Sunday night at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame the 2022 inductees were honored at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Missouri.
Killian Construction sponsored the event which drew a crowd of more than 1,600.
CEO & Executive Director Jerald Andrews presided over the ceremony, and the crowd included Gov. Mike Parson. Among the inductees were former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday, Kansas City Chiefs lineman Willie Roaf, and St. Louis broadcaster Rich Gould.
Matt Holliday came in for the. event and gave his acceptance speech which lasted about two minutes. They are allotted three minutes for a speech but he joked that “the music guy” would not be necessary, referring to when people go over their three minutes and music starts to play to reming them to wrap it up. He basically thanked every and sat down. He thanked his wife, Leslee for holding their family together and all of her support, calling her a “rock star.”
Here is a short clip of when he was just introduced to receive his award. The video and other photos are courtesy David Jerome.
Here is a photo of the entire class who was in attendance for the 2022 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Photo courtesy Missouri Sports Hall of Fame: Front row, left to right: Randy Magers, Delanne Carlson representing Grain Valley High School Cheerleading Program, Julie Dorn, Forrest Lucas, Willie Roaf, Chairman Kris Conley, Matt Holliday, Craig Curry, Ray Hentges representing Helias Catholic High School Golf Program, Trish Knight representing West Plains High School Volleyball Program and Ace Award recipient Bonnie Keller. Second row, from left: President Byron Shrive, Ken Morrow, Bryan Magers representing Bryan Properties, Jay Osborne, Rick Byers representing St. Pius 1998-2002 Football Era, Jon Leamy, Tim Poe, Mike Swanson, Steve Hesser, Rich Gould, Don Peterson, Larry Whiteley and CEO & Executive Director Jerald Andrews.
The Class of 2022 identified by affiliation:
- Willie Roaf, Kansas City Chiefs
- Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
- Forrest Lucas, founder of Lucas Oil, the namesake for Lucas Oil Speedway & Lucas Oil Stadium
- Ken Morrow, a 1980 USA Hockey gold medalist and four-time Stanley Cup champion
- Rich Gould, a Branson native and the longest-serving TV sports director in St. Louis history
- Julie Dorn, a University of Missouri All-American gymnast
- Jay Osborne, the longtime Nixa High School boys basketball coach
- Tim Poe, coach of the University of Central Missouri men’s golf program
- Steve Hesser, former Glendale High School and Drury University basketball coach
- Jon Leamy, the recently retired coach of the Missouri State University men’s soccer program
- Mike Swanson, Kansas City Royals Communications Executive
- Don Peterson, a 55-year scuba diving coach based in Springfield
- Randy Magers, a Missouri State University baseball & basketball standout
- Larry Whiteley, Conservationist & Outdoor Journalist
- 1984-1991 West Plains High School Volleyball Era
- Rick Byers, former football coach of St. Pius X High School
- 1998-2002 St. Pius X High School Football Era
- Grain Valley High School Cheerleading Program
- Helias Catholic High School Boys Golf Program
- Bryan Properties – John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award
- Bonnie Keller – Ace Award
- Craig Curry – President’s Award
Willie Roaf – Kansas City Chiefs
A 2012 inductee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Roaf played 13 seasons in the National Football League, including four years with the Kansas City Chiefs (2002-2005). With Kansas City, he was a three-time All-Pro offensive lineman as the high-powered Chiefs offense led the NFL in points twice (2002, 2003) and won the 2003 AFC West Division championship. The team also led the AFC in total yards in 2003, and the entire NFL in total yards in 2004 and 2005. Roaf simply dominated with his 6-foot-5, 300-pound frame. A standout at Louisiana Tech University, he spent his first nine seasons with the New Orleans Saints after being a first-round selection (eighth overall and first lineman that year) in the 1993 NFL Draft. He started 189 games during his career, earning All-Rookie honors in 1993 at right tackle before moving to left tackle the next season. Overall, he was named First Team All-Pro seven times (1994-1996, 2000, 2003-2005), All-NFC six times and All-AFC three times. He also was voted to 11 Pro Bowls.
Matt Holliday – St. Louis Cardinals
One of the more feared sluggers of his era, Holliday terrorized pitchers over 15 seasons in the big leagues, including eight memorable years with the St. Louis Cardinals (2009-2016). He helped fuel six postseason berths for the Redbirds, including the 2011 World Series champions, the 2013 National League pennant winners, two NL Championship Series runner-up teams (2012, 2014) and two NL Division Series teams (2009, 2015). Holliday collected roughly half of his career numbers while playing for the Cardinals – 1,048 of his 2,096 hits, 156 of 316 home runs, 616 of 1,220 RBI and 237 of 468 doubles. A graduate of Stillwater (Okla.) High School, he was a seventh-round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies in 1998 and played his first five big-league seasons in Denver, helping the 2007 team reach the World Series. He also played for Oakland (part of 2009), the New York Yankees (2017) and retired with the Rockies after 2018.
Forrest Lucas – Lucas Oil Motorsports
Lucas is a self-made businessman, philanthropist, and creator of Lucas Oil, which he founded with his wife, Charlotte, in 1989. Born in rural Indiana, he is recognized worldwide as a generous supporter of motorsports and the innovative pioneer of problem-solving oils and fuel treatments. Lucas’ numerous contributions to the automotive industry and sports nationwide are traceable over decades. He is a long-time ally of professional and amateur motorsports, sponsoring teams, speedways, and racing events at regional and national levels – even producing a line of high-performance racing oils. Lucas has made significant investments in sports across the Midwest and around the country. From the Lucas Oil Speedway, known as “The Diamond of the Dirt Tracks” in Wheatland, Missouri, to high profile sponsorships like Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, to being the exclusive oil of Monster Jam, the impact of his support is immense. The Lucas Oil brand also carries exclusive motorsports content into households through its television network MAVTV, elevating viewership and celebrating the love of sports.
Ken Morrow – Hockey
Do you believe in miracles? Morrow was a member of the 1980 USA Olympic “Miracle on Ice” hockey team that upset the Soviet Union in the semifinals and then beat Finland to capture the gold medal. He went on to play 550 games for the NHL’s New York Islanders from 1980 to 1989, helping the team win four Stanley Cups, before landing in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Since his playing days, Morrow has lived in Kansas City the past 30 years. He was co-coach of the International Hockey League’s Kansas City franchise in 1990-1991 and has helped grow the sport in Missouri and the Midwest as the president of KC Ice, an outdoor ice rink development management company based in Kansas City. He also has participated in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s Stan Musial Hall of Fame Championship presented by Landau Pontoons in recent years. Morrow is a native of Davison, Mich., played collegiately at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and has long been the Director of Pro Scouting for the Islanders.
Rich Gould – TV Sports
Gould was the longest-running sports director in St. Louis television history, as he handled sportscasts from August 1987 to October 2021. He did play-by-play, color analysis and interviews for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1997 to 2006, and NHL play-by-play in 1988 and 1989 for the St. Louis Blues. His career includes working the Braggin’ Rights game between the University of Missouri and University of Illinois basketball teams and handling play-by-play as well for Mizzou and Saint Louis University Billikens basketball games. He also was the host and executive producer of the sports/entertainment “The Fan Show” from 2006 to 2009. All this from a 1974 graduate of Branson High School who went on to earn a degree from Evangel University in 1979. He has worked as a sportscaster in three Missouri markets: Springfield’s KOLR 10 from 1978 to 1979, Hannibal/Quincy on WGEM from 1979 to 1985 and St. Louis on KPLR from 1987 to 2021. He also worked two years in Sacramento, Calif., for KRBK from 1985 to 1987, handling California-Davis University football and roller derby.
Julie Dorn – University of Missouri Gymnast
Dorn was the Big Eight Conference Female Athlete of the Year in 1991, meaning Mizzou swept the awards that year (basketball’s Doug Smith earned the Male Athlete of the Year) for the first time in school history. In her career, she was Mizzou’s first two-time NCAA All-American and earned three all-conference honors as she captured league championships in the vault and floor exercise in 1991. She also won three events in the inaugural Shakespeare’s Festival in 1991, won individual titles at the 1988 & 1989 Cat Classic, and led Mizzou to its first Cat Classic title in 1990. She holds 16 school records and placed in the vault and floor exercise at the 1990 NCAA Championships. Since 2015, she has been the Chief Development Officer at The Food Bank in Columbia and inspired many by overcoming breast cancer. In her career, she has worked for the Big 12 Conference, Mizzou Athletics, Kansas City Chiefs, Columbia Orthopaedic Group and the Boys & Girls Town of Missouri.
Jay Osborne – Nixa High School Basketball Coach
Osborne is in the middle of his 35th season as a coach for boys high school basketball teams, including his 33rd year overall as a head coach and 30th season as head coach for the Nixa High School Boys Basketball Program (MSHOF 2019). He entered the season with a career record of 647-242, averaging more than 20 wins a season with a .728 win percentage. His 1999 team won the Class 3 state championship, and Osborne has taken two other teams to Final Fours, finishing in third place in 2002 and as state runner-up in 2012 (30-2 season). His teams also have won 12 district titles and 45 tournaments, including 13 Nixa Invitationals and seven Greenwood Blue & Gold Tournaments. Osborne is the all-time winningest coach of the Blue & Gold Tournament, with a 75-25 record. Previously, he was 51-7 in two seasons at Pleasant Hope, winning a 1990 Blue & Gold title and reaching the 1992 state quarterfinals. Osborne began as an assistant at Willow Springs High School, and his first head coaching job was in Solomon, Kan. He also is a 2015 inductee of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.
Tim Poe – University of Central Missouri Men’s Golf Coach
Poe is now in his 31st season as the coach of the men’s golf team at the University of Central Missouri. He has led the Mules to 15 MIAA Championships—including six consecutive from 1997-2002—and seven regional titles. The team has made 27 consecutive NCAA postseason appearances, with the 2010 team finishing as the NCAA Division II runner-up. That was one of six top-five finishes at the national meet, and he earned the 2010 National Coach of the Year. He has produced 96 All-MIAA golfers, 34 All-Region selections, 25 All-Americans, eight MIAA Players of the Year in the past 11 years and one All-Nicklaus Team Award winner. Poe also coached UCM’s Sam Migdal, who was the 2015 NCAA Division II individual national champion and Arnold Palmer award recipient. Poe has been named MIAA Coach of the Year 15 times and is a 10-time recipient of the NCAA Division II Regional/District Coach of the Year award. He was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Hall of Fame in 2016. He also was the head coach of the 2011 United States Palmer Cup team (a USA win against Europe).
Steve Hesser – Basketball Coach
Hesser made his mark in Springfield as a basketball coach at Glendale High School and then Drury University. His 2013 Drury men’s basketball team won the NCAA Division II national championship. That was one of Hesser’s 17 seasons (Fall 2004 to March 2021) in which his Drury teams were 354-145, making Hesser Drury’s all-time wins leader and ranking him among the top 10 among active D-II coaches in wins and winning percentage (.709). The Panthers advanced to 10 NCAA D-II Tournaments, reaching two Elite Eights, and won nine conference regular-season championships and three conference tournaments. Overall, Hesser’s coaching record was 713-326. That includes a 97-39 record in six seasons at Glendale, which won the 2001 Ozark Conference and reached a Class 5 sectional in 2003. A graduate of Stillwater High School and the Oklahoma State University, he was 262-142 in Oklahoma. Three of his Bartlesville teams (1989, 1991, 1992) won Class 6 state titles, and his 1988 team was the state runner-up. He led Stillwater to two state appearances.
Jon Leamy – Missouri State University Soccer Coach
This past fall marked Leamy’s 30th and final season as the head coach of the Missouri State University men’s soccer program. He guided the Bears to a 309-189-66 record since 1992, including six appearances in the NCAA Tournament (1997, 1999, 2009, 2019-21). His teams won 10 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships and three Valley tournaments. He and his assistants also were honored eight times as the Valley Coaching Staff of the Year. The past three seasons have been among his most memorable, as the Bears won the Valley each season and reached the NCAA Tournament, with the 2020 team advancing to the Round of 16. They were 47-5-1 in that stretch. Under his leadership, the Bears have been nationally ranked seven times. A native of Ipswich, Mass., and a graduate of Roanoke (Va.) College in 1982, Leamy is Director of the Missouri State Soccer School. He also has served as a Midwest Olympic Development Regional staff coach and is licensed by the U.S. Soccer Federation and the Football Association of Ireland.
Mike Swanson – MLB & Kansas City Royals Communications Executive
A 1972 graduate of Raytown High School, Swanson spent 43 years working in Major League Baseball until retiring after the 2021 season. That included the last 15 with the Kansas City Royals as their Vice President-Communications & Broadcasting. He was also with the San Diego Padres (1984-90) and the first PR director for both the Colorado Rockies in 1992 and Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2006). Swanson was also a TV statistician, starting in 1977 with the late Keith Jackson on college football and Monday Night Football while attending the University of Kansas. Swanson’s TV stats work included a number of major sporting events: six Final Fours, six Super Bowls, four NFC Championship games, five Sugar Bowls, six Cotton Bowls, three Fiesta Bowls, the 2007 BCS national championship game, 23 Maui Invitationals and the Battle 4 Atlantis basketball tournament. The 2002 winner of MLB’s Robert O. Fishel award in 2002, he was the public relations liaison for the MLB All-Star team that played in Japan in 2000, and the Dominican Republic teams in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Don S. Peterson – Scuba Diving
A graduate of Rogersville High School and Drury University and a Navy veteran, Peterson has been a scuba diver for 58 years, including 55 as an instructor. He has taught more than 15,000 divers and more than 50 instructors. A 1971 honor graduate of the National Association of Underwater Instructors training program, he returned to Table Rock Lake and became Director of Education for John the Diver stores. During that time, he also taught diving at the Underwater Explorers Club in Freeport, Grand Bahamas and was the tour guide for numerous diving vacation trips to the Caribbean. In 1978, he helped build Aquasports Scuba Center in Springfield, adding a swimming and commercial diving division to its program in addition to scuba classes. In 1992 and 1996, the National Association of Scuba Diving Schools (NASD) named it the Store of the Year. Peterson also has taught diving for credit hours at eight area universities and served on the Board of Directors for the NASD in 1989-1990.
Randy Magers – Missouri State Baseball & Basketball
Magers was a rare two-sport standout for Missouri State University, starring on Bears baseball and basketball teams following his graduation from Central High School in Springfield. He was a four-year regular at shortstop from 1971 to 1974 and started in 127 consecutive games, setting a then-career mark for games played. At the time he graduated, he was the career record holder in doubles, walks, assists and total bases and was in the top five in runs scored, home runs, at-bats and hits. He was the Bears’ Rookie of the Year as a freshman and, in his final two seasons, was team co-captain, a First Team All-MIAA selection and, in 1974, an All-American and on the Missouri Collegiate All-State Team. In basketball, he was a regular in final 2 ½ seasons. The Bears won consecutive MIAA titles in two 20-win seasons his last two years. Magers led the Bears in assists as a junior and was the team captain his senior year, when Missouri State reached the NCAA Division II championship game. He finished his career with 791 points, a then-record 346 assists and made the national All-Tournament team.
Larry Whiteley – Conservationist & Outdoor Journalist
A 1964 graduate of Nixa High School who served in the U.S. Navy, Whiteley has hosted an outdoor broadcast show through The Great Ozarks Outdoors, Inc., his family corporation which dates back to 1976. That includes 30 years for the award-winning Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Radio, which was carried on more than 1,200 radio stations – including those as part of the American Armed Forces Radio Network. He also was the Corporate Public Relations Manager for Bass Pro Shops for 23 years. Additionally, his voice was the one carried over every Bass Pro Shops store in America, as it welcomed customers, noted the latest sale and gave outdoor tips. He also was a key part of conservation and kids outdoor education programs. To date, Whiteley has voiced more than 18,000 radio shows and written more than 5,000 articles communicating the great outdoors to people around the world. He still writes for newspapers and magazines, including Hook & Barrell, Outdoor Guide, ShowMe and Missouri Conservation Federation. Whiteley, a winner of numerous awards through several outdoors associations, also is an inductee of the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
West Plains High School Volleyball 1984-1991 ERA
West Plains was home to one of Missouri’s most successful high school volleyball programs of the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Coached by Trish Kissiar-Knight (MSHOF 2008), the Zizzers reached six Final Fours in Class 4, the highest classification at the time, and two other state quarterfinals in that span. They won four consecutive state championships (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987) and placed third in 1990 and 1991. The 1988 and 1989 teams played in state quarterfinals. West Plains hired Knight in 1980 and, in four years, the program surged to heights never seen before. In order, the state championship teams beat Truman High School 2-1, Washington 2-0, St. Joseph’s Academy 2-0 and Kirkwood 2-0. The Zizzers were 110-4 in that stretch, and each of the teams from 1986 to 1991 also won the conference. The program produced several All-State selections during that time, and a number of players went on to give back to the game as high school head coaches.
Coach Rick Byers & St. Pius X Football 1998-2002 Era
- Rick Byers – Football Coach: Byers has been one of the top coaches in the Kansas City metro area for more than two decades. He was at St. Pius X from 1987 to 2020. After a stretch as an assistant, he became the head coach in 1995 and led the Warriors to three state championships (1998, 2000, 2002), a state runner-up finish (1999), and a state quarterfinal appearance (2001). Additionally, his teams won 10 district titles and a number of conference championships. A graduate of Paola High School in Kansas, he played football one season at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and then three seasons at Pittsburg State (Kan.) University. Byers earned several Coach of the Year awards, including the 2001 Cecil Patterson and 1999 Kansas City Star and Kansas City Chiefs honors. Byers was also named the Class 2 Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2000. Byers also served as Pius’ athletic director for years. He is currently the head football coach at Turner High School in Kansas City, Kan.
- Pius X Football 1998-2002 Era: The Warriors enjoyed one of the most dominant runs in state history, playing in four state championship games in a five-year span. The Warriors won Class 2 state titles in 1998, 2000 and 2002, finished as the state runner-up in 1999 and, in 2001, were a state quarterfinalist. The 1998 team (12-2) beat Monroe City 14-0 in the finals. The 2000 team (12-1) topped Palmyra 34-21 to win it all. The 2002 team (11-3) beat Centralia 28-6. The 1999 team was only a touchdown and two-point conversion shy of winning state, as the Warriors fell 28-21 to Lutheran North. The 2001 team reached the state quarterfinals. In that era, St. Pius earned 28 All-State selections.
Grain Valley High School Cheerleading Program
Grain Valley Cheer began competing in 1992 and has won 18 state championships, which cover the years 2003 to 2005, 2009 to 2014 and 2016 to 2021. In 2012, the program became so large that it competed with two separate varsity squads (Class 3 Small All-Girls & Co-Ed Large). That season, it won state titles in both divisions and continued to do so through 2014 – which explains the 18 titles. Since 2016, its state titles have been in Class 4. The program also was state runner-up in 1993, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2015. About 20 cheerleaders have earned All-State, and many have become staffers with the National Cheerleading Association and the Universal Cheerleaders Association. A number of Grain Valley cheerleaders also have competed in NCAA Division I, Division II and NAIA. Linda Sallee guided the 2003 teams, and Delanne Carlson has led the squad since 2009. In 2016, Grain Valley was awarded the MCCA Community Service Award for its volunteer participation in events for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Race for the Cure KC, and Light the Night Cancer Survivors Walk Blue Springs.
Helias Catholic High School Boys Golf Program
One of the state’s most successful high school boys golf programs can be found in mid-Missouri. The Helias Catholic Boys Golf Program has finished among the top four at the state meet an incredible 15 times going back. That includes four state championships (1958, 1983, 1993, 1994) and five state runner-up finishes in 1984, 1986, 1997, 1998 and 2018. Helias placed third in 1992 and 2021, and was fourth in 1960, 1961, 1982 and 2004. The 1958 team was coached by James Abel, Jr., while Ray Hentges, 2013 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee for football coaching success, guided the other state championship teams. Individual state champions have been Perry Leslie in 1960, John Daly in 1983, Ethan Rost in 1993, and Connor McHenry in 2005 and 2006. Leslie and Daly went on to play on the PGA Tour. The program has had 11 coaches in its history, with Hentges leading Helias for 34 years through 2004.
Bryan Properties – John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award
Bryan Properties will be honored with the John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award, which is bestowed on companies which champion the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and sports in general in the Show-Me State. The award is named in honor of John Q. Hammons, a hotel developer and philanthropist who founded the Hall of Fame in 1994 and brought the PGA to the Ozarks in 1990. Founded by Bryan Magers in 1985, Bryan Properties is among the most successful in the state, with apartment communities and lodging throughout Missouri, Arkansas and Texas; and plans in Oklahoma and Kansas. Though its success, Bryan Properties has supported the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame as a corporate sponsor, in addition to being a Lead Sponsor of the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. The company participates in the Hall of Fame’s numerous fundraising events such as Celebrity Golf Classics, Sports Enthusiasts Luncheons and Sporting Clays Classic, as well as its Enshrinements. Its support of the PCCC has helped the tournament gift more than $18 million to Ozarks children’s charities since 1990. Magers has long served on the Hall of Fame Board of Trustees and is its Vice Chairman. In addition, Bryan Properties supports Missouri State University Athletics and the University of Missouri Athletics.
Bonnie Keller – Ace Award
The President & CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks in Springfield since 1991, Keller will be bestowed the inaugural Ace Award. It’s given to those who exemplify sports-related charitable work in Missouri. Keller has been active with the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper since August 1989, a year before the pros played at Highland Springs Country Club for the first time. Attending school locally at Glendale High School and Missouri State University, Keller has helped in a number of ways, serving as an Executive Board member for more than a decade, the Volunteer Chair for two years and overseeing RMHC’s support with the TLC Properties Charity Sweepstakes tickets, Media Day and other roles. This is in addition to leading the daily operations of the Ronald McDonald House, which was the first charity of the PCCC. RMHC has received $1.4 million from the PCCC over the years, and the financial gifts and visibility enabled the charity to build a second House in Springfield (inside Mercy Kids) and launch the Tooth Truck. The Ronald McDonald House provides a home-away-from-home for families whose children are in nearby hospitals.
Craig Curry – President’s Award
What a great friend to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Curry has been! The owner of Lebanon-based Landau Pontoons, Curry is receiving the President’s Award, bestowed on individuals who champion the Hall of Fame as well as sports in general in the state. Curry’s involvement with the Hall of Fame dates to 1997 when Lebanon-based Central Bank supported that year’s Enshrinement. He has been involved ever since and saw to it that the bank – and later Landau – became corporate sponsors. Curry has served on the Board of Trustees numerous years and is currently Treasurer. He has sponsored teams in Celebrity Golf Classics and the Sporting Clays Classics, as well as tables in Enshrinements, luncheons and auctions. In 2015, Landau Pontoons became the presenting sponsor of the Stan Musial Hall of Fame Championship, an elite two-day event. Additionally, Curry has thrown his support behind the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, meaning he has been a key part of the corporate coalition that has helped generate more than $18 million for Ozarks children’s charities since the tournament’s inception in 1990. That includes the tournament twice gifting more than $1 million, first in 2014 and again in 2021.
Photos courtesy David Jerome.
