Lemans make High School Hall of Fame

  • By Staff Report
  • Friday, May 2, 2014 12:01am
  • Sports

Former Ninilchik basketball coach Dan Leman and his daughter and star player, Whitney, were among 11 named to the Alaska High School Hall of Fame, the Alaska School Activities Association announced Thursday.

The Lemans will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Aug. 3, 2014, in Anchorage. The public is invited.

Leman coached the Wolverines girls for 18 seasons, winning 373 of his 409 games. The Wolverines are the only team in Alaska history to win five state titles, sweeping 2000 to 2004 at the Class 2A level. Leman won eight state titles overall, and finished third or better in 16 of his 18 seasons.

The Wolverines had a 98-game winning streak on Leman’s watch, which was preceded by a 57-game streak. Leman was the small-schools coach of the year seven times, and coached a player of the year nine times.

Whitney Leman, now Schillenberg, was a huge reason for her dad’s success. She led Ninilchik to four of those state titles, and was the first small-schools player to get player of the year three times. She was the MVP of every tournament she played in from her sophomore to her senior year.

As a freshman at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Leman helped the Seawolves win the 2003 Great Alaska Shootout by assisting on the game-winning basket in one game, and icing the championship game with a pair of free throws. Later, at Eastern Oregon, she ranked eighth in the NAIA by averaging 5.9 assists in 31 games.

The other inductee with Peninsula ties is Bruce Shearer, who coached football at Kenai Central before going on to coach at Chugiak and East Anchorage and pile up 10 Class 4A titles in football, girls basketball, and track and field.

The other inductees are Wrangell basketball legend Archie Young, Chugiak drill team founder Pauline Souter, Chugiak soccer legend Steve Simmons, volleyball coach Virgil Hooe, Dimond tennis coach Dave Reeves, band leader Richard “Dick” Barker, official Don Kassube, and volleyball coach Donna Dooley.

More in Sports

Ninilchik's Kade McCorison moves to shoot over attempted blocks by Aniak's William and Troy Morgan during a basketball game at Ninilchik School in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Ninilchik’s Kade McCorison, CIA’s Ian McGarry make all-state first teams

The Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches sent out its all-state basketball teams… Continue reading

Roope Tuomioksa of the Kenai River Brown Bears attacks Payton Nelson and goalie Nick Erickson of the Minnesota Wilderness on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Saturday: Brown Bears finish sweep of Wilderness

The Kenai River Brown Bears completed a two-game sweep of the Minnesota… Continue reading

tease
Friday: Brown Bears win 2nd straight

The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Minnesota Wilderness 4-1 on Friday… Continue reading

tease
Friday: Seward boys fall to Barrow in 4th-place game

The Seward boys basketball team lost the fourth-place game 66-42 to Barrow… Continue reading

Me working in the Alaska House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 in Juneau, Alaska. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)
Out of the Office: Juneau

It was kind of happenstance that I spent the last month living… Continue reading

Greg Fallon, Kenai, receives his gold medal for his team’s 4x400m relay 2005 or later mix effort from Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries. (J. David McChesney/Frontiersman)
Peninsula athletes compete, win at Arctic Winter Games

23 athletes from the Kenai Peninsula, representing Kenai, Soldotna, Nikiski, Sterling and Homer, brought home 31 Ulus

tease
Thursday: Seward boys hold off Houston to make 4th-place game

The Seward boys basketball team defeated Houston 51-43 on Thursday to advance… Continue reading

tease
Thursday: Sitka girls knock Homer from Class 3A state tourney

The Homer girls basketball team was eliminated from the Class 3A state… Continue reading

tease
Wednesday: Grace Christian defeats Seward in 1st round

The No. 3-seeded Grace Christian boys basketball team defeated No. 6 Seward… Continue reading

Most Read