Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame welcomes 2024 inductee class

Posted by author February 2, 2025 Sports

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Kiana Lodge held a ceremony Saturday to celebrate the latest class of inductees.

POULSBO — Out of the dozen individuals and one team honored Saturday at Kiana Lodge as the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame welcomed its 2024 class of inductees, no one has celebrated more birthdays than Rod Scheyer. The 1959 graduate of East High in Bremerton and former University of Washington football player still knows a thing or two about humoring a crowd.

“When I was growing up right after the war — that was World War II, not World War I,” Scheyer said with a chuckle, “things were pretty different than when I graduated from high school.”

Something that hasn’t changed, in Scheyer’s eyes, is the lasting impression sports can leave on people. That was evident during Saturday’s 36th annual banquet hosted by the Kitsap Athletic Roundtable.

“This is just a wonderful gathering. It’s impressive to see all the young people that get featured in this thing,” said Scheyer, who played four sports in high school and whose father, Dwight, entered the hall of fame in 2008. “It just really makes me, as I get older and older — and I’m in my mid-80s now — it makes me proud of what athletics can do and help people grow up.”

Here’s a list of all the inductees, starting with the three award winners:

The Rex Brown Distinguished Service Award went to the Tom Myers family for their dedication to Kitsap’s bowling community through their ownership of Hi-Joy Bowl in Port Orchard and All Star Lanes in Silverdale. They’ve been involved with Hi-Joy since 1970 and opened All Star in 1985, before selling it in 2023.

The Dick Todd Officials Award went to longtime track and field official Deanna Dowell, whose husband Lane was the first recipient of the award. Marty Osborn, a 2008 inductee, accepted the award on behalf of the Dowells, who were unable to attend the ceremony.

John Sitton earned the Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of contributions as an athlete, coach administrator and broadcaster. The 1968 West High graduate coached for over 38 years, mostly at Central Kitsap High School in basketball and fastpitch. He was spent time as the Cougars’ athletic director.

North Mason’s 2007 fastpitch softball team entered the hall of fame with state championship credentials. The Bulldogs won the Class 2A title with a 23-2 overall record. North Mason won a pair of one-run, nine-inning games at state before claiming a 5-3 victory over Sequim and a 3-0 victory over Centralia to win the championship.Former head coach Paula Grande attended the ceremony with a half dozen of her players on the 2007 squad, including Emily (Anderson) Addis.

“When I think back to that season, I remember the long grueling practices, sometimes three-plus hours, Paula? Maybe four, five? I don’t know,” Addis said with a smile. “Sometimes two-a-days. And the late-night bus rides and the games that really tested our limits. But more than the victories, what stands out is how we can together as a family.”

Family, friends and colleagues of the late Dave Snyder gathered to remember the career of the longtime North Kitsap football and track and field coach, who died last year. Local pastor and assistant Vikings football coach Peter Blue spoke on Snyder’s behalf, delivering a touching speech that brought tears to more than a few attendees’ eyes.

“Dave was an irreplaceable thread in the fabric that makes up our community here in Kitsap,” Blue said. “His love for others, whether they were a student, an athlete, coach, teammate, competitor or opposing coach, was always on display. Those of us who had the blessing of having him in our lives will never been the same because of his kindness, encouragement and love.”

There were no shortage of multi-sport athletes celebrated Saturday, including 1986 North Mason graduate Mark Knowles, who earned first-team all-league honors in basketball, soccer, football and golf. Knowles, a WSU graduate, has worked as a PGA golf professional since 1997 and spent more than two decades as a basketball referee.

Rachel Davenport, a 1996 Central Kitsap graduate, excelled at fastpitch, basketball and volleyball with the Cougars. After being named the Kitsap Sun female athlete of the year as a senior, she played four years of fastpitch at the University of Mississippi. Davenport coached at Central Kitsap, Olympic and Klahowya while pursuing a career in education; she now is the superintendent for the North Kitsap School District.

Like Davenport, fellow Central Kitsap graduate Jackie Miller (2001) earned multiple honors in fastpitch and volleyball, helping the Cougars place third at state as a junior. She later played at California State University, Stanislaus and California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Wrestling is the sport where 2014 Kingston High School graduate Bobby Reece III made his biggest mark as a four-time 2A state champ. He finished his career with the Buccaneers with 149 wins and only two defeats. Reece also quarterbacked Kingston’s football team to state tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013.

KC Fossum, a 2007 North Kitsap graduate who competed in volleyball and track and field with the Vikings, became an All-American volleyball player at Olympic College and led the Rangers to a runner-up conference finish in 2012. She also played club volleyball at Northern Arizona University and Duke University.

Tlenna Ree Ives was inducted as a multi-sport athlete. The member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe played basketball at North Kitsap and Olympic College, winning the NWAC title with the Rangers in 1996. In her post-collegiate career, Ives completed two 140.6-mile Ironman triathlons (2011, 2012) and competed in the Boston Marathon in 2016.

Former Kitsap Sun sports editor and hall of fame member Chuck Stark highlighted the achievements of 1968 West High grad Frank Jackson, who could not attend the ceremony. An outstanding baseball and football player in high school, Jackson became an All-American baseball player at WSU. He also won two state championship baseball titles as a coach at Washougal High School.