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Lake Michigan Catholic & Catholic Heritage Halls of Fame Inaugural Classes |
LAKE MICHIGAN CATHOLIC INAUGURATES ATHLETIC HALLS OF FAME
Lake Michigan Catholic paid tribute to its athletic heroes and heroines of the past when the charter class of inductees was welcomed into the school’s new athletic halls of fame on Friday, February 10, 2006, at Lake Michigan Catholic Middle and High School in St. Joseph.
The inductees were honored prior to the Laker varsity basketball game against Eau Claire in the Monsignor Kenney gymnasium. Prior to the ceremonies, well-wishers greeted the honorees and their families at a celebratory dinner in the high school cafeteria. The dinner was sponsored by the Lake Michigan Catholic Band.
Lake Michigan Catholic was established in 1969 with the merger of St. John’s Catholic School in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph’s Catholic School in St. Joseph. Accordingly, the tribute comprised the Lake Michigan Catholic Hall of Fame, honoring players, coaches, and friends of Laker athletics, and the Catholic Heritage Hall of Fame, for those of the predecessor schools.
Phil Hegg, Chair of the Hall of Fame organizing committee, said that it was no easy task to select the inductees. "We had an impressive list of candidates," said Hegg. "One of the things that stood out among the athletes' resumes was their post–high school athletic and personal achievements. We tend not to think of small schools as a rich source of college athletes, but all of our athlete inductees found success at the college level. Mike Masini, for example, was on the Notre Dame football team that competed in the 1981 Sugar Bowl."
The inaugural class of inductees into the Lake Michigan Catholic Hall of Fame included Michigan Football Hall of Fame coach Terry Rose (1970-1988) (deceased); football standout Michael Masini (class of 1978); Maureen Nelligan Fischer (1988), a member of the 1986 and 1987 girls’ basketball teams who were state semifinalists and runners-up, respectively; and Brittany Hedgepeth (1999), whose state records in the long jump and the 200-meter dash still stand.
Being inducted into the Catholic Heritage Hall of Fame were multi-sport standout Frederick “Nuke” Richardson (St. Joseph’s, 1939); “Doc” C. Bassett Brown (St. John’s, 1941), a member of two Irish state champion basketball teams, who went on to become the first African-American to play basketball for Western Michigan University; John Neumann (St. John’s, 1950) (deceased), basketball standout labeled by one local sportswriter as “one of the greatest pivot-men ever to come forth from a local prep school“; Jim Stouffer (St. John’s, 1959), a 16-varsity-letter winner and Berrien County Athlete of the Year; football and basketball coach Frank Mulcahey (St. Joseph’s, late 1950s, 1960s), who at one point coached the Ponies to 37 straight victories, outscoring their opponents in the 1962 season 360-19; and Lester “Skip” Larsen (St. Joseph’s, 1965), who earned numerous local and state honors as a member of the track and football teams.
Biographies - 1st Induction Class – 2006
Lake
Michigan Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame – 2006
Click on the honoree's name to view their accomplishments
Terry Rose- (Coach)- 1970 to 1988
Michael Masini - 1978
Maureen Nelligan (Fischer)- 1988
Brittany Hedgepeth- 1999
Frederick “NUKE” Richardson- 1939
~ St. Joseph Catholic
Doc C. Bassett Brown- 1941
~ St. Johns Catholic
John Neumann- 1950
~ St. Johns Catholic
Jim Stouffer- 1959
~ St. Johns Catholic
Frank Mulcahey- (Coach)- Late 50’s & Early 60’s
~
St. Joseph Catholic
Lester “Skip” Larsen- 1965
~ St. Joseph Catholic
Lake Michigan Catholic Schools offer an exceptional, Christ-centered education for children of preschool age through grade 12. Affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo, the school draws students of all faiths from across southwestern Michigan. Lake Michigan Catholic sends 98% of its graduates to college and is an Acton Institute "Top 50" U.S. Catholic high school. Lake Michigan Catholic Elementary School, accredited through the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools, is among only four schools statewide invited to apply for the newly created rank “Accreditation with Distinction.” For more information, contact the Business Office, 915 Pleasant St, St Joseph, Michigan, 49085; phone 269-983-5529.