The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will celebrate some of Mid-Missouri’s most successful individuals and teams – including Norm Stewart’s 1994 Elite Eight Mizzou Men’s Basketball Team – at its big fall showcase, the Enshrinement in Columbia.
President & CEO Rob Marsh announced the Class of 2026 during a press conference Wednesday at the Wyndham Executive Center-Columbia Mall (previously the Holiday Inn). The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, October 25 with a noon reception, followed by the 1 PM ceremony.
“We are excited to be back in Mid-Missouri and honoring those who inspired us all. Whether individuals or teams, they each made their mark in the Show-Me State,” Marsh said. “This is going to be a fun time. And we hope businesses and individuals will join us in celebrating their wonderful stories.”
The Class of 2026 features:
- Norm Stewart’s 1994 Elite Eight Mizzou Men’s Basketball Team
- Gregg Nesbitt – Hickman High School & Truman State Football Coach
- Steve Duncan – Jefferson City Athletics
- Rick McGuire – Mizzou Track & Field Coach
- Tracy Gastineau – William Woods University Softball Coach
- Dennis Goettel – Golfer
- Tom Wales – Moberly High School Cross Country Coach
- Roger McPheeters – High School Football & Basketball Referee
- Darrell Davis – Fulton High School Baseball Coach
- Stacy Schroeder – MSHSAA Administrator
- Dick Halterman – Basketball Coach
- Peak Sport & Spine
- Pete Grathwohl – Hickman High School & Truman State Football Player
- Wheeling High School Girls Basketball 1970s Era
- Bruce Whitesides – Columbia Public Schools Athletic Director
- Brad Jenks – Columbia College Soccer Player
- Monroe City High School Boys Track & Field Program
- Dean Berry – Youth Sports
- Marceline High School Football Era 1979-1991
- Ken Kujawa – Sports Broadcaster
An individual ticket is $150, and tables of 10 are also available. A table sponsorship includes recognition at the table and in the printed program. Numerous sponsorship are available, including congratulatory ads, inductee videos and digital ads on the video screens. Please call 417-889-3100. The ticket includes the meal, printed program and a link to the video of the ceremony.
Coach Norm Stewart’s 1994 Mizzou Elite Eight Team
Coached by Norm Stewart (MSHOF Legend 2012), the 1994 Missouri men’s basketball team was only the second and last Tigers team to reach the Elite Eight. They won the Big Eight Conference regular-season title by sweeping through the league schedule. Though upset by Nebraska in the Big Eight Tournament semifinals, the Tigers received a No. 1 seed in the West region of the NCAA Tournament. After reaching the Elite Eight, Arizona defeated the Tigers 92–72 in the regional final, as the Tigers fell one game short of the Final Four. Missouri finished with an overall record of 28–4 (14–0 Big Eight). Team members were Melvin Booker, Jevon Crudup, Jason Sutherland, Derek Grimm, Paul O’Liney, Julian Winfield, Mark Atkins, Derek Dunham, Marlo Finner, Lamont Frazier, Jed Frost, Chris Heller, Derrick Johnson, Reggie Smith, Kelly Thames and Chip Walther. Assistant coaches were Kim Anderson, Rich Daly and Lee Winfield. The unforgettable season included an epic three-overtime Braggin’ Rights win, a 15-game winning streak, a season-sweep of the Kansas Jayhawks and the Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament. In the NCAAs, the Tigers beat Navy 76-53, Wisconsin 109-96 and Syracuse 98-88 in overtime to reach the Elite Eight.
Gregg Nesbitt – Hickman High School & Truman State Football Coach
A football coach, Nesbitt led Columbia’s Hickman High School from 1993 to 2006, when his teams were 95-44 with 11 winning seasons. They reached the Class 6 playoffs six times and won the 2004 state championship, beating Hazelwood East 34-7 and finishing 11-1. In 10 of his 13 seasons there, the Kewpies were ranked in the Top 10, with 95 players earning college scholarships and 42 named to All-State teams. After the 2004 season, he was the Associated Press Missouri Coach of the Year, the National Federation of High School Sports Regional Coach of the Year and a nominee for the NFHS National Coach of the Year award. He then spent three seasons as an assistant at the University of Central Missouri, and coached Truman State – his alma mater – from 2010 to 2023. In 14 seasons, the Bulldogs were 89-59, including 52-23 in 11 seasons after relocating to the NCAA Division II’s Great Lakes Valley Conference. The 2016 team claimed a share of the GLVC title – the first league title for Truman State since 1988. A graduate of Hannibal High School and Truman State, he coached both of his alma maters, including from 1984 to 1989 at Hannibal when he was also the athletic director. He recently coached at Kirksville High School.
Steve Duncan – Sports Administration
Duncan’s reach across the Jefferson City sports landscape certainly draws attention. He has served on the Jefferson City Holiday Basketball Tournament committee the past 33 years and was an original charter member. In fact, the former banker has been the chair for 30 years of a committee that counts 25 community members, coaches and administrators who meet monthly. He even supervises a number of subcommittees, as the tournament draws four local teams against four out-of-state teams. Duncan also delivers books to local children for home reading after the Holiday Hoops kids clinic. Additionally, he has been a commentator on KWOS Football Friday Nights for much of the past decade. Duncan also serves on the Jefferson City Athletic Events Committee since its inception in 1998, serving as treasurer. He also was on the Convention & Visitors Bureau for nine years, primarily as a volunteer during the annual MSHSAA State Track & Field Championships. Duncan also as served on the Jefferson City Parks Foundation since 2007, and on the Parks Commission for nine years, including as president from 2008 to 2011. He is a graduate of Chamois High School and the University of Central Missouri, and retired from Central Bank/Central Trust in 2016 after a 43-year career there.
Dr. Rick McGuire – Mizzou Track & Field Coach
McGuire retired in July 2010 after 27 years leading the program. He led Missouri athletes to 141 All-America honors, 110 individual conference championships, seven NCAA individual or relay titles and eight NCAA Regional championships. He has coached 46 Olympic Trials qualifiers and 27 USA National Team berths. Four of his athletes reached the Olympic Games. Two of these won silver medals — Natasha Kaiser-Brown in 1992 in Barcelona, and Christian Cantwell in 2008 in Beijing. A hallmark of McGuire’s program was his emphasis on academic achievement. His teams have had a long-standing presence on the All-Academic List of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The women’s team has earned a spot on the list for 46 consecutive seasons, and the men are at 22 consecutive seasons. McGuire is a leader in the world of track and field. He was a member of the United States Olympic Team staff for the 1992 games in Barcelona and the 1996 games in Atlanta, and he served as president of the NCAA Division I Track and Field Coaches Association. In 1985, McGuire founded MU’s nationally prominent sport psychology program. He taught in the program well after retirement.
Tracy Gastineau – William Woods University Softball Coach
Gastineau will begin her 29th season as the William Woods University softball coach next spring, and what a run it’s been. Her teams have compiled an 867-613 record, the most in school history. It’s also the seventh-most by any active softball coach in the NAIA and the ninth-most by any softball coach in the NAIA. Her teams have advanced to 15 NAIA Tournaments, along with four AMC regular-season championships. Since 1998, they have had 23 NAIA and NFCA All-Americans and numerous All-Region selections. In AMC awards, Gastineau has coached 147 all-conference players, five Players of the Year, four Pitchers of the Year, five Newcomers of the Year and four AMC Freshman of the Year. Coach Gastineau is a five-time AMC coach of the year, and her teams have earned several AMC Team of Character awards. She also is a 1993 graduate of William Woods, where she was a two-sport athlete (softball, basketball). That came after a heralded career at New Bloomfield High School, where she was twice All-State in basketball and All-District and all-conference in hoops and softball. The 1986 and 1988 basketball teams won Class 1 state titles, with Gastineau’s teams suffering only five losses in her four seasons.
Dennis Goettel – Golfer
Sometimes the sports gods seem to place folks in a sport knowing their passion will foster its growth. Born and raised in Carthage, Goettel (pronounced Gott-el) qualified for the 1976 U.S. Amateur and, in 1977, won the Phil Cotton Invitational, the Missouri Amateur and qualified again for the U.S. Amateur. He turned professional in 1978, becoming one of the best players in the Gateway PGA Section. That year, he won the Gateway PGA Section Championship. He followed by winning the 1979 Gateway PGA Match Play Championship and then qualified for the 1980 U.S. Open. He also is a two-time winner of the Gateway PGA Team Championship. While his playing resume is certainly impressive, Goettel is best known for his skills as an instructor, with 40 years of teaching experience, helping countless golfers improve their games and learn how to better enjoy the game. In 2006, he was the Gateway PGA Teacher of the Year and the 2007 Gateway PGA Junior Golf Leader. He has since been inducted into the Joplin Golf Foundation, Columbia Golf Foundation and the Missouri Golf Association halls of fame.
Tom Wales – Moberly High School Cross Country and Track & Field Coach
One of the staples in cross country and track & field was Wales, who coached both sports at Moberly High School from 1982 to 2002. He added one more season of cross country in 2003. Overall in cross country, his 1996 boys and 1997 girls won Class 3 state championships. Overall, his boys had three other Top 10 finishes – 10th in 1989, fifth in 1992, third in 1993 and fourth in 1994. His girls teams finished in the top 10 five other times – seventh in 1987, sixth in 1988, ninth in 1996, fourth in 1998, seventh in 1999, state runner-up in 2000, 2001 and 2003. His boys also won six district titles, while the girls won six. His teams also earned six conference championships, five by the girls.
Roger McPheeters – High School Football & Basketball Referee
McPheeters’ work as a Missouri high school football and basketball referee has stood the test of time. For 46 years, he has worked north of 500 football games – including 60 in the postseason, three of them state championship games. He also was the MSHSAA State Football Referee of the Year in 2013 and 2022. Along the way, he was president of the Jefferson City Football Officials for 13 years. Additionally, McPheeters has worked more than 1,000 basketball games. That included numerous postseason games, the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic, and the 2017 Final Four. He was named Basketball Referee of the Year in 2017 and has served as the Jefferson City Basketball Officials Association Assignor since 2022. He was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2024. High school sports have long been near and dear to his heart, as McPheeters played football, basketball and ran track for Braymer High School, a farming community southwest of Chillicothe. He went on to be a longtime electrician for Ameren after graduating from the University of Missouri.
Darrell Davis – Fulton High School Baseball Coach
A Fulton native, Darrell Davis dedicated 32 years to the Fulton Public School system, leaving a mark as a coach and athletic director. He played American Legion baseball in Fulton before high school baseball was offered in 1975, and then continued playing at Crowder College and William Jewell College. Davis returned home in 1978 to begin his career in education. As head baseball coach for 31 seasons, he compiled 365 wins, highlighted by the 1990 Class 3 state championship. His teams earned five district titles and made two other Final Four appearances (1995, 2009). Davis was named MHSBCA Coach of the Year in 1995, entered the MHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2011 and had Fulton’s baseball field named in his honor in 2019. Davis also coached basketball from 1988 to 2010, winning 298 games and earning MBCA Coach of the Year honors after leading the 1996 team to a third-place finish. He served as Fulton’s athletic director from 1995 to 2010, earning Northeast District AD of the Year in 2002. Following his retirement from education, Davis continued his love for baseball as a Busch Stadium usher for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Stacy Schroeder – MSHSAA Athletic Administration
In a 31-year tenure with MSHSAA, Schroeder administered the sports of tennis, volleyball, scholar bowl, and swimming and diving. She assisted three MSHSAA executive directors with eligibility interpretations, transfer rulings, the annual questionnaire, annual ballot and the official handbook. Schroeder also served as the director of personnel and liaison to the appeals committee. She wrote the book, MSHSAA’s First Century-1926 to 2026, for the association’s Centennial celebration during the 2025-2026 school year and retired from MSHSAA in July of 2025 as the association’s Senior Associate Executive Director. It was fitting that she worked for MSHAA, considering she is a product of MSHSAA. Schroeder competed in volleyball, basketball and track & field for Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, and won the Class 4 Girls state high jump championship in 1987. At what’s now Truman State, she was a four-time national qualifier and two-time All-American in the high jump. After completing her master’s degree and serving an internship in the championships department at the NCAA, Schroeder was hired as an Assistant Executive Director on the MSHSAA staff in 1994.
Dick Halterman – Basketball Coach
Halterman graduated from Northeast-Cairo High School in the late 1960s and went on to become a successful basketball coach. Most notably, he led girls teams at Wheeling High School from 1974 to 1978, Moberly Area Community College from 1978 to 1983 and Oklahoma State from 1983 to 2002. Overall, his teams earned 656 wins. At Wheeling, the 1975 team won the Class 1 state championship, and the 1977 team placed third. The 1978 team also made the state tournament, with Halterman finishing 110-11 there. At Moberly, his teams were 144-21, winning the 1982 NJCAA national championship a year after finishing as the national runner-up. At Oklahoma State, he was 350-244 with seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 1991 Sweet Sixteen. His teams also made the NIT twice and won the 1990 and 1991 Big 8 Conference Tournament, and the 1991 regular season. He later coached four seasons at Cameron University in Oklahoma and was the University of Missouri-St. Louis assistant golf coach from 2015-2024. All this came after he graduated from Northeast-Cairo as a 1,000-point scorer.
Peak Sport & Spine – Sports Medicine
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame not only recognizes excellence across all sports but has long celebrated those who work behind the scenes to make athletic success possible. Few areas are more important to the health, safety and performance of athletes than sports medicine, and Peak Sport & Spine has established itself as a leader in providing sports medicine services throughout Missouri. Its story began in the early 1990s when Phillip Smith, founder of Peak Sport & Spine, and Mark Dempsey, Todd Ankenman and Shaon Fry, founders of Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, established their respective mid-Missouri practices. Their vision centered on providing patient-focused, high-quality rehabilitation and sports medicine, and the two merged in 2014. Peak Sport & Spine has grown into Missouri’s largest locally owned physical therapy and sports medicine organization, with 45 offices throughout the state. Overall, it employs 35 certified athletic trainers who provide athletic training and sports medicine services to 22 schools, along with countless other sports medicine programs, athletic organizations and sports leagues throughout Missouri. Peak’s sports medicine team works alongside coaches, administrators, physicians, physical therapists, families and athletes to create a comprehensive network of care. From Friday night football fields and high school gyms to clinics and community sporting events, its sports medicine professionals are there when athletes need them most. Additionally, Peak’s sports medicine team works alongside coaches, administrators, physicians, physical therapists, families and athletes to create a comprehensive network of care.
Pete Grathwohl – Football Player
Grathwohl is being inducted posthumously, having passed away in 2023. A 1975 graduate of Columbia’s Hickman High School, he helped the 1974 team win Class 4 state championship. He then made an even greater impact at Truman State University. Moving to defensive end and later linebacker, Grathwohl went on to make 111 solo tackles, 129 assists, 22 sacks, nine fumble recoveries and three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He also was a four-time all-conference selection when it was the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association, including first team accolades his final three years. In fact, he earned first team his senior year despite missing significant time due to an injury. As a sophomore, he helped the team to a share of the 1976 MIAA championship. During his junior, Grathwohl enjoyed the finest game of his career, a four-sack performance against the University of Central Missouri. That year, he made 37 solo stops and 28 assists. He also dropped the quarterback seven times and made two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Grathwohl’s teammates honored him prior to his senior season by voting him a team captain.
Wheeling High School Girls Basketball 1970s Era
Just west of Chillicothe sits the farming community of Wheeling. There’s no high school anymore, as it was consolidating with neighboring communities. But it was far more than a dot on the map. In the 1970s, Wheeling High School Girls Basketball was among the best in the state. From 1973 to 1979, Wheeling reached five Final Fours after MSHAA began a postseason tournament for girls basketball. The 1975 team won it all in Class 1. The 1973 team placed third, the 1974 team was the state runner-up, and the 1977 and 1979 teams earned third-place trophies. Basketball had been a big deal in Wheeling even in the 1960s, providing the momentum for what came to be. The 1973 team finished 31-1, with its semifinal loss to South Shelby ending a 35-game win streak. Wheeling nearly pulled off the state title in 1974, falling only 42-40 to South Shelby in the finals. However, they tasted sweet victory in 1975, beating Northeast Nodaway 55-46 in overtime and finishing 32-0. That team was coached by Dick Halterman, who later went on to lead Moberly Area Community College’s women’s basketball team to the 1982 NJCAA national title and later coached at Oklahoma State. The early 70s teams were coached by Ken Walker.
Bruce Whitesides – Athletic Administration
Whitesides served as the District Athletic Director for Columbia Public Schools for 20 years, from 2000 to 2020. He was instrumental in upgrading facilities for the district, including turf fields, all-weather tracks, auxiliary gyms and more. He also helped open Battle High School and establish its athletic programs and facilities. Whitesides also began a comprehensive district-wide sports marketing program that centralized community sponsorships to ensure equitable benefits for all athletic programs across the district. Benefits of the sports marketing program helps supplement team budgets and reduces the need for teams to engage in fundraising. In his time as AD, Columbia’s three high schools saw teams combined for 111 top four finishes, including 39 state championships. He saw to it that on-site athletic directors made hiring decisions on coaches. A Hickman High School graduate, Whitesides initially was a high school coach in Hallsville and then worked as an insurance adjuster before being hired as the Columbia AD. Additionally, he has been a college football official for more than 30 years.
Brad Jenks – Columbia College Soccer
Jenks established himself as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Columbia College history during his four-year soccer career from 1996 to 1999. Most notably, he earned NAIA All-American honors in each of his four seasons, becoming the first athlete in Columbia College history to receive the distinction four times. During his career, he helped lead the Cougars to a 64-26 (.711) record, including a historic first 20-win season in his senior year. Jenks ended his career ranked first in school history with 89 career games played. A three-time First Team All-Conference selection, Jenks was named Conference Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons. He also was selected First Team All-Region all four years and was named Region Player of the Year as a senior. Off the field, Jenks earned NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors twice, maintaining a 3.6 grade-point average during his junior and senior years. In May 2000, Jenks earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College. Today, he is a partner in medical device distributorships serving the Columbia and Bolivar communities.
Monroe City High School Boys Track & Field Program
One of the top high school boys track & field programs in the Show-Me State can be found in the northeast Missouri community of Monroe City. The Monroe City Panthers are being recognized on the strength of their 17 top four finishes at the Class 2 state meet. Those are part of 27 seasons in which they finished in the Top 10. Among them are seven state championships, which cover the years 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1999 and 2019. Charley Welker coached the first two state title teams, while David Hedrick coached those early 1980s state champs. Dale Labruary (MSHOF 2023) coached the 1999 team, and David Kirby coached the 2019 team. The Panthers were state runners-up in 1973, 2005, 2015 and 2017. They placed third in 1977 and fourth in 1979, 1990, 1994 and 2018. Just as impressive, Monroe City has the distinction of the longest consecutive scoring streak in any classification at the state meet, from 1969 to 2022. Along the way, they won 72 individual state medals and placed 57 times in relay events, resulting in 228 medals, according to MSHSAA records. Additionally, they won 22 conference championships and 24 district titles.
Dean Berry – Youth Sports
In the late 1980s and early 1990s in the Columbia area, the only way for youths to play competitive basketball was through leagues and school teams. Berry, the owner of Hager Radiator Shop, soon founded the Columbia Youth Basketball Association in 1992 for kids to play in a recreational environment. With help from his wife, Lori, as well as Columbia College’s Bob Burchard (MSHOF 2013), Ann Forgy and Lynn Allen, what started 40 fourth-graders in a rented church gym exploded into mid-Missouri’s premier recreational basketball league. He created a scholarship program that helped families facing financial struggles and now look. The league has more than 1,000 players annually, with 100 teams and partnerships secured through Columbia Public Schools, the Columbia Parks and Recreation and the Daydreams Foundation. Games are held all across the city, in high school, college and church gyms while Berry’s dream of a permanent facility continues. Best of all, the league continues, as Berry stepped aside in 2025 after 33 years leading an youth sports organization that has helped feed high school varsity teams and, more importantly, give kids confidence for later in life.
Marceline High School Football Era 1979-1991
In north central Missouri, in a town that straddles Chariton and Linn counties, high school football was a box-office draw – especially from 1979 to 1991. The Marceline High School football team reached at least the state semifinals eight times in that stretch. Along the way, it won the Class 1 state championship in 1986. It also was a state runner-up in 1979 in Class 2 and again in 1989 in Class 1. Its teams in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1991 all advanced to the state semifinals. Bill Dennis coached the 1986 team, which beat Greenwood 20-0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and finished 13-0. In the era, Marceline filled nearly 40 slots on All-State teams. Overall, the teams were a combined 128-25 and scored 3,595 points, with Bruce Young coaching from 1979 to 1982 and then Dennis coached from 1984 to 1987 before Shane Cavanah led the program. The 1979, 1985, 1989 and 1991 teams all won 12 games. The 1984 and 1987 teams were 11-game winners.
Ken Kujawa – Sports Radio
Kujawa (pronounced Kwee-aw-vuh) is the director of the Viking Sports Network and an adjunct faculty member in the mass communication department at Missouri Valley College. Kujawa is the “Voice of the Vikings”, broadcasting many of the home and road athletic events. He teaches mass communication courses such as radio production, sports reporting and media law. Prior to coming to Valley in 2008, Kujawa worked for commercial radio stations in South Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri for 40 years, the last 30 of those years with the Shepherd Group of radio stations based in Moberly, Missouri. During that time he was the play-by-play voice for the Moberly Area Community College Greyhounds and, in , was elected to the MACC Athletic Hall of Fame.
