News Release

2009 Inductees

Oct 13, 2008 - A pair of high school teammates and two highly recognized women's athletes are among 10 people selected to the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.

Duane Tirschel and the late Bob Gingrass were teammates at Iron Mountain High School shortly after World War II, then went their separate ways to athletic success.

Ann (Somerville) Besaneney of Ironwood and Alice (Duesing) Nightingale of Sault Ste. Marie hale from opposite ends of the Upper Peninsula, but both earned national recognition, in track/cross country and basketball, respectively. Joining them are Escanaba natives John Berrigan and Tom Schwalbach and current Escanaba High School football coach Dan Flynn, Mark Olson and Bob (Chase) Wallenstein of Marquette and Dale Phillips of Ishpeming and Marquette.

The 38th annual induction banquet will be held April 25, 2009 in Escanaba at The Danforth Place. For more information on the Hall of Fame, check out upshf.com on the web.

The inductees:

JOHN BERRIGAN (Escanaba) - The U.P. basketball scoring leader in 1954-55 with a 26.7 average at Escanaba Holy Name, John Berrigan scored 1,146 points in three seasons. He was nominated to play in the North-South Game in Murray, Ky. He earned 11 varsity letters at St. Joseph/Holy Name. Berrigan pitched a no-hit baseball game against Negaunee while a senior at Holy Name, then became a youth league coach in Escanaba.

ANN (SOMERVILLE) BESANENEY (Ironwood) - A recipient of 12 varsity letters at Ironwood High School in four sports, Ann Somerville helped her teams win seven U.P. championships. She earned 12 all-state track awards. She also earned 12 letters at Michigan State University in track and cross country and was All-America in cross country in 2000 and track in 2002. A four-time Big Ten Academic All-Star and Verizon Academic All-American in 2002.

DAN FLYNN (Escanaba) - A long-time multi-sport coach and administrator at Escanaba High School, Dan Flynn was a three-year football letterman at Northern Michigan University. Head coach in football, track and wrestling at EHS, he also was athletic director from 1984-96 and has served on the Michigan High School Athletic Association's representative council since 1988. He also helped start wrestling at Ishpeming High School.

BOB GINGRASS (Iron Mountain) - An all-sports star at Iron Mountain High School with 12 varsity letters, Bob Gingrass was a three-year football player at the University of Wisconsin and played for the Badgers in the 1952 Rose Bowl. He was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

ALICE (DUESING) NIGHTINGALE (Sault Ste. Marie) - The leading basketball scorer at Sault High School (1,482 points) and Lake Superior State University (1,933), Alice Duesing was the U.P. Class A-B-C Player of the Year in 1998. She received numerous awards at LSSU, topped by the NCAA Today's Top VIII Award, the NCAA D-2 Conference Commissioners Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year and GLIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

MARK OLSON (Marquette) - A three-time MVP of Michigan Tech University's hockey team, Mark Olson is a member of three other sports halls of fame. Brothers Eddie, Weldy and Wesley are also in the UPSHF. He helped Escanaba win hockey's Gibson Cup in 1954, officated at the college hockey level, helped start youth hockey programs in Escanaba, Peoria and Pekin, Ill. and was an excellent log birler. He also played basketball, baseball and softball and helped Escanaba Harnischfeger win the Class A state fastpitch softball championship.

DALE PHILLIPS (Ishpeming/Marquette) - A veteran of 36 years in coaching runners, Dale Phillips directed Marquette High School to 42 Upper Peninsula titles in cross country (25 by girls, 17 by boys), and 11 girls U.P. track titles at Marquette and one at Ishpeming Westwood. A total of 28 U.P. cross country champions ran for Phillips, and 14 were named U.P. Runner of the Year. His teams won a total of 60 conference titles, at Ishpeming Westwood and Marquette. Joined the Michigan Interscholastic Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005.

TOM SCHWALBACH (Escanaba) - An outstanding athlete at Escanaba High School and Northern Michigan University, Tom Schwalbach then became an outstanding prep coach in Rockford, Ill. He played baseball and football at EHS, then after playing basketball, baseball and football in the Marine Corps for three years, he became a four-time football MVP at NMU. He was the first NMU football player to have his number (17) retired. He signed with the AFL's Boston Patriots in 1960 but left to become coach at Munising High School for two seasons. He then coached football and wrestling in Rockford, Ill. West and Guilford high schools (1965-92), earning numerous awards.

DUANE TIRSCHEL (Iron Mountain) - An outstanding athlete who earned 11 letters in football, baseball, basketball and tennis at Iron Mountain High School, Duane Tirschel became a long-time promoter and sponsor of Upper Peninsula sports. He built national award-winning TimberStone Golf Course in Iron Mountain, generating a U.P. golf boom, and also owned Pine Mountain Resort. He was U.P. Sports Hall of Fame executive director from 1994-2007.

BOB WALLENSTEIN (Negaunee/Marquette) - Known as Bob Chase on the radio, Bob Wallenstein spent 55 years as WOWO play-by-play announcer for the Fort Wayne, Ind. Komets hockey team. He also broadcast Indy 500 auto races for over 30 years, Big Ten football, Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons basketball. He has won numerous sportscasting awards. He started his career at WDMJ radio in Marquette.

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