Jackie Stiles, the high school basketball legend from Claflin, Kansas, who is the leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, and J. T. Curtis, whose 542 victories as football coach at John Curtis Christian School in Louisiana rank No. 2 all-time, are among 12 individuals selected for the 2015 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.
Other athletes who were chosen for this year’s class are Cindy Brogdon, who helped Greater Atlanta Christian School to three state girls basketball titles in the early 1970s while setting 12 school records; Nikki McCray-Penson, Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer in five-player girls basketball during her days at Collierville High School; and Lincoln McIlravy, who won five South Dakota state wrestling titles at Philip High School and three NCAA championships at the University of Iowa.
Joining Curtis as coaches in this year’s class are David Barney, who has won 34 state championships in boys and girls swimming at Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico; Rick Lorenz, girls volleyball coach at Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon, who has won 10 state championships and 1,174 matches; Don Petranovich, who retired in 2010 after winning eight girls basketball state championships at Winslow High School in Arizona; and Charles “Corky” Rogers, football coach at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, who ranks fifth among active coaches with 444 victories.
These four athletes and five coaches, along with one contest official, one state association administrator and one in the performing arts, will be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame July 2 at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 33rd Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be the closing event of the 96th annual NFHS Summer Meeting.
Other members of the 2015 induction class are the late Joseph (Joe) Pangrazio Sr., who was a football official for 45 years and a basketball official for 55 years with the Ohio High School Athletic Association; Doug Chickering, who guided the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association to unprecedented levels of success during his 24 years (1986-2009) as executive director; and Mike Burton, one of the nation’s top speech and debate coaches during his 39 years (1969-2008) at two schools in the state of Washington.
The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, contest officials, administrators, performing arts coaches/directors and others for their extraordinary achievements and accomplishments in high school sports and activity programs. This year’s class increases the number of individuals in the Hall of Fame to 435.
The 12 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection process involving a screening committee composed of active high school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes, state association officials, media representatives and educational leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associations.
Following is biographical information on the 12 individuals in the 2015 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.
ATHLETES
Cindy Brogdon was one of the top girls basketball players in Georgia history during her four years (1972-75) at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross. She led her teams to three state titles (finished second the other year) and set 12 school records, including most points in a game (44) and highest career scoring average (23.7). Brogdon played two years at Mercer University, averaging 30.1 points per game, and two years at the University of Tennessee, where she led the Lady Vols in scoring both seasons. Brogdon was a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team and was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. She is currently a teacher and coach at Northview High School in Johns Creek, Georgia.
Nikki McCray-Penson scored 3,594 points during her four-year basketball career at Collierville (Tennessee) High School – most in state history for the five-player game. She led her team to the state tournament as a senior in 1990 and was the state’s top scorer with an average of 33.6 points per game. McCray also is the state’s all-time leading rebounder and was named Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Class AAA Miss Basketball in 1990. McCray led the University of Tennessee to a 122-11 record during her four years and was Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as a junior and senior. She played on two Olympic gold medal teams (1996, 2000) and played nine years in the Women’s National Basketball Association. McCray was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. She is currently an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of South Carolina.
Lincoln McIlravy won five state wrestling titles (1988-92) at Philip High School in South Dakota – the first as an eighth-grader in the 98-pound class. He also won the 112-pound title as a ninth-grader, the 125-pound championship as a sophomore and the 152-pound titles as a junior and senior. His overall high school record was 200-25. At the University of Iowa, McIlravy posted an overall record of 96-3-12 and won three NCAA championships and three Big Ten Conference titles. From 1997 to 2000, McIlravy won four consecutive USA national freestyle titles. He also claimed three World Team trials and the 2000 USA Olympic trials. McIlravy was a bronze medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games. In 2010, McIlravy became a “distinguished member” of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Jackie Stiles is regarded by most people as the greatest female athlete in Kansas history after her incredible accomplishments at Claflin High School from 1993 to 1997. In basketball, she scored 3,603 points and averaged 35.7 points per game (seventh all-time nationally), which includes a staggering 46.4 scoring average (fourth all-time nationally) as a senior. She set the state’s all-time single-game mark with 71 points in 1997. In track and field, Stiles helped Claflin to two state titles and set an all-state record with 14 gold medals and two silver medals (16 possible medals). She won four gold medals as a freshman and, as a junior, became the first female athlete to win the 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 – all in one day. She also competed on the cross country and tennis teams. Stiles’ accomplishments continued at Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University), where she led her team to a berth in the Women’s Final Four in 2001. Stiles is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history with 3,393 points and led the NCAA in scoring in 1999-2000 with a 27.8 per-game average. She is the school’s single-season scoring leader. Stiles was named WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2001 after averaging 14.9 points per game for the Portland Fire. She currently is assistant women’s basketball coach at Missouri State University.
COACHES
David Barney has been involved in interscholastic coaching since 1961, including the past 40 years as girls swimming coach and the past 33 years as boys swimming coach at Albuquerque Academy (AA) in New Mexico. The amazing 83-year-old Barney has led his AA swimmers to 34 New Mexico Activities Association state titles (18 boys, 16 girls). His overall record (boys and girls) entering the 2014-15 season was 923-71. Barney’s teams previously set or still hold 70 state records with 238 individuals and relays winning gold medals. Barney has coached five National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) national champions and he has coached more than 300 NISCA All-American swimmers. In 1995, Barney was selected the first NFHS National High School Girls Swimming Coach of the Year. In 2010, he was the first swimming coach to be inducted into the NMAA’s Hall of Pride & Honor.
J. T. Curtis has registered a phenomenal 542-58-6 record (89.9 winning percentage) during his 46 years as football coach at John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, Louisiana. He is second all-time in coaching victories, trailing the legendary John McKissick, who has 621 wins through the 2014 season. Curtis has led his teams to 26 state championships in 35 appearances in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) state title game, and the school has reached the championship game for 19 consecutive years. In 2012, his team was the consensus national champion and he was named USA Today Coach of the Year for the second time. Curtis is also the school’s athletic director, overseeing a program that has won more than 50 state championships in eight different sports, and the school’s headmaster. An ordained minister, Curtis delivers weekly sermons to a local congregation.
Rick Lorenz has coached girls volleyball in Oregon since 1976, including the past 27 years at Central Catholic High School in Portland. He previously coached 10 years at St. Mary’s Academy and one year at Lake Oswego High School. Lorenz has led his teams to 10 Oregon School Activities Association state championships and 10 second-place finishes. His teams have advanced to the finals site in 32 of his 39 years coaching the sport. Lorenz has posted a 1,174-185 record (86.3 winning percentage) and his career victory total ranks eighth all-time nationally according to the NFHS’ National High School Sports Record Book. Lorenz’s 2011 team registered a perfect 44-0 record in the state’s largest volleyball class and won a third consecutive state title. Last year, Lorenz was named National Volleyball Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA).
Don Petranovich retired in 2010 after a legendary 33-year career as girls basketball coach at Winslow (Arizona) High School. Petranovich registered a state-record 780-158 record (83.1 winning percentage) and appeared in a state-record 16 state championship games, winning the title eight times. His 1989 and 1990 teams won a state-record 44 consecutive games. Petranovich was NFHS National Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2009 and was named the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Coach of the 20th Century. He played major roles in the early development of girls high school basketball in Arizona as well as the rise in interest in girls basketball on Native American reservations. Petranovich also served as the school’s athletic director for 28 years, retiring in 2013.
Charles “Corky” Rogers ranks sixth all-time (fifth among active coaches) in career football coaching victories during his outstanding 43-year career at two Jacksonville, Florida, high schools. Rogers coached at his alma mater, Robert E. Lee High School, from 1972 to 1988, and has directed the football program at The Bolles School for the past 26 years. Rogers has compiled an overall 444-80-1 record (84.8 winning percentage) and was the eighth coach in high school football history to surpass 400 victories. Rogers’ teams have won 11 Florida High School Athletic Association state championships in 16 appearances – most in Florida history. He has been inducted in several halls of fame and was National High School Football Coach of the Year in 2004-05, as selected by the National High School Coaches Association.
OFFICIAL
The late Joseph (Joe) Pangrazio Sr. was an Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) football official for 45 years (1955-2000) and an OHSAA basketball official for 55 years (1945-2000). He officiated six state football championships and 10 state basketball tournaments (eight boys, two girls). He conducted countless clinics and camps and was instrumental in recruiting and mentoring numerous new football and basketball officials. Pangrazio was also a highly successful college basketball official in several conferences and was a Big Ten Conference basketball officials observer and evaluator at Ohio State University for 25 years. Pangrazio was a 1989 charter member of the OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame, and last year he was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
ADMINISTRATOR
Doug Chickering guided the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) to unprecedented success during his 24 years (1986-2009) as executive director. Only the fourth person to hold the position in the 113-year history of the WIAA, Chickering was instrumental in adding private schools into the association in 2000, expanding state tournament opportunities in all sports, and enhancing the exposure of high school sports through various media platforms. At the national level, Chickering served two terms on the NFHS Board of Directors and was president in 1992-93. During his year as president, Chickering guided the organization through some challenging financial times, and he later was instrumental in establishing the NFHS Foundation. He was chair of the Foundation Board of Directors until his retirement in 2009. Chickering also chaired the NFHS Strategic Planning Committee. Prior to joining the WIAA in 1986, Chickering was a teacher, coach, athletic director, principal and district administrator in the Gilman and Marathon schools in Wisconsin.
PERFORMING ARTS
Mike Burton retired in 2008 after an outstanding 39-year career as a speech and debate coach in the state of Washington. Burton started his career in 1969 at White River High School in Buckley, Washington, and then served for 25 years in the Auburn, Washington, School District. He closed his career with a nine-year stint at Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue, where he started the speech and debate program in 2000. Burton’s students won three national championships and 36 state championships. He was known for building the Auburn forensics program into one of the largest and most successful in the nation, with 120 to 150 students involved. He served on the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Forensics Committee for 14 years and was the National Catholic Forensic League diocese director. Burton also coached baseball for 15 years and was a highly successful high school and college football official for 36 years. Burton was president of the NFHS Officials Association in 1998.
