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.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

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

tease
Saturday: Homer baseball tops Petersburg, Ketchikan

The Homer baseball team finished up play at the Ketchikan Round Robin… Continue reading

tease
Bears end season with sweep at the hands of Ice Dogs

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs swept a Friday and Saturday series from the… Continue reading

Morgan Aldridge leads riders down a hill at the start of Week 3 of the Soldotna Cycle Series on Thursday, July 18, 2019, at Tsalteshi Trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Sterling’s Aldridge wins duathlon at Lavaman Triathlon

Sterling’s Morgan Aldridge, 43, won the individual duathlon at Lavaman Triathlon 2025… Continue reading

tease
Friday: Homer baseball picks up 1st win of season

The Homer baseball team defeated Petersburg 11-3 on Friday at the Ketchikan… Continue reading

tease
Thursday: Homer baseball drops opener

The Homer baseball team opened its season Thursday with an 11-10 loss… Continue reading

tease
Peninsula Piranhas sweep South Central Area Championships

The Peninsula Piranhas swept the South Central Area Championship Meet on Friday… Continue reading

Soldotna's Adarra Hagelund grabs a rebound in front of Kenai's Denali Bernard and Emma Beck, and SoHi's Tanner Inman, at Soldotna High School on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna graduate Hagelund uncorks top high jump in Alaska history

Soldotna High School graduate Adarra Hagelund leapt to the top of the… Continue reading

Trevin Moore of Soldotna and Connor Schnatterie of Clarkston (Washington) battle for the ball at Justin Maile Field at Soldotna High School on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna boys soccer notches victory over Clarkston

The Soldotna boys soccer team opened its season with a 5-1 victory… Continue reading

Levi Strong of Kenai Central and Stephen Alfred of Clarkston (Washington) battle for the ball Monday, April 7, 2025, at Ed Hollier Field at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai boys soccer defeats team from Clarkston, Washington

The host Kenai Central boys soccer team opened its season with a… Continue reading

Most Read