The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce the members of the 2009 Enshrinement Class. Fourteen individuals and three teams from diverse sports backgrounds will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in ceremonies on Saturday, February 7, 2009, at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield, Mo. The Killian Group of Companies is the presenting sponsor of the annual event, along with associate sponsors, Advertising Plus, Hiland Dairy and Hillyard, Inc. The 2009 John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award recipient, Ramey-Price Cutter-Smitty’s Supermarkets will also be recognized during the ceremony, as well as several Sports Achievement Award winners.

INDUCTEES
WILL SHIELDS – FOOTBALL
Selected out of the University of Nebraska, Shields was the third-round (74th overall) pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1993 NFL Draft. Shields was a consensus first team All-American and Outland Trophy winner during his final year at Nebraska in 1992. Beginning with a game against the Houston Oilers in 1993, Shields was in the Chiefs’ starting lineup for every game, a team record and the second longest consecutive starting streak in the NFL behind Brett Favre. Shields started 230 straight games including playoff games and established a franchise-record streak of 12 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, the most Pro Bowl appearances by any player in Kansas City history and a total that ties Randall McDaniel for the most Pro Bowl invitations in the NFL history. He was an important part in the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line that consistently led the team to a top five finish in rushing offense. Shields blocked for Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson during his career. He blocked for 1,000 yard rushers for five seasons. He also blocked for 4,000 yard passers for five seasons. In 2003 Shields was the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the most prestigious accolade that can be bestowed upon an active player, for his work in The “Will to Succeed” Foundation, the charitable organization he started in 1993. One of the finest players in the illustrious history of the Chiefs franchise and one of the all-time elite performers at his position in NFL annals, Shields announced his retirement from football in April of 2007 following 14 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Shields currently owns and operates 68’s Inside Sports, a fitness and sports facility, in Overland Park, KS.

TODD WORELL - BASEBALL
When Bruce Sutter was lost to free agency in August of 1985, 24-year-old Todd Worrell stepped in as the new Cardinal closer. Worrell, a hard-throwing reliever, saved five games down the stretch, compiling an ERA of 2.91, and then pitched effectively in the postseason against the Dodgers in the NLCS and the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series. Worrell was involved in arguably the most famous play in World Series history - a first base put out (erroneously called "safe") in game six of the 1985 World Series. His 36 saves the following season, netted him the 1986 National League Rookie of the Year Award, as well as the National League Rolaids Relief Man Award. Worrell became the first relief pitcher to save 30 or more games in each of his first three full seasons. Missing both the 1990 and 1991 seasons due to Tommy John surgery on his elbow, Worrell came back in 1992 as a set-up man for veteran Lee Smith. At the end of the season he signed as a free agent with the Dodgers, posting 32, 44, and 35 saves in the final three seasons of his career and making two of his three career All-Star appearances. Todd retired at the end of the 1997 season. Currently Worrell is eighth on the National League (26th on Major League) all times saves list with 256. He ranks number three on the St. Louis Cardinals all time saves list with 129. Worrell’s accolades extend beyond just baseball - an avid hunter and shooter with a deep dedication to family and charities he has devoted much of his life to the support of some great organizations such as the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and Prohunt Charities.

GRANT WISTROM – FOOTBALL
Wistrom began his football career in Webb City, MO, where he played for Webb City High School Cardinals, as a defensive end and tight end. He was chosen as a first-team All America selection by Super Prep, Blue chip and USA Today. Following his All-American performance as a Cardinal, Grant was heavily recruited by University of Nebraska. One of the most feared defenders in school history, Wistrom was the anchor of the Husker defense during one of the most successful eras in college football. During his career, the Huskers compiled a 49-2 record from 1994 to 1997, winning three national titles in that span (1994, 1995 and 1997), becoming only the second program in Division I history to win three national titles in a four-year period. A two-time first-team All-American, Wistrom became Nebraska's fourth Lombardi Award winner as the nation's top lineman following the 1997 season. Wistrom, who holds the school record for tackles for loss with 58.5 for 260 yards and ranks second with 26.5 sacks, had his No. 98 retired during the 1998 season.

A first-round selection (No. 6 overall) by the St. Louis Rams in the 1998 NFL Draft, Wistrom played a reserve role as a rookie before earning a starting position in helping the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2000. He played six seasons in St. Louis from 1998 to 2003, before joining the Seattle Seahawks for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 campaigns. He made his third Super Bowl appearance with the Seahawks before retiring prior to the 2007 season.

ENOS STANLEY “STAN” KROENKE –
A native of Columbia, MO, Kroenke co-founded THF Realty (the name stands for “To Have Fun”) with Michael Staenberg in 1991. As chairman, Stan leads one of the nation's most successful real estate development firms. Its development portfolio includes numerous shopping centers, office buildings and industrial projects nationwide. Kroenke’s endeavors stretch far beyond THF Realty. As a member of the St. Louis' Civic Progress, he was instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis in 1994-95. As co-owner of the Rams, Stan also works with the St. Louis Rams Foundation to better the St. Louis community. His love of sports has energized other communities as well, including Denver where he is owner of NBA's Denver Nuggets and the NHL's Denver Avalanche. Kroenke has continued to grow his sports empire with the purchases of the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth and Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids. Kroenke Sports Enterprise also owns the Pepsi Center in Denver and co-owns Dick’s Sports Goods Park in Commerce City, CO, which was built by his development company. In 2002, he partnered with football legend John Elway and Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen to become co-owner of the Arena Football League’s Colorado Crush. Stan has earned a number of civic honors including 2001 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2001 City Of Clayton Businessperson Of The Year, and the St. Louis Business Journal's "100 Leaders for the Millennium". Stan is also a generous supporter of his alma mater, the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he earned a degree in business and a master’s in business administration.

JOHN MAYBERRY – BASEBALL
A 1967 graduate of Northwestern High School in Detroit, MI, Mayberry played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees from 1968 to 1982. Mayberry was an extraordinarily gifted high school athlete, playing baseball, football, and basketball at Northwestern where he was twice named to the Detroit News All-State Basketball Team. Mayberry was a first-round pick in the 1967 amateur draft and came to the majors as an 18-year-old youngster with the 1968 Houston Astros. A classic slugging first baseman, who batted left-handed, Mayberry, had his best years with the Kansas City Royals. In six seasons with Kansas City from 1972-1977, "Big John" averaged 24 home runs and 94 RBI’s. He earned All-Star honors in both 1973 and 1974 and became the first Royal to hit 30 homers in a season, belting 34 in 1975. In 15 seasons with Major League Baseball, Mayberry compiled a .253 batting average with 255 home runs and 879 RBIs. He had 1,379 career hits in 5,447 at bats. Mayberry was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1996.

AL TROST – SOCCER
A versatile midfielder, Trost was a star at Saint Louis University, one of the most storied soccer programs in the country. He compiled 61 career points (26G, 9A), was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American in 1970 and was a two-time winner of the Hermann Award, emblematic of the nation’s top collegiate player. Trost helped the Billikens claim back-to-back NCAA championship in 1969 and 1970. During those two seasons, the Billikens posted a remarkable 27-0-1 record. During Trost’s playing career at SLU, the Billikens won 37 games, lost one game and suffered only two ties. Trost was also one of the premier American players in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and was the captain of the United States national team in the early 1970s. Trost’s NASL career took him to the St. Louis Stars, then on the California Surf and Seattle Sounders. In his seven years in the league, he scored 38 goals and had 24 assists. Trost played 14 times for the United States in international play and 10 times as an Olympian. Trost, who is the second Billiken enshrined in the National Soccer Hall of Fame (May 2006), is currently the boys’ and girls’ soccer coach at Parkway South High School in St. Louis. He also was the head coach of the St. Louis Steamers professional indoor soccer team. Trost was inducted into the Saint Louis University Billiken Hall of Fame in 1994 and was honored with the SLU Alumni Achievement Award in 1986.

THE TOBIN BROTHERS - FOOTBALL
Natives of Burlington Junction, MO, the Tobin brothers had successful playing careers at both the collegiate and professional levels. Now a personnel consultant and area scout for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, Bill Tobin’s collegiate football career started at the University of Missouri, as he lettered from 1960-62 for teams that had a cumulative record of 26-3-3. A halfback and kicker for the Tigers, Tobin was the MVP of Missouri's 14-10 win over Georgia Tech in the 1962 Bluebonnet Bowl, rushing 11 times for 114 yards. He had a 77-yard touchdown run in that game, which is the longest by any Tiger in a bowl game. Tobin was the Houston Oilers Rookie of the Year in 1963, before joining the Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) for three seasons. He was a graduate assistant coach at MU from 1964-66, where he earned a Master’s in Education. Tobin got his front office pro football start working as Director of Professional Scouting under his college coach, Dan Devine, with the Green Bay Packers in 1971. After four years with the Packers he moved on to the Chicago Bears where he spent 18 seasons, advancing to Vice President of Player Personnel. During Tobin’s stint in Chicago, 19 of the club’s 20 top draft picks were productive, with nine earning Pro Bowl nominations. He enjoyed one Super Bowl Championship with Mike Ditka and “Da Bears”. Tobin joined the Colts in January, 1994, and spent two years as Vice President & Director of Football Operations. Tobin helped rebuild the Colts from a 4-12 squad the year before his arrival (1993) to an 8-8 team in his first year (1994) and then to the team’s first back-to-back playoff appearances the next two seasons. Following his two year stint with the Colt’s, Tobin joined the Detroit Lions in 2001 and spent two years as the Executive Director of Player Personnel. Tobin was elected to the University of Missouri Hall of Fame in 1997.

Also starting his collegiate football career with University of Missouri, Vince Tobin played for the Tigers from 1961-1964 receiving a full scholarship after having a great game against Gale Sayers as a freshman. Following a successful football career at MU, Tobin was asked to serve as a graduate assistant. In 1965, with his help, the Mizzou Tigers went to the Sugar Bowl and beat Steve Spurrier’s Florida team. By 1967 he was full time defensive end coach and took the Tigers to the Gator Bowl in 1968 traveling to the Orange Bowl in 1969. Tobin joined the CFL’s B.C. Lions in 1977 as a defensive coordinator. In 1983, he joined the USFL’S Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars franchise under Jim Mora. He helped the team win three league championship games including consecutive USFL titles in 1984 and 1985. Tobin joined the Chicago Bears in 1986 and established a record that stood until 2000. In Chicago, Tobin’s unit ranked first in 1986 allowing only 258 total yards per game, 94.2 rushing yards per game, and first in 1988 in both points allowed (215) and run defense (82.9). Tobin went 2-0 as interim Bears head coach, while then head coach Mike Ditka recovered from a heart attack. Tobin served as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts’ from 1994-95. During that time the Colts were ranked 7th overall in the NFL. His time in Indianapolis included a 24 game streak where the Colts did not allow a 100 yard rusher. As the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach from 1996-2000 he lead the team to the 1998 NFC playoffs, ending the league’s longest playoff drought. He was able to record the franchise’s first playoff win since 1947 with a 20-7 victory. In 2004 the Green Bay Packers appointed Tobin as a special assistant. With over 35 years of coaching and nearly 25 years in the NFL, Tobin is now retired and living with his wife, Cathy in Goodyear, AZ.

MARVIN D. “DANNY” LAROSE – FOOTBALL
A native of Crystal City, Mo., LaRose lettered three years in three sports; football, basketball, and track while attending Crystal City High School. His senior year, he was instrumental in leading their team to the Missouri State Track Championship. Upon graduation, he received a dual scholarship to the University of Missouri for football and track. One of the greatest two-way talents in Missouri history, LaRose starred from 1958-60, as a dominating end on the defensive line and as MU's leading receiver during his sophomore and senior years. He was chosen “Big 8 Conference Sophomore of the Year” and made the “All Big 8 Football Team.” That same year in a track meet, LaRose broke Al Oerter’s (an Olympian from Kansas) indoor shot put record. He appeared in two bowl games for Missouri. LaRose was a well-rounded athlete – kicking off, punting, and playing both offensive end and defensive line backer. He was also an accomplished weight man in track, holding Missouri's indoor shot put record for many years. After completing his senior year of football, he was a “Consensus All American”, being one of only five in the history of the University of Missouri to receive such an honor. LaRose played in the College All-Star Game and Hula Bowl in 1961, and then went on to a professional career with the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. LaRose was inducted into the University of Missouri Hall of Fame in 1992.

LARRY HOLLEY – BASKETBALL COACH
A Jameson, Mo. native, Holley has been the men's head basketball coach at William Jewell College since the 1979-80 school years. He is among America’s elite and legendary coaches, having won more than 750 games during his career and having received 14 Coach of the Year Awards including the prestigious Sears/NABC NAIA National Coach of the Year Award in 1996. He has also been selected to four Halls of Fame, being named a member of the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the William Jewell College Athletic Hall of Fame. Holley’s coaching background includes one year at Harrisburg, MO High School, six years at Central Methodist University and four years at Northwest Missouri State University (two as the top assistant and two as the head coach). He has guided 11 Jewell squads to HAAC Conference Titles and 11 Cardinal teams to the NAIA National Tournament with four of them reaching the Final Four, and three reaching the Elite Eight. Coach Holley is the career leader in wins among HAAC basketball coaches. He’s had 20, 20-win seasons (13 teams have had 25 or more wins and four have won 30 or more). He is only the 28th NCAA or NAIA coach to reach 700 wins (752 is his total entering the 2008-2009 season.) He ranks #3 among all NAIA coaches (Division I & II – 276 schools) and #10 among active four-year college coaches (NCAA I, II, III & NAIA I & II – 1261 schools). He ranks #1 all-time in career wins among four-year college coaches, coaching only at Missouri colleges/universities.

REBA SIMS – COACH
Although growing up in an era where there was little opportunity for women to play spots, Reba was always thirsty to be a part of a sports team. A 1968 graduate of Colorado State University, Reba participated in volleyball, basketball, softball, field hockey and was a member of the track team her senior year. As a college freshman, she earned a national rating as a volleyball official. She played on a regional field hockey team that participated in the USFHA national tournament in St Louis, MO in 1967. She then attended Oklahoma State University where she earned her master’s degree in 1969. Reba, the first woman to be hired as a coach at Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State College), came to University in 1969 as head coach of the women’s basketball, softball and field hockey teams and, in addition, was a full time instructor in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department (HPER). After coaching field hockey and softball for two years, she continued as the coach for women’s basketball until 1979. Her various teams won several of Missouri Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) state tournaments in each sport. In softball, she coached MSU to a second and third place finish in the College World Series in 1970 and 1971 and was named Coach of the Year in 1970. Reba is a tireless advocate for girls and women in sports, particularly in encouraging women to enter the field of coaching and officiating. She was a founding member for the Women’s Intersport Network of Springfield (WIN), which supports and encourages girls and women in sports in the Springfield area. Reba has served as President of WIN since 2001.

BOB BROWN – BASKETBALL
Brown, a native of Stoutland, Mo., began his coaching career at Richland High School in 1956 where he spent three years and compiled an over-all record of 80-17. The 1956-57 Richland basketball team finished third in the state tournament. Brown spent four years at Bolivar, highlighted by a 30-4 record and state Class M championship in 1960. Following his stint with the Bolivar Liberators, Brown spent two years at Ruskin High School in the Kansas City area, and had a record of 43 wins and 12 losses, winning one conference crown. In 1966, Brown became the head basketball coach for Parkview High School Vikings in Springfield where he stayed for 20 seasons. At Parkview, Coach Brown won his 500th game in 1975. After his 20th year as head coach at Parkview, Coach Brown moved on to the college ranks as an assistant coach at Tulsa University. Later he would coach as an assistant at Western Kentucky University. In 1993, Brown returned to high school coaching in Missouri when he took the helm at Springfield Catholic and served there for a final six years. Over his coaching career he took teams to the state tournaments a dozen times and won numerous conference championships. As a head coach, Brown compiled a record of 581 wins and 216 losses.

STEVE HANCOCK – FOOTBALL
A product of Holden, Missouri, Steve Hancock is a fixture in Missouri High School Football. The head coach of Branson’s Pirates received his undergraduate degree from Central Missouri State in 1972 and his masters from Southwest Missouri State in 1986. Steve began his coaching career in 1972 as the Junior High Football Coordinator for Harrison Public Schools, before joining the varsity staff in 1974. In his three campaigns on the varsity level, Harrisonville went a combined 26-3-1. Hancock then went on to become the head coach of the Stockton High School squad where he posted a 76-26 record, which included seven state playoff appearances during his 11 year tenure. He also served as the Athletic Director at Stockton from 1980-1986. At home in Branson, Missouri since 1986, Coach Hancock’s Pirates have tallied 169 wins against only 81 losses. His Branson teams have made 10 state playoff appearances and have posted state runner-up titles twice. He served as the Athletic Director at Branson from 1987-2005. Throughout Hancock’s professional career he has been a part of several different organizations, including the Southwest Missouri Football Coaches Association, Missouri Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association, Missouri State Football Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Association. Hancock has received numerous awards for his contributions to Missouri football. In 1988 and 1990 Hancock was named Missouri Football Coach of the Year. He received the MIAAA Distinguished Service 20 Year Award in 1997 and the 25 Year Award in 2002, the MIAAA Southwest Activities Director of the Year award in 2001. Hancock was named to the Missouri Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998.

THOMAS A. LOMBARDO – FOOTBALL
A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Tom’s football career started in 1937 playing for Soldan High School in St. Louis, where he was a four-year starter. He was selected for the “All Star City Team” and “All District Team” all four years. He was voted “Most Valuable Player” in his senior year, 1940. From 1937 to 1940 Tom was one of the most feared backs in the St. Louis area. He also starred both on the basketball court and the baseball field, being selected as an “All Public High School Player” in basketball. Tom played one year on the Saint Louis University’s freshman team before moving on to West Point, in 1942 where he played three years and captained the 1944 Army National Champions Football Team. The team outscored their opponents 504 – 35, which included a 59-0 win over Notre Dame. The best team in the history of Army football was led and inspired by St. Louisan Tom Lombardo. After graduation from West Point in 1945, Tom served a brief time at Fort Benning, followed by duty with the Army of Occupation in Japan. In 1946 and 1947 Tom served as an assistant football coach at West Point. He coached the First Cavalry Football Team in 1948 and in 1949 he coached the Second Infantry Division Football Team, which won the sixth Army championship under his leadership. Always leading by example both on and off the field, Tom assumed command of the Company I, 38th Infantry in June of 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. On September 24, 1950, First Lieutenant Tom A. Lombardo was fatally wounded near Ch’ogye, Korea.

TEAMS
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY 50 YEARS OF SOCCER – INCLUDING 10 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS
St. Louis has a long history as one of the major hotbeds of soccer in the United States. In the 1960s, St. Louis soccer began a noted shift toward the college and pro ranks. Saint Louis University added soccer as a varsity sport in 1959, the same year that the NCAA established its first true national championship tournament. Led by Hall of Famer Bob Guelker, Saint Louis University immediately took command of the national tournament, and won national titles in 1959, 60, 62, 63, and 65, becoming the first national dynasty. Hall of Famer, Harry Keough took over the reigns in 1967, and took the team to the final his first year, where the squad played Michigan State to a 0-0 draw and was declared co-champion. Harry won undisputed NCAA titles in 1969, 1970, 1972 and 1973, and reached the finals in 1971 and 1974 in valiant losing efforts. The Saint Louis University men's and women's teams rank nationally in the top 10 and 20 respectively, in attendance and the Saint Louis University Men's Soccer holds the NCAA record with 10 National Championships. Currently the Saint Louis University Men’s Soccer program is led by Dan Donigan, the 2006 and 2007 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year and the reigning NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. He was named as only the fifth head coach in Saint Louis University men's soccer history on Feb. 15, 2001. Dan recently completed his eighth season and has led the Billikens to the NCAA Tournament in six of those years. Donigan, who is 103-35-23 as head coach of the Billikens, has coached five All-Americans, five Academic All-Americans and more than 50 players who have earned All-Conference accolades. Additionally, nine of his players have been drafted by Major League Soccer, including six who are still active in the league. Saint Louis University will celebrate 50 years of soccer in 2009.

1959 PARKVIEW TASTEMARK AMERICAN LEGION JUNIOR BASEBALL TEAM
The 1959 Parkview Tastemark team was Missouri’s first American Legion Junior Baseball championship team from Springfield in 29 years. Led by an aspiring young coach, Dick Birmingham (2002 Hall of Fame member), the Parkview squad became a Cinderella contender for the title in its third year of existence. It went on to defeat the state champions from Iowa and Kansas before falling to an Oklahoma team in the four-state Regional Tournament. Considering the team was made up of virtually the same players that comprised the winless Parkview team earlier that spring, winning a state championship seemed even more unattainable. And the Legion team, the Parkview Tastemarks, lost four straight contests to their cross-town rivals, Central Pepsi, before coming out of the losers’ bracket to eliminate Central with two stunning victories in district play. As with any good team, the Parkview Tastemarks were escape artists – capable of coming from behind against tough odds. They won critical games in district competition and in the first game of the double-elimination state title contest with Jefferson City, trailing both games 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Charlie Wilcox served as coach of the Tastemark team in 1960 after Birmingham had accepted the challenge of coaching a new Post 69 Legion team from Hillcrest High School. A formidable pitching staff working behind its ace, Lynn Lambeth, kept the Tastemark team in virtually every game. Lambeth and hard-throwing right-hander Jerry Edwards signed professional contracts with the Philadelphia Phillies following their Legion careers. Tom Greenwade, the renowned New York Yankees’ scout, signed pitcher Branson Brown to a contract. Greenwade also made offers to the Tastemark team co-captain, Kirby Wilcox, before the clutch-hitting center-fielder accepted an appointment to The United States Military Academy at West Point, putting his baseball career on hold. Nine years later, Captain Charles. K. Wilcox was killed-in-action on the battlefield in Vietnam.

THE 1959 ST. AGNES BASKETBALL TEAM & COACH ROBERT TAYLOR
Recognized as one of the best Missouri High School Coaches with a long and illustrious career of over 40 years, Coach Bob Taylor is a legend in southwest Missouri. Prior to the 1958-59 season, the Conway, Mo. native coached the high school teams at Marshfield, then Conway, leading the latter to a state championship. Coach Taylor took over the reins of Springfield’s St. Agnes high school team finishing the year with 30 wins and only one loss. That special 1959 St. Agnes team won the Missouri High School State Class “M” Championship, The State Class “M” Regional Championship, The Blue and Gold Tournament, The Skyline Conference, The Nixa Invitational Tournament, and finished third in the Tournament of Champions where they incurred their only loss of the year to the Class “L” team, Parkview High School-Springfield. St. Agnes was the first Springfield High School team to win a State Championship. The 1959 team outscored their opponents by an average of more than 15 points per game. In the final game of the state championship, St. Agnes played Maryville, Mo, the 1958 state champion and undefeated at 29-0 going into the championship. Maryville, of course, was the heavy favorite to win the state championship in the Brewer Fieldhouse at the University of Missouri. St. Agnes came out, quickly gained a lead and never relinquished it. (Bill Tobin was on the 1959 Maryville basketball team) With this victory Coach Robert Taylor further sealed his legacy as one of the southwest Missouri’s legendary basketball coaches. Of the 1959 Championship St. Agnes team members, five were Eagle Scouts. Four came from St. Agnes’ famous Troop 10 under Scoutmaster Gene Meyer. Those four were Michael Meek, Michal Keohane, Jim Wyrsch, and Michael Clarke. Vince McCormack was an Eagle Scout in Ozark, Mo.

RAMEY-PRICE CUTTER-SMITTY’S SUPERMARKETS – JOHN Q. HAMMONS FOUNDER AWARD
The John Q. Hammons Founder Award has been awarded to Price Cutter for their participation in giving to children’s charities and their many contributions to Missouri sports. Affiliated with the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper since 1999 and now title sponsor of this local stop of the PGA TOUR tournament, Price Cutter has helped raise more than $5 million for children’s charities in the Ozarks since 1999.

In 1919, John Ramey bought a small grocery store in Springfield, Mo., with his mustering-out pay from the army. It was a small, neighborhood grocery store, which proved to be successful, and eventually he expanded to a total of eight small stores. In 1939, Ramey boldly established the first modern supermarket in this area. It was located in an empty field outside of town. During the war it was difficult to obtain merchandise for all eight stores, so Ramey consolidated all of his stores into this one supermarket and permanently closed the other small stores. This transition marked an important milestone in Ramey history. In 1946, Ramey sold his supermarket to two gentlemen from Kansas City, which opened three more stores in 1954, 1957 and in 1965, all of which were located in Springfield. The stores were sold to a new corporation, the Cohen family through Roswil Inc. in 1967, a Maryland-based company that was taking its first venture into the supermarket industry. Initially under the management of Richard Taylor, the small chain of stores grew beyond southwest Missouri by acquisition and consolidation in rural markets. Taylor transitioned the management of Ramey to his son Erick in 1993. Erick Taylor continued to expand the company through a combination of acquisition and new store development. As part of this process, many Ramey stores were converted to the Price Cutter banner, primarily in the metropolitan Springfield area. In 2002, Price Cutter acquired seven Albertson’s stores in southwest Missouri, which now operate under the banners of Price Cutter Plus and Smitty’s. Inside these stores, customers find full-service Starbucks kiosks, large international aisles, an extensive variety of natural and organic foods and products, and fresh sushi prepared daily. The format is a Price Cutter store “Plus,” hence the name. Because the company started operating with more than two banners, RPCS Inc. (an acronym for Ramey/Price Cutter/Smitty’s) was established in 2004 as the parent company’s name. In 2004 RPCS, Inc became Employee Owned. In 2007, RPCS Inc. acquired nine Albertson’s stores in the Tulsa area, adding yet another name…the Food Pyramid. This concept was new and innovative, with a goal of providing helpful nutritional information in order for consumers to make informed decisions about what they feed their families.

Today, RPCS Inc. operates a total of 45 retail grocery stores – 33 in Missouri under the Ramey, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, and Smitty's banners; one Save-A-Lot store in Siloam Springs, Ark.; and 10 Food Pyramid stores in Tulsa, Bartlesville, Ponca City and Stillwater, OK., and one Discount Foods in Ponca City, OK. The company also offers online grocery shopping in the Springfield, Joplin and Tulsa areas and supports a number of charitable organizations in our communities.

The Hall of Fame will also recognize Special Olympics Missouri Hall of Fame inductees during its ceremony, which will be released at a later date. Also being honored and recognized during the Enshrinement Ceremony are the Sports Achievement Award recipients. The list of Sports Achievement Award winners will be released as a later date. If you know of teams or individuals that have won a National Championship in 2008 please contact Andrea Porter at the Hall of Fame at (417) 889-3100 or email her at andrea@MoSportsHallOfFame.com.