31st Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony Hands Out Honours
The Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame held their 31st annual induction ceremony Saturday night at the Oaks Inn, in Wallaceburg.
The night featured entertainment, speaker and ex-NHLer Brad May, as well as the induction ceremony which enshrined the Hall’s new permanent members, as well as those receiving the yearly honours.
Mike Hinnegan entered the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame as a permanent Male Athlete, recieving the Dan Bertrand Memorial Award of Excellence. Hinnegan played numerous sports in elementary school and High School in Wallaceburg, Junior and senior hockey in Wallaceburg, intermediate and senior lacrosse, and was a member of the Wallaceburg Hornet Oldtimers.
The female athlete inducted to the Hall of Fame, and receiving the Marion and Bill Chinnick Memorial Award of Excellence, was Jacqueline Hogan. Jackie, one of the youngest athletes inducted into the Hall of Fame, was an excellent high school athlete in Wallaceburg, but was best known for her success on the soccer field. In High School, Hogan led the WDSS Tartans to a SWOSSSA championship and also competed at OFSSA. Following high school, she attended Mississippi Valley State on a full soccer scholarship and was Captain her last two years. While at Mississipi Valley State, Hogan’s team won the Southwestern Athletic Association championship twice.
Inducted in the Masters Classic category and joining the Frank and Zine Mann Honor Role was John Floin. Floin was a well known baseball player in late 1940’s and 1950’s playing third base for OBA championship teams in Bantam, Midget, and Juvenile.
Receiving the Mike Childs Memorial Award of Excellence, and inducted as a builder was Harold Ribson. Ribson was the Wallaceburg Arena manager in Mid 1960’s and was one of the founders of girls hockey in Wallaceburg, helping to organize the original Wallaceburg Lipstick Ladies Hockey Tournament.
The Team inducted was the Team Inductee was the 1980/81 Wallaceburg Hornet Oldtimers Hockey Team that won the National Oldtimer Hockey Championship in Montreal. The 1980-81 Hornets went undefeated in the National tournament, beting St. John, New Brunswick in the final 7-1.
Yearly honouriees recognized Saturday evening including Jack Cavanagh as athlete of the year, Justine Decock, Jonah Pataki, and Lee Purnell for outstanding achievement, Rob MacLachlan and Beth Fischer as coaches of the year, and the TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour organizing committee as builders of the year. Cale Shephard also recieved the Ray Aarssen/Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship.
Cavanaugh won OFSAA swimming gold, a first for Wallaceburg sports, while Justine Decock, at student in Pain Court, advanced to the OFSAA golf championships. Purnell and Pataki were instrumental athletes in WDSS’ senior boys football SWOSSAA championship, a team coached by Rob MacLachlan. Beth Fischer has played an important role in developing local basketball programs, while Cale Shephard was las year’s male Jack Parry Award nominee from WDSS and now studies at Wilfird Laurier University.