Triton HOF Class Announced
BOURBON – The Triton High School Athletic Department is proud to announce the next class to be inducted into the Triton Athletic Hall of Fame.
The class of 2014 will be the fourth class inducted.
Since the schools inception during the 1963-1964 school year, many athletes have worn the blue and gold. While all athletes have played a role in Triton’s success, the Hall of Fame will recognize those Trojans who set themselves apart on the playing fields and the courts of Triton High School and beyond. These athletes won acclaim for running the fastest, jumping the highest, winning championships, and otherwise distinguishing themselves in high school, college, and at professional levels. To honor these high school sports legends, the Triton Athletic Department will annually induct new members into the ranks of the Triton Athletic Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame will induct candidates in the following categories: Athlete, Coach, Alumni, and Contributor. To be eligible to be inducted as an athlete, the candidate must be a graduate of Triton High School and must have participated in interscholastic athletics while at Triton. The Selection Committee will be looking for those athletes who set themselves apart by receiving, among other things, conference and state-wide recognition. In order to be eligible to be inducted as a coach, one must have coached at Triton High School for at least five years and must be inactive at the time of the induction. An Alum is a Triton graduate who has made it a purpose to be involved with athletics beyond high school (ex. Officiating, broadcasting, college coach, etc). A contributor is someone who has given of themselves for the betterment of the Triton Athletic Department.
The class of 2014 will include three athletes, one coach, and one contributor.
“The selection committee did an outstanding job selecting the Class of 2014,” said Triton Athletic Director Mason McIntyre. “The selection process was difficult, but the committee was able to narrow it down to the group that they felt most deserved to be inducted into the Class of 2014.”
The first athlete to be inducted is 1977 graduate Jeff Brunk. Jeff was a seven-time varsity letter winner earning three letters in football, three in basketball, and one in baseball. Jeff earned MVP honors in basketball during the 1976-1977 season. Jeff was also the Male Athlete of the Year in 1977. He was a member of the 1977 Indiana Football Coaches Association All-Star team. Jeff went on to play football at Ball State and was a member of the 1978 MAC Championship team.
The second athlete to be inducted is 1984 graduate Curt Anders. Curt was a two-time letter winner in Tennis and football. He also earned four varsity letters in Basketball and Track. He was a five-time MVP earning the honor twice in basketball, once in tennis, and twice in track. Curt advanced to the IHSAA state finals three times in the High Jump finishing 8th, 19th, and 5th. He is the current record holder in the High Jump with a jump of 6’8”, the 110m High Hurdles with a time of 14.9, and is tied for the long jump record with 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Dan Sharpe with a jump of 22’1”. Curt also simultaneously held the basketball career scoring and assist records at Triton. He went on to play basketball at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California where he played in the NAIA tournament two times. He also held several shooting percentage records and was named the 1998 Tom Bryan Classic MVP.
The third athlete to be inducted into the Triton Athletic Hall of Fame is 1985 graduate Ryan Meister. Ryan participated in Varsity Football for 2 years, Varsity Basketball for 3 years, and Varsity Track for 4 years. Ryan was a two time Basketball MVP while also earning the Track MVP award and Male Athlete of the Year in 1985. Ryan went on to have a successful basketball career at Bethel College where he is a member of the 1,000 point club scoring 1,149 points in his career. He won 98 games and lost 43 during his time at Bethel. Ryan is currently tied for third in best FT % in a season at .885 in 1987-1988, ranks 5th in most assists in a season with 238 in 1988-1989, ranks 5th all time in single season assist to turn over ratio with a ratio of 2.74 in 1988-1989, and lead the team in assists in 1988-1989 with 238.
Former football coach Charlie Smith will be the fourth coach inducted into the Hall. Coach Smith led Triton football during the 1970-1973 seasons. During his four years at Triton, Coach Smith compiled a 27-9-1 record. He won two TRC championships in 1972 and 1973. His 1970 and 1972 teams both finished the season 8-1 and still have the best record for a season. Coach Smith was the all-time winningest coach at Triton until former coach Rodney Younis surpassed Coach Smith in 2008.
Joe White will be inducted as the 2014 Hall of Fame Contributor. Joe has been dedicated to Triton Athletics for over 30 years. Every Friday night in the fall, you can find Joe on the sidelines of the Triton football field assisting the linesman by handling the first down measuring chain and down box. Although this job often goes unnoticed, Joe’s commitment to be there week in and week out, in the unpredictable weather of the fall, is to be commended.
The Hall of Fame weekend will kick off with recognition of these inductees at half-time of the Triton vs. Knox boys basketball game on February 28th. The tip-off for the JV game that evening is scheduled for 6:00 pm EST.
The festivities will be continued during the Induction Banquet on March 1st. The evening will begin at 6:00 PM at the Back Forty Banquet Center in Bourbon. Triton’s Athletic Director Mason McIntyre will serve as the Banquet’s emcee for the evening. Tickets for the Banquet can be purchased in the Triton High School Athletic Office beginning February 10, 2014. Tickets will be $20 per person and will include a meal. Tickets will also be sold at the home Boys Basketball games. The last day for ticket sales will be February 25, 2014.
The Triton Athletic Department would like to give a special thanks to the Selection Committee made up of Larry Lemler representing Bourbon, Dave Shively representing Etna Green, Ken Blackford representing Tippecanoe, and Duane Walters and Hal Kuntz both as at-large Committee members. Without the help of these people this great event would not be possible.