Posted by Sudbury Northern Life
The Class of 2009 entering Sudbury's Sports Hall of Fame has been introduced and will be officially inducted at the 41st annual House of Kin Sports Celebrity Dinner and Awards on June 10 at the Caruso Club.
Tickets are now on sale at the House of Kin. Cost is $45 for adults and $20 for children under the age of 10.
The Class of 2009 includes fellow basketball coaches Mary Collinson and Mitch Lalonde, paddler Joe Derochie, longtime minor hockey board member Bev McIver, wrestler Matti Jutila, badminton player Lucio Fabris, retired NHL players Doug Mohns and Brian Savage, longtime marathon runner Ron Wallingford and the late Roy Pella, a Commonwealth Games discus silver medalist in 1954.
Following are small profiles on each of the inductees:
BUILDERS
Bev McIver (minor hockey, former Valley East regional director)
-Sports volunteer for more than 50 years as regional director
for the Town of Valley East, he supervised the construction of
the Raymond Plourde Arena and the management of Centennial
Arena, the Howard Armstrong Sports Complex, four baseball
fields, 22 summer playground programs and two beach front
operations was instrumental in establishing the Valley East
Progressive Hockey program in 1972.
-Helped establish the Valley East Minor Baseball Association in
1974
One of the founding members of the Nickel District Hockey
League in 1973.
-Was treasurer of the Valley East Progressive Hockey League
(1974-92)
Current second vice-president with the Northern Ontario Hockey
Association and board member with the Ontario Hockey
Association.
Dr. Ron Wallingford (university sports/ track and field)
-Ottawa native captained the Big Ten Championship track
team at the University of Michigan
-Twice established Canadian fastest times ever for a marathon,
including a third-place finish at the 1964 Boston Marathon in a
time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 51 seconds. It broke the
Canadian fastest time for a marathon by more than two minutes.
It was also the fourth fastest time ever recorded in the Boston
Marathon over the official distance.
-Appointed director of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Marathon
-Served as Canadian Track and Field Technical Coordinator
-A former instructor at Laurentian University.
-Author of three novels, including Chasing The Olympic Dream,
which portrays the journey of a young Laurentian University
student who, motivated by his contact with Olympic champion
Alex Baumann on campus, strives to attain his true potential
and run the 3,000-metre steeplechase event in the 1988 Olympic
Games in Seoul.
Also wrote Portrait of a Runner (1985) and Never Let Go (2004).
-For more than 20 years, Ron competed at Canada's highest
level in events ranging from the 1,500-metre to the marathon,
and held Canada's 3,000-metre steeplechase record.
-represented Canada at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, where he
placed sixth, and at three Pan-American Games in 1959
(Chicago), 1967 (Winnipeg) and 1971 (Cali, Colombia).
-During his lengthy career as a university professor, Dr.
Wallingford dedicated a great deal of research effort to human
hypothermia in cold water, exercise physiology as well as the
physiological basis of human performance.
Inducted into Laurentian University's Athletics Hall of Fame as
a builder in 2002.
Mary Collinson
-former winner of the Bill Roman Administration Award in 2005.
-Captured the OFSAA Award for Leadership in Sports in 2003
becoming the first female in Northern Ontario to receive the
award.
-Longtime basketball coach of the Lasalle Secondary School
Lancers in midget, junior and senior girls.
-Winner of 16 girls' city basketball titles - midget division
(2004 at Lasalle); senior division (1994 & 1995 at Lasalle
and in 1980-84 at Sudbury Secondary School) and junior division
(1980 at Sudbury Secondary and 1991-94 at Lasalle)
-Winner of two junior boys' city titles (1984 & 1985) at
Sudbury Secondary School.
Currently celebrating her 30th year as basketball coach.
-Has also been on the executive board of the Sudbury Youth
Basketball League, coach and a convener at several track and
field meets and a soccer coach.
4.Mitch Lalonde
-Longtime basketball coach at Lasalle Secondary School
-Won nine senior boys' Division I titles - eight with Lasalle
(1999-2000 and 2002-07 including four NOSSA titles and one at
Lo-Ellen Park (1988); seven straight Junior Boys' Division I
titles (1992-98) and another (1990) at Lasalle for a total of
eight more.
PLAYERS
Matti Jutila (wrestling)
-Known as Sudbury's greatest wrestler.
-Emigrated from Finland to Canada in 1956, working as a
carpenter, he joined the Sampo Athletic Club
-outstanding technical wrestler, won 10 Canadian titles in
Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling beginning in 1956.
-At the 1963 Pan American Games in Brazil, won the silver
medal, won Sudbury's 1963 Professional Sportsperson Award.
-Career peaked in 1964 when he earned a spot at the Olympic
Summer Games. He was entered in the Featherweight Division of
both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman categories. After winning
his first two bouts, he injured his neck and was eventually
eliminated from medal contention.
-In 1970 he won his class in the Canadian Open Wrestling
Championships held at Laurentian University.
Joe Derochie (canoeing, kayaking)
-Competed in the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympic Games; competed
at the 1957 World Championships with the Sudbury Boat and Canoe
Club, teaches canoeing, wind surfing, kayaking and Dragon Boat
rowing on Lake Ramsey.
Lucio Fabris (badminton)
-In 1969 at the age of 10, reached the finals of three events
in the Under-14 Division at his first Ontario tournament; won
the boys' doubles event with Wayne Lucky.
-Swept to a triple crown victory at the 1970 Ontario
Championships taking the singles, doubles (with Elio Cozzarini)
and mixed (with Kim Mulligan) titles.
Represented Ontario at the 1971 Canada Winter Games in
Saskatoon; just before the Games, suffered a broken right arm.
-By 1974, established himself as one of the best players in
Canada
-At 16, notched his first win at the Canadian Junior
Championships
-Three Canadian titles during his career, one of the Canadians
sent to Malmo, Sweden to take part in the first World Badminton
Championships in 1976; also competed in England at the Thomas
Cup
-semi-retired in 1978; competed on the Canadian Team at the
11th Commonwealth Games in Edmonton in 1978 - captured silver
medal in mixed doubles with Wendy Clarkeson
Doug Mohns (hockey)
-A native of Capreol. played 1,390 NHL games with Boston,
Chicago, Minnesota, Atlanta and Washington (1953-75); 248
goals, 462 assists; also had 14 goals and 36 assists in 94
playoff games
-nicknamed Diesel, won two Memorial Cups.
-One of the first players to wear a helmet.
-Played for Max Silverman's juvenile team in Sudbury
-Park dedicated in his honour in 1969 (situated on Coulson
Street next to Capreol Arena)
-after he retired, spent 19 years in hospital administration
with the New England Rehabilitation Hospital and is presently
working at the Shaker Hills Golf Course in Harvard,
Massachusetts.
Brian Savage (hockey)
-Played 674 games in the NHL with Montreal, Pheonix, St. Louis
and Philadelphia; 192 goals and 167 assists; added three goals
and eight assists in 39 playoff games
Attended the University of Miami-Ohio for three seasons; led
the CCHA in goals with 37 in his final season.
-He was a CCHA First Team All-Star and NCAA West Second Team
All-American, represented Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics in
Lillehammer, Norway; won silver medal
-Retired in Sept. 2006 after 12 NHL seasons
-For the past 11 years, his Charity Golf Classic Tournament has
raised over $450,000 to help underprivileged children through
the Ten Rainbows Foundation in Sudbury.
Roy Pella (track/field)
-Student at Sudbury Technical School; accepted scholarship at
the University of Michigan
-At the 1952 Olympic Trials in Hamilton, shattered the Canadian
discus record with 157 feet, three and a quarter inches
-Took part in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki
-In 1953, captured the Rowell Trophy as Canada's Outstanding
Amateur Field Athlete
Captured a silver medal in the discus at the 1954 British
Empire Games in Vancouver; set new Canadian record with toss of
162 feet, 6 inches
