News Release

U.P. Sports Hall Of Fame Family Tree Grows

Escanaba, MI Aug 15, 2009 - For the second year in a row, the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet will be a family affair.

All-American wrestler Bob Mariucci of Iron Mountain is among 10 new members selected recently by the group's executive council. He joins father Ray (2005) and brother Steve (1996) in the Hall of Fame located in Famers Restaurant at Pine Mountain Resort in Iron Mountain.

Also selected this year are George Atanasoff of Caspian, Scott Erickson of Marquette, Jerry Gallagher and Lew Reiman of Iron River, Ira "Hack" Hanson of Munising, Jim Lindstrom of Iron Mountain and Escanaba, Tammie (Anderson) Mrachek of Ironwood, and Bret Pearson and Len Umnus of Menominee.

Atanasoff, Reiman, Hanson, Lindstrom and Unmus are deceased.

Also to be inducted will be Ann (Somerville) Besaneney of Ironwood, who was selected last year but was unable to attend the banquet due to a conflict with college classes.

The 2010 class will be inducted April 24, 2010 at The Danforth Place in Escanaba.

Last year Mark Olson joined brothers Eddie, Weldon and Wesley in the Hall of Fame. Other family inductees are brothers Ralph and Walt Bietila, Jerry and Pat Cvengros, John and Joe Ricci, Dennis and Larry Tiziani and Ed and Norm Kukuk and father-son Frank and Karl Parker.

GEORGE ATANASOFF (Caspian) - A U.P. champion Golden Gloves boxer in 1948-49, George Atanasoff found his niche as a rifle marksman in the U.S. Army. After leaving the service, he performed at state fairs and large shows with numerous celebrities through the 1950s and 1960s. His shooting exhibitions included rifles, pistols and shotguns. He won 62 individual and team championships over several decades and made numerous national TV appearances and shot professionally until sidelined by an accident in 1973. He died in 1996.

SCOTT ERICKSON (Newberry, Marquette) - Winner of a record five Upper Peninsula Golf Association men's championships, Scott Erickson won numerous tourneys across the U.P. from 1972-95. The former Ferris State University golfer was medalist in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament in 1976 and 1978 and all-district MVP. He was Newberry Golf Club champion six times, was Marquette Golf Club champ four times and won the Newberry Open four times.

JERRY GALLAGHER (Iron River, St. Ignace) - After earning 11 varsity letters at Iron River High School, Jerry Gallagher became a successful coach at St. Ignace LaSalle High School. He led the Saints to a 57-13-1 mark and five conference titles in an eight-year span, and the 9-0 team of 1973 was ranked first in the state in Class C. He was an all-state halfback in football, helping the Redskins to three straight unbeaten seasons and Class B state champions by the Detroit Times in 1954. He also ran track and played basketball. He also played football, softball and basketball and boxed with the U.S. Marine Corps.

IRA "HACK" HANSON (Munising) - Winner of nine varsity letters at Munising High School, Ira Hanson had a varied and distinctive career. He played fastpitch softball for 30 years, played a year of basketball and football at Northern Michigan University, coached at Nahma High School and started the school's track program in 1949, and coached football and basketball in Newberry and football at Escanaba St. Joseph. He also officiated basketball (30 years), football (20 years) and track (24 years), and had one of Newberry's top bowling averages for 24 years. He died in 2002.

JIM LINDSTROM (Iron Mountain, Escanaba) - A four-year letterman in football, basketball and track at Iron Mountain High School, Jim Lindstrom played football at Northern Michigan University and then coached football at Escanaba High School. He ran for 2,738 yards and scored 28 touchdowns at IM and was MVP at NMU in 1968. He served as varsity assistant at Esky, then coached jayvees and spent 20 years as head freshman coach. He also spent nearly 30 years as a basketball official. He died in 2000.

BOB MARIUCCI (Iron Mountain) - An All-American wrestler at Iron Mountain High School, Bob Mariucci wrestled and played football at Northern Michigan University. He was a four-time Upper Peninsula champion (1981-84) and is believed to be the only U.P. grappler named to the USA Scholastic All-American Dream Team (1983). He was national Junior Olympic freestyle champion in 1982. He was NMU's most valuable receiver in 1987 and 1988. He is now athletic director at Cuesta (Cal.) College and was an A.D. at Harbor Springs, Mich. and Stockton, Cal.

TAMMIE (Anderson) MRACHEK (Ironwood) - A two-time all-state basketball selection (1984-85), Tammie Anderson earned 11 letters at Ironwood High School and was U.P. Player of the Year in 1985. She was a four-time basketball letterwinner at Northern Michigan University and a three-time MVP. She was NMU's all-time scoring leader (1,441 points) when she graduated in 1990.

BRET PEARSON (Menominee) - A four-sport standout at Menominee High School, Bret Pearson then played football four years at the University of Wisconsin and was drafted by the NFL's San Diego Chargers. He was Big Ten player of the week after catching eight passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State in 1983. He signed with Orlando in 1985 but the USFL folded before he could play for the Renegades. From 1986-91 he coached jayvee girls basketball at Waunakee, Wis. and varsity volleyball, girls jayvee basketball and varsity football assistant at Baraga.

LEWIS REIMAN - After playing football at Iron River High School, Lewis Reiman became an All-Big Ten tackle at University of Michigan and second-team All-America in 1914 for coach Fielding H. Yost. He had more tackles than the entire Michigan team in a win against Harvard. He was also a heavyweight wrestling champion at UM. He was author of two books, "When Pine Was King" and "Between The Iron and the Pine." He died in 1961.

LEN UMNUS (Menominee) - A teammate of fabled Red Grange at the University of Illinois, Len Umnus became a highly successfull college coach of five sports over a 49-year span. Umnus, who also boxed at Illinois, was a guard (1922-24) for the "Galloping Ghost." After starting the football program at Jordan College in Menominee, he spent 39 years at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wis., a school for ministers of fewer than 200 students and coached football, basketball, baseball, tennis and wrestling, often without assistance. He was 135-64-9 in football and won or shared 11 conference titles. His 1946-47 basketball team was 20-1. He died in 1996.

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