twice. He played — in separate stints — for both the Denver Rockets and the Nuggets. Overall for his pro career, Williams averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 assists per game.

Darnell McDonald is considered one of the top all-around high school athletes Colorado has ever produced. Competing in football and baseball, he led Cherry Creek to three consecutive state titles in both sports in the late 1990s.

In just three football seasons, McDonald rushed for 6,121 yards and scored 83 touchdown. On the diamond, he started for four years and hit .581 with 15 home runs as a junior and .606 with 10 homers as a senior, earning national baseball player of the year honors from Baseball America. Twice he was named the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame’s High School Athlete of the Year.

Faced with a tough decision on which sport to pursue after high school, McDonald passed on a football/baseball offer from the University of Texas, choosing to sign with the Baltimore Orioles organization. He ended up playing parts of seven seasons in the major leagues, hitting .250 with 20 home runs and 83 runs batted in in 331 games.

Roger Kinney was a pivotal player in bringing the 1990 NCAA basketball men’s Final Four to Denver’s McNichols Arena and also helped behind the scenes in efforts to lure a Major League Baseball franchise to Colorado.

Kinney led the Denver Organizing Committee from 1986-90, which led to the 1990 NCAA Final Four, two NCAA Regionals and the Mile High Classic being played in Denver.

Kinney went on to work for the Colorado Rockies in their early years (1990-2002) in community affairs, serving as executive director of the Colorado Rockies Foundation. He also was a key player in the effort to have the University of Colorado and Colorado State University square off in football in Denver.

As an athlete himself, Kinney played baseball at Denver East and CU, winning the 1955 Denver prep batting title with a .429 average.

DaVarryl Williamson didn’t formally taking up boxing until age 25 after playing football at Wayne State in Nebraska, but once he did get in the ring, she shined.

Williamson ended up winning 10 national titles and posting a 120-17-1 record, with 103 knockouts, in the amateur ranks. Twice he claimed a championship in National Golden Gloves (1996 and ’99) and he was the United States national heavyweight champion from 1996-98. He earned a silver medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games and was the first alternate for the U.S. Olympic boxing team in 1996. With a powerful right hand, he earned the nickname “Touch of Sleep.”

Williamson turned pro at age 32 and racked up a 27-8 record, with 23 knockouts. Williamson grew up in Washington D.C., but now resides in Aurora. He was the first heavyweight contender from the Denver area since Ron Lyle in the 1970s.

Tickets for the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Banquet are $200 each and Sponsor tables start at $2,500. For additional ticket and table information, please phone the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (www.coloradosports or  720-258-3535). The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is located at Gate 1 on the west side of Empower Field at Mile High at 1701 Bryant Street in Denver.

Since its inception in 1965, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 270 individuals prior to Tuesday’s selection meeting. The first class of inductees featured Earl “Dutch” Clark, Jack Dempsey and former Supreme Court Justice Byron “Whizzer” White. Alonzo Babers, Bob Gebhard, George Gwozdecky, Terry Miller, Erin Popovich and Lindsey Vonn were inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame last month.

The International Sports Heritage Association’s long-time Executive Director, Karen Bednarski will be stepping down to pursue other opportunities after the 2021 Virtual Conference on October 31.

Bednarski became Executive Director in 2005 after an extensive career in the sport heritage industry.  Bednarski held the role as curator at the USGA Museum (1986-1996) and Director of the World Golf Hall of Fame (1996-2001).  During this time, she also served on the ISHA Board of Directors (1997-2001) and then became the Executive Director of the Golf Collectors Society (2003-2017).

During her tenure, Bednarski can be credited with assisting in growing the associations annual conference, doubling ISHA’s operating budget, adding grant programs, expanding awards, among other upgrades to member relations.

“Working with Karen during my service on the ISHA Board of Directors has been so fulfilling”, ISHA President, Dana Hart, from the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame notes. “Her dedication to the organization can easily be seen in every board meeting, all correspondence and her desire to see ISHA grow”.

ISHA would like to thank Bednarski for her time and commitment to growing and bettering our association.

Bednarski would like to share with all ISHA members, “It has been a sincere pleasure to serve ISHA since 2005 and I am grateful for the opportunity, as well as the many friends and acquaintances I’ve made over the last 16 years. I wish ISHA only the best as the Association moves forward.”

Hiring for Bednarski’s replacement will begin immediately.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Longsjo Middle School’s (Fitchburg, Mass.) Becky Colo has been named the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon Technologies Massachusetts STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Teacher of the Year. Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft announced Colo as the STEM Teacher of the Year today, and her school will receive $5,000 to be used for STEM education. Colo will also serve for one year on the governor’s STEM Council.

“Congratulations to Becky Colo,” Kraft said in his announcement. “She is doing outstanding work to inspire our next generation of STEM professionals. Congratulations to all the nominees and the other four finalists.”

“It’s a tremendous honor to receive this prestigious award,” Colo said. “I want to thank the Kraft family and Raytheon Technologies for their support of STEM programs and for teachers overall. To be selected a finalist was an honor, but I am thrilled to be named the Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year.”

Colo uses blended book studies to provide students an opportunity to describe and question the world around them. “Reading and discussing the books helps students to understand the changes that are taking place in our biosphere and the related cause and effects,” she said. “It also connected them to real life STEM professionals to help them develop a picture of what a scientist is beyond the image of a man in a white lab coat. The hands-on lab work we do in relation to the books provides them with a deeper understanding of the specific scientific concepts that are mentioned.”

Outside of her classroom, Colo runs a STEM Club that encompasses spatial skill games, 3D design and printing, virtual reality tour creation, a STEM book club, and various hands-on STEM activities. She also has offered JV Inventeam, MathCounts, and a Road to College as well as an after-school math league team open to all students. Additionally, Colo plans and runs an ecology-based trip to the White Mountains for sixth graders where students learn about the geographical history of New England, local ecosystems, conservation, and mountaineering. She also facilitates common planning time with colleagues to show examples and strategies that inspire more interest and engagement within their own classes.

“My students’ interests are what motivate me; so my classes are constantly changing and evolving as different students come along with different passions, curiosities, and questions,” Colo said. “When students learn to 3D print, code, create virtual reality tours, build a hydroponic garden or create stop-motion animation videos to show their learning, I’ve learned new skills along with them. My reason for teaching is to help my students find their own reasons for learning so their education can never be limited by my current knowledge or experience.”

When the Covid-19 pandemic shut down in-classroom learning in the spring of 2020, Colo sought to maintain connections and sent each of her students a box of STEM-related books and launched a virtual book club. Students shared reflections and made recommendations to each other. She also presented students with at-home engineering challenges requiring minimal materials to continue promote screen-free hands-on learning.

Colo was a finalist for the Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year award in 2019.

Moriah Illsley, The Hall’s Education Coordinator, congratulated Colo for being named the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon Technologies Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year.

“Becky is such an inspiring teacher who has developed her own styles to motivate and teach STEM to her middle school students,” Illsley said. “Her use of blended book studies is an innovative way to reach students and allow them the freedom to discover. It also allowed her to quickly pivot when the pandemic abruptly halted in-class learning. She maintained critical connections while creating a STEM-related book club that allowed students to explore individual interests and share reflections with her and their classmates. Selecting the STEM Teacher of the Year is never and easy decision, but there is no doubt that Becky is deserving. On behalf of the selection committee, I want to congratulate her for this award.”

Colo was chosen from a group of five finalists. The other four teachers’ schools will each receive $1,000 for STEM education courtesy of Raytheon Technologies.

Those teachers are:

  • Tammy Rumplik – Granger and James Clark Elementary School (Agawam)
  • Jim Gorman – Nipmuc Regional High School (Upton)
  • Ralph Saint Louis – Lowell High School
  • Asha Von Ruden – Mount Everett Regional Middle and High School (Sheffield)

Hall Executive Director Bryan Morry thanked fellow selection committee members Allison Little and Keith Connors from the Department of Higher Education, Alexis Lian from the Executive Office of Education, Meto Raha from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Illsley for their work in selecting this year’s STEM Teacher of the Year.

“Each of these individuals has shown a tremendous commitment to honoring excellence in STEM education and recognizing and supporting some of the best educators in the state,” Morry said. “They commit a great deal of time and energy to this process, and we could not complete it without their efforts.”

ABOUT THE STEM TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM

The Patriots Hall of Fame launched the STEM Teacher of the Year program in October of 2012 when Robert Kraft announced the initiative at the Massachusetts STEM Summit, held that year at Gillette Stadium. Colo is the ninth recipient of the award. Kelly Powers from the Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School was the inaugural winner in 2013. Other past winners include Doug Scott from Natick High School in 2014, Kerry Murphy from Oliver Ames High School in 2015, David Mangus from Brockton High School in 2016, Kathleen Malone from Derby Academy in Hingham in 2017, Erin Cronin from Revere High School in 2018, Amanda Hough from Mashpee Middle-High School in 2019, and Tori Cameron from the Gordon W. Mitchell School in East Bridgewater in 2020. The STEM Teacher of the Year award is part of the Patriots Hall of Fame’s education program, which offers students in grades 4-12 standards-based educational modules in a fun, entertaining setting. The Hall typically hosts more than 20,000 school field trip visitors annually.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS HALL OF FAME PRESENTED BY RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES

Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts, The Patriots Hall of Fame showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England and promotes math and science education for thousands of schoolchildren each year. The Hall’s signature exhibit is the Super Bowl Experience. Visitors to the interactive exhibit can re-live each of the team’s Super Bowl championships, and view the Vince Lombardi Trophies and Super Bowl championship rings. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.PatriotsHallofFame.com, visit “The Patriots Hall of Fame” on Facebook or follow @TheHall on Twitter and Patriotshall on Instagram.

As historical storytellers, we believe that education leads to conversation, and conversation leads to change. Our new campaign, #WeWillDoBetter shares the stories of marginalized Hall of Famers to raise awareness about systemic racism in Canada. These stories highlight the Hall of Famer’s achievements while increasing awareness about the adversity they have and continue to face. We hope that by creating a platform to share BIPOC Hall of Famers’ stories, we will encourage all Canadians to do better.

The latest #WeWillDoBetter video brings you the story of Hall of Famer, CFL legend and former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Norm “Normie” Kwong. The other seven Hall of Famers highlighted in this campaign to-date include Damon Allen, Dr. Phil Edwards, Ferguson “Fergie” Jenkins, Harry Jerome, Herb Carnegie, Michael “Pinball” Clemons and Willie O’Ree. Click here to view all of our #WeWillDoBetter videos.

From May 1 to May 31, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame (NSSHF) held its second annual Victory Lap virtual fun run. This year all proceeds raised supported the NSSHF’s Future Hall of Famers Education Program.

Victory Lap is a virtual event that offers participation by donation (pay-what-you-can). Participants can run or walk (or roll for wheelchair athlete participants) to complete kms, with the goal of collectively accumulating enough kms to go all the way around Nova Scotia as many times as possible– the ultimate victory lap! The event is open to all ages and fitness levels, and, as a virtual event, welcomes participants from anywhere in the world. Participants log their own progress and the NSSHF provides daily updates on maps shared through email and social media. Victory Lap is a virtual route of 2,485 kms around Nova Scotia that is based on an actual set of walking routes mapped on Google Maps.

This year the NSSHF was very pleased to raise over $1,000 for its education program. During a provincial lockdown due to COVID restrictions, participants moved together while apart, achieving two and a half laps of the province (and more than 6,000 kms) in only four weeks!

https://nsshf.com/victory-lap-virtual-fun-run/