The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Inaugural Satellite Enshrinement Class during a press conference on Tuesday, October 11, at 3:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Riverfront in St. Joseph, MO. This will be the first time that the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame has inducted individuals away from its home base of Springfield, MO.
During the press conference, a total of seven individuals and one sports program were named for enshrinement into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in ceremonies to be held on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, at the Holiday Inn Riverfront in St. Joseph, MO. Hillyard, Inc. is the presenting sponsor of this event and serving as an associate sponsor is the St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Julius Hochman will be inducted posthumously. Mr. Hochman founded the first Youth Baseball League in St. Joseph in 1954. Over 2,000 ball players have come through the St. Joseph Youth Baseball System that Hochman pioneered.
Herb Webster is the girls’ basketball coach from Kearney High School. Coach Webster is entering his 45th year of coaching basketball this fall and has accumulated 882 total wins. 721 of those victories have come while he has coached girls’ basketball making him the girls’ basketball coach with the most wins in Missouri history.
Harold “Doc” Childress makes his home in St. Joseph. Childress has 17 years of shooting experience and has earned multiple national championships in sporting clays. He has also earned two medals, a silver and bronze, at the World Sporting Clays Championship.
Vic Eaton was born in Savannah, MO and attended high school in St. Joseph. He went on to play football for the University of Missouri from 1953 to 1955 as both a quarterback and a punter. In 1955, he was selected in the 11th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became the teams’ punter and was also the leading punt returner during his rookie season.
Richard Flanagan served as a coach and athletic director at Northwest Missouri State University for 22 years. Flanagan started the Hall of Fame at Northwest Missouri State and was enshrined in that Hall of Fame in 1996.
Nan Carter is a retired school teacher from Trenton, MO. She has devoted the last 45 years of her life to advocating for and coaching girl’s and women’s softball. She received the Sprint Spirit Award presented by Women’s Intersport Network in 2007.
Doug Minnis is from St. Joseph. Doug was the first baseball coach in the history of the program at Missouri Western. During his 30 years, Coach Minnis has accumulated 689 victories.
Mound City Football program is an eight on eight powerhouse. They have won state titles 5 out of the last 6 years, including the last 3 years straight. Mound City became the first eight man football team to win three consecutive state titles.
Several of these individuals were in attendance at the press conference and shared their feelings on being selected for induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
The Enshrinement ceremonies will get underway at 5:30 p.m. with a reception at the Holiday Inn Riverfront. The banquet and enshrinement ceremonies will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the festivities will conclude at 8:30 p.m.
Associate Sponsorships are $1,500 and includes a table for 10, full page ad in the printed program and a limited edition autographed print. Table sponsors are $1,000 and include a table for 10, recognition in the printed program and a limited edition autographed print. Individual tickets are $75. Tickets are on sale now and available by calling (417) 889-3100 or 800-498-5678. Tickets are limited, so reserve your seat today. All proceeds will benefit the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. For additional information, please contact Craig Winegar, Director of Sponsorship Development at (417) 459-7579 or visit the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame website at www.mosportshalloffame.com .
— Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Press Release —