The Howard County Sports Hall of Fame has selected seven local sports greats for induction into the hall. Included are athletes, coaches, and contributors representing sports as diverse as wrestling, baseball, basketball, and football, as well as a long-time officiating standout.
“This class easily compares to any other based on achievement and accomplishments,” said Dean Hockney, hall of fame president. “These inductees represent the best that Howard County has to offer in sports. This year’s induction ceremony will certainly be memorable.”
The induction ceremony will be held on Sat., Oct. 28, at Creative Financial Centre. The induction ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and will be proceeded by a social hour with light refreshments, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available by calling Ron Barsh at 765-453-4739.
This year’s class:
Anthony Shumaker played professional baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and was a standout for Kokomo High School.
Chad Shepherd, part of Howard County wrestling royalty, was a state champion for Western High School and has been the Panther varsity coach for 23 years, collecting sectional and regional titles.
Erwin Cox was a track and field and basketball standout at Kokomo High School and Drake University, where he was a three-year starter on the basketball team as well as excelling in the pole vault.
Lisa Thompson Bickel collected state and national titles as a basketball player for Kokomo High School and Indiana Wesleyan University, respectively.
Jim Calaway put Eastern High School’s football program on the map, coaching the Comets to a then-state record 37 straight wins from 1961-65, including three straight undefeated 9-0 seasons from 1962-64.
Gary Merrell, a Northwestern High School graduate, played basketball for the Tigers and the University of Findlay before coaching for 36 seasons at seven different schools, collecting 482 wins.
James Robinson has officiated IHSAA State Championship games in baseball, football, and basketball as well as working as a replay official for Big Ten football.