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Eight named to MSHSL Hall of Fame
May 13, 2005
The Minnesota State High School League will honor eight distinguished individuals on Wednesday, May 18, when they become the 15th class of the League's Hall of Fame. This group of inductees includes two athletic officials, two coaches, two members from the fine arts community, one athlete, and a state tournament public address announcer.
The 2005 inductees are: athletic officials Frank White of St. Paul and Carl Brit of Apple Valley; coaches Dennis Ranta of Plainview and Gerald Gingles of Canby; fine arts judges/coaches Thomas Backen of Minneapolis and Gretchen Heath of Plymouth; athlete Kathleen Borgwarth Reynolds of Brainerd; and Bob Reid of Edina, who served as the public address voice for eight Minnesota State High School League tournaments.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on the 18th at the Minneapolis DoubleTree Park Place Hotel. The induction of these eight honorees brings the Hall of Fame membership to 143 individuals, whose photos and names the League proudly displays at its Brooklyn Center office.
"There are hundreds of people involved in the work of the League," said Dave Stead, executive director of the League. "This is an excellent platform to recognize these individuals for the contributions they make to school activities and to the students who participate in them."
The League will also present merit awards to: Dr. B.J. Anderson, a state tournament physician from Burnsville; Doug Peltier, athletic director at Roseville Area High School; Ken LaCroix, former Hastings school administrator; and Lawrence Gallagher, a baseball umpire from Crystal.
The 2005 Hall of Fame inductees were selected through a multi-level process that included League member schools and a committee of athletics, fine arts, and education leaders. Here are brief biographies of the 2005 inductees:
Gerald Gingles -- Coach
Coach Gerry Gingles began his teaching and coaching career at Baudette High School in 1962. After two years he moved to Canby where he coached wrestling, football, track, basketball, and golf over a 33-year teaching career. This was also where he began Canby's two-decade domination of the high school wrestling scene.
Gingles was the head wrestling coach from 1966 to 1980. He took a three-year break, and in 1983 returned to coach again from 1983 to 1992. He compiled a career dual meet record of 337 wins, 69 losses, and 11 ties. His teams won 17 conference titles, 18 consecutive district and region championships, and five state championships. He also had three state runner-up finishes, one state third-place finish, three state consolation championships, and he coached nine individual state champions. His career record in state dual meet competition stands at 31 and 15. He retired undefeated in region dual meet competition.
Also a high school wrestling official, Gingles has received many honors, among them induction into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, the Bemidji State University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Gingles is a graduate of Lincoln North East High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. He earned his BA in education from Bemidji State University and his MA from South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.
Bob Reid -- Public Address Announcer
For 42 years the memorable voice of Bob Reid has been heard at state tournament venues all across the state. Reid served as the public address announcer for eight different Minnesota State High School League tournaments, and during his four decades of announcing he never missed an assignment.
As manager of the Met Center, he helped set up the first League girls' volleyball and basketball state tournaments. He later worked the first girls' hockey state tournament as P.A. announcer. Reid cites the emergence of girls' sports and watching their talent grow as a career standout for him.
For 37 consecutive years Reid handled the announcement of more than 1,000 matches at the state wrestling tournament. He also did P.A. work for the state football, baseball, girls' softball, boys' hockey, and both basketball tournaments.
Reid announced at the High School League events with the young athletes in mind, and he meticulously prepared for each event. Before the start of games or matches he caught up with coaches, student managers, or cheerleaders to get the right pronunciations of names. The challenging ones he always wrote phonetically in his program.
"Kids are sensitive," he said. "They've worked hard to get to the state tournament. I certainly didn't want to mar their tournament experience with mispronunciations. They deserve better than that."
Reid graduated from St. Louis Park High School and is a cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota, where he earned his BA degree and attended postgraduate courses.
Thomas Backen -- Fine Arts Advisor/Judge
Tom Backen has had a long, successful career as a teacher and coach in speech and debate. As the debate coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1976-84, his teams were district champions and state tournament contenders. In 1984 he moved to Benilde-St. Margaret's of St. Louis Park and became the school's speech coach. Four years later he began the school's Lincoln-Douglas debate program and for 14 years, Backen consistently brought winning teams and individuals to speech and debate state tournament competitions.
Locally, his team won the 1996 State Lincoln-Douglas competition and produced the 1996 National Forensic League Lincoln-Douglas champion. He also coached the National Catholic Forensic League Lincoln-Douglas championship winners in 1996, earning the National Debate Team of Excellence Award, and making history as the only coach to lead two different students to national championships in the same year.
Backen gave more than 15 years of service to the Minnesota State High School League as a debate and speech tournament judge. He hosted speech and debate invitational tournaments and also served on the League's State Debate Tournament Jury and State Speech Tournament Rules Committee.
In professional speech and debate organizations he has held offices, served on committees and educational panels, and presented at workshops for new judges and coaches. Among many honors, Backen holds the Minnesota Debate Teachers Association Coach of the Year Award, the Benilde-St. Margaret's 2000 Faculty Member of the Year Award, and the unique Benilde-St. Margaret's National Honor Society Apple Polisher Award, which honors a faculty member that demonstrates outstanding service and dedication to students.
Backen is a graduate of Hutchinson High School. He earned his BA in English/speech at St. John's University in Collegeville, and his MA in education at St. Mary's University in Minneapolis.
Kathleen Borgwarth Reynolds -- Athlete
Kathleen Borgwarth Reynolds came onto the girls' athletic scene in the 1970s when girls' athletics were just beginning to come into their own. A four-year star athlete at Brainerd High School, she was a letter-winner in track, cross country running, volleyball, and basketball. She set school and state records in the 110- and 180-yard hurdles, and earned MVP and All-Conference honors in track, volleyball and basketball.
A two-time All-American hurdler, Borgwarth Reynolds is on the National High School Honor Roll in track and was named the Prep Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1976. She competed in the National Junior Olympics in the 100-meter hurdles and finished fifth in her age division.
In basketball she competed for three years on the Brainerd teams that claimed the Central Lakes Conference championships. In 1977-78 the Warriors played to a 20-1 season record. That year she earned All-American honors in basketball and received the All-State Player Award from the Sportscasters Association, among other tributes.
An honor student and member of two athletic halls of fame, Borgwarth Reynolds went on to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she repeated her record-breaking excellence in athletics by becoming the only Wisconsin woman ever to win a Big Ten Indoor Championship in the sprint hurdles. She also won both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor titles in the pentathlon and heptathlon.
Borgwarth Reynolds is a graduate of Brainerd High School and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she earned her degree in physical education. She is presently an assistant track and field coach at Lakota East High in Liberty Township, Ohio.
Carl Britt -- Athletic Official
Carl Britt has worked as a Minnesota State High School League basketball and football official for 21 years, and as a basketball rules clinician for 10 years. He also served a two-year term on the League's Officials Advisory Committee.
Assignors tapped Britt's officiating expertise for 14 state girls' and boys' basketball tournaments. He officiated in 12 state championship games and worked more than 100 section final basketball games.
On the college level he has officiated in NCAA Division II and III men's basketball championships, including one national championship game. Added to that is his work in six conferences as a collegiate basketball official.
In football Britt officiated in many post-season playoff games, including two Prep Bowl games. For eight years he took to the field for the Big Ten and three other college conferences, a tenure that included a Big Ten bowl game. And when not on the gridiron, Britt umpired ASA men's fast-pitch softball.
Britt is a 21-year member of the Minneapolis Officials Association and a six-year member of its board of directors. He also served as president of that organization, where he still stands out as a talented mentor to other officials and students of the profession.
Britt is a graduate of George Washington High School in Los Angeles, California. He earned his business administration degree from Los Angeles Southwest College.
Gretchen Heath -- Fine Arts Advisor/Judge
Gretchen Heath began her teaching career at various schools in Duluth, Minnetonka, and Pipestone before moving to the Robbinsdale district. During her 28 years with the district she briefly taught at two junior high schools, then spent 11 years at Cooper High School before heading to Armstrong High School where she taught until her retirement. She taught English, speech, and theatre throughout her career.
A strong advocate for arts in education, Heath has directed, coached and judged speech and one act play competitions for more than 30 years. She's managed these events at all levels from local contests to the finals of the state tournament. Added to that is her committee work on the League's Speech Advisory Committee and her activities in the Classic Lake Conference where she's been a workshop leader sharing her expertise in judging, coaching, and tournament management.
Heath's been a fine arts project facilitator, serving on and chairing state committees for the Comprehensive Arts Planning Program. She has worked on the Guthrie Theater Education Advisory Board for 15 years, and has held offices and memberships in professional organizations that support the arts. In honor of her leadership she has received the Minnesota Speech Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award, the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota's Outstanding Individual in Speech and Theater Award, the Classic Lake Distinguished Service Award, and the Ralph Streater Speech Paradigm of Excellence Award.
Heath is a graduate of Little Falls High School. She earned her BS degree in English, speech, and theatre at Bemidji State University. She also studied at Fordham University in New York, and holds a liberal arts degree from Hamline University in St. Paul.
Dennis Ranta -- Coach
Denny Ranta has the distinction of holding Minnesota State Coach of the Year honors in four different sports: girls' and boys' cross country running, and girls' and boys' track and field. He's also earned 28 Section 1A Coach of the Year honors.
While coaching at Plainview High School for 31 years, Ranta's teams brought home records that included 29 conference titles, 12 Section 1A titles, and seven state championships. He also coached 34 individual champions.
Ranta is a 31-year member of the Cross Country Coaches Association and is past vice-president and president of the Minnesota High School Track Coaches Association. He has also served as a member of the League's Track and Field Advisory Committee.
He is a founder and member of the Minnesota True Team Track and Field Committee. He also conducts clinics for area coaches in Plainview where he has run a successful summer track and field camp for younger athletes.
Ranta is a graduate of Grand Rapids High School, and of Bemidji State University where he earned his BS in social studies. He holds an MA in history from Winona State University.
Frank White -- Athletic Official
Frank White has been a high school basketball official for 32 years. He has worked games at all levels, including district and region tournaments, in just about every area of the state. This experience led to his officiating in 15 state basketball tournaments -- 12 times for the boys and three times for the girls.
Also a high school football official for 15 years, White's basketball officiating talents gained the notice of many local college athletic coordinators. He soon began working small college conference games and holiday tournaments. He also worked on Minnesota AAU basketball programs and on the International Special Olympics Basketball Committee. Both endeavors gave him opportunities to include local officials in state and national tournaments and international games.
A member of the St. Paul Officials Association for over 25 years, serving on its board and as president, White has also been involved in the Minnesota Sports Federation and the Minnesota Parks and Recreation Association.
Through his service on innumerable committees and his role as a basketball rules clinician and evaluator, he has given immeasurable input to League decisions regarding the recruitment and training of officials. He also wrote a column, "The Right Call," to assist with rule interpretations for officials, coaches, players, and parents.
As a member of the Board of Regents for the School of Sports Management in Oglebay, West Virginia, White taught the course "Sports Violence: It's not a game anymore," which he developed into a presentation on sportsmanship that he has taken to high schools and youth organizations all over the state and the nation.
White, who is a graduate of Mechanic Arts High School in St. Paul, also attended the University of Minnesota.