BEMIDJI – It was a history-making night on Monday at Bemidji High School – in more ways than one.
New inductees to the Bemidji High School Hall of Fame were honored, sure. Female and Male Athletes of the Year were revealed, of course. But for the first time in 20 years, more than five new members were inducted into the hall.
They included the five previously announced inductees: Bob Strand (Class of 1958), Spencer Price (1961), Mark Fodness (longtime coach), Selina Gilbertson Stanley (2010) and Carey Woods Jr. (2012).
Joining them as a surprise addition was longtime former assistant activities director Sheila Guest, who it was said would not have attended had she known she was being honored. Guest, a 1969 BHS graduate, started her career in the activities office in 1984. She retired after 36 years in December of 2020.
“The years have gone by so fast. It’s almost scary when you think about it,” she said to the Pioneer following her retirement. “But the school district has done a lot for me and my family. They gave my kids an education, and they gave me a job that I enjoyed coming back to every morning.”
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Also honored were Female Athlete of the Year Elizabeth Oster and Male Athlete of the Year Seth Newby. Oster was the first four-plus-sport athlete to win Athlete of the Year since Male Athlete of the Year Linaes Whiting in 2018.
“It was really happy (emotion),” said Oster, who lettered in volleyball, softball and – simultaneously in the winter season – wrestling and girls hockey. “And relieving in a way, because all the work that my coaches, my teammates and myself have put into all the different sports has paid off.”
Newby is a three-sport athlete. He currently competes in track, but has also been a standout on the gridiron and the wrestling mat.
“I've learned a lot of lessons throughout sports, and it's really helped me grow as a person,” Newby said. “Integrity, resilience, just to be the best person you can be every day. All the memories I've made with all my friends, all the relationships I've made, all the hard work I put into it.”
Oster reflected on the ways her teammates pushed her to continue on despite challenges, even when she found it difficult to summon the strength herself.
“I think of all the times that maybe I didn't want to do something, but my teammates were there to push me and tell me to keep going,” she said. “It really pays off.”
After winning his award, Newby – surrounded by his teammates as well – recalled four years of memorable moments in multiple sports.
“It was really good,” he said. “The last four years I've spent with a lot of these people, (I) have grown up with them, had a lot of special moments with them. (I’ve been through) highs and lows with all of them.”
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Also honored with awards were Rick Toward, Matt Menne and Randy Triepke. Toward won the Mark Fodness Memorial Head Coach of the Year Award, which is in its second year after debuting at the 2022 Hall of Fame banquet. Toward is the longtime coach of the BHS boys soccer team.
Triepke won the Lumberjack Award. He is a loyal fan renowned for his consistent attendance at BHS athletic events. The Lumberjack Award is presented annually to a person or business that has continuously contributed to Lumberjacks sports, typically without compensation or recognition.
Menne took home the newly renamed Jim McKeon Assistant Coach of the Year Award. The award, extant since 2019, was named for the first time this year in honor of McKeon, who died unexpectedly in February. Menne is an assistant coach for the BHS boys hockey team.
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