Former Saint Louis Billiken basketball star Anthony Bonner and homegrown soccer player Taylor Twellman are headlining the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s Enshrinement in St. Louis presented by Great Southern Bank.
CEO & Executive Director Byron Shive on Friday announced the ceremony, set for 1 PM on Sunday, Nov. 24 at Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis. Additionally, the Hall of Fame will support two charities in STL Youth Sports Outreach and Special Olympics Missouri.
The Class of 2024 is as follows:
- Earl Austin, Jr. – Sportswriter
- Anthony Bonner – Basketball star at Vashon High School, Saint Louis University & the NBA
- Vince Drake – St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy & Trinity Catholic High School soccer coach
- Lori Flanagan – University of Missouri-St. Louis athletic director
- Rick Gorzynski – Hazelwood East High School football coach
- Jim Jackson – St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster
- Dave Lange – Soccer Media
- Lavar Miller—Berkeley High School and University of Arkansas track & field standout
- Thad Strobach — Visitation Academy & Kirkwood High School basketball coach
- Taylor Twellman – St. Louis soccer star
- Mary Helen Walker – Basketball standout
- Bryant Wright – Festus High School cross country and track & field coach
- Larry Ziegler – St. Louis golfer
- 1970 Hermann High School Boys Basketball Undefeated State Championship Team
- 1977-1979 St. Louis Hummers Softball Era
- 1990-2000 John Burroughs School Golf Era
- Lindenwood University Shotgun Sports Program
Additionally, the Hall of Fame will recognize Filbert Five Awards, a group of former All-State high school players from Missouri, as well as college and pro players who made positive contributions in the game and beyond. The awards are named in honor of Gary Filbert (MSHOF Legend 2011), who was a successful basketball coach before assisting legendary Missouri Tigers coach Norm Stewart and then founding the Show-Me State Games.
This year’s Filbert Five women’s team consists of Mikala McGhee Bass (Pattonville High School/Missouri State University/Florida Gulf Coast University), Jaime Bonney (Jefferson City HS/Lindenwood University), Angie Carr (Parkview HS/Webster University), Heather Toma Kochner (Hillsboro HS/Maryville University), and Amy Argetsinger Newman (John Burroughs HS/DePauw University).
The Filbert Five men’s team consists of Brian Fogerty (Winfield HS/Fontbonne University), Jonathan Griffin (Normandy HS/Missouri-St. Louis), Tim Holloway (McCluer HS/Missouri Science & Technology), Austin Kirby (Parkway Central HS/Truman State University), and Joe Wiley (Belleville West HS/Saint Louis University).
An individual ticket is $150, and the Hall of Fame offers sponsorship tables of 10 – which include recognition at the table and in the printed program. Numerous sponsorships are available, including associate sponsorships and congratulatory ads. Call (417) 889-3100.
Earl Austin, Jr. – Sportswriter
One of the most respected and plugged-in journalists in the Show-Me State is Austin, who has been the sports editor of the St. Louis American newspaper since 1995. He began working for the Suburban Journals in 1986 and also put in time with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and St. Charles Journal for eight years before joining the American. Austin is a walking history book when it comes to St. Louis-area high school sports, especially basketball. Additionally, he has been on the broadcasts for the Saint Louis Billkens men’s basketball team for more than 30 years and appears regularly on sports talk and local television. Austin has published four books, including an 80-page tabloid about his first 20 years covering high school basketball, as well as “the PHL in the STL,” which focused on the history of basketball in the St. Louis Public High League. He also has published two books on sports parenting. All this for a 1982 graduate of McCluer North High school, where he was a two-year letterman on the basketball team. He later played at Lindenwood University, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder before graduating in 1986.
Anthony Bonner – Basketball Player
Bonner starred at Vashon High School, where he led the Wolverines to two Class 4 state championships (1985, 1986) and was named Mr. Show-Me Basketball as a senior. Heavily recruited by major college basketball programs across the country, Bonner chose to stay home and starred for the Saint Louis Billikens. He still holds SLU career records in scoring (1,972 points), rebounds (1,424) and minutes played (4,536) – and single-game points (45). He also is tied with four others for second-most games started (130) and the second-most steals (192). Along the way, Bonner helped the Billikens finish as the runner-up in the 1989 and 1990 National Invitational Tournaments. He then went on to the National Basketball Association. A first-round draft pick of the Sacramento Kings in 1991, he played in the NBA until 1996, having spent three seasons with Sacramento, followed two by with the New York Knicks and one with the Orlando Magic. The 1994 Knicks won the Atlantic Division and reached the NBA Finals, won by the Houston Rockets in seven games. He helped the 1995 Knicks reach the Eastern Conference finals.
Vince Drake – Soccer Coach
A 1964 graduate of Mercy High School in St. Louis, Drake played on two national championship soccer teams at Saint Louis University. He coached at St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Louis, and then Aquinas-Mercy before finishing at Trinity Catholic High School, which absorbed Aquinas-Mercy and Rosary high schools in 2003. His teams earned a record of 1086-340-161, making him the winningest high school coach in U.S. history until Dave Robben of Oakville surpassed that total in the 2010s. Drake’s teams won 12 state championships, 11 by his boys teams. The boys titles cover the years 1975, 1977 (co-champs), 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. The Aquinas-Mercy girls won it in 1987. His 1978 team was a state runner-up, and his 1981 and 1982 teams placed third. At Trinity Catholic, he had four boys teams as state runner-up (2003, 2005, 2008, 2011), and the 2009 and 2010 girls teams earned that distinction. His 2015 girls placed third in his final game. Among his players were Mike Sorber, the Most Valuable Player of the 1994 U.S. World Cup team, Perry Van der Beck, and three Gatorade Players of the Year in Kevin Hundelt, Kevin Kalish and Mark Filla.
Lori Flanagan – University of Missouri-St. Louis Athletic Director
Flanagan served as athletic director for the University Missouri-St. Louis for 18 years before retiring in 2024. She initially arrived on campus in August 2006 as the associate director of athletics, overseeing the department’s day-to-day operations and serving as the chief financial officer. She then served as interim athletic director in August 2008 before earning the full-time title the following March. Overall, she has overseen a department with 290 student-athletes in 19 sports. Under her leadership, the Tritons have thrived in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference. They have won nine conference championships, three D-II regional championships, saw the men’s basketball team reach the Elite Eight, the women’s volleyball team advance to two Final Fours and celebrated Joel Sylven’s golf national title. Multiple coaches have enjoyed tenures of more than 10 years, and UMSL has hosted the 2023 D-II women’s golf national championship, as well as regionals and super regionals in volleyball and softball. Flanagan added men’s and women’s cross country and track & field in 2019, five years after restoring men’s and women’s swimming. Previously, she worked 14 years for Saint Louis University, holding roles as assistant director of athletics, senior woman administrator and senior associate director of athletics for administration. Flanagan is a graduate of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and holds a master’s in Sport Administration from Minnesota State University-Mankato.
Rick Gorzynski – Football Coach
A former Truman State University standout, Gorzynski became a successful high school football coach in St. Louis. He started at Hazelwood Central as an offensive coordinator, and helped the 1972 team win a state title. As a head coach, he spent 27 years (1974-2001) at Hazelwood East, with his teams earning a 230-57-1 record. His 1979 team was 10-0 but didn’t qualify for the state tournament because of MSHAA’s point system. His 1989 and 1995 won state championships in Class 5, the highest level in Missouri prep sports. The 1989 team beat Rockhurst 28-14 and finished 14-0. The 1995 team beat Blue Springs South 42-3 and also finished 14-0. Along the way, Gorzynski earned The Sporting News Coach of the Year, Missouri Athletic Directors Distinguished Service Award and the National Football Foundation’s Jimmy Conzelman Award. His teams won 12 Suburban North championships and 12 district titles, and 100 players went on to college, with 19 signing National Football League contracts. He later coached Lindenwood University before becoming the school’s athletic academic coordinator. A graduate of Notre Dame High School in Chicago, he transferred to Truman State from the University of Illinois and played from 1965-1967 in Kirksville. A quarterback, he led the Bulldogs to the MIAA title as a sophomore and earned All-MIAA honors. He threw for nearly 3,000 yards, including 1,399 as a sophomore.
Jim Jackson – St. Louis Cardinals Broadcasts
Known as the man who “turns the knobs and pulls the levers” for St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcasts, Jackson has served as the chief engineer and production coordinator for Cardinals radio since 1998. A 1968 graduate of Mehlville High School in St. Louis, he has been part of three World Series with the radio broadcast team – 2006, 2011 and 2013. A St. Louis native, he has served in the same capacity for the St. Louis Blues, St Louis Rams, Saint Louis University Billikens and the St. Louis Steamers. He also has worked for the Anheuser-Busch Bud Sports Productions group. His work has helped to make stars of radio broadcasters Jack Buck, Mike Shannon, John Rooney, Ricky Horton and Mike Claiborne – who all are Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductees. Jackson handles all technical and engineering tasks prior to broadcast. He also records and edits all pre-game interviews and program segments, directs all production elements of game broadcasts, mixes and records entire game broadcasts for archiving and highlights and records and edits postgame interviews as required. Jackson graduated from North Carolina State University and, before St. Louis, he worked in St. Petersburg and Tampa in Florida, as well as in Raleigh, N.C. In St. Louis, Jackson worked for KWK/KGLD, KEZK/KFNS and WILL.
David Lange – Soccer Media
Lange has covered soccer since the 1970s. His stories have appeared in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Soccer America magazine, The Sporting News and MLSsoccer.com. He wrote or co-authored “Soccer Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America’s First Soccer Capital,” “Year One: St. Louis CITY SC,” “Practice Makes Perfect: A Guide to Fun Training Sessions for 6-10 Year Olds,” “Cherishing Childhood, The First 100 Years of Community School,” “Webster University: A Century of Defining Moments,” and “Taming Troubled Waters: Dr. Henry Givens Jr. and the Transformation of Harris-Stowe State University,” all from Reedy Press. He contributed a chapter to “Soccer Frontiers: The Global Game in the United States, 1963-1913.” Lange coached for 12 years at Busch Soccer Club/St. Louis Soccer Club. He holds a USSF National D coaching license and a coaching certificate from the Royal Dutch Football Association. He retired from Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., where he produced the annual report, managed employee communications, and started Cardinals Magazine, a monthly publication for the St. Louis Cardinals. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in communications as Senior Lecturer at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Adjunct Full Professor at Webster University.
Lavar Miller – Track & Field
Miller excelled in basketball and track & field at Berkeley High School from 1993 to 1996. In track & field, he helped the men’s team win four consecutive state championship, and he earned All-American honors as a junior and senior. He ranked as the No. 1 combination jumper those two seasons, excelling in the high jump, triple jump and long jump. Miller won eight state championships (three in both the high jump and triple jump, two in the long jump) and also won two silvers in 1994 and two golds in 1995 in the Junior Olympics. In basketball, he led Berkeley to three state quarterfinals berths and was the Player of the Year for the Suburban East Conference as he led Berkeley in scoring. He was the St. Louis American’s Athlete of the Year in 1996. He then helped Barton County (Kan.) Community College win the 1998 national title. At the University of Arkansas, he contributed to three NCAA Division I national titles. He earned All-American and Southeastern Conference honors in both the high jump and triple jump. In 2000, he qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in both events. Today, he is a business leader and entrepreneur.
Thad Strobach – Basketball Coach
Strobach was a longtime high school girls basketball coach in St. Louis, where his teams earned 565 wins from the mid-1970s and into the early 1990s. Of that total, 485 came while he was at Visitation Academy, where his teams won five state championships – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987 – and were state runners-up in 1982, 1983, 1989 and 1991. His 1990 team placed third. Strobach’s teams had a 43-game win streak at one point and won 15 district titles, 12 league championships and 28 preseason and regular-season tournaments. Strobach began his career by serving as a manager of the Saint Louis University High School basketball team’s 1958 run to a state title. He later graduated from Saint Louis University in 1963, and then was the assistant coach at Priory before starting the women’s basketball program at SLU – with those teams compiling a 43-11 record. Additionally, Strobach organized and directed basketball camps and clinics for more than 25 years, and served on the MSHSAA Basketball Advisory Committee for seven years.
Taylor Twellman — Soccer
A four-sport athlete, Twellman starred in soccer at Saint Louis University High School in the mid- to-late 1990s, scoring 115 goals – including 47 in one season – and was a two-time Parade and NSCAA All-American. He followed with two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins, finishing his career 10th in career goals (28), tied for sixth in career assists (17) and tied for seventh in career points (73). He also was the 1998 Freshman of the Year by Soccer America and College Weekly, and a two-time Second Team All-American by College Soccer Weekly. After college, he played two seasons in Germany before spending 11 seasons with the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. Twellman became the youngest player ever – and fastest player ever – to score 100 goals in MLS in a career that saw him help the Revolution play in four MLS Cups. The 2005 Most Valuable Player of MLS, he has been a longtime TV analyst on soccer broadcasts for MLS Season Pass, ABC and ESPN – roles in which he has covered the MLS, three FIFA World Cups, U.S. national team matches and three UEFA European Football Championships. He was the lead analyst on 10 MLS Cups, 12 U.S. Open Cup finals, five FA Cup finals, three Euros and the 2014 World Cup.
Mary Helen Walker – Basketball
Walker was a four-time All-State selection from 1984 to 1987 at St. Louis’ Visitation Academy, earning All-American honors as a senior. She was part of two Class 3 state championships and was a 2,000-point scorer. At the College of Holy Cross, located in Massachusetts, her play not only elevated the program but landed her ultimately in the Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame. Walker led the Crusaders to an overall record of 87-34 in her four seasons, and she finished with 1,217 points, 504 rebounds, 340 assists and 208 steals. At the time of her graduation, she held the all-time program record for steals, while ranking fourth in assists and fifth in scoring. At the end of her senior year, she was named the Patriot League Player of the Year and the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, in addition to earning All-Patriot League and All-ECAC honors. The team was 25-6 her senior year, in which Walker scored 26 points in an 81-74 victory against Maryland in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round. After playing professionally for two years in St. Louis, Walker was a coach from 1991 to 2012, including 20 years at the Division I level. Among her time was leading a turnaround for the Loyola (Ill.) University women’s basketball program from 1999-2005. She has worked for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston since 2012.
Bryant Wright – Cross Country and Track & Field Coach
Wright is a retired teacher and in his 23rd year as head coach in cross country – and 19th as an assistant track coach – at Festus High School. He has coached 15 district championship teams and 27 state qualifying teams. His Festus cross country teams have won 13 state titles, including 11 by the boys. Those years cover 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023. They had state runner-up finishes in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2022. The girls won it all in 2014 and 2017. A total of 85 Festus runners have earned All-State honors (60 boys and 25 girls), with 21 teams finishing among the top four. That includes five individual state champions. In track, he coached more than 90 All-State boys and 25 All-State girls. Those numbers include 16 state champions. He also has coached Nike All American Jamie Kempfer. Wright has been honored as a Coach of the Year by U.S. Track & Field twice, the Missouri Track and Cross Country Association (15 times) and MSHSAA three times. He was inducted in the MTCCCA in 2019.
Larry Ziegler – Golf
A St. Louis native and one of the forgotten stylish golfers of yesteryear, Ziegler began his golfing journey as a caddie before he transitioned into playing. He turned professional in 1959 and earned more than 40 Top 10 finishes in the PGA TOUR. His career included winning three tournaments – the 1969 Michigan Classic, the 1975 Jacksonville Open and the 1976 First NBC New Orleans Open. Among his Top 10s was Ziegler tying for third place at the 1976 Masters, tying for eighth at the 1970 U.S. Open and tying for fifth at the 1960 U.S. Open. In addition to competing, Ziegler worked his way up to become a head club pro. This dual role allowed him to refine his skills while also mentoring younger players. His early career set the stage for a promising future on both the PGA and Champions Tours. He won the St. Luke’s Classic, part of the Senior PGA event in Kansas City, in 1998 with George Brett (MSHOF 1994) caddying for him. At age 9, Ziegler caddied for Sid Soloman, the original owner of the St. Louis Blues.
1970 Hermann High School Boys Basketball Undefeated State Championship Team
Only 31 high school boys basketball teams have gone undefeated in Missouri since 1951, including 1970 Hermann boys basketball team. Coached by Don Gosen, the Bearcats ended two years of hard luck in the Final Four by beating Lutheran South 42-36 to win Class M and finishing 33-0. That’s not to say there weren’t a few close calls. Hermann beat St. Joseph Christian Brothers College 66-62 in the semifinals, and the season also saw 59-58, 55-54 and 31-29 victories against Owensville, and 47-45 against New Haven. The starting lineup included seniors Steve Huenefeld, Duane Kraetti and Tim Shaw, and juniors Hansi Bloch and Phil Horton. The rest of the roster included seniors Russell Ellis, Bob Ruffner and Chris Wilson, and juniors Bud Tumy, Doug Stock and Lindsay Gekrken. Student managers were Larry Kallmeyer, Bob Sauerwein, Jim Schirmer and Chris Theissen. The 1968 and 1969 teams both reached the Final Four but placed third, with both falling in the semifinals to the eventual state champions in Matthews and John Brown-led Dixon, respectively. The 1968 team was 29-5, and the 1969 team was 32-1.
1977-1979 St. Louis Hummers Softball Era
The St. Louis Hummers played in the Women’s International Professional Softball League from 1977-1979, reaching the WIPSL World Series every year. The league’s inception was 1976 thanks, in part, to tennis great Billie Jean King and other sports greats. The Harrawood Family of Ed, Gayle and Tom brought the team to life, providing Harrawood Park, and Goerge Jones was the general manager. The team’s first game drew a crowd of 2,700, and they beat Cal Bakersfield 7-5. Coaches were Billy Mikels (1977), Bob Umfleet (1978) and Linda Wells (1979). The Hummers represented St. Louis and have contributed to the history of women’s softball in a special way. Their legacy served to continue the path forward. Many of the Hummers were just joining the ranks of collegiate coaches and or as private instructors. They contributed to the explosion of the game through the 1980s and 1990s, and the current popularity of the sport, especially at the collegiate level. The rosters consisted of Tonya Adreon, Mary Beckman, Nancy Davenport, Pat Guenzler, Karen Harris, Susie Hiner, Cindy Henderson Snead (MSHOF 2019), Shay Lange, Donna Lopiano, Debbie Kurka Mann, Bobbi Mattingly, Carole Meyers, Nancy Nelson, Debra Reznicek, Judy Schneider, Vicki Schneider, Charlene Sennewald, Linda Smith, Bethel Stout, Vickie Swanson, Linda Wells, Marilyn Witman, Margie Wright and Debbie Zoss. Jodi Suerig served as the bat girl.
1990-2000 John Burroughs School Boys Golf Era
Golf has long had a foothold in the St. Louis area, with some going on to the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour or winning the Missouri Amateur or signing to compete for colleges across the country. And one of the best stretches in high school golf belonged to the 1990-2000 Era of John Burroughs Boys Golf. Eight teams in that stretch placed among the top four teams in Class 2. That included winning state championships in 1990, 1991, 1996 and 1997. The 1995 and 1999 teams were state runners-up, and the 1992 team placed third, with the 2000 team placing fourth. Dennis Moore coached the 1990 and 1991 teams, while Ellen Port (MSHOF 2012) coached the 1996 team. Steve Wilcutt coached the 1997 team. The era saw Greg Curtiss win the individual state championship in 1997, marking John Burroughs’ first individual state champion since 1973.
Lindenwood University Shotgun Sports
Lindenwood University has shown that the Midwest is more than just football, basketball, and baseball, as the outdoors attracts Lions with incredible skills in the shooting sports. Those sports include American Skeet, International Skeet, American Trap, International Trap, 5-stand, and sporting clays, as well as combined trap, combined skeet, combined international and combined American. Founded in 2001, Lindenwood Shotgun Sports has won 17 national high overall team championships including ACUI (Association of College Unions International) Division I titles in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2024. The Lions also won the National Collegiate Shooting Sports Athletic Association (NCSSAA) crown in 2023. Joe Steenbergen and Don Rayfield coached from 2001 to 2008. Mike Elam coached the next two seasons, and then was joined by Shawn Dulohery, who coached through 2019. Elam returned in 2019-2024, and Lauren Dunn is the current coach. Overall, the program has celebrated 107 individual national championships, won by 55 different members.
FILBERT FIVE – WOMEN
Mikala McGhee Bass – Pattonville High School/Missouri State University/Florida Gulf Coast University
A 2012 graduate of Pattonville High School, Bass was a three-sport standout. In basketball, she closed her career with school records for career points (1.647), rebounds (852) and steals (411). She averaged 20.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.1 steals with 54 3-pointers as a senior. That led to All-State honors – her second such honor – as well as Suburban North Conference Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. She also was named Athlete of the Year by the Suburban North Conference, Larry Hughes and St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the Riverfront Times’ Best High School Athlete of 2012. Bass also was a four-time all-conference and all-district pick in softball, and a four-time All-State soccer player. Bass played two seasons at Missouri State, appearing in 51 games, before she transferred to George Mason University. Bass then finished her career at Florida Gulf Coast, appearing in 35 games as a redshirt senior and averaging almost 12 minutes a game. She ranked third with 3.6 rebounds a game and a .429 3-point shooting percentage. These days, she is a Senior Communications Consultant for SSM Health and Sports Anchor for 5 On Your Side Sports.
Jaime Bonney – Jefferson City High School/Lindenwood University
Before graduating from Jefferson City High School in 1996, Bonney could be found excelling in volleyball and basketball. She earned First Team All-State basketball honors in Class 4 as a senior, when Jefferson City reached the state quarterfinals before suffering a 57-48 loss to eventual state champion Glendale. That season, she scored 430 points, had a 56 percent field-goal shooting percentage, 226 rebounds and a 79 percent free-throw percentage. In order, those rank 11th, 12th, ninth and eighth all-time in Lady Jays history. At Lindenwood, Bonney was a three-time First Team All-Heart of America Athletic Conference selection, including earning conference Most Valuable Player honors in 2000. That year, she was a First Team All-American and led the Lady Lions to the conference title and the NAIA Tournament quarterfinals. She averaged 29 points a game during the national tournament and finished with 1,579 career points and 799 career rebounds. Those are second and third, respectively, all-time in program history. She is in the Lindenwood Athletics Hall of Fame as an individual and with the 2000 women’s basketball team.
Angie Carr – Parkview High School/Webster University
A 2001 graduate of Springfield’s Parkview High School, Carr was a 2001 Honorable Mention All-State basketball selection, as well as a three-time All-Ozark Conference and a First Team All-District selection. As a senior, she earned MVP honors in the prestigious Pink and White Tournament. She averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game. At Webster University in St. Louis, Carr was a three-time First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection. In 2005, she was SLIC Player of the Year and an Division III News Honorable Mention All-American – just the third Webster player to earn that honor. As a senior, she averaged 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds a game, leading the league in scoring average. The Gorlocks won the SLICA Tournament, and she was named tournament MVP. Two of her teams there advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including the 2002, 25-win team that reached the Sweet 16. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,658 points). She also ranks in the top three in school history in six other statistical categories. An inductee of the Webster Athletics and SLIAC Halls of Fame, she is Vice President and Chief Impact Officer at Nine PBS in St. Louis.
Heather Toma Kochner – Hillsboro High School/Maryville University
A 1987 graduate of Hillsboro, Kochner played volleyball and basketball, and ran track. She was a four-year varsity letterwinner and helped the 1986 basketball team win the conference, with Kochner earning first team all-conference. She then went on to play at Maryville, where Kochner remains in the top 10 of six career statistical categories. She is fourth in points (1,329), sixth in scoring average (14.4 points a game), fifth in field goals made (427), second in 3-pointers made (231), fifth in field-goal percentage (.370) and ninth in free throws made (244). Her 86 3-pointers in 1989 ranked second in NCAA Division III that season. Kochner was a four-time MVP for the team and earned first team all-conference in 1991 as a senior. She is a physical therapist at St. Luke’s Hospital.
Amy Argetsinger Newman – John Burroughs High School/DePauw University
A 2001 graduate of John Burroughs High School, Newman played volleyball and basketball there. In basketball, she was a two-time All-State selection and holds the scoring record of 2,000-plus points. She averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds and made 79 percent of her free throws as a senior. Her teams placed fourth in Class 2 in 1998, 1999 and runner-up in 2000. She went on to play for NCAA Division III Depauw University in Greencastle, Ind. Newman graduated as the school’s all-time women’s basketball scoring leader with 1,447 points. In 2005, she earned Honorable Mention All-American honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and from DIII News. A Jostens Award finalist, she was a three-time First Team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection, the 2002 conference’s Newcomer of the Year and the 2004 & 2005 Player of the Year. Her teams made three NCAA D-III Tournament appearances, including a third-place finish in 2002. The team MVP in 2004 and 2005, she still holds DePauw career records for free throws made (356) and free throws attempted (452). She also was the first recipient of DePauw’s Amy Hasbrook Award, honoring an outstanding senior female student-athlete.
FILBERT FIVE — MEN
Brian Fogerty – Winfield High School/Fontbonne University
A 2005 graduate of Winfield High School, Fogerty was a three-sport athlete – football, basketball and baseball. In basketball, he played for coach Dennis Fisher and earned First Team All-Conference, All-County and All-District. Fogerty averaged 15 points and seven rebounds a game his senior year, when Winfield was 21-7 and reached the district finals. At Fontbonne, where he played for coach Lee McKinney, he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, scoring 1,756 points to become the program’s all-time leading scorer and finishing fourth all-time in the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He is the only Fontbonne player with more than 1,500 points and 750 rebounds. Fogerty was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American, All-Region, All-SLIAC and SLIAC Most Valuable Player. Fontbonne won three conference tournament championships and a regular-season title before he graduated in 2009. These days, he is in sales for Penske Truck Leasing, and a Fontbonne assistant coach.
Jonathan Griffin – Normandy Senior High School/Missouri-St. Louis
A 2001 graduate of Normandy Senior High School, Griffin averaged 11.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists on a team that twice won the Suburban North Conference and district tournament. He earned All-State honors in addition to all-conference playing for coach Malcolm Hill. At UMSL, Griffin is in the top 10 in all statistical categories. That includes being the No. 2 scorer all-time, with 1,739 points, and ranking second in made free throws and free-throw attempts. Playing for coach Chris Pilz, he was a two-time All-Great Lakes Valley Conference and All-Region selection and helped the 2005 team to the NCAA Division II Tournament. A member of the UMSL Athletics Hall of Fame, Griffin is the principal at Carnahan STEAM Middle School.
Tim Holloway – McCluer High School/Missouri Science & Technology
Holloway graduated from McCluer High School in 1993, months after averaging 20 points a game. He earned the Suburban North Conference Player of the Year and was an All-Metro Selection. He credits coaches Mike Hudock, Kurt Jacob, David Lewis and Truman Gilbert for making an impact on his career, as Holloway ultimately was recognized by McCluer on its Wall of Fame. At Missouri S&T in Rolla, he was one of the top performers from 1993 to 1997. He finished as the school’s second-leading scorer, with 1,571 points, second in 3-pointers (241) and as the all-time assists leader (343). He led the Miners in scoring in each of his final three seasons, averaging 17.3 points a game as a senior and 13.5 points a game as a junior. He also set the single-season mark in free throws, connecting on 90.6 percent of his attempts in 1997, and his 84.3 percent career mark is best in S&T history. Holloway helped the team win the 1997 MIAA regular-season and conference tournament titles and has since been inducted into the S&T Athletics Hall of Fame. He is now Vice President of Business Administration and President of the Bradley Beal Elite’s Basketball Club.
Austin Kirby – Parkway Central High School/Truman State University
Before graduating from Parkway Central in 2003, Kirby was a baseball and basketball standout who made a splash on the hardwood. Playing for his dad, Rick, he scored 1,082 points, and had 163 steals, 232 assists and was an 81 percent free-throw shooter. He averaged 20 points his senior year, when Parkway Central earned a third-place finish in the Class 5 state tournament and finished 27-5. In his final three seasons there, the team was 82-16. He was First Team All-State, First Team All-Metro by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Suburban West Conference Player of the Year. At Truman State from 2003 to 2007, Kirby scored 1,100 points, made 200 3-pointers and 100 steals. He was a Second Team All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association selection his senior year, and made the All-MIAA Defensive Team for coach Jack Schraeder. Kriby helped Truman State reach the 2006 NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 1997. He is now the basketball coach at Eureka High School.
Joe Wiley – Belleville West High School/Saint Louis University
At Belleville West High School in the 1960s, Wiley earned All-State and All-America honors, averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Maroons. During his senior year, the 6-foot-5 jump-shooting forward led the team to a third-place finish in the Illinois state tournament, breaking the tournament scoring record – he averaged 32 points a game – as the Maroons finished 27-5. At Saint Louis University, he was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and ended his career as SLU’s third all-time leading scorer and fourth in rebounds. He was named the team MVP in each of his final two seasons, and his 22-point scoring average led the Valley his senior year. He had a 35-point game against Southern Illinois and a 33-point game against Cincinnati and Memphis State in 1970. He is a member of SLU’s Hall of Fame and All-Century Teams and served as an analyst on SLU’s TV broadcasts. After college, he stayed in St. Louis, working for Pfizer, General Dynamics and Monsanto. In 2003, he formed Quest Management Consultants, a human resources consulting firm. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including by the St. Louis Business Journal as One of the Most Influential St. Louisans and St. Louis Magazine as “100 Athletes Who Shaped St. Louis Sports.” He is an inductee of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
BENEFITTING CHARITIES
STL Youth Sports Outreach
STL Youth Sports Outreach seeks to ease the burden on struggling families whose children wish to play organized sports. Formed in 2015, the organization wants to make sure no child is denied the chance to play a sport due to the high price of equipment. As the Sports Outreach sees it, this helps promote an active and healthy lifestyle for all of our children. Its mission is to provide lightly used donated sports equipment to children who otherwise may not be able to play due to the high cost of such equipment. In fact, the organization offers a trade-up program, if your child needs a bigger size cleat, bat or helmet, bring your old one in. If you don’t have gear to trade up, it can help any child, free of cost. In 2016, Sports Outreach was given the opportunity to pay it forward with a $500 gift card. In 2016, Mike Rowe Returning the Favor gave STL Youth Sports Outreach a $10,000 check, and Academy Sports and Outdoors and Rawlings made surprise donations combined totaling $30,000 in sports gear.
Special Olympics Missouri
Special Olympics Missouri provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Globally, the organization is the world’s largest sports organization with nearly 5 million athletes in more than 170 countries.
