Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2015 - - Kim Spalsbury - - Lansing Civic Events - - July 30, 2015 - - by Chuck Krafft

Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame

2015 Induction Ceremony

Kim Spalsbury - - Grand Ledge, Fowler and DeWitt Track and Cross Country Coach

July 30, 2015

Kim Spalsbury had a stellar record coaching both boys and girls track at Fowler and Grand Ledge.  He won 19 regional titles, 9 Greater Lansing titles, had 30 top state track meet finishes, 5 state runners ups and 5 state championship teams!

Mr. Spalsbury thanked the committee for selecting him.  He related that he learned to “Treat people with respect and courtesy” all the time from his mother and hard work from his father.

He also discussed the importance of the team concept and also related the importance of loving what you do and having fun with it.

Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2015 - - Jesse Gallegos - - Lansing Civic Events - - July 30, 2015 - - by Chuck Krafft

Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame

2015 Induction Ceremony

Jesse Gallegos - - Waverly High Baseball Player and Boxer

July 30, 2015

Jesse Gallegos was successful both as a boxer and a baseball player.  He won three National Golden Gloves championships as a middleweight boxer and was invited to try out for the 1976 Olympic Boxing Team.

As a baseball player, he was All-City three years and all state for two years.  As a recreation baseball player, he played in 5 World Series Tournaments and was selected to the Stan Musial World Series All-Tournament Team in 1982.  Bob Every, the Chamber Chairman, actually played baseball with him and was extremely complimentary about his skills.

Mr. Gallegos made the trip all the way from Texas to come to the induction ceremony.  He only spoke briefly, but thanked his family, coaches and teammates for all their support.

Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2015 - - Chuck Block - - Lansing Civic Events - - July 30, 2015 - - by Chuck Krafft

Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame

2015 Induction Ceremony

Chuck Block - - Lansing Community College Cross Country Coach

July 30, 2015

To say that Chuck Block was a successful track and field coach is a huge understatement.  In the years from 2000 to 2014, he won the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XII Mens championship 13 times and the Region XII Women’s championship 11 times.  He was also the Mens Coach of the year 13 times during that period.

Bob Every credited Mr. Block as having done more for racing than anyone else in the area.

Mr. Block thanked his assistant coach.  He noted that the assistant coach works just as hard as the head coach, but has to toil in anonymity.  (He backed away from this premise a bit when he named his assistant coach, Jim Robinson.)

He also thanked Lansing Community College for giving him the opportunity and the support necessary to have a successful program.

He is really enthusiastic about running and stated that running has done more for him than he has ever done for running. 

He also praised the Lansing Area for its community togetherness.

Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2015 - - Andy and Nick Simmons - - Lansing Civic Events - - July 30, 2015 - - by Chuck Krafft

Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame

2015 Induction Ceremony

Nick Simmons, Williamston Wrestler

Andy Simmons, Williamston Wrestler

July 30, 2015

These brothers never, ever, ever lost a high school wrestling match.  Their combined record in high school was 430-0!!

Nick Simmons was the older brother by one year.  He was Michigan’s first ever four time undefeated state wrestling champion.  He was also a three time Junior National Champion and a four time finalist.  He also won the Jr. Hodge award presented to the Nation’s Most Dominant wrestler. 

In college, Nick Simmons was a four time NCAA All-American.  He is second All Time at Michigan State University with 156 Career wins.  He was also a three time Big Ten Champions.

Nick represented our country on the National Team eight years between 2005 and 2015.  He was an Olympic Alternate in 2012.  He was fifth in the World Champions in 2011; and had a number of other fine international wrestling achievements.

Andy Simmons was the second ever four time undefeated State Champion.  He was a four time Junior All-American and held the National Record for Consecutive Victories.  He was also a Cadet World Team Member. 

At Michigan State, he was a two time All-American and won a Big Ten Championship.  He is in the top ten at Michigan State for all-time career wins.

He took sixth place in the Junior World Championships in 2003.  He was also a FILA Junior Champions, a University National Champion, a University World Team Member and finished third in the U.S. Open.

Andy spoke first.  He thanked MSU Coach Jeff Terrian and thanked his parents for their commitment transporting him and his brother to meets.  He noted that wrestling is an individual sport and forces you to rise to the occasion every time; no teammate can help you during a match.  He also said that because wrestling is not a revenue sport, you do it only for the love of wrestling.

Nick spoke next.  He thanked his grandfather, who was their biggest fan and had recently passed away.  The audience participated in a moment of silence.  He also thanked his parents and coaches for the support system that helped to develop him and his brother into fine wrestlers!

Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2015 - - Stephanie Smiley - - Lansing Civic Events - July 30, 2015 - - by Chuck Krafft

Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame

2015 Induction Ceremony

Stephanie Smiley - - Holt High School Softball and Basketball

July 30, 2015

Stephanie Smiley was a great softball and basketball player.  In softball, she was a All District player at third base in 1995 and a Dream Team Catcher in 1997 and 1998; in 1998, she was the Lansing State Journal Position Player of the year!

In high school basketball, she was an All-Conference player for three years.  Her senior year, she was on the Lansing State Journal Dream Team and an All-Stater.  Holt High retired her basketball jersey in 2004 and she was inducted into the Holt High School Hall of Fame in 2007.

She only received one Division I College offer - - from Eastern Michigan University.  She spent the next four years making all the other schools wish that they had noticed her talent.

She was the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year in 1999.  As a sophomore, she was second team All Conference; as a junior and senior, she was first team All Conference.  Ms. Smiley was the first Eastern Michigan’s women’s basketball player to achieve that honor twice.  She was also Honorable Mention for the All-American team; she was also the first Eastern Michigan player to achieve that honor.

Ms. Smiley thanked her coaches, friends and family.  She spoke of a coaching career in Alaska, where she also had really supportive friends to help her.  We learned that in basketball, the teams are spaced so far apart that they have to pay plane fare to get to the other games and stay there for a few days and play a number of games during each visit.  She thanked her friend Debbie Rohrer,  who helped her raise the funds to pay these costs so that her players could experience a sports program.

She also thanked her family - - especially her mother and her father.