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Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 Announced

June 18, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


Colorado Springs, June 18 --The names and achievements of the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 stand as tall as nearby Pikes Peak for sports fans who appreciate the city's rich sports history.

The five individuals and one team will enter the Hall of Fame officially on Wednesday, October 24, at the Colorado Springs World Arena as the eighth class of inductees. The Hall of Fame is presented for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation by The Gazette and American National Bank.

The Class of 2007

ALAN COCKRELL

The first Colorado Springs Sky Sox entry into the Hall of Fame. The Joplin, Missouri, kid played for the Sox in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996, and became the all-time team leader in games played (494), hits (478), doubles (91), RBI (286) and walks (183). In 1990, he was a PCL All-Star after hitting .330 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI. He ended with a career batting average of .304 and was named to the Sky Sox Hall of Fame. In all, he played 13 seasons as a minor league outfielder, and made his major league debut in 1996 and got his first hit against Atlanta's Tom Glavine. The former University of Tennessee football quarterback, baseball All-American, and San Francisco Giants first-round pick is now the hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies after coaching stints in Portland, Salem, and Colorado Springs.

BOB JOHNSON

The longtime Colorado Springs resident, who passed away on Nov.26, 1991, is an American legend in ice hockey. He was the head coach at Colorado College for three seasons (1963-66), then guided the Wisconsin Badgers for 15 years (367-175-23), including three NCAA titles. He was the U.S. Olympic coach in 1976 and the National Team coach from 1973-75. "Badger Bob" moved onto the NHL and coached the Calgary Flames (1982-87) to the Stanley Cup finals in 1986 and the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Cup crown in 1991, five months before his death. During his lifetime of service, he was also the executive director of Colorado Springs-based USA Hockey. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 and to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. His famed catchphrase, "It's a great day for hockey," is known around the world in the sport. He will forever be remembered for his enthusiasm and unflappable optimism.

ANITA MOSS

The former Colorado Springs Harrison High superstar won a scholarship and became the University of Arizona's first Volleyball All-American in 1983, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tourney in 1982 and 1983. She won four varsity letters at UA for teams that were ranked #11 and #12 in 1982 and 1983. Her Wildcat teams won 81 games in her four seasons. She played in the 1982 USOC National Sports Festival in Indianapolis, and for the USA in the 1983 World University Games. She still owns a number of Arizona volleyball records for individual skills, and was inducted into the University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 1989.

BROCK STROM

The Air Force consensus football All-American offensive lineman captained the unbeaten 1958 Falcons (9-0-2) under head coach Ben Martin, a team that set a standard for AFA gridiron success. The Colorado Springs resident also won Academic All-America laurels and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985, the first Falcon to be honored with the distinction. He gained his Masters degree at MIT in astronautical engineering and flew as a navigator in Viet Nam (90 missions). He earned his Ph.D from Arizona State, served as the Director of Engineering for the Global Positioning System, and directed the development of the Air Force Space Defense System. During his professional, post-Air Force career, he taught mathematics and management at the Academy as a visiting professor.

AMY VAN DYKEN

The former Cherry Creek High School star became one of America's greatest Olympic swimmers by winning six career gold medals in Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). Her performance in Atlanta marked the first time in Olympic history that an American woman won four gold medals in a single Games, as she captured the 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, and two relay golds. She trained with the U.S. National Resident Team in Colorado Springs ahead of the Atlanta Games after her graduation from Colorado State. She was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the year in 1996, and to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. She overcame asthma difficulties to become an Olympic legend in the pool. She's married to NFL punter Tom Rouen, a former CU All-American.

THE 1956 COLORADO SPRINGS HIGH FOOTBALL TEAM

The 11-1 Tigers defeated Englewood, 25-7, to win the State AA gridiron crown, and the squad is still thought to be the best team in city history by longtime observers. The win in the title game avenged the only loss of the season, a 7-6 win by Englewood in the second game of the campaign. En route to the state title, the powerful Tigers ran roughshod over eleven foes, including a 6-0 win over Denver East before 5,000 fans at Washburn Field at Colorado College to set up the showdown with Englewood. The head coach was Gib Funk, also a member of the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. The Tigers were co-captained by Mike McDowell and Joe Harris. In the state title tilt, halfback Henry Morgan rushed for 246 yards against Englewood.

The Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame, 2000-2006

Class of 2000: Cullen Bryant (Mitchell High, CU All-America, L.A. Rams football), Peggy Fleming (Olympic Figure Skating Champion, 1968), Gib Funk (prep coaching legend who led Colorado Springs High to '56 state title) Rick"Goose" Gossage (legendary relief pitcher and future Hall of Famer with 310 saves), William J. Hybl (USOC President Emeritus, IOC Member and city sports leader and creator), Ben Martin (AFA Football Coach for 20 seasons), William Thayer Tutt (Sports Civic Icon), Bobby Unser (3-time Indy 500 winner and 13-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner), 1950 Colorado College Ice Hockey Team (NCAA Champions)

Class of 2001: Judy Bell (Golf, Curtis Cup Teams, 38 USGA Tourneys), Earl "Dutch"Clark (1929 Colorado College football All-American, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame), Bill "Red" Hay (CC ice hockey All-American twice, Chicago Blackhawks, 1959-67, Stanley Cup Championship, 1961), Jeff Sapp (Mitchell High football, state wrestling champion, Navy football All-American, 1976), Jill Trenary (figure skating, 1990 World Champion, 1988 Olympics, 4th, Broadmoor Skating Club), 1958 Air Force Academy Football Team (9-0-2, Cotton Bowl 0-0 tie with TCU)

Class of 2002: Alonzo Babers (Track & Field, 1984 Olympic 400-meters gold medal, 4x400-meter relay gold medal, Air Force Academy football and track star), Carlo Fassi (skating coach, Broadmoor Skating Club, coached Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Jill Trenary and Todd Eldredge), Flo Hyman (Volleyball, trained at the Olympic Training Center and won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games), Scott Johnson (gymnastics, Wasson High, All-American at Nebraska, gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games), Col. F.Don Miller (USOC Executive Director, 1969-85), Baaron Pittenger (Former USOC Executive Director and National Sports Festival architect), 1980 U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team (selected in Colorado Springs, historic gold medal in Lake Placid, including the "Miracle on Ice" semifinal win over the USSR)

Class of 2003: Alison Dunlap (Cycling, CC graduate, trained in Colorado Springs, Pan Am Games gold medalist, 1996 and 2000 Olympian, 2001 World Mountain Bike Champion), Dow Finsterwald (golf, 12 PGA Tour event titles, 1958 PGA Champion, Broadmoor Director of Golf for 28 years), Ernie Jennings (AFA 1970 football All-American receiver, Heisman Trophy finalist), Harry Hoth (Colorado Springs broadcasting legend and former Mayor), Ralph Routon (father of the Colorado Springs Hall of Fame, Gazette sports editor for 24 years and inspiring sports columnist, led the effort that brought AAA baseball back to the city in 1988), 1948 Colorado Springs High football team (state champions, 11-0)

Class of 2004: Chad Hennings (AFA football All-American and Outland Trophy winner who played nine seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and won three Super Bowl rings), David & Hayes Alan Jenkins (first brother combination to participate in the Olympics for the United State. Hayes won the figure skating gold medal in 1956 and David captured a bronze in the men's competition. David completed the dream with a gold medal in 1960 at Squaw Valley. Both trained at The Broadmoor Skating Club), Bob Mathias (won the Olympic decathlon in 1948 and 1952, served four terms in Congress, and was the first director of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs when it opened in 1977), Joe Morgan (a pioneer who paved the way for African-American participation in sports in Colorado Springs in 1948 with his Brown Bombers semi-pro baseball team and later became the first black man to umpire in a state high school championship game in 1970), Joan Powell (legendary volleyball coach whose Palmer High teams won state titles in three divisions. Coached at Arizona and became a top NCAA volleyball official), Pikes Peak Or Bust Rodeo Ramrods.

Class of 2005: Justin Armour (Prep football and basketball star at Manitou Springs High who went on to shine at Stanford and played five seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos), Fisher DeBerry (Longtime Air Force football coach who directed the Falcons to lofty heights in his 23 seasons before retiring in 2007), Jack Finlayson (an early Colorado Springs sports broadcasting legend who did play by play for the Sky Sox, Colorado College ice hockey, Air Force football and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb over more than two decades, as well as KKTV's nightly sports anchor), Ada Gee-DeProsse (Colorado College grad who went on to a spectacular women's basketball coaching career at Ball State, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Southern Cal and Nevada), Mike Moran (the USOC's official spokesman for 13 Olympic Games over almost 25 years beginning with the 1980 Lake Placid Games. He later served as the spokesman for the New York 2012 Olympic bid, and now serves as the Director of Communications for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation), 1971 Wasson High Football Team (state champions with a thrilling 21-19 win over Denver George Washington)

Class of 2006: Rulon Gardner (Olympic gold medal (2000), bronze medal (2004) Greco-Roman Wrestling), Darryl Clack (Widefield High prep track and football star, Arizona State & Dallas Cowboys running back), Dave & Chuck Delich (Colorado Springs ice hockey stars at CC and Air Force), Colleen O'Connor and Jim Millns (1976 Olympic ice dancing bronze medalists who trained at the Broadmoor Skating Club), 1982-83 Air Force Football Teams (ran up an 18-7 mark including a pair of wins against Notre Dame, Navy and Army...played in and won two bowl games against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, coached by Ken Hatfield).



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 18, 2007


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