St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame inductees named
May 17—The St. Joseph 2023 Area Sports Hall of Fame Class was announced Wednesday, with nine individuals and one team to be inducted at 5 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Stoney Creek and Conference Center.
Starting with the inductees from Benton High School. Legendary three-sport high school coach Paul "Pop" Springer will be one of three coaches selected. Pop was a coach for all seasons, able to coach 889 contests combined in football and basketball amassing 566 wins. He enjoyed the pinnacle achievement of coaching his teams to compete for a championship which included: Class B Track & Field State Champions in 1928, Boys Basketball State Champions in 1931 and 1941, and a Football Peanut Bowl Appearance in 1946.
"If you've ever been to Benton High School and right there by the gymnasium being named after him, we probably should've named the whole school after him for athletics," former Benton athletic director Mike Ziesel said. "Everyone looked up to what his accomplishments were as a coach, but also the fact that it was more than just one sport."
Brad Nurski, a world class amateur golfer, is regarded as one of the best golfers in St. Joseph history. Nurski has won 40 city and local tournaments, and even helped Team USA this past year in the prestigious concession cup.
Nurski has won 10 Missouri Golf Association Championships including the prestigious Missouri Amateur three times (2010, 2017, 2018) which led him to twice being named the Missouri Player of the Year.
"I shouldn't say I coached him, I took him on the bus with me and he definitely was, if not the best golfer that came out of Benton High School," Ziesel said.
Another former Cardinal on the list is a former college and NFL tight end, Martin Rucker. Rucker totaled 203 career receptions which ranks second on the all-time career list at the University of Missouri which totaled 2,175 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns in which his career spanned five seasons competing on five different teams.
Pete Kelley, also under the director of Ziesel back in the day, is a forever iconic symbol of St. Joseph sports history, as he carried the Olympic torch through St. Joseph as it made its way to the 1996 games in Atlanta. At the age of 22, Pete became the youngest member of the Olympics team at the Atlanta games and broke two American records during the meet.
Chris Tabor is no stranger to coaching, starting his career in 1993 and has now spanned 30 years across all levels of football in seven states. Tabor was given a shot in the NFL working as Assistant Special Teams Coach for the Chicago Bears. He currently is in his second season with the Carolina Panthers.
"Chris said to me one time, 'You know what coach, I made you what you are,' and he loved to joke with us all the time, too, back in the day," Ziesel said. "But if you think about it, your coach, your athletes and the people that you deal with do make you who you are. From that point on, I said, 'Yeah, I made you what you are too."
Jim Wright will be inducted for his role on the baseball diamond. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1973 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent seven seasons in the Phillies farm system amassing a 65-33 career record, a resume that included throwing two no-hitters, winning pitcher of the year at all three levels of the minor leagues (A, AA, AAA) and was the Triple-A Cy Young Award Winner.
For Lafayette, the 1976 boys basketball state champion team will be forever enshrined. The team finished 28-3, and defeated Joplin Memorial High School 87-82, to win the state title. What's even more impressive is that year's team averaged 80 points a game without a 3-point line. The team was coached by Mel Clark, who won coach of the year in 1976.
"I think it's a great honor. I was hoping this would happen sometime because we were 28-3, a fantastic team, so I think it's a great honor," Clark said. "They were good citizens, never got in trouble, and they lived and breathed basketball."
Two former Central Indians athletes were chosen. Former college and NFL tight end Dwayne Blakley played college ball at Missouri, recording 79 receptions and 12 touchdowns. He spent four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, recording 21 receptions and one touchdown.
Ann Marie (Brooks) Chappell would also attend the University of Missouri, but for track and field. She was an NCAA National Champion on the indoor medley relay team back in 2001.
The remaining two inductees are Kathleen (Heckman) Winegardner and Jane Wood, the Special Olympics area athlete of the year. Winegardner is in rare company locally as one of few area athletes that have ever won four state championships in any sport. Her elite run began in 1978 as she teamed with her sister Mary Ann and won three consecutive doubles titles.
She played three seasons for the University of Minnesota in which she earned All-Big Ten honors in both singles and doubles in 1983, and still holds the record for most doubles victories in a season and is sixth all-time in singles victories with 33 (three off the all-time record).
Jane Wood, the Special Olympics area athlete of the year will also be inducted, and the Second Annual Coach Bill Snyder Woman of Impact Award will be presented by Coach Snyder. The award recognizes a female athlete, coach, administrator or other outstanding feat accomplished in Buchanan County over the past year.
Calvin Silvers can be reached at calvin.silvers@newspressnow.com.
