Curling, softball announce HOF inductees

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This article was published 28/01/2019 (2678 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While curling and softball are played in different seasons, the two sports traditionally hold their annual hall-of-fame inductions during the same week in the spring.

This year the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame’s 32nd ceremony will be held May 5 at CanadInns Polo Park. The 18th Manitoba Softball induction dinner will go May 11 at the Victoria Inn.

Curling announced its 2019 class of  four individuals and two teams at a media conference on Jan. 22. A highlight was the announcement of a new category, Olympic Curler. The first inductee will be Kaitlyn Lawes, who combined with John Morris to win gold in mixed doubles at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Lawes earlier went into the Hall with the Jennifer Jones team that won gold in the 2014 Olympics.

Rob Meakin, who will be inducted as a curler, won a world championship in 1995 as the second on Kerry Burtnyk’s team. He also won a Canadian mixed title in 1988 with Jeff  Stoughton. Garry DeBlonde will be honoured as a curler-builder. His lengthy resume  includes national mixed titles with Ernie Boushy in 1964 and 1966, provincial men’s championships with his brother Clare and Earle Morris, as well as many roles as a curling instructor. Former Manitoba Ladies Curling Association president Isla Hagborg will be inducted as a builder.

Teams skipped by Chris Pidzarko and Karen Fallis that won Canadian junior women’s championships will also be inducted. Chris with her sister, Cathy, at third, Barb Rudolph and Patti Vande took the 1974 title with a 9-1 record. Karen had her sister Lynn with her along with Karen Tresoor and Caroline Hunter in their run to the 1981 championship. After round-robin play, Manitoba and Ontario were tied with 8-2 records. Fallis and company prevailed in the playoff.

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The softball group announced earlier in the month consists of eight individuals and three teams.

The records of the teams are very impressive. From 2002 to 2007, the Bison Blondes women’s slo-pitch team won four gold medals, one silver and one bronze at Softball Canada and SPN national championships. The Smitty’s senior open A team, which Evelyn and Roy Holenski formed in 2002, won the Western Canada women’s fast pitch championship every season from 2002 to 2006. The 2006-2011 St. James CanadInns 55+ mixed slo-pitch team won the provincial title every year and took gold at the Manitoba Senior Games three times.

Two Winnipeg pitchers who seemed to pitch forever at various levels of fast-pitch including senior A, Rollie Boucher and Charlie Brown, will be honoured. Brown also will be recognized for his coaching at Sir John Franklin Community Club, where his teams won provincial minor championships. Leanne (Scott) Papineau, who played for Smitty’s teams from midget to senior, made the national junior team in 1995.

Brandon is represented by third baseman Daryl Beamish and builder Brett Turner. Portage la Prairie also has two new hall-of-famers, Michael Blackburn, who has played all over North America, and Larry Dewis, whom Winnipeg fans will remember as a shortstop with the Winnipeg Colonels of the Western Major Fastball League. Frankie (Little) Cochlan, who pitched for CUAC Blues from 1964 to 1973, will be inducted posthumously. The Poplar Point product will join her pitching mother Olive Little and sister Bobbi Janaway in the softball shrine.

Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com