Tenino High School announced its inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday, a class that includes five individuals and two state title teams.
The inductees will be honored and inducted at halftime of the Scatter Creek Showdown on Friday, Oct. 25, and the following day, Saturday, Oct. 26, there will be a luncheon at Tenino Eagles.
The 2024 Tenino Hall of Fame class includes:
The 1986 Baseball Team
Led by dominating pitcher, and future major leaguer, Dennis Studeman and Matt Whitmire – coached by Jerry Striegel, the 86 team went a dominant 22-2 ultimately shutting out Columbia-Burbank 1-0 in the state title game.
Team members: Sean Check, Bill Johnson, Andy Billings, Matt Whitmire, Dennis Studeman, Jim Gibson, Andy Gamino, David Vassar, Allen Follette, Mike Bronson, Jason Dodge, Darryl Buntin, Scott Chamberlain, Rainer Summers, Tim Ballman
Coaches: Jerry Striegel, Steve Watson
The 1986 Girls Track Team
Led by standouts Lori Fair and Becky Whitmire, the 86 girls ran away with the state title accumulating a massive 44 team points while withstanding scorching weather at the state meet in Wenatchee.
Team members: Lori Fair, Cindy Shea (Roaf), Lisa Minton (Minton-Rochet), Beth Garson (Elizabeth Garson), Holly Hake (Pfenniger), Lavonne Shotts, Renee Steirer, Heidi Cregg (Nelson), Cheryl Hamilton (Wetsby), Becky Whitmire, Jodi Kempt (Elliot)
Coaches: Gordy Robertson, Dave Whitemire, Ryan Robertson
Dick Brock
Coach Brock was the head football coach for 17 years and head basketball coach for 26 years. His career basketball record was 328-214. Led teams to state placings in 61, 62, 63 and 74. In 2001 Brock was inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and in 2006 the high school’s basketball court was named after him.
Gordy Robertson
“Coachie” coached track and cross country at Tenino HS along with assisting with both the boys basketball team and football for a number of years. He started the Tenino Cross Country program in 1970, and took it over full time in 1974. Coach Robertson took 7 boys teams and 9 girls teams to the state championships earning several top ten team finishes and countless individual medals.
His girls track team won the state title in 1986 and Tanya Robinson won the girls cross country individual title in 1991.
Robertson was behind all of the success of Tenino Cross Country. He started the program and state appearances for Tenino teams begin and end with him. Not a single Tenino team has made it to state since his retirement in 1993.
Coachie was inducted into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000.
Hal Williams
The voice of the Beavers. Mr. Williams was the announcer for an incredible 55 years.Beginning his stint in 1963, Williams only missed 3 games in his first 50 years! He also coached football, basketball and track at Tenino High school spanning 7 decades.
In 2013 the stadium press box was renamed and dedicated to him as the Hal Williams Press box.
Hal also started the track program in 1960 and also helped start Little Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball. Coach Williams was inducted in the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018.
Lori Fair
Lori lead the 1986 girls track team to a state title, taking first place in the 110M and 300M hurdle races and joining teammates to win the 4x100M race.
Lori joined teammates to win and set a record breaking time in the 1985 4x100M. 49.6s was the first girls team to run under 50s. She also took home individual titles in the 100M and 300M hurdles in 1984 and 110M, 300M hurdles and the 800M relay in 1985.
Gordon Harris
Known as the ‘Tenino Tower’, the 6 foot, 10 inch Harris led the Beaver Basketball squad to state trophies in 61, 62 & 63.
Harris dominated the Class B state tournament with 164 points in four games, including 54 in a double-overtime game against Davenport. Both were — and still are — tournament records.
For an encore, Harris made the giant leap from Washington’s smallest classification for prep basketball to the highest level of college hoops. Harris played three seasons at the University of Washington. He graduated in 1967 after scoring 1,054 points, eighth most in school history at the time.
Harris was selected in the 1967 NBA draft by the hometown Seattle Supersonics and also taken in the ABA draft by the Oakland Oaks.
